Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, the joint Chief Executives of the Ambassador Theatre Group, are the most influential people in UK theatre according to arts and entertainment newspaper The Stage.
The couple are in the number one position in the influential publication’s annual Stage 100 list of the theatre industry’s most powerful people.
The second position is shared by the Artistic Directors of London venues the Royal Court (Dominic Cooke), Donmar Warehouse (Michael Grandage) and National Theatre (Nicholas Hytner), with impresario Cameron Mackintosh in fifth, producer/composer Andrew Lloyd Webber in sixth and Nimax owners Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer in seventh. The top ten is completed by the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Artistic Director Michael Boyd, producer Bill Kenwright and the team behind the Old Vic’s current success, Kevin Spacey and Sally Greene.
The who’s who of theatrical movers and shakers includes directors, artistic directors, producers, performers, writers, composers, designers and choreographers from across the UK.
For the first time The Stage has added awards to its annual list, with the Royal Court collecting the accolade London Theatre of the Year, following a 2010 season including much-lauded productions of Clybourne Park, Tribes, Posh, The Empire, Sucker Punch and Spur Of The Moment.
Earl’s Court venue the Finborough theatre is named Fringe Theatre of the Year, capping a 30th anniversary season in which it presented 44 premieres of new plays and musicals.
Other award winners include Northampton Royal & Derngate (Regional Theatre of the Year), English Touring Theatre (Producer of the Year) and the Sylvia Young Theatre School (Performing Arts School of the Year).
MA