Just three years after its inception, the Apprentice Scheme for New Producers run by theatrical charity Stage One is going from strength to strength, with its apprentices learning their craft working on many of the West End’s biggest hits.
In 2007, three apprentices were placed with commercial producers for a year to learn more about producing commercial theatre in the hope that they would go on to become the future of the West End. This autumn, the scheme is hosting 10 apprentices, feeding the hunger of young producers eager to learn more about the world-leading West End theatre industry.
In the short time since it was launched, the one-year scheme has already borne fruit, with alumni including Jamie Hendry, who, since working with Sonia Friedman, has created his own production company and is currently co-producing Legally Blonde The Musical, Birdsong and Onassis in the West End.
Speaking about the scheme, Stage One Chief Executive Nick Salmon said: “In such a high-risk industry, it is imperative that we offer emerging new commercial theatre producers as much training and support as possible. We are confident that all the apprentices will easily gain employment in the sector once their placements come to an end and we hope that some of them take the further ambitious step to commercially producing, knowing that they have the support of older and wiser hands.”
Among the other producers to have been helped by Stage One, which also offers bursaries, workshops and a start-up fund for its best graduates, are Becky Barber, the recipient of the first start-up fund, who is co-producing Birdsong, Matthew Byam Shaw, who is currently co-producing Yes, Prime Minister, and Kate McGrath, founder of producing company Fuel.
Current apprentice Holly Reiss, who is completing her apprenticeship at Playful Productions, added: “It seems increasingly difficult to make the step from small scale producer with tiny budgets to commercial producer in the West End but this is still very much my aim and I hope to use all I have learnt so far to enable me to produce refreshing and exciting work on a larger scale and to hopefully make a contribution to the life of British theatre.”
MA