Back to News & Press Richard Coyle To Play Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird Monday 27 June 2022 Acclaimed stage and screen actor, Richard Coyle , will return to the West End to play the iconic role of Atticus Finch in the critically acclaimed production of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird – a new play by Aaron Sorkin , directed by Bartlett Sher . Coyle was last on the West End stage in the Olivier Award-nominated hit play, Ink . Niall Buggy (Olivier and Drama Desk Award-winner) will also join the production as Judge Taylor. Coyle and Buggy will join the original London company and begin performances from 15 August for the current booking period until 19 November at the Gielgud Theatre. Rafe Spall and Jim Norton , who are currently playing Atticus Finch and Judge Taylor respectively, will have their final performances on 13 August. Click here to book tickets for the Autumn season. Up Up

Back to News & Press The Shark is Broken announces Broadway transfer Tuesday 25 April 2023 Sonia Friedman Productions and Scott Landis are delighted to announce that the smash-hit play THE SHARK IS BROKEN will make waves on Broadway this summer after critically acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and on London's West End. A new Olivier Award-nominated comedy by lan Shaw and Joseph Nixon , THE SHARK IS BROKEN imagines what happened on board "The Orca" when the cameras stopped rolling during the filming of Stephen Spielberg 's blockbuster, JAWS. Co-writer Ian Shaw (War Horse ) will also star in THE SHARK IS BROKEN , making his Broadway debut in the role he created in Edinburgh and on the West End, portraying his father Robert Shaw who played "Quint" in JAWS . Casting for the roles of Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss will be announced at a later date. Directed by Guy Masterson , THE SHARK IS BROKEN begins performances on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at the John Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street), and will officially open on Thursday, August 10, 2023, for a strictly limited 16-week engagement. FADE IN: The open ocean, 1974. Production on JAWS is delayed...again. The film's lead actors - theatre veteran Robert Shaw and young Hollywood hotshots, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider-are crammed into a too-small boat, entirely at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Alcohol flows, egos collide, and tempers flare on a chaotic voyage that just might lead to cinematic magic...if it doesn't sink them all. From the JAWS of defeat, came a Hollywood victory. Tickets are on sale now for THE SHARK IS BROKEN at Telecharge.com (212.239.6200) and range from $49 - $119 (including $2 facility fee) during the specially priced preview performances. The playing schedule for THE SHARK IS BROKEN is as follows: Monday - Saturday at 8pm, with matinees on Saturday at 2pm. Please note: There will be an added 2pm matinee on Wednesday, August 2and Wednesday, August 9. Beginning Friday, August 11, the performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday- Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 8pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm, and Sunday at 3pm. Please note: There will be no matinee on Sunday, August 13. THE SHARK IS BROKEN includes scenic and costume design by Duncan Henderson , lighting design by Jon Clark , sound design and original music are by Adam Cork , video design by Nina Dunn , with casting by Jim Carnahan Casting . The smash-hit of the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, THE SHARK IS BROKEN was steering a course to transfer to London's West End but was postponed due to the pandemic. The "intoxicating combination of behind-the-scenes gossip and contemplation of the nature of popular art” (The Stage ★★★★) opened at the West End's Ambassadors Theatre in 2021 where it garnered critical acclaim and an Olivier Award nomination for Best Comedy Play, and by popular demand extended its limited run into 2022. Up Up

Back to News & Press Joshua Malina to Join the Cast of LEOPOLDSTADT in March; David Krumholtz, Caissie Levy & More to Depart Thursday 2 February 2023 Beginning Tuesday, March 14, Joshua Malina ("The West Wing," "Sports Night") will take over the role of Hermann. Dave Register (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ) also joins the company in the role of Fritz, and Cody Braverman joins in the role of Young Leo. Leopoldstadt will also welcome current company members Jesse Aaronson in the role of Leo, in addition to his current role as Aaron; Charlotte Graham in the role of Nellie; and Sarah Killough in the role of Eva. Ali Rose Dachis (Fish in the Dark, Usual Girls ) also joins the company as an understudy. Arty Froushan , David Krumholtz , Caissie Levy , and Tedra Millan will play their final performances on Sunday, March 12. Up Up

Back to News & Press Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Announces North American Tour Monday 16 October 2023 Producers Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions announced today that the North American Tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will launch in September 2024. The call out for auditions has gone out today and all dates and venues are to be announced. This will be the world premiere of the first-ever touring production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, based on the acclaimed Broadway production, currently playing at the Lyric Theatre, New York. Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said, "Developing a first-class touring production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has long been an ambition of ours. We are delighted that our wonderful and deeply gifted creative team have found a way to make it possible to bring the magic, spectacle, and thrills of our astonishing show to audiences across North America, and we can't wait for audiences to see it." Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the first Harry Potter story to be presented on stage and the eighth story in the Harry Potter series, has sold over 10 million tickets worldwide since its world premiere in London in July 2016 and holds a record 60 major honors, with nine Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Play and six Tony Awards including Best Play. The international phenomenon has cast its spell worldwide with productions currently running in London, New York, Hamburg, and Tokyo, and has completed runs in Melbourne, Toronto, and San Francisco. The original two-part production in London's West End recently celebrated its 7th anniversary, while the reimagined Broadway production celebrated its 5th anniversary. The most successful non-musical play in Broadway history, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has the unique distinction of being named by the Guinness World Records as the highest-grossing non-musical play in Broadway history with over $270 million total sales and over 2.5 million tickets sold. To stay up to date with the latest information, sign up for the mailing list at www.HarryPotterOnStage.com . Up Up

Back to News & Press Tom Stoppard's critically acclaimed Leopoldstadt wins the Tony Award for Best Play At the ceremony yesterday evening at United Palace in New York, Tom Stoppard ’s critically acclaimed Leopoldstadt won the Tony Award for Best New Play. This marks the fourth time in the last five years that Sonia Friedman Productions have produced the winning Best New Play – previous winners are Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne, John Tiffany and J. K. Rowling, The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth, and The Inheritance by Mathew Lopez, marking a record for the London based producer. These same plays won the Olivier Award for Best New Play across four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020. The production won an additional three Tony Awards – Best Director of a Play for Patrick Marber , Best Featured Actor in a Play for Brandon Uranowitz , and Best Costume Design of a Play for Brigitte Reiffenstuel . Patrick Marber’s production of Leopoldstadt is currently running at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre, and was this year’s most Tony Award-nominated play. In the US, the run has also won two Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Play, three Outer Critics’ Circle Awards including Best New Broadway Play, two Drama League Awards, and the New York Critics’ Circle Award for Best Foreign Play. For its sell-out critically acclaimed run at the Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End, the production garnered two Olivier Awards, including for Best New Play. Sonia Friedman said today, “Tom Stoppard’s masterpiece Leopoldstadt has been a huge labour of love for all of us at SFP – a cast of 38, and a production history that spanned the pandemic, seeing the sell-out London production shut down in 2020, and then be one of the first productions leading the way back to live performance in the West End, before transferring to Broadway. To work with the greatest living playwright Tom Stoppard is the privilege of a lifetime. “This play has been in my life for several years and I thank you Tom for entrusting me with your personal masterwork about family, identity, loss, endurance, and survival - your urgent story from the past is so powerfully relevant today AND DEEPLY NEEDED. Your astonishing achievement is testament to the power of LIVE theatre to open hearts and change minds! “Thank you to Patrick Marber for your inspiring direction and to the creative team, associates and of course to the entire cast and crew - your commitment, talent and dedication over the past 9 months or so (and for some the past 4 years) has made this all possible. “New writing is at the heart of what we do at SFP – collaborating with writers at the very top of their game, and bringing that work into the West End and Broadway to make quality writing accessible to everyone. To have our work recognised in this way over multiple years is testament to the dedication and brilliance not only of the writers, but also creatives, actors, all those backstage, and team at SFP, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.” SFP’s productions also won Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Beowulf Boritt for New York, New York at last night’s ceremony from a total of 17 nominations; and the company’s production of Funny Girl with Lea Michele also performed. Up Up

Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman named Producer of the Year for second year running Friday 29 January 2016 It has been a remarkable year for Sonia, producing 19 productions over 2015, with hits including Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch at The Barbican, the award winning and critically acclaimed Bend it Like Beckham and the multi award-winning Sunny Afternoon which won 4 Oliver Awards in 2015 including Best New Musical, Farinelli and the King starring Mark Rylance and King Charles III in the West End, on Broadway and on tour . This year Sonia will produce the highly anticipated Funny Girl starring Sheridan Smith at the Savoy Theatre and will collaborate with J.K. Rowling on the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I and II, in co-production with Colin Callender. Speaking at The Stage Awards 2016, Sonia said, “It is a real honour to be given this award for the second year in a row. It is testament to the extraordinary hard work of all my team and the brilliance of the creative people we have worked with that this has been given to me. I want to take this opportunity to thank them all for what they do. I would also like to thank The Stage and everyone who voted for me again this year.” As the world’s leading theatre publication, The Stage newspaper’s annual industry awards highlights the achievements by London, regional and fringe theatres as well as international achievements. The Stage Awards were held on 29 January at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. Up Up

Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman and Scott Rudin announce groundbreaking partnership with the Old Vic Monday 20 April 2015 Offering greater opportunity for an extended life for some of The Old Vic’s shows after their initial run, the partnership will help to further the next phase of the theatre’s growth; connecting with new audiences and expanding its reach to allow more people access to the work. Additionally, The Old Vic will have a ground-breaking new musical commissioning programme, in partnership with Sonia Friedman and Scott Rudin, with a commitment to commissioning a roster of new musicals during the next five years. For details of the new season at The Old Vic visit oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2015/new-season/ Up Up

Back to News & Press Merrily We Roll Along recoups on Broadway Wednesday 20 March 2024 Producers Sonia Friedman Productions , David Babani , Patrick Catullo and Jeff Romley are proud to announce that the critically acclaimed, first-ever Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth 's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG has recouped its $12 million capitalisation. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard and Tony Award winner Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn, director Maria Friedman 's smash hit production must end on Sunday, July 7, 2024 at the Hudson Theatre (141 W 44th Street). The twice-extended limited engagement will have played 312 performances and 20 previews when it ends its record-breaking run on Broadway. MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG also features Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson. The company currently includes Max Rackenberg , Rocco Van Auken , Brady Wagner , Sherz Aletaha , Maya Boyd , Leana Rae Concepcion , Morgan Kirner , Ken Krugman , Corey Mach , Talia Simone Robinson , Amanda Rose , Jamila Sabares-Klemm , Brian Sears , Evan Alexander Smith , Christian Strange , Koray Tarhan , Vishal Vaidya , Natalie Wachen and Jacob Keith Watson . MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG is directed by multi-Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman , features music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim , a book by George Furth , and is based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart . MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG officially opened Tuesday, October 10, 2023 and has smashed the box office record at Broadway's Hudson Theatre seven times since the production began performances on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, most recently grossing $2,046,288 for its 8 performances the week ending November 26, 2023. Before MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG , the previous 8-performance week house record at the Hudson Theatre was $1,708,386.60, held by PLAZA SUITE. Spanning three decades in the entertainment business, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends - writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. An inventive cult-classic ahead of its time, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG features some of Stephen Sondheim 's most celebrated and personal songs. MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG features a design and creative team that includes Tim Jackson (choreography), Tony Award Winner Jonathan Tunick (orchestrations), Soutra Gilmour (Scenic & Costume Design), Amith Chandrashaker (Lighting Design), Kai Harada (Sound Design), Cookie Jordan (Hair & Wig Design), Jim Carnahan, CSA (casting), Joel Fram (music direction and additional vocal arrangements), Catherine Jayes (music supervision), Alvin Hough Jr. (associate music supervision), Kristy Norter (music coordination). Up Up

Back to News & Press The world premiere of Mike Bartlett’s new play The 47th, directed by Rupert Goold announced Tuesday 1 February 2022 An Old Vic, Sonia Friedman Productions & Annapurna Theatre co-production ‘It’s not a game for gentlemen we’re playing, Political and civilized. This is Historic It is 2024 and as America goes to the polls, democracy itself is on the brink. Who takes the White House – and at what cost? 29 Mar–28 May 2022, press night 08 Apr 2022 The 47th , offers a provocative look at our not-too-distant future with equally hilarious and chilling consequences. Directed by Rupert Goold, Mike Bartlett’s zeitgeisty verse play shines a light on the 2024 presidential race – as he did for the coronation in his Olivier Award-winning play King Charles III . Up Up

Back to News & Press King Charles III nominated for five Tony Awards Monday 2 May 2016 The show received the following nominations: Best Play – King Charles III by Mike Bartlett Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play– Tim Pigott-Smith Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play - Richard Goulding Best Direction of a Play – Rupert Goold Best Costume Design of a Play – Tom Scutt The 70th Annual Tony Awards® will be broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City, Sunday, June 12 on the CBS Television Network. For a full list of nominees, visit www.tonyawards.com Up Up

Back to News & Press Hamlet to transfer to Harold Pinter Theatre in June Monday 27 March 2017 Olivier Award-winning director, Robert Icke ’s (Mary Stuart , The Red Barn , Uncle Vanya , Oresteia , Mr Burns and 1984 ), ground-breaking and electrifying production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet , starring BAFTA award-winner Andrew Scott (Moriarty in BBC’s Sherlock, Denial, Spectre, Design For Living and Cock) in the title role, will transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre, following a critically acclaimed and sell out run at the Almeida Theatre. Hamlet will run for a limited season only from 9 June to 2 September 2017 with press night on Thursday 15 June. Hamlet is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group (Sunday In The Park With George , Buried Child , Oresteia ), Sonia Friedman Productions and the Almeida Theatre (Chimerica , Ghosts , King Charles III , 1984 , Oresteia ), who are renowned for introducing groundbreaking, critically acclaimed transfers to the West End. Rupert Goold , Artistic Director, Almeida Theatre said "We’re delighted that with this transfer more people will be able to experience our production of Hamlet . Robert, Andrew, and the entire Hamlet company have created an unforgettable Shakespeare which we’re looking forward to sharing even more widely over the summer in partnership with Sonia Friedman Productions and ATG.” Robert Icke , Director (and Almeida Theatre Associate Director) said “It has been such a thrill to work with Andrew and the extraordinary company of Hamlet on this play so far, and I'm delighted we're going to continue our work on this play in the West End this summer. I'm also extremely proud to be working with the Almeida and our producers, Adam Speers from ATG and Sonia Friedman, to be able to present this play in a way that genuinely throws the doors open to a bigger range of audience members. In an increasingly expensive industry, I can't tell you how brilliant it is for them to commit to having 300 tickets priced at under £30 at every single show." Andrew Scott , playing Hamlet, "I'm so thrilled and honoured to be playing this extraordinary role with these brilliant actors in Rob's stunning production. We have been overwhelmed with the reaction to our interpretation of Hamlet and I'm so happy that we can share it with a larger audience. This is a play full of heart, compassion and humanity. I'm so happy that we are able to offer 300 tickets for under £30 to every performance in the West End run to allow everybody a chance to see the play." The confirmed cast for the transfer of Robert Icke ’s production includes Marty Cruickshank (Player Queen), Jessica Brown Findlay (Ophelia), Calum Finlay (Rosencrantz), Joshua Higgott (Horatio), Daniel Rabin (Reynaldo), David Rintoul (Ghost/Player King), Andrew Scott (Hamlet), Juliet Stevenson (Gertrude), Luke Thompson (Laertes), Peter Wight (Polonius), Angus Wright (Claudius) and Matthew Wynn (Bernardo/Player 3/Priest). Further cast will be announced in due course. Hamlet was design by Hildegard Bechtler , with lighting by Natasha Chivers , sound by Tom Gibbons , and video design by Tal Yarden . The Associate Director is Daniel Raggett . Casting is by Julia Horan . Multi award-winning Director, Robert Icke , has adapted/directed at the Almeida Theatre Mary Stuart , Uncle Vanya , Oresteia (also West End, and for which Icke won the Critics' Circle, Evening Standard and Olivier Award for Best Director) and the multi-award-winning 1984 with Duncan Macmillan (also West End as well as playing several UK and international tours, and a forthcoming Broadway run at the newly opened Hudson Theater). His work as a director includes The Fever at The May Fair Hotel, Mr Burns at the Almeida, Boys and Romeo and Juliet for Headlong. He made his National Theatre debut directing The Red Barn , at the Lyttelton Theatre in October 2016 starring Mark Strong and Elizabeth Debicki. Up Up

Back to News & Press Sonia Friedman Productions nominated for this years BAFTA’s Tuesday 29 March 2022 ‘Together’ starring James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan, written by Dennis Kelly, directed by Stephen Daldry and produced by Shoebox Films, Sonia Friedman Productions, BBC Film/BBC Two has been nominated in the single drama category. Together is available to watch on BBC iPlayer ‘People You May Know’, starring Lydia West and Arthur Darvill, written by James Graham, directed by Juliet Riddell and produced by FT film, Sonia Friedman Productions and supported by Luminate, has been nominated in the short form category. To watch the film click here A full list of nominations can be found here Up Up