JOINT VENTURES

As well as continuing to expand its theatre empire, the Ambassador Theatre Group is also committed to developing a series of complementary creative alliances, based in theatre, but with the potential to form a bridge to other media. As a result, the Ambassador Theatre Group has successfully collaborated with several dynamic companies to form highly creative and unique partnerships.

SCREENSTAGE - ITV plc/ATG Joint Venture
The UK's leading commercial broadcasters, ITV plc has joined forces with the Ambassador Theatre Group to form the company ScreenStage, a crossover rights packaging and production enabling company. This unique initiative was formed with the intention of developing new collaborative works between theatre, television and new media and was the first time such an enterprise had been undertaken by a theatre company with a major television conglomerate. ScreenStage has produced five TV films to date. ScreenStage also co-produced The Play's The Thing for Channel 4.

TRADEMARK THEATRE COMPANY
Oscar-winning producer, David Parfitt of Trademark Films has teamed up with the Ambassador Theatre Group to develop theatre projects with film potential. Parfitt was the original member of Kenneth Branagh's Renaissance Theatre, then Renaissance Films and producer of the films The Madness of King George and Shakespeare in Love, for which he was awarded an Oscar.

YOUNG VIC THEATRE COMPANY
In April 2001, the Ambassador Theatre Group formed a new long-term alliance with the acclaimed Young Vic Theatre Company. The alliance was formed to collaborate on co-productions in the West End, regionally and nationally, and to commission new scripts and works of new directors and designers. The two companies have already successfully worked together (and with the RSC) on a West End run, national and worldwide tour of A Servant to Two Masters. In 2002, ATG and The Young Vic staged a co-production of Doctor Faustus starring Jude Law.

FIRST FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT
In January 2005, producers David Ian (for Live Nation) and Howard Panter (for the Ambassador Theatre Group) announced the formation of a new joint venture company, First Family Entertainment, to produce fresh, high quality pantomimes across the UK, led by the hugely experienced Kevin Wood as Producer. First Family Entertainment is funded and supported by Live Nation and the Ambassador Theatre Group.

For the 2006/2007 season, the company staged nine pantomimes in some of the UK's most prestigious regional venues. Many major stars appeared in the productions including Henry Winkler in Peter Pan at New Wimbledon Theatre; Patrick Duffy in Cinderella at New Victoria Theatre, Woking; Bradley Walsh and Kacey Ainsworth in Cinderella at Milton Keynes Theatre; Jonathan Wilkes and Vicky Entwistle in Aladdin at the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent and Gerard Kelly and Eric Potts in Aladdin at the King's Theatre, Glasgow.

Currently in its third year, First Family Entertainment is producing 10 pantomimes for the 2007/2008 Christmas season.