Press Releases

STARS COME OUT TO PLAY FOR THE AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP'S 10th BIRTHDAY

Issued : 1 March 2002

The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), the second biggest theatre-owning company in the UK and one of the country's foremost theatre producers, celebrates its 10th Anniversary this month.

ATG was established in 1992 with a unique twin strategy of being a top theatre producer as well as a top theatre owner. The vision behind this alliance was to bring a significant and positive change to the quality of theatre in this country. 10 years and over 100 million tickets later, ATG has brought this vision vividly to life.

Co-founded by Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, ATG has grown from just one theatre in the West End - the Duke of York's - and one in the regions - The Ambassadors Woking - to become the UK's second largest theatre-owning and operating company in the West End and also in the regions, with a total of 19 venues under its management, including 10 in the West End and just last month won the tender for the King's Theatre in Glasgow.

Some of the world's biggest stars are lining-up to appear in exciting and innovative co-productions that ATG is bringing to the British stage during 2002. They include the new West End hit Gershwin musical, My One And Only, starring Janie Dee and Tim Flavin; Sean Bean in Macbeth and Neil Pearson in Benefactors (the last two being co-produced by Sonia Friedman Productions (SFP), a subsidiary of ATG). This is at a time when the West End is attracting major Hollywood stars like never before. Jude Law will be appearing in Dr Faustus at the Young Vic (produced by the ATG co-production company Natural Nylon Theatre) and Gwyneth Paltrow in Proof in May at the Donmar Warehouse (an ATG venue).

ATG's creative revolution is now spreading across the Atlantic and boosting the British presence on Broadway. The West End hit Noises Off (a co-production with the National Theatre), opened to critical acclaim in New York last November and quickly became the biggest selling comedy ever on Broadway. The Mystery of Charles Dickens, starring Simon Callow, will be opening there shortly and Shockheaded Peter will also open on Broadway in the autumn.

ATG has pioneered breakthrough work in the West End and this has been made more evident over the past year through co-productions such as the revival of Peter Nichols' A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg, featuring Victoria Hamilton and Eddie Izzard and a Royal Court Theatre co-production of Mouth To Mouth, starring Lindsay Duncan. Indeed, in this same vein, the four productions recently acclaimed by the Sunday Times as "Little Shows That Made A Big Impact", were all either ATG co-productions or productions in ATG venues (Stones In His Pockets, Shockheaded Peter, Puppetry Of The Penis and The Play What I Wrote).

With its vision to take drama outside the walls of the theatre, ATG has also made a number of unique creative alliances, to form a bridge between media. ScreenStage, ATG's joint venture with Carlton Television, have filmed A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg, Conor McPherson's Port Authority and Simon Callow in The Mystery of Charles Dickens. Other ATG joint ventures include a new co-production company with Trademark Films, makers of Shakespeare In Love, and ATG has also formed a new co-producing and commissioning alliance with the acclaimed Young Vic Theatre Company.

Recognised for its contribution to the theatre industry, productions in ATG London venues scooped a total of 9 out of 19 Olivier Awards this year for musicals and drama, including Best Entertainment for Shockheaded Peter at the Piccadilly.

Managing Director Howard Panter (whom a recent industry poll confirmed for the second year running as the second most influential person in British theatre) says
It has been an incredible first decade for the company, which has achieved rapid expansion both in terms of theatre management but also artistic output. We are perhaps unique in being able to create plays and musicals, tour them round the country and then bring them into the West End – all within our own theatres. When the product is right, we have the expertise to develop projects further for film or television, breaking down barriers between media. We firmly believe that these liaisons will help bring about a more powerful and popular theatre throughout the country – which is good for everyone!

Notes to editors:

ATG’s portfolio of West End theatres includes such as the Albery, Comedy, Donmar Warehouse, Duke of York’s, Fortune, New Ambassadors, Phoenix, Piccadilly, Whitehall and Wyndham’s. ATG’s regional theatres include The Ambassadors Woking encompassing the New Victoria and Rhoda McGaw Theatres and a 6 screen cinema complex; the Theatre Royal, Brighton; the Victoria Concert Hall, Stoke-on-Trent; the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent; Milton Keynes Theatre; the Churchill Theatre in Bromley and Richmond Theatre, London. ATG has also just won the tender for the King’s Theatre in Glasgow.

ATG employs 3,000 people and last year had a turnover of £65 million.

Past productions include the world premiere of Port Authority by Conor McPherson; Caryl Churchill's Far Away, directed by Stephen Daldry in the West End, plus the acclaimed Royal Court Theatre production of Mouth to Mouth in the West End; the co-production of The Weir (winner of the 1999 Olivier Award for Best New Play) in the West End and on Broadway, The Royal Court Classics Season at the Duke of Yorks, Smokey Joe’s Café in the West End, The Rocky Horror Show in London, nationally and internationally and the Olivier award-winning Slava’s Snowshow; a co-production with RSC of A Servant to Two Masters, Speed-the-Plow by David Mamet, Ayub Khan-Din’s Last Dance at Dum Dum, Krapp's Last Tape starring John Hurt, the award-winning Spoonface Steinberg, Charlotte Jones’ In Flame, and multi award-winning musical Carmen Jones..

ATG started as Woking Turnstyle Limited in 1992, with the Duke of York's Theatre, WC2, and The Peacocks Arts & Entertainment Centre in Woking (now The Ambassadors).

Quote from the Sunday Times, Sunday 3rd March 2002, Focus p.18, Jane Mulkerrins.

Back to Press Releases