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Press Releases
AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP MANAGES THE PLAYHOUSE THEATRE FOR TED & NORMAN TULCHIN
Issued : 12 March 2003
From Monday 10th March, one of the West End's jewels has come under the stewardship of the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG).
The Grade II listed Playhouse Theatre in Northumberland Avenue is the latest to join ATG's portfolio of theatres which now amounts to 11 operated in the West End and 10 regional venues. The one-year management deal has been struck with the theatre's new owners, Maidstone Productions, belonging to London and Broadway producers Ted and Norman Tulchin.
ATG is responsible for the theatre's management and programming, working with Maidstone Productions and the team at the theatre.
Howard Panter, managing director of ATG said 'We are delighted to be taking on the management and programming of the Playhouse Theatre, which is a welcome addition to the group. This theatre will benefit from all the management, producing and marketing expertise in place at our other venues and we look forward to working with Ted and Norman in making it a productive and welcoming place.'
Ted Tulchin said 'We have enjoyed working with ATG on previous projects, most recently on Vincent in Brixton and have always been impressed by the expertise of its West End management. The group is a natural choice to run this very special theatre, and we are sure that ATG will put it firmly on the West End map and make it a popular choice for London's theatregoers.'
The 800 seater Playhouse Theatre was built in 1882 - which makes it the one of the oldest buildings under ATG's management. In the early 20th century the interior was remodelled in the French style, leading to Watteau inspired wall paintings in the domed auditorium, magnificently flowing plasterwork designs and two tiers of boxes.
Under the stage there is an impressive array of well-preserved machinery, including graves, bridges and even a thunder-run, a method to create sound effects originating in the 18th century. The Playhouse's substage equipment is described as 'second in importance in London only to Her Majesty's' (The Theatres Trust Guide to British Theatres 1750 - 1950 ed. Earl & Sell).
Following a long history of theatrical productions, plus a 25 year stint as a BBC radio recording studio, the Playhouse has in recent years hosted seasons of award-winning productions from the Almeida Theatre and the Peter Hall Company.
ATG is the second largest theatre group in the West End, and separately, in the regions. Its West End theatres include the Albery, Comedy, Donmar Warehouse, Duke of York's, Fortune, New Ambassadors, Phoenix, Piccadilly, Whitehall and Wyndhams. Regional theatres include Richmond Theatre, The King's in Glasgow and the Theatre Royal, Brighton. ATG is also one of the country's most prolific producers. Current co-productions include national tours of Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! and the hit comedy Noises Off. Other successful recent West End co-productions include Vincent in Brixton, Madonna's West End debut in Up for Grabs, Sean Bean in Macbeth and the musical My One & Only.
Maidstone Productions has been behind a string of hit productions on both sides of the Atlantic, including Gagarin Way, Eden and Vincent in Brixton in the West End, Yazmina Reza's The Unexpected Man, as well as Donald Margulies' Dinner with Friends, which won the Pulitzer Prize. This was in addition to Turgenev's Fortune's Fool on Broadway, starring Alan Bates and Frank Langella, both winning Tony Awards for best actor and best supporting actor.
The first production into the Playhouse Theatre is Christopher Hampton's fresh new version of Chekhov's timeless classic Three Sisters. It brings together some of Britain's biggest stars of stage and screen including Kristin Scott Thomas, Kate Burton, Robert Bathurst, James Fleet, Douglas Hodge and the legendary Eric Sykes. This eagerly-awaited production is directed by Michael Blakemore and co-produced by ATG. It previews from 20th March and opens on 3rd April.
ENDS
For more information please contact John Chittenden, ATG Press Office on 01483 545822.
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