Sonia Friedman

I was headhunted to be the producer of Ambassador Theatre Group, ATG, as they were called, in 1999, 2000. I was really young.

I was headhunted to be the producer of Ambassador Theatre Group, ATG, as they were called, in 1999, 2000. I was really young.

Yeah, I'd had my own theatre company and I'd done quite a lot of West End work. I left the subsidised sector, the not-for-profit, as we call it here, to see if it is possible to do the same sort of work but make it commercially viable.

Yeah, I'd had my own theatre company and I'd done quite a lot of West End work. I left the subsidised sector, the not-for-profit, as we call it here, to see if it is possible to do the same sort of work but make it commercially viable.

I'm not going to ever think I've sort of cracked it because I haven't. I'm always chastising myself for thinking I'm not working hard enough to find the new voices and not being brave enough. I want to be as fearless as I was when I first started producing. But back to ATG.

I'm not going to ever think I've sort of cracked it because I haven't. I'm always chastising myself for thinking I'm not working hard enough to find the new voices and not being brave enough. I want to be as fearless as I was when I first started producing. But back to ATG.

Yeah, Bingo the Fearless. And they were absolutely fantastic. This was two people, Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, who founded ATG. They supported me and they let me get on with it. Over the years, ATG got bigger and bigger. And at one point, I separated from them directly and formed my company, Sonia Friedman Productions.

Yeah, Bingo the Fearless. And they were absolutely fantastic. This was two people, Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, who founded ATG. They supported me and they let me get on with it. Over the years, ATG got bigger and bigger. And at one point, I separated from them directly and formed my company, Sonia Friedman Productions.

The official word is subsidiary. I'm a subsidiary. But in terms of the running of the company, I'm completely 100% creatively independent and raise the vast majority of the finance myself. It's like a first look deal with them. I absolutely have a partnership with them, but they basically leave me alone.

The official word is subsidiary. I'm a subsidiary. But in terms of the running of the company, I'm completely 100% creatively independent and raise the vast majority of the finance myself. It's like a first look deal with them. I absolutely have a partnership with them, but they basically leave me alone.

Well, yes. So as I was growing up in the business, they were growing too. When I joined them, they had two theaters and then they were building and they were building. By the time Howard and Rosemary left, they had pretty much an empire in London and across the regions and a few across the world. And then they sold it.

Well, yes. So as I was growing up in the business, they were growing too. When I joined them, they had two theaters and then they were building and they were building. By the time Howard and Rosemary left, they had pretty much an empire in London and across the regions and a few across the world. And then they sold it.

So it's still ATG that runs it, but in partnership with a private equity company. And they As you know, they've just bought Duke Jampson.

So it's still ATG that runs it, but in partnership with a private equity company. And they As you know, they've just bought Duke Jampson.

That's right. And they want to be a force for good.

That's right. And they want to be a force for good.

Because I know the people involved. And here's the key thing. They know the only way any of their operation will work is to do with what's on the stages. They know that what's on the stage is the only thing that matters. And everything around it is there to support that. I think where ATG will, I really hope, make a difference is in the ticketing. That sounds really boring, doesn't it? It does.

Because I know the people involved. And here's the key thing. They know the only way any of their operation will work is to do with what's on the stages. They know that what's on the stage is the only thing that matters. And everything around it is there to support that. I think where ATG will, I really hope, make a difference is in the ticketing. That sounds really boring, doesn't it? It does.

But I believe that theatre is a little bit behind the times in how we... find our audiences, how we talk to our audiences, the data modeling and who our audiences are and where they're coming from and what they like and how we capture their imagination. And I think ATG are very, very forward thinking.

But I believe that theatre is a little bit behind the times in how we... find our audiences, how we talk to our audiences, the data modeling and who our audiences are and where they're coming from and what they like and how we capture their imagination. And I think ATG are very, very forward thinking.

I was concerned. I was concerned.

I was concerned. I was concerned.

I was headhunted to be the producer of Ambassador Theatre Group, ATG, as they were called, in 1999, 2000. I was really young.

Yeah, I'd had my own theatre company and I'd done quite a lot of West End work. I left the subsidised sector, the not-for-profit, as we call it here, to see if it is possible to do the same sort of work but make it commercially viable.

I'm not going to ever think I've sort of cracked it because I haven't. I'm always chastising myself for thinking I'm not working hard enough to find the new voices and not being brave enough. I want to be as fearless as I was when I first started producing. But back to ATG.

Yeah, Bingo the Fearless. And they were absolutely fantastic. This was two people, Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, who founded ATG. They supported me and they let me get on with it. Over the years, ATG got bigger and bigger. And at one point, I separated from them directly and formed my company, Sonia Friedman Productions.

The official word is subsidiary. I'm a subsidiary. But in terms of the running of the company, I'm completely 100% creatively independent and raise the vast majority of the finance myself. It's like a first look deal with them. I absolutely have a partnership with them, but they basically leave me alone.

Well, yes. So as I was growing up in the business, they were growing too. When I joined them, they had two theaters and then they were building and they were building. By the time Howard and Rosemary left, they had pretty much an empire in London and across the regions and a few across the world. And then they sold it.

So it's still ATG that runs it, but in partnership with a private equity company. And they As you know, they've just bought Duke Jampson.

That's right. And they want to be a force for good.

Because I know the people involved. And here's the key thing. They know the only way any of their operation will work is to do with what's on the stages. They know that what's on the stage is the only thing that matters. And everything around it is there to support that. I think where ATG will, I really hope, make a difference is in the ticketing. That sounds really boring, doesn't it? It does.

But I believe that theatre is a little bit behind the times in how we... find our audiences, how we talk to our audiences, the data modeling and who our audiences are and where they're coming from and what they like and how we capture their imagination. And I think ATG are very, very forward thinking.

I was concerned. I was concerned.