Elton’s career achievements to date are unsurpassed in their breadth and longevity. Elton is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time, with 38 gold records and 31 platinum and multi-platinum albums, over 50 Top 40 hits, and he has sold more than 300 million records worldwide. He holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time, Candle in the Wind 1997, which sold over 33 million copies. Diamonds the Ultimate Greatest Hits album reached the Top 5 of the UK album charts on its release in November 2017, becoming Elton’s 40th UK Top 40 album in the process, reaching Gold status before the end of the year. This release celebrated 50 years of his songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. He has also written the music for stage and screen successes Billy Elliot the Musical, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, and The Lion King, which was named the highest-grossing stage show or film release in the world. Elton announced the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at New York’s Gotham Hall earlier this year. Encompassing 5 continents, and over 300 dates, this 3 year long tour will mark his retirement from touring after more than 50 years on the road. To date, Elton has delivered more than 4,000 performances in more than 80 countries since launching his first tour in 1970. April 6th saw the release of Revamp, an album of the world’s biggest musical stars covering some of Elton’s best loved songs.
Among the many awards and honours bestowed upon him are 5 GRAMMYs including a GRAMMY Legend award, a Tony, an Oscar, a Best British Male Artist BRIT Award, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center Honor, Legend of Live Award, 13 Ivor Novello Awards and a knighthood from HM Queen Elizabeth II for ‘services to music and charitable services.’ Earlier this year, he received the Crystal Award for this long-standing fight against HIV/AIDS at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In 1992, Elton established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which today is one of the leading non-profit HIV/AIDS organizations and has raised over $400 million to date in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
Lee Hall was born and brought up in Newcastle Upon Tyne. He learned theatre at various Youth Theatres in the North East. He has written for Radio, Theatre, Television, Film and Opera, and wrote the screenplay of Billy Elliot. Film: Victoria and Abdul (Working Title 2017), War Horse (DreamWorks 2011), Billy Elliot (Working Title Films 2000)
Theatre: Network (National Theatre 2017 / 2018), Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (National Theatre of Scotland / Live Theatre 2015, UK tour, National Theatre 2016 and West End 2017), The Pitmen Painters (Live Theatre / Royal National Theatre 2007 / 8 / 9, Broadway 2010, West End 2011); Billy Elliot the Musical; Cooking with Elvis (Newcastle / West End)
Theatre Adaptations: Shakespeare In Love (Noel Coward Theatre), The Barber of Seville (Bristol Old Vic 2003), The Good Hope (Royal National Theatre); Mother Courage (tour / West End); The Adventures of Pinocchio (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith), A Servant to Two Masters (RSC / Young Vic 1999); Mr Puntila and his man Matti (Almedia Theatre 1998)
Opera: English adaptation of Il Pagliacci (English National Opera 2008). Radio (all BBC): I Luv You Jimmy Spud (1996), Spoonface Steinberg (1997), I Love You, Ragie Patel (1997), The Sorrows of Sandra Saint (1997); Blood Sugar (1997); Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter (from Vargas Llosa 1998); Gristle (1999); Child of the Snow (2000); Child of the Rain (2000).
Stephen was Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre. He has directed and produced many productions in the West End and on Broadway. His highly acclaimed production of Matthew Lopez’s two-part play, The Inheritance, won the Evening Standard Best Play Award for 2018 and is currently playing at the Noel Coward Theatre, London. His co-production with director, Justin Martin, of The Jungle by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson recently opened to huge acclaim at St Ann’s Warehouse in New York having transferred from the Playhouse Theatre, London. Stephen’s award-winning National Theatre production of An Inspector Calls is currently touring the US following a highly successful tour of the UK. Billy Elliot the Musical ran at the Victoria Palace Theatre for 11 years. It has played on Broadway and worldwide. Stephen’s first four films Billy Elliot, The Hours, The Reader and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close together received 19 Academy Award® nominations and two wins. Stephen is Executive Producer and Director on the highly acclaimed Netflix series The Crown by Peter Morgan for which he won the 2018 Director of a Drama Series Primetime.
Theatre: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (West End); Matilda (RSC & West End, Broadway, Australia – Best Choreographer, Olivier Award, 2012); Billy Elliot dir. Stephen Daldry, (London, New York, US Tour, Australia – Best Choreographer, Olivier Award, 2006, Tony award Best Choreographer 2009); The Lord of the Rings dir. Matthew Warchus; (London, Toronto); Our House dir. Matthew Warchus (Cambridge Theatre – Best Choreographer, Olivier nomination, Best Musical Olivier Award 2003); Merrily We Roll Along for The Donmar Warehouse – (Best Choreographer, Olivier nomination, Best Musical Olivier Award 2001); Candide for the National Theatre (Best Choreographer, Olivier nomination, Outstanding Musical Production 2000 Olivier Award); Oh What a Lovely War! For the National Theatre 1999
Off – West End: Closer to Heaven for The Pet Shop Boys/Really Useful Group (Best Choreographer, Theatregoer’s Choice Award 2002) Other credits include the stage musical of The Lord of the Rings (Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto); Power (National Theatre) dir. Lindsey Posner; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bristol Old Vic); Sunset Boulevard for the Really Useful Group (UK Tour); The Tempest for the Royal Shakespeare Company; Edward II, The Country Wife, As You Like It, Twelfth Night (all dir. Michael Grandage).
Film: For Really Useful Films: The Phantom of the Opera dir. Joel Schumacher. For Working Title\Tiger Aspect films: Billy Elliot dir. Stephen Daldry. (MTV Best Dance Sequence and America Choreography nominations) For Miramax, Plots With a View dir. Nick Hurran, and Trauma.
National Theatre; Machinal (Critics’ Circle Award), An Inspector Calls (West End and international; Olivier and Critic Circle Awards), The Amen Corner, Angels in America (Broadway), Royal Court: Far Away, A Number, Via Dolorosa (West End and Broadway), Plasticine (Evening Standard Award). Young Vic: Afore Night Come, Tintin, Vernon God Little, A Doll’s House (West End and BAM). Almeida: Festen (West End and Broadway; Evening Standard Award), Little Revolution. West End: Billy Elliot the Musical (Broadway and international; Tony Award). Broadway: Betrayal.
Julian was Associate Director for Stephen Daldry’s award winning production of An Inspector Calls, and has been responsible for five successful national tours of the UK as well as five recasts for the West End.
Julian was also Associate Director at Liverpool Playhouse, where his production of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men toured nationally. He adapted and directed The Three Musketeers at the Young Vic Theatre, which was nominated for a Barclay’s Theatre Award in 2002.
More recently Julian directed the West-End revival of The Shape of Things by Neil Labute at the New Ambassadors and directed The Barber of Seville at the Bristol Old Vic in a new adaptation by Lee Hall.
For eight years, Julian was Artistic Director of Soho Rep, New York, and also directed at American regional theatres including Yale Rep and the Actors’ Theatre of Louisville. He has directed on-Broadway (Faulkner’s Bicycle starring Kim Hunter) as well as many shows off-Broadway (including Serves You Right written by Steve Buscemi).
His operatic productions include From the House of the Dead, Wozzeck, Il Tabburro and Vollo Di Notte all for Long Beach Opera in California and Messalina at Battignano.
Nicky trained as a fashion textile designer. She works as a costume designer in Theatre and Opera and occasionally as a set designer. Winner of the Gold award for Best Costume Design, Prague Quadrenale 2003 for A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Royal Shakespeare Company. She is a Visiting Professor at University of the Arts London (UAL)
Theatre credits: Angels in America (New York); The Twilight Zone (Almeida Theatre); Billy Elliot the Musical (worldwide); Once in a Lifetime, Measure for Measure, The Trial, Public Enemy, Hamlet, Government Inspector, Vernon God Little, Annie Get Your Gun, The Good Soul of Szechuan, King Lear, Six Characters in Search of an Author (Young Vic); Angels in America, Everyman, The Seagull, A Little Night Music, Mother Clapp’s Molly House, Powerbook, Tales from the Vienna Woods set and costumes (National Theatre); Jumpers (National Theatre, West End, Broadway); In Basildon (Royal Court Theatre); The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, La Lupa (RSC); By the Bog of Cats (West End); Camille set and costumes (Lyric Hammersmith); Proverb (Royal Ballet). Opera and dance credits: Don Giovanni (dir Richard Jones), La Fanciulla Del West, Rodelinda, The Magic Flute, Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci, Don Giovanni (dir Rufus Norris), Turk In Italy, Boris Godunov, Pelleas and Melisande, Peter Grimes (English National Opera); Wind in the Willows (ROH and West End – Olivier nomination Best Costume Design); Anna Nicole (Brooklyn Academy of Music); Boris Godunov, Il Trittico, Anna Nicole,The Gambler, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, (Royal Opera House), Queen of Spades (Royal Opera House, Naples, Geneva); Die Zauberflote (Netherlandse Opera, Festival D’Aix-En-Provence), Rusalka (Copenhagen, Finland); The Fiery Angel (La Monnaie, Brussels); Pelleas et Melisande (Munich); The Rape of Lucretia, Der Rosenkavalier, Gianni Schicchi, The Miserly Knight, Flight, Don Giovanni (Glyndebourne); La Traviata, Hansel and Gretel (set and costumes), Of Thee I Sing, Pelleas and Melisande, Don Carlos, Wozzeck (Opera North); War and Peace (Paris); Midsummer Marriage (Munich).
Film: Institute Benjamenta Dir. Brothers Quay.
Born in Philadelphia, Rick is the winner of Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Billy Elliot on Broadway and a Helpmann Award for Billy Elliot in Sydney, two Olivier Awards for Best Lighting Design, and a Tony Award for An Inspector Calls. He has lit Billy Elliot the Musical since its inception – running in London for eleven years, also Broadway, Australia, American tour, UK tour, Holland and Japan.
Theatre includes: Consent (West End); Mood Music (Old Vic); Mata Hari (Tokyo); Forbidden City, Merchant of Venice & Othello (Singapore); Waste (National Theatre); Peter Pan (Regent’s Park); Sunny Afternoon (West End); The Audience (West End and Broadway); Galileo (RSC); Judas Kiss (West End & NY); Chariots of Fire (West End). Previous work includes: An Inspector Calls (West End); Jerry Springer the Opera; Blue/Orange (National Theatre/West End); Far Away (New York); A Number (Royal Court); Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Berlin); Via Dolorosa (Royal Court/Broadway); Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (London/Los Angeles/ Broadway/world tour).
Musical and opera includes: Falstaff (Japan); Porgy and Bess (Regent’s Park); The King and I (Paris, Chicago); Sweeney Todd (Paris, Houston, San Francisco); Oscar (Philadelphia); Falstaff (Los Angeles); 20 Operas for Santa Fe Opera.
Recent Work includes: The Inheritance and The Jungle directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin at the Young Vic; Julius Caesar and Young Marx directed by Nicholas Hytner at the Bridge; Amadeus directed by Mike Longhurst at the Olivier; Mary Stuart directed by Robert Icke at the Almeida and the Duke of York’s; Beginning directed by Polly Findlay at the NT and the Ambassadors; Caroline, Or Change directed by Michael Longhurst at Chichester and Hampstead; Absolute Hell and Edward II directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins at the NT; Labour Of Love directed by Jeremy Herrin at the Noel Coward; Hamlet, directed by Kenneth Branagh at RADA; Betrayal directed by Lekan Lawal at Derby; The Glass Menagerie directed by John Tiffany at the Duke of York’s and 2016 Edinburgh International Festival; The Emperor directed by Walter Meierjohann at the Young Vic; Mosquitoes, wonder.land, Behind The Beautiful Forevers, London Road, The Threepenny Opera, Everyman, Macbeth directed by Rufus Norris at the NT; A Streetcar Named Desire directed by Benedict Andrews at the Young Vic and St Ann’s Warehouse, New York; If You Kiss Me Kiss Me directed by Aletta Collins at The Young Vic; Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom directed by Dominic Cooke at the NT; Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Changeling, directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins at the Young Vic; King Charles III directed by Rupert Goold at the Almeida, Wyndhams, UK tour and Broadway; Bakkhai directed by James MacDonald, at the Almeida; The Audience and Skylight directed by Stephen Daldry in the West End and on Broadway; The Hard Problem, Great Britain, NT50, One Man Two Guvnors, Collaborators directed by Nicholas Hytner at the NT; Little Revolution directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins at the Almeida; American Psycho directed by Rupert Goold at the Almeida; The Scottsboro Boys directed by Susan Stroman at the Young Vic and West End; Charlie and The Chocolate Factory directed by Sam Mendes at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane; The Most Incredible Thing (ballet by the Pet Shop Boys) choreographed by Javier de Frutos at Sadler’s Wells, and Charlotte Ballet US; Billy Elliot The Musical directed by Stephen Daldry in London, on Broadway, three US national tours, Holland, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Japan and UK tour.
Awards include: Amadeus: Olivier Award Nomination 2017; Technical Theatre Award for Outstanding Achievement In Sound 2013; One Man, Two Guvnors: Tony Award Nomination 2012; Billy Elliot The Musical: Tony Award 2009, Drama Desk Award 2009, BroadwayWorld.com Fans’ Choice Award 2009, Olivier Award 2006, Helpmann Award (Australia) nomination 2008; Mary Stuart: Tony Award Nomination 2009; Saint Joan: Olivier Award 2008; Festen: Evening Standard Award 2005 and Olivier Award nomination 2005; The Pillowman: Drama Desk Award 2005, Olivier Award nomination 2004; Crestfall: Irish Times Theatre Award nomination 2004; Far Away: Lucille Lortel Award nomination 2004; The Chairs: Drama Desk Award nomination 2003; Four Baboons Adoring The Sun: Drama Desk Award 1993.
Current: Runs a successful music production company and recording studio with colleague Nick Gilpin which undertakes television, film, CD and DVD projects. Training: Royal College of Music (Scholar). Theatre London: (Musical Director) Chicago (Cambridge Theatre), Pirates Of Penzance (Drury Lane Theatre), The Boy Friend (Albery Theatre), Blondel (Aldwych Theatre), Follies (Shaftesbury Theatre).
Theatre International: (Musical Supervisor) Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Oliver!, MAMMA MIA! and Billy Elliot. Orchestrations: Just So, Moby Dick, Which Witch, Tutankhamen, Mamma Mia!, Jerry Springer The Opera, Billy Elliot, Bad Girls, Kombat Opera, Shoes and Viva Forever. Also for Shirley Bassey, Charles Aznavour, Jennifer Rush, Micheal Ball, Sir Elton John, Anastasia, Denise Van Outen, Jamelia, John Barrowman, Emeli Sande, Lesley Garrett, Venessa Mae, Will Young, Beverly Knight, Birdy and John Newman.
Recordings: Over 30 albums including: Les Misérables (Original cast and Symphonic); Miss Saigon; Oliver!; Hey Mr. Producer; MAMMA MIA!; Jerry Springer The Opera; Billy Elliot; Bad Girls; John Barrowman – The Album and Shoes. Film: Sam written and directed by Nick Brooks. Mamma Mia 2 Here we go Again! Television: The Olivier Awards 1993-2001(Composer, arranger, musical supervisor); The Royal Variety Show 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 (composer, arranger, musical supervisor); BAFTA’s 1995-2003 (composer, arranger, musical supervisor); Sports Personality Of The Year 2006-2014 (composer, arranger, musical supervisor); Kombat Opera (5 mini Operas for BBC TV orchestrator); Music Live (composer, arranger, musical supervisor). The Sound Of Music Live for ITV a first for British television.
Conducting: London Philharmonic, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra, SWF German Radio Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and The London Symphony Orchestra. Other: Music supervisor for Cameron Mackintosh Ltd 1988-1999, Eurovision Song Contest 1998 (wrote the opening and closing titles and music supervisor), Commonwealth Games Handover in Delhi 2010 (composer orchestrator and music supervisor), London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies (Music supervisor to all 4 ceremonies and composer to the Paralympic Opening)
Awards and nominations: Grammy and Tony nomination 2002 for MAMMA MIA! Tony and Drama Desk winner 2009 for Billy Elliot.
Most recently Simon co-directed Throwback with Paulette Randall, for circus company Silver Lining and Jackson’s Lane. Other directing credits include Beyond Beauty (The Last Refuge, Peckham), Health Wealth (Old Vic New Voices), Lord of the Flies (Sell A Door/UK Tour), Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Soho Revue Bar), The Twits, The Danny Crowe Show, The Nativity (The Dream Factory, Warwick) and Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales (The Attic Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon).
Simon is the Artistic Director of Rebel Theatre and an Associate Director of Playbox Theatre for Young People. In 2012 he was the recipient of the runner-up prize for The JMK Award for young theatre directors.
His work with young people includes leading projects for companies including the National Theatre, Young Vic Theatre, Old Vic Theatre, Almeida Theatre and young people’s film company Sparks.
Simon previously worked as the Resident Director on the West End production of Billy Elliot The Musical, and Associate Director on the U.K. and Ireland Tour. He is also the International Associate Director for a new production of the show in South Korea.
Creative credits include: MAMMA MIA! – Choreographer (New Australian Tour); Matilda The Musical – International Associate Choreographer Korea; Billy Elliot The Musical – International Associate Choreographer Japan and Korea; Matilda The Musical – Australian Associate Choreographer; Billy Elliot The Musical – Associate Choreographer Broadway; Billy Elliot The Musical – Resident Choreographer Australia; Once – Resident Movement Director Australia; Low Level Panic – Choreographer (The Old Fitz); Skin Tight – Choreographer (fortyfivedownstairs); 42nd Street, Sweet Charity, When Midnight Strikes – Choreographer (Lecturer in Dance – Arts Academy, Federation University Australia).
As a performer, Tom has had an extensive international career with companies including: DV8 Physical Theatre (UK); Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, Conny Janssen Danst, Dansity Amsterdam (The Netherlands); Lucerne Ballet (Switzerland); Ballet Braunschweig and Kiel Ballet (Germany); Force Majeure, Sue Healey Company (Australia).
Tom is currently the Associate Movement Director for the upcoming Australian production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Stephen graduated from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Piano and Composition.
He worked as a repetiteur on The Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Sondheim’s Follies. He has been Assistant Musical Director for Into the Woods, South Pacific, CATS, The Secret Garden, My Fair Lady, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber with Sarah Brightman and Anthony Warlow, and The Sound of Music with Lisa McCune. As Musical Director Stephen’s credits include Grease, West Side Story, Les Misérables, MAMMA MIA!, Kiss Me Kate, Fiddler on the Roof with Topol, War Horse, and Billy Elliot the Musical for which he won a Helpmann award. Stephen wrote the arrangements and orchestrations for the world premiere of the Cat Stevens’ musical Moonshadow and Georgy Girl – The Seekers Musical. He won the 2016 Helpmann Award for his work on Matilda the Musical and is Musical Supervisor for Billy Elliot the Musical in Japan and the 2018 Korean production of Matilda the Musical
Philippa is a graduate of The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and has worked in various management positions on the following productions / companies – Fox Studios Australia, Marian Street Theatre, The Opening & Closing Ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Oliver! in Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore for International Management Group (IMG), Disney Theatrical Productions The Lion King in Sydney, Melbourne & Shanghai. Since joining Louise Withers & Associates (LWAA) in 2007 productions have included: Billy Elliot The Musical in Australia, 10th Anniversary Australian Tour of MAMMA MIA!, Billy Elliot The Musical in Seoul Korea, The 60th Anniversary Australasian Tour of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, the Australian Tour of Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced the Australian Tour of the World Premiere Production of Fawlty Towers – Live and the Australasian Tour of Matilda the Musical.
Philippa is currently the General Manager for Louise Withers and Associates and Executive Producer on the new Australian tour of MAMMA MIA!
Cass has a professional theatre career spanning many years. His period in the UK included 7 years at the Royal National Theatre, many West End productions and freelance projects in Russia, Japan, Europe and the USA. In 1994 Cass joined the Sydney office of Cameron Mackintosh and was responsible for the Australian productions of Miss Saigon and Rent in addition to the Australasian, Asian and South African tours of The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. The Technical Office was formed by Cass in 1999 to provide Technical Management services to Producers of stage musicals. Cass was responsible for the Australian productions of MAMMA MIA!, We Will Rock You!, Miss Saigon 2008 Tour, Billy Elliot the Musical and Moonshadow. International work has included supervising productions throughout Asia, South Africa and South America, along with the Korean language productions of MAMMA MIA!, Miss Saigon and Billy Elliot the Musical. Recent projects undertaken include the Australian production of War Horse, the Australian tours of Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced, Dirty Dancing and the Korean production of Ghost The Musical. Cass is proud to be touring the new production of MAMMIA MIA! in Australia throughout 2017/18.
Lynne has been working as a Casting Director in Theatre, Film and Television on a great range of national and international productions for about 30 years.
Theatre credits include – Jersey Boys 2018, The Play That Goes Wrong, Fawlty Towers – Live on Stage, Singin’ In The Rain, Hugh Jackman Broadway to OZ, Georgy Girl The Seekers Musical, Matilda The Musical (Children’s casting), Strictly Ballroom The Musical, King Kong, Rolling Thunder Vietnam, The Addams Family, A Murder Is Announced, The Mousetrap 60th Anniversary Tour, Legally Blonde The Musical, Moonshadow, How To Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular, Rock Of Ages, Love Never Dies, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Billy Elliot the Musical, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, We Will Rock You, MAMMA MIA! (Original and 10th Anniversary Production), Miss Saigon, Spamalot, Dirty Dancing Original Production, The Boy From Oz (Arena Production), The Rocky Horror Show, Woman In Black, Shout!
Film credits include – The Wheel, A Heartbeat Away, Under The Radar, Blurred, Robinson Crusoe, Darkness Falls.
Television credits include – Drop Dead Weird, Dance Academy 1st series, Answered By Fire, Monster House, Roar, Pacific Drive, Blonde, Noah’s Ark.
Working Title Films, co-chaired by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner since 1992, is one of the world’s leading film production companies. Formed in 1984, Working Title has more than 100 films that have grossed over $7.5 billion worldwide. Its films have won 14 Academy Awards, 40 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), and numerous prestigious prizes at the Cannes and Berlin International Film Festivals.
The company’s commercial and critical hits include Sid & Nancy, The Interpreter, About a Boy, Notting Hill, Elizabeth, Fargo, Dead Man Walking, Bean, High Fidelity, Johnny English, Billy Elliot, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, A Serious Man, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead, Pride & Prejudice, Nanny McPhee, United 93, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, Hot Fuzz, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Burn After Reading, Frost/Nixon, Atonement, Senna, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Anna Karenina, Les Misérables, I Give It A Year, About Time, Rush, Two Faces of January, Trash, The Theory of Everything, Legend, Everest, The Program, The Danish Girl, Grimsby, Hail Caesar!, Bridget Jones’s Baby, Baby Driver, The Snowman, Darkest Hour, Victoria & Abdul and 7 Days in Entebbe.
Working Title’s upcoming slate includes, Mary Queen of Scots, directed by Josie Rourke starring Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan and Joe Alwyn, Radioactive, directed by Marjane Satrapi starring Rosamund Pike and Sam Riley, The Kid That Would be King directed by Joe Cornish, starring Patrick Stewart and Rebecca Ferguson, Johnny English 3, directed by David Kerr starring Rowan Atkinson, and The King of Thieves directed by James Marsh starring Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone and Tom Courtenay.
Working Title is a producer of Billy Elliot the Musical worldwide. The show has now been seen around the world by nearly 12 million people across five continents and has won over 80 theatre awards internationally including five Olivier Awards and ten 2009 Tony Awards®.
In 1996 Jon joined the production department at Working Title Films helping oversee all of Working Title’s feature films output. A year later he produced the BAFTA-nominated short film Eight, Stephen Daldry’s film directing debut. In 1999 Jon, along with Natascha Wharton set up WT2, Working Title’s low budget film label producing his first film, Billy Elliot. In 2000 he won the prestigious NOVA award from the Producers’ Guild of America for outstanding achievement from a first time Producer. Jon produced a number of films through the WT2 label included the award winning ‘My Little Eye’.
Between 2005 – 2017 Jon produced Billy Elliot the Musical around the world including the West End, on Broadway, Australia (Sydney and Melbourne), North American tour, Chicago, Toronto, The Netherlands, UK & Ireland Tour, Hamburg, Tokyo and Seoul. During the same period Jon produced and exec produced a number of film and TV projects for his own Production Company, Chewing Monkey Ltd, including Hunky Dory, Doors Open and B&B.
In 2016 Jon produced the live to cinema broadcast of Billy Elliot the Musical. The film played live to 15 countries breaking box office records and was the first live broadcast of ‘event cinema’ to be number 1 at the UK box office over its opening weekend. Jon has just finished producing a new six-part drama series for SKY. ‘Bulletproof’ stars Ashley Walters and Noel Clarke will start broadcasting in May 2018.
Sally Greene is the Founder of Greene Light Stage, and co-producer of the Tony Award winning Billy Elliot the Musical.
She is renowned for rescuing and restoring The Old Vic, Criterion and Richmond theatres. In 1998, having saved The Old Vic from closure, she formed The Old Vic Theatre Trust with Stephen Daldry, and in 2003 she formed the Old Vic Theatre Company. Sally is the proprietor of the world-famous Soho jazz club, Ronnie Scott’s, and in 2007 she launched Greene Light Films. In 2004 Sally opened the Cheyne Walk Brasserie, once voted restaurant of the year by Harper’s Magazine.
She is the recipient of an OBE and a Montblanc Arts and Culture Award, in recognition of her contribution to the arts in Britain. Sally has worked continuously throughout her career to support young musicians, actors and other creatives through her involvement with charities including the NSPCC, Pop-up Ltd, HighTide Festival, Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation and the London Music Fund.
In spring 2016, Sally re-launched Old Vic Productions Plc (OVP), renaming it Greene Light Stage (GLS). Created by Sally Greene in 1994, and run by Sally and CEO and Producer Rebecca Quigley, it has become one of the leading production and investment companies in the UK. Billy Elliot has been its most notable success, the GLS production was co-produced with Working Title Films and Universal Stage Productions. It opened in 2005 at the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End and ran for an incredible 11 years. Billy Elliot went on to have a very successful run in Australia before opening to rave reviews on Broadway and winning a record-breaking ten Tony Awards in 2008, including Best Musical. It has since toured extensively in both the US & UK.
Prior to 2002, Louise held various Directorships including Koan (Entertainment Advertising and Marketing Agency), the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust (Director of Programming, Sponsorship and Marketing), was the General Manager of Dainty Consolidated Entertainment Theatrical Division and worked festivals and other productions including CATS, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon and Les Misérables. Since the establishment of Louise Withers and Associates in 2002, Louise has been a Producer/Executive Producer on the Australian productions of MAMMA MIA! (Original Australian Tour), We Will Rock You, Miss Saigon (10th Anniversary Tour), Spamalot, Billy Elliot the Musical, MAMMA MIA! (10th Anniversary Tour), Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap and Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced. Seasons for these tours have involved touring in and to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Louise was a co- producer of the World Premiere Tour of Fawlty Towers Live and an Associate Producer of Ghost the Musical in London and New York. She has provided producing/consultancy services to Billy Elliot the Musical (Korea 2010), Disney’s The Lion King (Singapore), We Will Rock You (Japan) and Ghost the Musical (Korea). Louise was Co-Producer with the Royal Shakespeare Company for the Australasian tour of Matilda The Musical and the International Executive Producer for the first Japanese language production of Billy Elliot the Musical. Currently, in addition to MAMMA MIA!, she is the Executive Producer for the second Korean language production of Billy Elliot and the first non-English language production of Matilda The Musical (Korea). Louise serves on the Executive Council of Live Performance Australia.
Michael Coppel has been one of the most prominent and active concert promoters in Australia and New Zealand for more than 35 years. Each year his companies have presented several hundred performances throughout both countries, in indoor and outdoor venues, headlining a variety of artists from all genres of contemporary music. Amongst the major concert events presented are Adele Live 2017, U2, P!nk, Fleetwood Mac, Metallica, Beyoncé, RHCP, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Roger Waters. Michael is the Chairman of Live Nation Australasia, the largest Australian concert promoter. He was a Producer of the Australian touring production of We Will Rock You, Miss Saigon, Spamalot, Waiting for Godot, The Graduate, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced and Fawlty Towers, and of the London West End and New York seasons of Ghost – the Musical and the Broadway season of The Country Girl. Michael was a Producer of the Broadway production Groundhog Day as well as of MAMMA MIA!, and has had a major involvement in the hugely successful Australian and New Zealand production of Matilda The Musical.
In a career spanning over 60 years, Linda has acted, directed, designed and produced over 60 shows and written 8 revues. She owned two theatre companies in South Australia and was the Administrator of the New Cottage Theatre. Linda joined Showbiz Bookings in Sydney in 1994 as Corporate Development Manager for the original Australian production of Miss Saigon. Linda became the General Manager of Showbiz developing corporate marketing strategies for The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Crazy For You, Rent and The Boy From Oz. Since 2002 Linda has been a founding Director of Louise Withers and Associates and Co-Producer of Miss Saigon, MAMMA MIA! (10th Anniversary Tour), The Mousetrap, A Murder is Announced and the current Australian production of MAMMA MIA!. Linda was Associate Producer for Ghost the Musical for the West End and Broadway productions and is a Director of Louise Withers Presents.
Angela Morrison started her career in film and television in 1989 and has enjoyed a successful career with Working Title since 1992. As Chief Operating Officer she oversaw the growth of Working Title as the most successful UK film production company of all time and its expansion into theatre and television production. She was the executive-in-charge of production of the original film Billy Elliot and has served as Executive Producer on Billy Elliot the Musical in productions all over the world. She is now a freelance producer, working most recently as an Executive Producer of the hugely successful film adaptation of Les Misérables, the critically acclaimed Everest, and Entebbe, scheduled for release in 2018. She is currently in development on several film and theatre projects. Angela is a law graduate of University College London and has been honoured with the British Women in Film Business Woman of the Year Award.
David Furnish was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. He began his career in advertising and became a filmmaker in 1995, directing the BAFTA nominated documentary Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras. David Furnish is an entrepreneur with a global and strategic outlook occupying a unique intersection of philanthropy, film, music and theatre. David is also Chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. A tireless campaigner, David is a leading voice in the worldwide fight against HIV and AIDS. To date, the Elton John Aids Foundation has raised in excess of $400 million to fund prevention and treatment.
In 2015 David assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Rocket Entertainment, which comprises Rocket Pictures (creator of the hugely successful Gnomeo & Juliet, and the recently released, Sherlock Gnomes), Rocket Stage, Rocket Music (managing a number of artists, including Sir Elton John and until recently Ed Sheeran) and Rocket Sports Management (manages international athletes including cyclists Laura Trott and Geraint Thomas). David is extremely proud of his work surrounding the creation of Billy Elliot the Musical. As Executive Producer, he has been involved in productions as they have rolled out across the world. He is also a huge advocate for fashion and is an ambassador to the Men’s London Fashion Council.
Universal Theatrical Group is the live theatre division of the world-famous motion picture studio. UTG, which oversees both Universal Stage Productions and DreamWorks Theatricals, is currently represented by the record-breaking musical phenomenon Wicked, currently in its fifteenth smash-hit year on Broadway. With a national tour and multiple international productions, Wicked has been seen by over 50 million people worldwide, making it one of the most successful theatrical ventures of all time. In 2008, Universal’s critically acclaimed musical adaptation of Billy Elliotopened on Broadway and went on to win ten Tony Awards including Best Musical. Universal also produced the Tony-nominated Broadway production of Bring It On: The Musical as well as Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn with the Roundabout Theatre Company. DreamWorks Theatricals, which became part of UTG in 2016, was formed to develop live entertainment inspired by the studio’s acclaimed library of family friendly animated films, including the Tony-winning musical adaptation of Shrek.
Greene Light Stage (GLS) is an independent commercial producer, general manager and consultant. Established in 1994, the company is run today by Sally Greene and CEO and Producer Rebecca Quigley. GLS has been involved with over 100 shows in the West End, on Broadway and on tour. Productions include: Glengarry Glen Ross (The Playhouse Theatre), Big Fish (The Other Palace), Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace Theatre, Broadway, Australia, USA tour, UK tour and Hamburg); The Go-Between, Jerusalem, Three Days of Rain (Apollo Theatre); The Mentalists, Clybourne Park (Wyndham’s Theatre); Good People (Noël Coward Theatre); The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre); Private Lives (Gielgud Theatre); Passion Play (Duke of York’s Theatre); Sweeney Todd (Adelphi Theatre); Noises Off (Old Vic); The Prisoner of Second Avenue and Swimming with Sharks (Vaudeville Theatre). Produced in association with The Old Vic Theatre Company, productions include: High Society, Clarence Darrow, Electra, The Crucible, Other Desert Cities, Much Ado About Nothing, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Winslow Boy, Kiss Me, Kate, Hedda Gabler, The Playboy of the Western World, Cause Célèbre, A Flea in Her Ear, Design for Living, The Real Thing, The Duchess of Malfi, Inherit the Wind, The Norman Conquests and Speed-the-Plow.
