The Stage 100 2020: 61-70

The Stage 100 is intended to reflect who are the 100 most influential people working in the theatre and performing arts industry. It is considered from the point of view of The Stage, as a trade publication, and so focuses both on theatre as a business and an art form. Inclusion within the list and ranking is weighted towards achievements in the past 12 months, but also takes into account continuous achievement. We also aim to have a list that – as much as is possible and plausible – reflects the astonishing breadth of the theatre industry. However, we do not weight the list to attempt to make it gender-balanced or ethnically diverse: we believe the list should aim to reflect how the theatre and performing arts industry is, not what it aims to be, or we would like it to be.

Top 5 6-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100 Analysis

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61. Sarah Brigham

Derby Theatre

Derby Theatre’s artistic director and chief executive had a strong year. The organisation’s popular work on stage was matched by its offstage work. This truly open-door approach to running a building means that nurturing artists, audiences and young people feeds into everything the organisation does, from workshops and open rehearsals to bespoke schools projects and relaxed performances. On stage, Brigham directed a rip-roaring revival of One Man, Two Guvnors and a production of The Jungle Book with integrated British Sign Language and captioning. Last year: 70

62. Tamara Harvey and Liam Evans-Ford

Theatr Clwyd

Harvey picked up an Olivier award last year for her production of Laura Wade’s Home, I’m Darling, which premiered at Clwyd in 2018 before transferring to the National and the West End. With executive director Evans-Ford, she is developing a 21st-century theatre, with shows including a major community production retelling the Mold Riots. Offstage, the Welsh venue’s growing programme of health and well-being work will be central to its impending £30 million redevelopment. Last year: 65

63. James Brining and Robin Hawkes

Leeds Playhouse

Brining and Hawkes oversaw a major transformation of their Leeds venue last year, through its £15.8 million redevelopment. With striking new lettering on top of the building, the theatre has a new façade, open public areas and a third studio space. The building is now a fitting flagship home for a theatre producing increasingly exciting work. It reopened with Charley Miles’ new play There are No Beginnings starring Julie Hesmondhalgh and a fun revival of The Wizard of Oz. New entry

64. Daniel Evans and Kathy Bourne

Chichester Festival Theatre

It was another solid year from CFT, where Evans has been artistic director since 2016. Arguably the standout show came from its new pop-up spiegeltent, in the form of a timely revival of Roy Williams’ Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads. Away from Chichester, Evans directed a starry production at the Southbank Centre of The Light in the Piazza, which is also touring internationally. He was joined at Chichester this year by Bourne as executive director. Last year: 68

65. Stuart Murphy

English National Opera

The former Sky boss is into his second year as chief executive of ENO, and the organisation introduced significant audience initiatives in 2019, in his stated desire to attract non-traditional opera-goers to the London Coliseum. These included earlier show times, lower ticket prices, relaxed performances and – to outcry from some critics – ditching plus-ones for reviewers to pay for a scheme to nurture new opera writers. Elsewhere, Daniel Kramer left as artistic director after a patchy three years and will be replaced by Annilese Miskimmon this month, while the company also launched schemes to improve its diversity. Last year: 67

ENO ditches plus-ones for critics as it launches drive to find new voices among reviewers

66. Steve Tompkins

Haworth Tompkins

Last year’s number one, architect Tompkins had a quieter year in 2019 in terms of public-facing work. Following 2018, in which Battersea Arts Centre and Bristol Old Vic reopened, Haworth Tompkins’ performing arts team were less on the radar last year. However, they were – and continue to be – hard at work on the £60 million transformation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane. During this mammoth project, the historic theatre will be completely refurbished and modelled as a destination venue, which has the potential to reshape the identity of a West End theatre. Last year: 1

67. Jenny Sealey

Graeae

The artistic director and chief executive of Graeae launched a new company devoted to women’s stories in 2019. Where’s My Vagina? was a bold statement of intent, and will focus on topics including ageism, menopause, motherhood and D/deaf and disabled women’s experiences. Sealey is one of the industry’s most influential advocates for disability representation in the arts, and last year Graeae was one of 18 organisations across England to receive a share of £7.1 million from Arts Council England to develop a leadership programme for D/deaf and disabled artists. The company celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Last year: 55

Support Graeae’s groundbreaking training for young disabled theatremakers

68. Maureen Beattie

Equity

The actor, who became Equity’s president in 2018, continued throughout the past year to use her voice to speak out on issues that are important to the performers and theatre workers the union represents – and for the industry more broadly. She was unequivocal in criticising producers and theatres for failing to tell actors when they have not got a role, and more recently condemned “the rise of racist reviews” in theatre and on screen. On stage, she appeared in the National Theatre of Scotland’s trilogy of near-future plays Interference, and can be seen this month in the Channel 4 miniseries Deadwater Fell. Last year: 72

69. Emma Gladstone

Dance Umbrella

Gladstone, the artistic director and chief executive of the London-based festival Dance Umbrella, won a Tonic Theatre award last year for the company’s commitment to developing dance artists and audiences. Later in the year, Dance Umbrella’s 2019 iteration – a truly London-wide affair – included Gisèle Vienne’s atmospheric piece Crowd, Oona Doherty’s critically acclaimed Hard to Be Soft: A Belfast Prayer, and Zoo Humans, Urban Playground’s performance-parkour piece narrated by David Attenborough. Last year: 71

70. Julian Bird

Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre

The West End enjoyed record box office figures again in 2019, with ticket sales for musicals leaping by 15%. Elsewhere, SOLT, of which Bird is chief executive, secured a major new deal for the West End with Equity last year, which includes truly progressive measures around job shares and flexible working alongside pay increases. Last year, UK Theatre boss Cassie Chadderton left to lead World Book Day. She did valuable work for venues across the country and her shoes will be large ones to fill. Outside SOLT, Bird began presenting a show on Magic Radio’s new musical theatre station. Last year: 44