Sonia Friedman and Hugh Jackman launch small-scale production company Together

Sonia Friedman and Hugh Jackman have launched a "theatrical partnership" aimed at creating "intimate and accessible" live theatre in smaller-scale venues.

Together is a new company helmed by producer Friedman and actor Jackman, alongside director Ian Rickson.

In a statement shared to Instagram, the team announced their plans to stage "short runs of rehearsed, full-length plays, along with readings, panel discussions, and other events in the US, UK and beyond".

Promising a company guided by "collaboration, ensemble, equal pay for actors, and shared creative credit", the Together team wrote: "By stripping the fully rehearsed productions down to their essentials, with minimal decor, Together aims to celebrate the raw power of storytelling - getting back to what often makes theatre so compelling in the first place."

Prioritising performance in smaller venues, Together will also commit to making productions "genuinely affordable" for a large proportion of the house, team members claimed.

Friedman and Jackman commented: "With director Ian Rickson we wanted to create a company where actors, writers, and directors could experiment, explore, and take risks, away from the pressures that are often associated with the commercial theatre world."

The pair insisted the move was not them "stepping away from Broadway or the West End" but rather "supporting and coexisting alongside them".

"We also want to embrace flexibility," they wrote, "whether that’s through varied performance schedules during the week or staging plays in repertoire, allowing productions and ideas to evolve in a spontaneous and organic way."

Friedman’s work can currently be seen on international stages, with her productions including West End shows such as Mean Girls and The Years. Jackman, meanwhile, is an Australian-born performer known for roles including blockbuster series the X-Men film franchise and performances on British, American and Australian stages including Oklahoma! and the Music Man.