Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group Rebrands as LW Entertainment

The Really Useful Group has revealed a new company name as it unveils upcoming plans across the entertainment industry.
 
LW Entertainment will continue to manage Andrew Lloyd Webber’s body of work, expanding across multiple entertainment formats. This includes developing brand and franchise strategies for some of the world’s most celebrated titles, such as The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, Sunset Boulevard and Starlight Express. 
 
The business is led by CEO James McKnight, former Chief Creative Officer of the Harry Potter franchise. McKnight is supported by Louise Hughes, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Lawrence Chapman, Group Chief Financial Officer, and Libby Grant, Chief Commercial Officer. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s personal focus remains on musical composition.
 
LW Entertainment recently relaunched www.AndrewLloydWebber.com, including the launch of The Box Five Club, a free, dedicated global hub for fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals to explore unseen archives, behind-the-scenes moments, videos, articles, and exclusive news. Both are underpinned by ambitious growth strategies that will take content to millions of fans across the world.
 
The rollout of LW Entertainment starts today and will continue across the world over the coming months.
 
Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “I am thrilled that the final piece of the reorganisation of the Lloyd Webber companies is complete. Our CEO James McKnight, together with Madeleine Lloyd Webber and our chairman, David Chance, has restructured the entire senior management team to reflect the business’ commitment to exploiting its copyrights in the most innovative way.
 
To mark this sea change in The Really Useful Group’s story, the company is to be renamed LW Entertainment to represent the broadening of its work across different entertainment fields, whilst bringing it into line with LW Theatres which has just completed its most successful trading year ever. As usual, every penny of LW Theatres’ profit will be ploughed back into the buildings.
 
LW Entertainment will focus solely on copyright exploitation, with theatrical production handled by Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, building on the success of the acclaimed productions of Starlight Express, Sunset Boulevard and now Evita at The London Palladium. The next major productions will be the Broadway transfer of Cats: The Jellicle Ball and my new musical, The Illusionist.
 
In addition, LW Entertainment has licensed the immersive production Masquerade, based on The Phantom of the Opera, currently in early previews in New York. This is part of significant, global plans for The Phantom of the Opera over the coming years across live theatre, film, publishing, music, and many other areas.
 
LW Entertainment is a family company, and I am blessed that all four of my children are major contributors to the board. My wife, Madeleine Lloyd Webber, is Group President of LW Entertainment and LW Theatres. The recorded music exploitation, guided by Alastair and Billy Lloyd Webber, has already resulted in successful albums for Starlight Express and Sunset Boulevard, the latter reaching number 1. With the strongest team I could possibly hope for in place, I will focus on what I have always loved most – music.”

GLOBAL PROJECTS
 

LW Entertainment launches with a backdrop of award-winning work taking place across the world.
 
Established in 2023, the producing partnership between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Michael Harrison has gone from strength to strength. To date, Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals (LWHM) has produced:
 
·               The multi-Olivier and Tony award-winning SUNSET BLVD. in London and on Broadway, directed by Jamie Lloyd, and co-produced with The Jamie Lloyd Company, ATG Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions;
·               Starlight Express’ Olivier award-winning revival in London, directed by Luke Sheppard;
·               And Evita, co-produced with The Jamie Lloyd Company, currently playing at The London Palladium, starring Rachel Zegler and directed by Jamie Lloyd.
 
LWHM will produce Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical, The Illusionist, and the multi-award-winning Cats: The Jellicle Ball will open on Broadway in Spring 2026, with multi award-winning producer Mike Bosner.
 
With rave reviews across the board, Jesus Christ Superstar, has just played a sell-out, three-night concert for over 50,000 people at the Hollywood Bowl, starring Cynthia Erivo, the first female Jesus, and Adam Lambert as Judas. 
 
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera has played to over 160 million people in more than 200 cities, 58 territories and 21 languages since it opened in 1986. 
 
The original London production, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company (now LW Entertainment), continues to break its own records at His Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket. In November 2025, Cameron Mackintosh’s new revitalised production, based on the brilliant original, will begin a multi-city tour of the US, co-presented with The Really Useful Group / LW Entertainment. 
 
Inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, the entirely new immersive experience Masquerade is produced by Randy Weiner and directed by Diane Paulus. Though still only in previews, Masquerade is already causing a sensation in New York, with guests donning their finest attire to line up on the red carpet. Guests from Tony Award winners to Marina Abramovic have already been left gasping at the spectacle, and social media is astir with reaction videos.
 
During 2025, Phantom debuted in new markets, including India and Singapore, and resumed its International Tour through Asia. A reimagined production, directed by Federico Bellone, also played a major season in Spain, as part of “Amigos Para Siempre”, LW Entertainment’s joint venture with Antonio Banderas. In 2026, Phantom will be live in more than 40 cities across the world, including a return of the spectacular open air Sydney Harbour production from 27th March.
 
 

NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Penguin Random House – a new worldwide publishing program
 
LW Entertainment will expand Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera franchise with a new worldwide book publishing program, in partnership with Penguin Random House LLC. 
 
The program will launch in Fall 2026 with OUR STRANGE DUET, a young adult reimagining of this timeless Gothic love story that will bring a new voice to Christine Daaé, a central part of the iconic Phantom canon. 
 
Developed in collaboration with #1 New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig (House of Salt and Sorrows, House of Roots and Ruin), OUR STRANGE DUET is a Christine-forward retelling that gives new insight to Christine's experience navigating the Paris Opera House. It will serve as the principal and tentpole foray into the expansion of this beloved franchise. The novel will be published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, and edited by Wendy Loggia, V.P./ Publisher, Delacorte Press. It will publish simultaneously in the U.K. with Penguin Random House Children’s.
 
The program, which spans books for all ages, will feature additional titles, including three Little Golden Books and a new celebratory coffee-table book from Crown/Ten Speed Press and by Ebury Press in the UK in Fall 2026.
 
GWB Entertainment – investing in best-in-class musical theatre with a focus in the broader Asian region
 
In recognition of its commitment to live theatre, LW Entertainment confirms a strategic equity investment into UK-based producer and general manager, GWB Entertainment, a long-term presenting and producing partner with a rich history in the broader Asian region, including significant reach in China.
 
From its London office, GWB Entertainment produces and general manages tours around the world. For RUG (now LW Entertainment), GWB has produced international tours of CATS and School Of Rock, in addition to providing general management to The Phantom of the Opera International Tour. This investment will support GWB's future growth ambitions and deepen and expand how LW Entertainment and GWB Entertainment work together.
 
Paul Warwick Griffin and Gareth Hewitt Williams, GWB Founders UK, said: “Having collaborated closely with The Really Useful Group for many years, this partnership with LW Entertainment represents a pivotal milestone for us. We are thrilled to bring together our collective expertise and resources to create extraordinary experiences for audiences worldwide, while deepening our creative vision and broadening our global reach.”
 

Qubic Pictures – a new The Phantom of the Opera anime

LW Entertainment has engaged Justin Leach of Qubic Pictures, Co-Executive Producer on Star Wars: Visions and Showrunner of Netflix’s Eden and Leviathan, to explore opportunities for a new The Phantom of the Opera anime. Qubic Pictures, an animation production company, works with leading creators and studios across Japan, North America and Europe.
 
This partnership is part of a series of new film and TV explorations around The Phantom of the Opera and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s other titles. Previously announced development of a new Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat film, directed by Jon M. Chu, continues.
 

Breaking new ground in consumer products

 
LW Entertainment will be taking Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals from stage to store through a global multi-IP consumer products programme. Merchantwise, a leading brand licensing and merchandising agency, has been appointed to spearhead this activity across UK, select European markets, China, Australia and New Zealand. 

In addition, Event Merchandising Ltd. (EML) has been appointed to run owned and operated channels (online and physical) for Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals. The collaboration will see the creation of a dedicated ecommerce store for global fans, featuring an ever-evolving, curated range of exclusive and limited-edition products inspired by our extensive archive. Jeremy Goldsmith, Managing Director of Event Merchandising Limited, said: “These productions have captivated audiences for generations, and we’re proud to help bring that magic into people’s homes through a beautifully designed ecommerce platform and high-quality merchandise.”