The Stage Lists Panter & Squire as 'King and Queen of Theatre' in UK

Husband and wife Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, the joint chief executives of Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) have been named as the most influential people in UK Theatre, as published by The Stage today.

ATG's accomplishments in the year of 2009 include the purchase of Live Nation's UK theatres, which made ATG the UK's biggest commercial theatre operator in the West End and UK regions, which probably did not hurt Panter and Squire's rise to the top spot on the Stage's list this year (from the fifth spot they occupied last year).

To read the full report in whatsonstage.com, including a full list of the top 20, click here.

According to Whatsonstage.com, last year's top spots went to Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber, with artistic directors of Donmar Warehouse and National Theatre, Michael Grandage and Nicholas Hytner, earning top spots as well.

Alistair Smith, The Stage 100 editor, comments on Panter and Squire's accomplishment to whatsonstage.com: Since its launch in 1997, The Stage 100 has been dominated by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh. This is only the third occasion when neither has held the top spot.

"But Ambassador Theatre Group's £90 million purchase of Live Nation's UK venues has created a new theatrical superpower - the largest theatre operator of the modern era. In the regions, especially, it dwarfs all competition. The deal has been the biggest theatre story of 2009 and the largest theatre deal since Andrew Lloyd Webber bought his London venues in 2000.

"As such, Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, the married couple who together launched and continue to run ATG, were a shoo-in for the top spot. They will take some budging in future years."

 

 

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