12 July 2019

Earlier this year, we announced our brand new development programme, the first ever US/UK Producer Exchange with Columbia University. The unique programme offers 10 producers a grant to fly to New York in September 2019 and attend a week-long course facilitated by Columbia University and Stage One. The Producers studying at Columbia University will then fly to London for a week-long programme on the model in the UK in January 2020.

After an application and interview process, 10 producers were awarded places on the programme...

Caroline Dyott:

Caroline is a producer based in London.  She is currently General Manager at the Donmar Warehouse.  Previously she was Producer at Sheffield Theatres, working on a range of productions including the world premieres of The Nap and Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and prior to that Producer at English Touring Theatre, where she produced and managed tours to venues across the country. Independently, she has produced Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun (Finborough Theatre) and The Man by James Graham (Finborough/tour). She read English at Oxford University.

David Adkin:

David is a London based Theatre Producer and General Manager. His credits include: The Grinning Man (Trafalgar Studios, West End); the 10th anniversary of Our House: The Musical directed by Matthew Warchus (Savoy Theatre, West End); and Dessert directed by Trevor Nunn, Afterglow, Stalking the Bogeyman and Next Fall (Southwark Playhouse). David is currently the Producer of the award-winning nationally acclaimed Ustinov Studio at Theatre Royal Bath. He recently worked for legendary Producer Robert Fox on the UK premiere of David Bowie and Enda Walsh’s musical Lazarus. He is a member of the Society of London Theatre.

Fiona Steed:

Fiona is a London based Producer and General Manager. Since July 2018 she has worked as the Assistant Producer for Smith & Brant Theatricals on True West, Come From Away and Bitter Wheat in London’s West End and the UK tour of Abigail’s Party. Prior to this she worked as a Production Coordinator for Sonia Friedman Productions on the West End productions of The Ferryman, Dreamgirls and Consent and as a Production Coordinator at Greene Light Stage (previously Old Vic Productions) on The Go-Between. Fiona took part in the Stage One Apprenticeship and was placed at Mark Rubinstein Ltd. She has also spent time at Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bristol, and was a Project Producer at the Bristol Old Vic, producing their yearly NT Connections festival. She has a post-graduate diploma in Theatre Arts Management from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Jenny Pearce:

Jenny is the producer at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill. Producing credits include Twilight Los Angeles: 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith, Trust by Falk Richter, Effigies of Wickedness with English National Opera, The Human Voice by Jean Cocteau, A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid, Dear Elizabeth by Sarah Ruhl, The Ridiculous Darkness by Wolfram Lotz and Shubbak Festival. Prior to the Gate Jenny worked for regional touring company, Pentabus, touring new writing across the UK. She has also held roles at Stage One and the Menier Chocolate Factory. Jenny participated in the IETM producing campus in 2017, making international connections which continue to influence her work. She holds a degree in Theatre Producing from London Southbank University. 

Katy Lipson:

Katy is the company director and producer of Aria Entertainment. Her recent producing credits include the UK Premiere No 1 Tour of The Addams Family, the UK Premiere of The Toxic Avenger and The Mystery of Edwin Drood at the Arts Theatre, West End, The 50th Anniversary Production of HAIR The Musical UK No 1 Tour and The Vaults, London (WhatsOnStage Award winner) and she is also the creator of the From Page to Stage festival of new musicals which has invested in and given life to 100 musicals over the past 6 years. She is the producing artistic director of The Hope Mill Theatre Manchester where she has produced 13 musicals including, Parade, Yank, Pippin, Spring Awakening (WhatsOnStage Award winner), Aspects Of Love, Little Women and Mame with Yank, Hair, Aspects Of Love and Pippin transferring to London. She recently produced a new revival of Rags working along side Stephen Schwartz. Katy won the Off West End award for Best Producer in 2017 and was named in The Stage 100 in both 2018 and 2019. She is a Stage One bursary and start up award recipient.

Lil Lambley:

Lil is a freelance producer and general manager, providing bespoke assistance to a variety of producers and production companies, with a particular emphasis on business affairs, budget work and financial analysis and contractual support. Having started her West End career at Mark Rubinstein Ltd, courtesy of the Stage One Trainee Producer scheme, Lil worked at Sonia Friedman Productions for five years as Associate General Manager. Whilst at SFP, Lil worked across a vast array of productions, including acting as general manager on the award-winning productions of Farinelli and the King, Travesties and Funny Girl, as well as the UK premiere of Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre. Lil has also worked on the Broadway transfers of Farinelli and the King and 1984 and looks forward to expanding her knowledge about Broadway productions still further as part of the exchange.

Matt Borgatti:

Matt is a London based theatre producer, specialising in work for family audiences. Matt runs Goblin, a theatre company which he founded in 2013. As Goblin he has produced shows in some of the top venues in the UK, including Southbank Centre, National Theatre and Royal Exchange, Manchester as well as numerous UK tours and co-productions. Prior to running Goblin, Matt worked as a venue manager & theatre programmer, arts festival producer and press and marketing consultant. He has a M(Phil) in Drama and Theatre Arts from University of Birmingham. 

Sam Julyan:

Sam is an award winning independent theatre producer working in London and internationally. Current Credits include: Room, the Stage Adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel in association with Theatre Royal Stratford East, the Abbey Theatre, Dublin and National Theatre of Scotland. Room will play The Grand Theatre Ontario, and CAA Theatre Toronto in the Spring of 2020, directed by Cora Bissett, Kenneth Lonnegan’s Starry Messenger at The Wyndham’s Theatre Starring Matthew Broderick, Carmen Jones directed by John Doyle, playing at Classic Stage Company, New York (Lucille Lortel award for Best Revival)  In 2016 Sam produced the world premiere production of Arthur Miller's first play, No Villain at The Old Red Lion and Trafalgar Studios. Sam was awarded a Stage One Bursary in 2016.

Tara Finney:

Tara is an independent producer through her company Tara Finney Productions and is Managing Director of LIVE GM, a commercial general management company (a subsidiary of The Anthology Group). Previously, Tara has acted as Producer for Stephen Joseph Theatre, Iris Theatre, Company of Angels and originally trained at Theatre503. Before beginning her theatrical career, Tara qualified as a corporate solicitor, working at US law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP.

 Productions include: The Pope by Oscar-nominated Anthony McCarten (Royal & Derngate), Honour (Park Theatre), The Greatest Play in the History of the World… starring Julie Hesmondhalgh (Royal Exchange Theatre, Traverse Theatre; The Stage Edinburgh Award winner), Build a Rocket (Adelaide Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, Latitude Festival; Adelaide Fringe Best Theatre winner, Holden Street Award winner), the 20th anniversary production of Disco Pigs starring Evanna Lynch (Irish Rep Theatre NYC, Trafalgar Studios; Origins 1st Irish Festival Award winner, New York Times Critics’ Pick), good dog, Land of Our Fathers (UK Tour), My Mother Said I Never Should (The Other Palace).

Vicky Graham:

Vicky is an independent producer of new plays and musicals. She is currently developing a portfolio of new work with a small group of equity investors in Vicky Graham Productions. She established VGP in May 2012 with the support of Stage One. Commissions and world premieres include: Flowers for Mrs Harries (UK Theatre Award for Best Musical Production, Sheffield Theatres 2016 & Chichester Festival Theatre 2018); Thor and Loki (Edinburgh & HighTide Festivals 2018); Pilgrims (Theatr Clwyd, HighTide, Yard Theatre 2016) and Breeders (ONE STAGE Season 2014). vickygrahamproductions.com Elsewhere she has worked with English Touring Theatre (BBC Performing Arts Fund Fellowship 2013), served as Executive Producer at Out of Joint (2015) and produced City of Glass for 59 Productions (2016). She is a proud Trustee of Arts at the Old Fire Station in Oxford.