Maria Friedman's Doorstep Productions Celebrates First Birthday

In 2020, during lockdown and with theatres closed, actors Maria Friedman and Adrian Der Gregorian founded Doorstep Productions to bring live theatre to front doors all around the country.

Twelve months later, Doorstep Productions are still thrilling audiences whatever the occasion. Whether given as a gift at someone's home or booked for a birthday celebration, street party, wedding or corporate event, Doorstep will work their magic to deliver a personalised slice of the West End.

With the official support of the West End community, Maria and Adrian have assembled a cast of brilliant West End and Broadway performers (actors, singers, dancers and musicians) to recreate everyone's favourite moments from their favourite shows.

Doorstep clients can create their own programme from theatreland classics including The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Mary Poppins and Hamilton, which are blended seamlessly into a fully orchestrated spectacle, costumed and directed by an Olivier Award-winning creative team.

For the upcoming holiday season, there is finally the opportunity to gather together with friends, family or neighbours to enjoy an exquisite bespoke West End performance, with a special close harmony encore of festive songs, including O Holy Night and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

Maria Friedman explains, "Doorstep Productions started as an idea to go and spread some joy at Christmas. We were dressed head to toe in beautiful, Dickensian costumes, holding lanterns and singing carols outside hospice windows or care home gardens - anywhere there were socially isolated folk.

Doorstep has gone from strength to strength and one year later with the West End thankfully back on its feet we have been so heartened that we are still very much in demand....and continue bring magic for your special occasion. You don't even have to face the tubes and crowds. We so appreciate your continued support for our community of actors and creatives who are still suffering from the effects of the last 18 months."

Suppliers who have provided their services for free include Nica Burns, Sonia Friedman Productions, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, Cameron Mackintosh, Bill Kenwright, musical director Fiz Shapur, costume designer Jonathan Lipman, costumiers Angels, wig makers Campbell Young Associates, Richard Mawbey, Lizzie Frankel for Propworks, Dean St Studios, Dewynters and Bob King Creative.

The winner of four Olivier Awards and nine nominations, Evening Standard and Critics Circle Awards, and many other theatre accolades both from the West End and Broadway, Maria Friedman is undoubtedly one of our most successful leading Musical Theatre ladies. Her many West End credits include Passion, Ragtime, Merrily We Roll Along, Blues in the Night, Chicago, The Witches of Eastwick, The Woman in White, and, most recently, she played Golde in the Olivier Award-winning Trevor Nunn production of Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse Theatre. Maria won over a whole new audience when she joined the cast of long-running soap EastEnders, playing Elaine Peacock. Maria appeared alongside Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and Aretha Franklin at the memorial service for the late Marvin Hamlisch at the Juilliard School, New York. In 2013, Maria made her directorial debut at the Menier Chocolate Factory with a production of Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along. After a series of 5-star reviews, the Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical and a sell-out extended run, it transferred to the West End and played Boston. In 2014, it won the Olivier for Best Musical Revival. Maria will star in Harriet Warner's reimagining of Dangerous Liaisons with Paloma Faith, Nicholas Denton, Lesley Manville, Kosar Ali and Carice van Houten, which will air in the UK on Starzply. Maria is also performance director on an upcoming PlayStation 5 Game.

Adrian Der Gregorian made his professional and West End debut in Bombay Dreams at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Following this, Adrian appeared in the world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's, The Woman in White. Other theatre credits include Once in a Lifetime (Young Vic), the world premiere of Made in Dagenham (Adelphi Theatre) and the multi award-winning production of La Cage Aux Folles (Playhouse Theatre). He most recently appeared in Jamie Lloyd's Olivier Award-winning production of Cyrano De Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre.

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