The Stage 100 Reveals Most Influential People In Theatre 2018

Vicky Featherstone, artistic director of the Royal Court, has been named number one in The Stage 100, the definitive guide to the most influential figures working in the UK theatre and performing arts industry today.

Featherstone, who came 39th in the 2017 list, has shot to the top of the list following her swift and proactive response to the widespread claims of sexual harassment in the theatre industry, following allegations against Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein.

• Featherstone was the first and strongest voice to speak out against historic and ongoing abuses of power in the theatre industry - especially sexual harassment - following the allegations in the US against Harvey Weinstein
  • Vicky Featherstone announces 'day of action' in response to Weinstein revelations
  • Royal Court to create industry-wide code to prevent sexual harassment in theatres
  • Royal Court publishes 30-point plan to tackle harassment in theatre
• Featherstone has moved up from 39th place in 2017
• Featherstone is the third woman to top the list as a solo entry, following on from Sonia Friedman last year
• Featherstone's programming of the Royal Court includes the most successful play of the year Jez Butterworth's The Ferryman which later transferred to the West End as well as Anatomy of a Suicide by Alice Birch, Katherine Soper's Wish List and Killology by Gary Owen

Featherstone said: 'It is a total shock and honour to be recognised by The Stage for our work around No Grey Area, especially amongst this list of theatre heroines and heroes.

"I share this with the fearless and passionate team and board at the Royal Court. But mostly, it is affirmation to the brave women and men who spoke out about their experiences that they are being taken seriously and proof that my theatre colleagues, with the power to do so, are listening and that we can achieve fundamental change. As an industry, we are once more leading the way."

Editor of The Stage, Alistair Smith said: "Creating a list of the 100 most influential people in theatre is always a difficult task, but especially so at a time when theatre is still coming to terms with abuses of power within the entertainment industry.

"In that context, a number of figures challenging the status quo feature within the full list, but none have been more prominent than Vicky Featherstone. Through her bold and swift action in the wake of allegations in the US against Harvey Weinstein, she ensured that British theatre took the opportunity to face up to its own historic and ongoing challenges around workplace harassment."

The Stage reviews editor, Natasha Tripney, who was also on the judging panel for The Stage 100, added: "2017 was a pretty dispiriting year all round, but it was a particularly dismaying one for women. But the Royal Court's Vicky Featherstone has seemed intent on using it as an opportunity to create lasting change.

"Whereas other key industry figures have remained noticeably silent, she has been responsive and outspoken. We need to reassess how we think about power, examine how we categorise success and question the qualities we look for in a leader. Perhaps in doing so we can make the industry more transparent, accountable and inclusive - and work towards a culture where people in positions of power can no longer abuse those positions unchecked."

To see the full list click here: pdf

From Thursday January 5 0001, the full list will be available at: www.thestage.co.uk/thestage100

• New entries include: Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda (9), Martin Green - Hull City of Culture (14), Ivo van Hove (19), incoming Young Vic artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah (20), Bridge theatre architect Steve Tompkins (23) and Follies star Imelda Staunton (26)
• High risers in the list include
  • Playwright James Graham (10) moving up 66 places having staged three plays in the West End - This House, Ink and Labour of Love
  • Sarah Frankcom, Royal Exchange, Manchester (15) has risen 16 places
  • Gemma Bodinetz and Deborah Aydon (18) of Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse have moved up 17 places
• There has been a 7% increase in the number of entries featuring a woman (39% to 46%) in The Stage 100 since last year. However, the number of top 20 entries featuring a woman has dropped from 10 to 8
• The highest placed new entry this year is Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda (9)
• Kwame Kwei-Armah (20) becomes the first black Briton to feature in the top 20 of The Stage 100 in its 22-year history
• Other figures campaigning for change within the theatre industry to feature within the list include Simeilia Hodge Dallaway (90) from Artistic Directors of the Future, theatremaker Jess Thom (84) and Cassie Raine and Anna Ehnold-Danailov from Parents in Performing Arts (88)
• Vicky Featherstone is the third woman to top the list as a solo entry. Producer Sonia Friedman was number one in 2017 as was Stoll Moss Theatres boss Janet Holmes a Court in 1998. Rosemary Squire has also been placed first on a number of occasions, listed alongside Ambassador Theatre Group co-founder Howard Panter
• Featherstone replaces Sonia Friedman at the top of the list. The producer is now placed at number three

Vicky Featherstone has been artistic director of the Royal Court since April 2013. Vicky Featherstone was artistic director of Paines Plough 1997-2005 and the inaugural artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland 2005-2012.

For the Royal Court: Bad Roads, Victory Condition, X, Cyprus Avenue (& Abbey, Dublin), How To Hold Your Breath, God Bless the Child, Maidan: Voices from the Uprising, The Mistress Contract, The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas; Untitled Matriarch Play, The President Has Come to See You (Open Court Weekly Rep). Other theatre includes: What if Women Ruled the World? (Manchester International Festival); Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (National Theatre of Scotland & National/West End/International tour). Television includes: Where the Heart Is, Silent Witness.

The Stage 100 reflects the 100 most influential people working in the theatre and performing arts industry. It is considered from the point of view of The Stage as a trade publication and so focuses on theatre both as a business and an art form. Inclusion within the list and ranking is weighted towards achievements in the past 12 months, but also takes into account continuous achievement. The aim of the list is to reflect the astonishing breadth of the theatre industry. However, we do not weight the list in an attempt to make it gender-balanced or ethnically diverse: the list reflects the way the theatre and performing arts industry is, not what it aims to be, or what we would like it to be. The Stage 100 has been published for 22 years.

Following extensive industry consultation, the final list is decided by a panel of senior editorial staff at The Stage including editor Alistair Smith, associate editors Mark Shenton and Lyn Gardner, reviews editor Natasha Tripney and news editor Matthew Hemley.

About The Stage

• Established in 1880, The Stage is a must read for those with an involvement or interest in the performing arts industry in the UK and beyond.
• The Stage offers nationwide theatre news, jobs, castings, reviews, and advice.
• The Stage is also responsible for The Stage Awards, The Stage Debut Awards and The Stage Supports.
• The Stage newspaper is published every Thursday and is available to purchase for just £2.50 from newsagents around the country. It is also available as a digital edition via App on Android and Apple. The website (www.thestage.co.uk) is read by 550,000 unique users a month

To post a comment, you must register and login.