Stephen McGill Receives £50,000 Start Up Award
Stage One has awarded £50,000 from its Start-Up Investment Fund to theatre producer, Stephen McGill. He will co-produce the West End transfer of Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of The Pajama Game to the Shaftesbury Theatre, alongside Joseph Smith and John Brant, Old Vic Productions and Gavin Kalin.
Stephen McGill formed his own production company in early 2011 after working as co-producer for Poppy Productions since 2010. He has previously worked on the worldwide productions of Mamma Mia! and the London productions of Billy Elliot and Jersey Boys. He recently produced the new musical The Tailor-Made Man at the Arts Theatre, London. Stephen has been involved in The Pajama Game since he contributed to its enhancement at Chichester in 2013 and met his fellow co-producers at the Stage One workshop. He will have access to all meetings and a voice in the decision making process, an invaluable experience for building his career as a commercial theatre producer and one of the key ways in which Stage One fosters the talents of emerging producers.
Stephen comments: “I’m thrilled and honoured to receive this award from the Stage One Start Up Fund. Stage One has continually offered help and support throughout my development as a commercial producer. To have such support, plus the knowledge and experience of established producers and industry professionals has been invaluable. I am delighted to be a part of this fantastic production of The Pajama Game in the West End having been involved since its run in Chichester last year. I would like to thank Stage One and everyone who supports the Start Up Fund for making this possible.”
One of Stephen McGill’s co-producers on The Pajama Game, Gavin Kalin, is a previous recipient of the Stage One Start-Up Investment Fund. In June 2013 Gavin was awarded £30,000 by the charity to co-produce the West End transfer of the critically-acclaimed Young Vic production of A Doll’s House alongside the Young Vic, Mark Rubinstein and Neil Laidlaw.
Directed by Richard Eyre, The Pajama Game enjoyed a critically acclaimed, sold-out run Chichester Festival Theatre in 2013. Previews begin at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 2 May 2014.