Sonia Friedman

Sonia Friedman
Born	Sonia Anne Primrose Freedman April 1965 (age 51)
Occupation	Theatre producer
Years active	1988–present

Sonia Anne Primrose Friedman OBE (née Freedman; born April 1965)^[1] is a British West End and Broadway theatre producer. She is the younger sister of director/actress/singer Maria Friedman, violinist Richard Friedman and Dr Sarah Beecham. Her younger brother, Ben, is a television director (currently director / producer of BRITISH BAKE OFF). On 29 January 2016 Sonia Friedman, was named Producer of the Year for the second year running at The Stage Awards, becoming the first person to win the award twice.

Early life

Friedman is the youngest daughter of Clair Llewelyn Friedman (née Sims), a concert pianist, and the eminent Russian violinist Leonard Friedman, who was leader for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Thomas Beecham and co-founder of many national institutions including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Baroque Ensemble.^[2]^[3]^[4] Her father is from a Russian Jewish immigrant family and her mother is English.^[5]

Friedman was educated at several schools including St Christopher School, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, and trained as a stage manager at the Central School of Speech and Drama. It was after organising a couple of benefits for World Aids Day during the late 1980s (one of which saw over 200 celebrities working as shop assistants in Covent Garden) that she decided to follow a career as a theatre producer.

Professional career

Theatre Producer

After working at the National Theatre between 1988 and 1993 (fulfilling the various roles of Stage Management, Education Manager, Head of Education and Producer of Mobile Productions and Theatre for Young People), she co-founded the new writing theatre company Out of Joint in 1993 with Max Stafford-Clark. From 1998, Friedman worked as a producer for the Ambassador Theatre Group. She launched her own theatre company, Sonia Friedman Productions, in 2002. Friedman's productions have been nominated for and won numerous Olivier, Tony and other awards. At the 2014 Olivier Awards, Sonia Friedman Productions made Olivier Awards history by winning the most awards for any producer and for winning prizes for Best New Play (Chimerica), Best New Musical (The Book of Mormon), Best Play Revival (Ghosts) and Best Musical Revival (Merrily We Roll Along). In 2016, Sonia Friedman won producer of the year at The Stage Awards for a second year (becoming the first person to win the award twice) and was listed as no.2 on the The Stage power list, moving up one place from 2015. Sonia (with her co-producing partner, Colin Callender) is currently collaborating with J.K. Rowling on a new stage play based on the Harry Potter characters and themes.

Friedman was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to theatre.^[6]

TV Producer

In 2015 Sonia Friedman Productions co-produced two television dramas, the BAFTA Nominated The Dresser which aired on BBC Two and directly followed after SFP's partnership with Playground Entertainment on the six-part mini-series adaptation of Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall' which also aired on BBC Two in January 2015 and won two BAFTA Television Awards in 2016.

Theatre credits

Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1990)
Tartuffe (1991)
The Queen and I (1994)
The Libertine (1995)
Shopping and Fucking (1996)
Blue Kettle / Heart's Desire (1997)
The Steward of Christendom (1997)
Three Sisters (1997)
Spoonface Steinberg (1999)
Speed the Plow (2000)
Noises Off (2000)
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (2001)
Benefactors (2002)
Up For Grabs (2002)
Afterplay (2002)
What the Night Is For (2002)
Macbeth (2002)
Ragtime (2003)
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (2003), on Broadway
Sexual Perversity in Chicago (2003)
Absolutely! (Perhaps) (2003)
Hitchcock Blonde (2003)
See You Next Tuesday (2003)
Jumpers (2003)
Calico (2004)
Endgame (2004)
Guantánamo (2004)
The Woman in White (2004)
By the Bog of Cats (2005)
Whose Life is it Anyway (2005)
The Home Place (2005)
As You Like It (2005)
Shoot the Crow (2005)
Celebration (2005)
Otherwise Engaged (2005)
The Woman in White (2005) on Broadway
Donkeys' Years (2006)
On the Third Day (2006)
Eh Joe (2006)
Bent (2006)
Faith Healer (2006), on Broadway; nominated for a Best Revival Tony Award
Love Song (2006)
Rock 'n' Roll (2006)
King of Hearts (2007)
The Dumb Waiter (2007)
Boeing-Boeing (2007)
In Celebration (2007)
Rock 'n' Roll (2007), on Broadway
Is He Dead? (2007), on Broadway
Donkeys' Years (2007)
Hergé's Adventures of Tintin, a musical version of Tintin in Tibet (2007)
Dealer's Choice (2007)
Boeing-Boeing (2008), in Australia
Boeing-Boeing (2008), on Broadway
That Face (2008)
Under the Blue Sky (2008)
The Seagull (2008), on Broadway
No Man's Land (2008)
La Cage Aux Folles (2008)
Maria Friedman: Re-Arranged (2008)
Boeing-Boeing (2009), UK tour
Dancing at Lughnasa (2009)
A View from the Bridge (2009)
A Little Night Music (2009)
The Norman Conquests (2009), on Broadway
The Mountaintop (2009)
Arcadia (2009)
Othello (2009)
Prick Up Your Ears (2009)
After Miss Julie (2009), on Broadway
Legally Blonde (2009)
A Little Night Music, on Broadway (2009)
Jerusalem (2010)
Private Lives (2010)
The Prisoner of Second Avenue (2010)
All My Sons (2010)
A View from the Bridge (2010), on Broadway
Shirley Valentine and Educating Rita (2010)
La Bete (2010), and on Broadway
A Flea in Her Ear (2010)
La Cage Aux Folles (2010) on Broadway
The Children's Hour (2011)
Clybourne Park (2011)
Arcadia (2011), on Broadway
Jerusalem (2011), on Broadway
The Book of Mormon (2011), on Broadway
Much Ado About Nothing (2011)
Betrayal (2011)
Top Girls (2011)
La Cage Aux Folles (2011–12), US tour
The Mountaintop (2011), on Broadway
Jerusalem (2011–2012)
Master Class (2012)
Absent Friends (2012)
Hay Fever (2012)
Death of a Salesman (2012), on Broadway
Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012–2013), on Broadway
The Sunshine Boys (2012)
A Chorus of Disapproval (2012–2013)
Richard the Third (2012–2013)
Twelfth Night (2012–2013)
Old Times (2013)
The Book of Mormon (2013)
Merrily We Roll Along (2013)
Chimerica (2013)
The Sunshine Boys (2013), Los Angeles
Twelfth Night & Richard III (2013), on Broadway
Mojo (2013)
Ghosts (2013)
1984 (2013)
Shakespeare in Love (2014)
King Charles III (2014)
Electra, Frank McGuinness translation (2014)
Sunny Afternoon (2014)
The River (2014), on Broadway
The Nether (2014)
Ghosts (2013), New York
Bend it Like Beckham (2015)
1984 (2015)
Hamlet (2015)
Farinelli and The King (2015)
King Charles III (2015), on Broadway
A Christmas Carol (2015)
Funny Girl (2016)
1984 (2016)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016)
Sunny Afternoon UK Tour (2016)
Nice Fish (2016)
Dreamgirls (2016)
The Glass Menagerie (2017)
Travesties (2017)
Funny Girl UK Tour (2017)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2017)
The Ferryman (2017), at Royal Court Theatre

TV credits

Wolf Hall (2015)
The Dresser (2015)

Awards

BAFTA Television Awards

Wolf Hall, Best Drama Series, 2016

Tony Awards

A View from the Bridge, Best Revival of a Play, 2016*
Humans, Best Play, 2016 *
A Raisin in the Sun, Best Revival of a Play, 2014 *
Death of a Salesman, Best Revival of a Play, 2012 *
The Book of Mormon, Best Musical, 2011 *
La Cage Aux Folles, Best Revival of a Musical, 2010
The Norman Conquests, Best Revival of a Play, 2009
Boeing-Boeing, Best Revival of a Play, 2008

    * = co producer

Olivier Awards

Sunny Afternoon, Best New Musical, 2015
King Charles III, Best New Play, 2015
The Book of Mormon, Best New Musical, 2014
Chimerica, Best New Play, 2014
Merrily We Roll Along, Best Musical Revival, 2014
Ghosts, Best Revival, 2014
Legally Blonde, Best New Musical, 2011
The Mountaintop, Best New Play, 2010
La Cage Aux Folles, Best Musical Revival, 2009

Evening Standard Theatre Awards

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two, Best Play, 2016
Jerusalem, Best Play, 2009
Home Place, by Brian Friel, Best Play, 2005

Drama Desk Awards

The Book of Mormon, Outstanding Musical, 2011
La Cage aux Folles, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, 2010
A View From the Bridge, Outstanding Revival of a Play, 2010
The Norman Conquests, Outstanding Revival of a Play, 2009
Boeing-Boeing, Outstanding Revival of a Play, 2008

Critics' Circle Theatre Awards

Bend It Like Beckham, Best Musical, 2016
King Charles III, Best New Play, 2014
Chimerica, Best New Play, 2013
Merrily We Roll Along, Best Musical, 2012
Clybourne Park, Best New Play, 2011
Jerusalem, Best New Play, 2010
La Cage Aux Folles, Best Musical, 2009

Whatsonstage.com Awards

Hamlet, Best Play Revival, 2016
Hamlet, Best Actor in a Play, Benedict Cumberbatch, 2016
Hamlet, Best Set Design, Es Devlin, 2016
Hamlet, Best Lighting Design, Jane Cox, 2016
Shakespeare in Love, Best New Play, 2015
The Book of Mormon, Best New Musical, 2014
Much Ado About Nothing, David Tennant and Catherine Tate reuniting on stage, Theatre Event of the Year, 2012
Much Ado About Nothing, Best Shakespearean Production, 2012
Legally Blonde, by Neil Benjamin, Lawrence O'Keefe & Heather Hach, Best New Musical, 2011
Jerusalem, by Jez Butterworth, Best New Play, 2010
Under The Blue Sky, by David Eldridge, Best New Play, 2009
Rock 'n' Roll, by Tom Stoppard, Best New Play, 2007
Up For Grabs, Theatre Event of the Year, 2003
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Best Play Revival, 2002

The Stage Awards

Producer of the Year, 2016
Producer of the Year, 2015

References

↑ "Ms Sonia Anne Primrose Friedman – free company director check. Companies House Information". Company-director-check.co.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
↑ "Time line credits and biography – About Maria Friedman". Aboutmaria.com. 19 March 1960. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
↑ Maria Friedman (9 December 2005). Broadway.com (Interview: transcript). Interview with David Drake http://www.broadway.com/Maria-Friedman/broadway_news/522565. Retrieved 19 February 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
↑ "Radio interview Woman's Hour – About Maria Friedman". Aboutmaria.com. 25 April 2002. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
↑ Theatre Features. "Sonia Friedman: 'There's nothing wrong with wearing pretty clothes and lipstick – and still being a strong woman'". Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 61608. p. B12. 11 June 2016.

External links

Sonia Friedman Productions
Out of Joint Theatre
Gardner, Lyn (19 May 2006). "The Guardian profile: Sonia Friedman". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
Sonia Friedman at the Internet Movie Database
"Sonia Friedman in London". The Guardian. 24 June 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
Shoard, Catherine (31 August 2004). "Backstage controller". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
Olivier Awards

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