Wikipedia

Sonia Friedman

Sonia Friedman CBE (née Sonia Anne Primrose Freedman; born April 1965[1]) is a British West End and Broadway theatre producer. On 27 January 2017, Friedman was named Producer of the Year for the third year running at The Stage Awards, becoming the first person to win the award three times. In 2018, Friedman was featured in "TIME100", Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2018 and was named Broadway Briefing's Show Person of the Year. In 2019, Sonia Friedman Productions was ranked The Stage 's most influential theatre producer in The Stage 100.

Sonia Friedman
CBE
Born
Sonia Anne Primrose Freedman

April 1965 (age 59)
UK
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationTheatre producer
Years active1988–present
RelativesMaria Friedman (sister)

Early life

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Friedman is the youngest of three daughters of Clair Llewelyn (née Sims), a concert pianist, and violinist Leonard Freedman (who later changed his name to Friedman), who was leader of 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 was from a Russian-Jewish immigrant family, and her mother is English.[5] Her older sister is the actress and director Maria Friedman.[6][3][7]

Career

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Theatre producer

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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.[8][9]

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).[citation needed] In 2017, Friedman won producer of the year at The Stage Awards for a third year (becoming the first person to win the award three times),[10] and was listed as no. 1 on The Stage power list, the second solo female to hold this position in the award's history and becoming the first person to top the list that wasn't a theatre owner.[11]

SFP productions and co-productions received an unprecedented 31 nominations in the 2017 Olivier Awards – including a record-breaking 11 for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – the most nominated new play in Olivier history. The show went on to win 9 Olivier Awards – the most ever for one production.[12]

In 2018, Friedman was awarded the Equity Services to Theatre Award at the 18th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, and was featured in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World.[13] In July 2022, it was announced that Friedman would be developing a play with Stephen Daldry set in the same world as the TV series Stranger Things.[14]

TV and film producer

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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 Dame Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, which also aired on BBC Two in January 2015 and won two BAFTA Television Awards in 2016. In 2020, Sonia Friedman Productions partnered with Angelica Films to create a re-interpretation of Ian Rickson's stage production of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.[citation needed] The new film version of the production was shown in cinemas ahead of broadcast on the BBC. This made it the first UK stage production closed by the Coronavirus pandemic to have been filmed and produced for the screen. In 2021, Sonia Friedman produced J'Ouvert for BBC Four, a film version of the live theatre production at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

Honours

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Friedman was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to theatre[15] and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours, also for services to theatre.[16]

Personal life

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She is the younger sister of director/actress/singer Maria Friedman, violinist Richard Friedman, and Dr Sarah Beecham. Friedman lives with her partner, a writer, in London.[citation needed]

Theatre credits

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TV and film credits

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Awards

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Olivier Awards

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  • Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Best New Entertainment/Comedy Play, 2024
  • Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Best Musical Revival, 2023
  • Leopoldstadt, Best New Play, 2020
  • Fiddler on the Roof, Best Musical Revival, 2020
  • The Inheritance, Best New Play, 2019
  • Summer and Smoke, Best Revival, 2019
  • The Ferryman, Best New Play, 2018
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Best New Play, 2017
  • 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
  • Ghosts, Best Revival, 2014
  • Merrily We Roll Along, Best Musical Revival, 2014
  • Legally Blonde, Best New Musical, 2011
  • The Mountaintop, Best New Play, 2010
  • La Cage Aux Folles, Best Musical Revival, 2009

Tony Awards

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  • Merrily We Roll Along, Best Revival of a Musical, 2024
  • Stereophonic, Best Play, 2024
  • Leopoldstadt, Best Play, 2023
  • The Inheritance, Best Play, 2020-21
  • The Ferryman, Best Play, 2019
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Best Play, 2018
  • A View from the Bridge, Best Revival of a Play, 2016
  • The 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

Bafta Television Awards

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  • Drama Series, Together, 2022
  • Drama Series, Wolf Hall, 2016

The Stage Awards

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  • Producer of the year, Sonia Friedman, 2019
  • Producer of the year, Sonia Friedman, 2017
  • Producer of the year, Sonia Friedman, 2016
  • Producer of the year, Sonia Friedman, 2015

Evening Standard Awards

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  • Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Best Musical, 2022
  • The Inheritance, Best Play, 2018
  • The Ferryman, Best Play, 2017
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Best Play, 2016
  • Jerusalem, Best Play, 2009
  • Home Place, Brian Friel, Best Play, 2005

Drama Desk Awards

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  • The Inheritance, Outstanding Play, 2020
  • The Ferryman, Outstanding Play, 2019
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Outstanding New Broadway Play, 2018
  • Death of a Salesman, Outstanding Revival of a Play, 2012
  • 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 Awards

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  • Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Best Musical, 2023
  • Patriots, Best New Play, 2023
  • The Inheritance, Best New Play, 2018
  • The Ferryman, Best New Play, 2017
  • Bend It Like Beckham, Best Musical, 2015
  • 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 Awards

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  • Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Best Musical Revival, 2023
  • The Inheritance, Best New Play, 2019
  • Sonia Friedman, Equity Services to Theatre Award, 2018
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Best West End Show, 2018
  • The Ferryman, Best New Play, 2018
  • Hamlet, Best Play Revival, 2018
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Best New Play, 2017
  • Funny Girl, Best Musical Revival, 2017
  • Hamlet, Best Play Revival, 2016
  • Shakespeare in Love, Best New Play, 2015
  • The Book of Mormon, Best New Musical, 2014
  • Twelfth Night, Best Shakespearean Production, 2013
  • 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 Nell 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, Madonna's West End debut, Theatre Event of the Year, 2003
  • A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Best Play Revival, 2002

South Bank Sky Arts Awards

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  • Uncle Vanya, 2021
  • The Inheritance, 2019
  • The Jungle, 2018
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 2017
  • King Charles III, 2015

Outer Critics Circle Awards

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  • Stereophonic, Best Play, David Adjmi, 2024
  • Stereophonic, Outstanding New Broadway Play, David Adjmi, 2024
  • Leopoldstadt, Outstanding New Broadway Play, 2023
  • The Inheritance, Outstanding New Broadway Play, 2020
  • The Ferryman, Outstanding New Broadway Play, 2019
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Outstanding New Broadway Play, 2018

New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards

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  • Stereophonic, Best Play, 2024
  • Merrily We Roll Along, Special Citation, 2024
  • The Ferryman, Best Play, 2019

Drama League Awards

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  • The Inheritance, Outstanding Production of a Play, 2020
  • The Ferryman, Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play, 2019
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play, 2018

References

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  1. ^ "Ms Sonia Anne Primrose Friedman – free company director check. Companies House Information". Company-director-check.co.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Time line credits and biography – About Maria Friedman". Aboutmaria.com. 19 March 1960. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  3. ^ a b Maria Friedman (9 December 2005). "Maria Friedman Q&A". Broadway.com (Interview: transcript). Interviewed by David Drake. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Radio interview Woman's Hour – About Maria Friedman". Aboutmaria.com. 25 April 2002. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "About Maria" aboutmaria.com (official site)
  7. ^ "Radio interview Woman's Hour - About Maria Friedman".
  8. ^ Paulson, Michael (14 August 2019). "Who Calls the Shots on Broadway? She Does". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  9. ^ Correspondent, David Sanderson, Arts. "Tony Awards 2019: British producer Sonia Friedman sweeps the board on Broadway". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 12 April 2022. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Hemley, Matthew (27 January 2017). "Sonia Friedman bags producer of the year hat-trick at The Stage Awards". The Stage. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  11. ^ Hemley, Matthew (5 January 2017). "The Stage 100: Sonia Friedman is top of 2017 theatre power list". The Stage. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  12. ^ Bano, Tim (7 March 2017). "Olivier Awards 2017: nominations in numbers". The Stage. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  13. ^ "The WhatsOnStage Awards aligned with critical acclaim and it shows the West End is working | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Stranger Things spin-offs to include play made by British theatre duo". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  15. ^ "No. 61608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2016. p. B12.
  16. ^ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N9.
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