Sonia Friedman

Sonia Friedman is a British West End and Broadway theatre producer, hailed as a Variety500 Honoree seven years in a row, as well as "the most powerful producer working in theater" by the New York Times in 2025. Friedman was also listed as one of Vogue’s 25 most influential women working today in 2025. On 27 January 2017, Friedman was named Producer of the Year for the third year running at The S...

Sonia Friedman is a British West End and Broadway theatre producer, hailed as a Variety500 Honoree seven years in a row, as well as "the most powerful producer working in theater" by the New York Times in 2025. Friedman was also listed as one of Vogue’s 25 most influential women working today in 2025. 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 was featured in The Standard 100, a celebratory feature of the key power players shaping London in 2024. Early life Friedman is the youngest of four children 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. Her father was from a Russian-Jewish immigrant family, and her mother is English. She is the younger sister of the actress and director Maria Friedman, the great violinist Richard Friedman, and Dr Sarah Beecham. 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 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), 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. 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. 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. In 2025, Sonia Friedman and Hugh Jackman launched TOGETHER, a new company dedicated to creating live theatre that is intimate and accessible. Every TOGETHER production is driven by a commitment to offering audiences a chance to experience theatre in a fresh and engaging way. Working alongside director Ian Rickson, TOGETHER has produced Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (starring Hugh Jackman and Ella Beaty) and Creditors (starring Liev Schreiber, Maggie Siff and Justice Smith), which played in repertory at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre in Spring 2025, with Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes being developed further for Audible Theatre. With Ian Rickson returning to direct, the company currently has other projects in development. TV and film producer In 2015, Sonia Friedman Productions co-produced two television dramas which aired on BBC Two: Wolf Hall, a six-part mini-series of Dame Hilary Mantel’s historical novel, was broadcast in January, winning two BAFTA Television Awards the following year, and in October, the BAFTA-nominated adaptation of Ronald Harwood’s The Dresser, starring Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen. In 2020, Sonia Friedman Productions partnered with Angelica Films to create a re-interpretation of Ian Rickson's stage production of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. The new film version of the production was shown in cinemas ahead of broadcast on the BBC, making it the first UK stage production closed by the Coronavirus pandemic to be seen onscreen. The following year, Sonia Friedman produced a film version of Yasmin Joseph’s play J’Ouvert, also staged at the Harold Pinter Theatre, for BBC Four. Later in 2021, Sonia Friedman Productions produced Together, written by Dennis Kelly and directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin. The BBC "lockdown drama" starred James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan as a couple forced to confront their fractured relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Told directly to camera through monologues and set entirely in their home, it mixed dark humour with emotional honesty. The film won the 2022 BAFTA for Best Single Drama. Honours Friedman was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to theatre and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours, also for services to theatre. Personal life She is the younger sister of director/actress/singer Maria Friedman, violinist Richard Friedman, and Sarah Beecham. Theatre credits TV and film credits Wolf Hall (2015) The Dresser (2015) King Lear (2018) Uncle Vanya (2020) J'Ouvert (2021) Together (2021) Merrily We Roll Along (2025) A Friend Called Dorothy (2025) Awards Lifetime Achievement Golden Plate Award, 2026 Olivier Awards PADDINGTON The Musical, Best New Musical, 2026 Oedipus, Best Revival, 2025 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 Eureka Day, Best Revival of a Play, 2025 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 Drama Series, Together, 2022 Drama Series, Wolf Hall, 2016 The Stage Awards 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 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 Eureka Day, Outstanding Revival of a Play, 2025 Stereophonic, Outstanding Play, 2024 The Piano Lesson, Outstanding Revival of a Play, 2023 Leopoldstadt, Outstanding Play, 2023 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 PADDINGTON The Musical, Best New Musical, 2026 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 PADDINGTON The Musical, Best New Musical, 2026 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 Black British Theatre Awards Shifters, Best Production - Play, 2025 South Bank Sky Arts Awards Uncle Vanya, 2021 The Inheritance, 2019 The Jungle, 2018 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 2017 King Charles III, 2015 Outer Critics Circle Awards 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 Stereophonic, Best Play, 2024 Merrily We Roll Along, Special Citation, 2024 The Ferryman, Best Play, 2019 Drama League Awards Merrily We Roll Along, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, 2024 Leopoldstadt, Outstanding Production of a Play, 2023 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 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 IMDb "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