David Ian tops new Stage 100 list

Published Wednesday 4 January 2006 at 11:45 by Alistair Smith

Andrew Lloyd Webber has been knocked off the top spot in the prestigious Stage 100 by David Ian, chairman of Live Nation’s global theatrical division.

Ian is a first-time winner of the Stage 100, the newspaper’s guide to the 100 most influential people in UK theatre today. He replaces Lloyd Webber, who has been ranked at number one for the past five years. Theatre impresario Cameron Mackintosh is listed in second place this year, with Lloyd Webber slipping down to third equal with Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, founders of the Ambassador Theatre Group.

Stage editor Brian Attwood said: “The Stage 100 always provides a unique insight into the changing face of the British theatre scene. It is notable that the proportion of female and new entrants in the Top 20 has markedly increased this year, to levels not seen since the nineties.

“Also, this year’s highest placed entrant, David Ian, is only the second representative of a company based ultimately outside the United Kingdom ever to win first place. This reflects the fact that, while this country remains the home of theatre, live drama is developing into a genuinely global industry.”

Kevin Spacey, Michael Grandage, Nigel Havers and Harold Pinter are all in the top 20 and Ewan McGregor, Elton John, Michael Gambon, Mike Leigh, Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen also made the list.

The full list appears in this week’s issue of The Stage.

• Is there someone who you think should have been included? Vote now in our Stage 100 Readers’ Poll.