Advising the theatre industry has been central to the Firm since its foundation. Now more than ever, as the industry collectively faces its greatest challenge in recent memory, you need lawyers who are established and recognised as both legal and industry experts.
You also need us to help you adapt to an ever-changing global business: in the past, this has meant helping lobby for the introduction of the theatre tax credit and assisting in the establishment of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Theatre. We continue to be regularly involved in some of the most innovative and genre-defying theatre deals.
Our clients work at the highest levels in the UK, US and internationally across theatre, musical theatre, immersive theatre, ballet, opera, dance and circus, and include producers, theatre owners, not-for-profit producing companies, venues, drama schools, industry bodies, investors, agents, creative talent and high-profile rights-holders. In an increasingly converged entertainment industry, we also help clients navigate other related sectors through our expertise in TV, film, music and beyond.
We also support up-and-coming producers at the start of their careers, and in particular are proud to work alongside and support the charity Stage One.
Our clients include the producers of recent or upcoming West End and Broadway shows such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Company, Come From Away, Upstart Crow, Waitress, Fleabag, Back to the Future and The Prince of Egypt. We represent many productions as they transfer to and from other territories around the world.
We can advise you on:
- Development – acquiring underlying rights for productions, including books, films and other sources, commissioning agreements with writers and composers and copyright issues.
- Production arrangements – assisting with co-productions, creative team arrangements with directors, choreographers and designers.
- Theatre Tax Credit – structuring arrangements to qualify for the tax credit.
- Production Finance – advice on structuring and promoting investment.
- Production Licensing – the overseas licensing of successful productions.
- Transfers between the West End, Broadway and internationally – including finance, tax and structuring issues.
- Not-For-Profit – advice on commercial exploitation of not-for-profit sector productions and other arrangements between commercial and not-for-profit producers.
- Cross-sector exploitation – advice on exploitation of successful productions across other industry sectors such as film and television, including live or “as-live” streaming of performances.
The Book of Mormon
We advised on the West End production of the hit musical The Book of Mormon and continue to advise on touring productions both nationally and internationally.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
We advise globally on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child including on productions in the West End, on Broadway, and in Melbourne, Hamburg and San Francisco.
New theatre tax reliefs
After helping to launch the campaign for increased support for the UK’s theatre industry, we acted for the Society of London Theatre/UK Theatre Association as part of the industry working group advising the Government on the introduction of the new theatre tax relief. Today we continue to advise clients throughout the industry in connection with the application of the relief.
National Theatre transfers
We advise the National Theatre on the West End and Broadway transfers of its productions, including The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Angels in America, Network and The Lehman Trilogy.
West End plays
We regularly act as production counsel for plays in the West End, including in recent years (to name but a few) Death of a Salesman, The Inheritance, Upstart Crow, Bitter Wheat, The Night of the Iguana and Quiz.
Punchdrunk
We advise Punchdrunk on their various productions, including exploitation in overseas territories, such as Sleep No More in Shanghai.
Neil Adleman
Partner
E: neil.adleman@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Melanie Benson
Partner
E: melanie.benson@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Marian Derham
Partner
E: marian.derham@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Colin Howes
Consultant
E: colin.howes@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Sarah Lazarides
Partner
E: sarah.lazarides@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Charles Leveque
Co-Managing Partner
E: charles.leveque@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Georgina King (née Long)
Managing Associate
E: georgina.long@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Sarah Verrecchia
Managing Associate
E: sarah.verrecchia@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Harry Bresslaw
Managing Associate
E: harry.bresslaw@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Clare McGarry (née Zucker)
Managing Associate
E: clare.mcgarry@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Edward Lane
Managing Associate
E: edward.lane@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Ishan Deshpande
Associate
E: ishan.deshpande@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Zoey Forbes
Managing Associate
E: zoey.forbes@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Caitlin McGivern
Senior Associate
E: caitlin.mcgivern@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Stephanie Poon
Associate
E: stephanie.poon@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000
Octavia Henderson-Cleland
Associate
E: octavia.henderson-cleland@harbottle.com
T: +44 (0)20 7667 5000