Selladoor Worldwide is a UK Theatre producing company based in
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
, London. Selladoor Worldwide produce musical theatre, plays and family theatre for UK and international touring and the
West End.
Selladoor Worldwide also operate and manage theatres across the UK, known as Selladoor Venues.
History
Selladoor Worldwide was formed in 2009 by
David Hutchinson and Phillip Rowntree, whilst students at
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) is a performing arts higher education institution in Liverpool, founded by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty and opened in 1996. LIPA offers 11 full-time BA (Hons) degrees in a rang ...
.
Phillip departed from Selladoor Worldwide in 2020, and David Hutchinson remained as CEO.
The company's début production, ''The Secrets Inside'', was written by Hutchinson and directed by Richard Adams. It premiered at the 2008
Edinburgh Fringe Festival, then ran at the Tolbooth in
Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
. Selladoor soon moved into producing regional touring theatre, starting with a national tour of
Liz Lochhead
Liz Lochhead Hon FRSE (born 26 December 1947) is a Scottish poet, playwright, translator and broadcaster. Between 2011 and 2016 she was the Makar, or National Poet of Scotland, and served as Poet Laureate for Glasgow between 2005 and 2011.
E ...
's adaptation of ''
Dracula'' in 2010. The following year, it conducted the first British tour of ''
Spring Awakening'', which visited
Exeter,
Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
,
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
; and produced the centenary tour of
William Golding
Sir William Gerald Golding (19 September 1911 – 19 June 1993) was a British novelist, playwright, and poet. Best known for his debut novel ''Lord of the Flies'' (1954), he published another twelve volumes of fiction in his lifetime. In 1980 ...
's ''
Lord of the Flies
''Lord of the Flies'' is a 1954 novel by the Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves. Themes ...
'', across Scotland, England and Wales.
In 2011, Selladoor also started producing an annual
Off West End
Off West End refers to theatres in London which are not included as West End theatres. The term is a relatively recent one, coined after the similar American term "off-Broadway" (though without the same strict definition). It is usually used synony ...
season at the
Greenwich Theatre
Greenwich Theatre is a local theatre located in Croom's Hill close to the centre of Greenwich in south-east London.
Theatre first came to Greenwich at the beginning of the 19th century during the famous Eastertide Greenwich Fair at which the Ric ...
. In November 2013, Selladoor was made an official partner company at the Greenwich Theatre.
The 2014 season included ''
Avenue Q'' and adaptations of the novels ''
Kidnapped'' and ''
Alice in Wonderland''.
Selladoor's head office moved to London in 2009, at Athenley House on
Greenwich High Road and subsequently to the Deptford Mission in Deptford. In 2012, they were made a resident producing company at the
Beacon Arts Centre in
Greenock, which opened in January 2015.
In December 2012, Selladoor made their West End debut with a production of ''
Seussical
''Seussical'' is a musical comedy by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the many children's stories of Dr. Seuss, with most of its plot being based on ''Horton Hears a Who!'', '' Gertrude McFuzz'', and ''Horton Hatches the Egg'' while in ...
'', written by
Stephen Flaherty and
Lynn Ahrens
Lynn Ahrens (born October 1, 1948) is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle ...
, at the
Arts Theatre
The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London.
History
It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamber ...
. Recent shows include the London revival of
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two ...
's ''
The History Boys
''The History Boys'' is a play by British playwright Alan Bennett. The play premiered at the Royal National Theatre in London on 18 May 2004. Its Broadway debut was on 23 April 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre where 185 performances were staged be ...
'' and
Tim Kelly Tim or Timothy Kelly may refer to:
* Tim Kelly (Alaska politician) (1944–2009), Alaska state legislator
* Tim Kelly (Minnesota politician) (born 1964), Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
* Tim Kelly (Mich ...
's adaptation of ''
The Hound of the Baskervilles
''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is se ...
''.
In 2013,
Sell a Door Theatre Company partnered with the
Greenwich Theatre
Greenwich Theatre is a local theatre located in Croom's Hill close to the centre of Greenwich in south-east London.
Theatre first came to Greenwich at the beginning of the 19th century during the famous Eastertide Greenwich Fair at which the Ric ...
following nine productions at the South London venue. James Haddrell and David officially announced the partnership on 19 November ahead of
Sell a Door Theatre Company opening their second West End production of ''
Seussical
''Seussical'' is a musical comedy by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the many children's stories of Dr. Seuss, with most of its plot being based on ''Horton Hears a Who!'', '' Gertrude McFuzz'', and ''Horton Hatches the Egg'' while in ...
''.
In 2014,
Sell A Door Theatre Company produced their first UK Tour of the popular musical ''Avenue Q''. Due to the demand and success from their production it completed another UK Tour throughout 2015 and 2016.
In 2015, David Hutchinson directed the world premiere of Jo Clifford's ''Jekyll and Hyde'' based on
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...
's gothic classic at the
Greenwich Theatre
Greenwich Theatre is a local theatre located in Croom's Hill close to the centre of Greenwich in south-east London.
Theatre first came to Greenwich at the beginning of the 19th century during the famous Eastertide Greenwich Fair at which the Ric ...
followed by a thirty-three venue tour across the UK.
In 2016, Sell A Door Theatre Company continued to expand in size, borders and targets, rebranding the company to Selladoor Worldwide.
In 2017, Selladoor produced UK Tours of ''
Footloose
Footloose may refer to:
* ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film
** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack)
** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins
* ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film
** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...
'', ''
Flashdance The Musical
''Flashdance'' is a stage musical based on the 1983 film of the same name with a book by Tom Hedley and Robert Cary, music by Robbie Roth and lyrics by Roth and Cary. The show had its world premiere in 2008 at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth, as pa ...
'', ''
Spamalot
''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot'') is a musical comedy with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and lyrics and book by Idle. It is adapted from the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''.
Like the motion pictu ...
'', and ''
The Crucible
''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as ...
'', and produced their first International Tours, ''
Jersey Boys
''Jersey Boys'' is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and eventual break-up of the ...
'' and ''
The Producers''. Collectively in 2017 Selladoor Worldwide's productions performed in 8 different countries.
2017 also saw Selladoor Worldwide opened an international offices in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
.
David saw great potential in the Bangkok's developing cultural market, and explained that he wants "to be in there first and develop those relationships." Therefore, David opened the Asia Pacific office located in Bangkok, which is managed by Peevara Kitchumnongpan
Selladoor Creation was launched in 2018, a platform for new writers to showcase and develop their work and bring innovative new work to the national and international stage, making it accessible for all audiences.
In 2018 Selladoor produced John Steinbeck's classic ''
Of Mice and Men
''Of Mice and Men'' is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job o ...
'' in association with the
Marlowe Theatre
The Marlowe Theatre is a 1,200-seat theatre in Canterbury named after playwright Christopher Marlowe, who was born and attended school in the city. It was named a Stage Awards, 2022 UK Theatre of the Year.
The Marlowe Trust, a not for profi ...
in Canterbury and collaborated with the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch and Les Theatre De La Villa De Luxembourg for a limited run of Diane Samuel's
Kindertransport
The ''Kindertransport'' (German for "children's transport") was an organised rescue effort of children (but not their parents) from Nazi-controlled territory that took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World ...
, marking 25 years since its debut at the Cockpit Theatre in London. Flashdance The Musical continued to tour the UK throughout 2018 as well visiting international venues such as Zurich MAAG and Kursaal Oostende. In the summer Selladoor launched two new exhilarating productions, Madagascar The Musical and Fame the 30th Anniversary UK tour. The Christmas season saw Selladoor's first pantomime of Aladdin at The Broadway Theatre, Catford, along with their Christmas show of ''The Wizard of Oz'' starring
Holly Tandy at the Blackpool Winter Gardens.
In 2019 ''
American Idiot'' was revived for a 10th Anniversary Tour, and ''
Avenue Q'' embarked on its 3rd UK Tour. Selladoor co-produced ''9 to 5 the musical'' with
ATG and
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
at the
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy P ...
, London. Selladoor Worldwide also produced the London premiere of ''
Falsettos
''Falsettos'' is a sung-through musical with a book by William Finn and James Lapine, and music and lyrics by Finn. The musical consists of '' March of the Falsettos'' (1981) and '' Falsettoland'' (1990), the last two installments in a trio o ...
'' at The Other Palace, alongside UK tours of ''Amelie The Musical'' and ''Little Miss Sunshine the Musical'', ''Elmer The Patchwork Elephant Show'' and ''The Mr. Men & Little Miss On Stage''.
In 2020 Selladoor announced the UK tours of ''Footloose The Musical'' and ''Bring It On the Musical'' and international tours of ''
We Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album ''News of the World''. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 330 of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and it placed at num ...
'' and ''9 to 5 the Musical'', however due to COVID-19 all productions have been postponed to 2021.
Selladoor Worldwide now have offices in Madrid and Bangkok in addition to their headquarters in London. 2019 saw the expansaion of the Selladoor Worldwide group, with the announcement of Selladoor Venues. Selladoor Venues are the current operators for the Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple, The Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe and Peterborough New Theatre.
Venues
International Offices
Notes
External links
Selladoor Worldwide*https://archive.today/20130131124325/http://47film.photographise.com/blog/2011/11/24/lord-of-the-flies-sell-a-door-theatre-company
*http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/stage/busy-is-as-busy-does.18965884
*http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831349101667/Flaherty+%26+Ahrens'+Seussical+spends+Christmas+at+Arts+Theatre.html
*http://westend.broadwayworld.com/article/Sell-a-Door-Theatre-Presents-Luke-Clarkes-SEALAND-Oct-23-Nov-10-20120919#sthash.2JRV5E77.dpbs
{{authority control
Theatre companies in the United Kingdom