Having just designed the new Miss Saigon UK tour, Nick Lidster one of Autograph's designers, is now in Tokyo working on another new production of this popular musical, which opens in mid August at the Imperial Theatre. Supplying the equipment for this Japanese version of Miss Saigon demonstrates how successfully Autograph has expanded their global market.
Another hit show to make use of not only Autograph's sound design but also rental expertise is Mamma Mia! With one production already in full flow at Utrecht's Beatrix Theatre, Autograph has added another European city to its list with the recent opening at Stuttgart's Palladium Theatre. This is to be followed shortly by another date this coming autumn, at the Lope de Vega Theatre in Madrid. Finally, Autograph is also supplying the International tour of Mamma Mia! which goes on the road in September, opening in Dublin at The Point, before moving to The Edinburgh Playhouse and then embarking on a tour that will take it outside the UK and into many far-flung territories.
Yet more international work comes via We Will Rock You: Autograph is supplying the new production of the Queen musical that will open in Moscow in October. "This has to be one the busiest periods in our 30 years of trading," says MD Terry Jardine. "We have supplied back-to-back productions recently and mercifully there is no sign of it easing up. To supply the huge number of shows we do in the UK and to now be involved in so much international work is very exhilarating. We aimed to expand our market beyond these shores, so it's very pleasing to have achieved that goal and ahead of schedule. In the business sense, the world is shrinking just as we are growing - it couldn't be better timing."
(Lee Baldock)
