Really Useful Group: Difference between revisions

Really Useful Group Ltd.
Company type	Private company
Industry	Media
Genre	Theatre; Film; Television; Video; Concert productions; Merchandising; Magazine publishing; Records; Music publishing;
Founded	1977
Founder	Andrew Lloyd Webber
Headquarters	London, England; Sydney, Australia
Key people	Andrew Lloyd Webber (Chairman)
Owner	Andrew Lloyd Webber
Divisions	See below
Website	reallyuseful.com

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The Really Useful Group Ltd. (RUG) is an international company set up in 1977 by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is involved in theatre, film, television, video and concert productions, merchandising, magazine publishing, records and music publishing. The name is inspired by a phrase from the children's book series The Railway Series (which also inspired Webber to create Starlight Express) in which Thomas the Tank Engine and the other locomotives are referred to as "Really Useful Engines".

History

The company was set up in 1977 when Lloyd Webber, frustrated with the terms of his contract with the impresario Robert Stigwood, decided to take greater control over the management of his creative works. All Lloyd Webber compositions and productions created from that point have been owned by the company.

The Really Useful Group was floated on the stock market in 1986. Four years later, Lloyd Webber took it back into private ownership, selling 30% to film and music group PolyGram to fund the cost of buying back shares. In 1995, PolyGram was bought by Canadian conglomerate Seagram, with the Really Useful stake being passed to its own film and music subsidiary, Universal. In 1999, Lloyd Webber paid $US75 million for Universal's 30% stake, giving the composer 100% ownership of the group.^[1]

Divisions

Really Useful Theatre Company

The Really Useful Theatre Company produces and manages plays and musicals, mainly, but not limited to those written by Lloyd Webber. It is also responsible for licensing its productions worldwide. In the 1990s, RUT mainly produced shows on its own, but more recently has again developed partnerships with other producers and production companies, notably Bill Kenwright, to produce its works, as it had done in the 1980s with Cameron Mackintosh.

Among its productions and co-productions are:

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice – London, Broadway, Los Angeles, worldwide
Jesus Christ Superstar – Lloyd Webber/Rice – London, Broadway, worldwide
Evita – Lloyd Webber/Rice – London, Broadway, worldwide
Tell Me on a Sunday – Lloyd Webber/Don Black – London, UK tour
Cats – Lloyd Webber/T. S. Eliot – London, Broadway, worldwide
Starlight Express – Lloyd Webber/Richard Stilgoe – London, Broadway, worldwide
Song and Dance – Lloyd Webber/Black – London, Broadway
The Phantom of the Opera – Lloyd Webber/Charles Hart/Stilgoe – London, Broadway, worldwide
Aspects of Love – Lloyd Webber/Black & Hart – London, Broadway, 2007 UK tour
By Jeeves – Lloyd Webber/Alan Ayckbourn – London, Broadway
Whistle Down the Wind – Lloyd Webber/Jim Steinman – Washington, D.C., London, UK tours
The Beautiful Game – Lloyd Webber/Ben Elton – London
The Woman in White – Lloyd Webber/David Zippel – London, Broadway
Bombay Dreams – Rahman/Black – London, Broadway
The Sound of Music – Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II – 2006 London Palladium production
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical; Various; London 2009
Love Never Dies; Lloyd Webber/Elton/Glenn Slater; London 2010
The Wizard of Oz; London 2010
Daisy Pulls it Off – Denise Deegan – London
The Hired Man – Howard Goodall/Melvyn Bragg – London
Lend Me a Tenor – Ken Ludwig – London, Broadway
La Bête – David Hirson – Broadway, London
School of Rock; Broadway 2015

In 2016, Really Useful partnered with Concord Theatricals to act as representative for licensing its works in North America. In October 2021, the groups extended the partnership through 2025.^[2]

Really Useful Films

Really Useful Films is responsible for the production of film versions of Lloyd Webber's catalogue. Initially, these had consisted of lower budget straight-to-video versions of the shows (Cats, Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar, and By Jeeves), but in 2004 the Really Useful Films completed the film The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum, which was nominated for three Academy Awards and three Golden Globes.

It has also released DVD and video versions of Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall, the 2001 Masterpiece – Andrew Lloyd Webber in China concert and a musical version of The Gruffalo.

The film director Nick Morris is regularly involved with the films division.

Really Useful Records

Really Useful Records produces cast albums of Lloyd Webber musicals. From 1986 until Lloyd Webber regained full control of the company in 1999, Really Useful Records had an exclusive deal with PolyGram to release albums through its Polydor label. Really Useful continues to release its albums and DVDs through Universal, current owners of PolyGram. Aside from cast albums, Lloyd Webber has also produced albums for Marti Webb, Sarah Brightman, Connie Fisher, Andrea Ross and Michael Ball via the label.

Lee Mead, who won the lead role in 2007's West End revival of Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat by taking part in BBC One's Any Dream Will Do! recorded a single of the song "Any Dream Will Do". The contest's third-placed Lewis Bradley and second-placed Keith Jack joined him on "Close Every Door To Me". Really Useful Records released the double-A side single to raise funds for the BBC's annual Children in Need charity appeal.^[3]

LW Theatres

LW Theatres owns and manages six West End theatres:

Adelphi Theatre (in association with the Nederlander Organization)
Cambridge Theatre
Gillian Lynne Theatre
His Majesty's Theatre
London Palladium
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

The group also included the Off West End venue The Other Palace, formerly known as the St James Theatre which it sold to Bill Kenwright in October 2021. The theatre reopened under its new owner following a closure caused by the coronavirus pandemic with a revival of the musical Heathers.

Lloyd Webber purchased the Palace Theatre in 1983, followed by the New London (now Gillian Lynne) and the Adelphi. In 1999, Lloyd Webber and NatWest Equity Partners bought the Stoll Moss group, owner of 10 London theatres, including the London Palladium and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, for £85 million from Australian businesswoman Janet Holmes à Court, and formed Really Useful Theatres.^[4]

In 2004, operational control of the Queen's Theatre reverted from Really Useful Theatres back to Cameron Mackintosh's Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. The transfer of operational control of the adjoining Gielgud Theatre from Really Useful Theatres to Delfont Mackintosh Theatres followed two years later. On 11 July 2005, the company sold four theatres (the Apollo, the Duchess, the Lyric, and the Garrick) to Nimax Theatres Ltd, a company owned by Broadway producer Max Weitzenhoffer, who previously had been a rival bidder for the Stoll Moss theatres, and Nica Burns, production director of Really Useful Theatres.^[5] Lloyd Webber invested £10 million of the proceeds from the sales in October 2005 to buy the interest of his partner Bridgepoint (formerly NatWest Equity Partners), and renamed the group Really Useful Theatres Group.^[6] Nimax purchased The Palace in 2012.^[7] In 2014, the group split into two companies, and the owner of the theatres was named Really Useful Theatres.^[8] In 2018, Really Useful Theatres changed its name to LW Theatres to avoid confusion with the other companies owned by Lloyd Webber.^[9]

Really Useful Magazines

The company formed Really Useful Magazines Ltd to distribute Theatregoer magazine, a monthly magazine edited and published on the Really Useful Group's behalf by the publishing agency Axon Publishing. Published beginning in 2000, the magazine was available in conjunction with the programmes in all Really Useful Theatres. Really Useful sold Theatregoer magazine to Bandwidth Communications, the publisher of Whatsonstage.com, in April 2005.^[10]

Other interests

The Really Useful Group has, in the past, set up sub-labels to cater for pop and dance acts, such as Carpet Records, featuring Timmy Mallett's Bombalurina ("Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini") and Doctor Spin ("Tetris"); and ‘’It Records’’, home to My Life Story in the late 1990s. The name Carpet Records was a play on the acronym RUG, of the Really Useful Group.

Charitable donation

The group on 27 June 2007 announced that it would donate all receipts from two special performances of a revived West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal, which would benefit from ticket sales for 16 July's preview and performance of 16 November, on the night of the annual Children in Need telethon.^[11] Viewers of a BBC One television show, Any Dream Will Do! had voted 25-year-old West End ensemble player and understudy Lee Mead to take role of Joseph in the production.^[12]^[13] During the contest's 9 June 2007 final, host Graham Norton said that Children in Need had benefited by more than £500,000 in income from viewer voting on premium-rate telephone lines.

References

^ "Universal sells 30% stake in Really Useful back to Lloyd Webber" (Press release). Universal Music Group. 18 April 1999. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
^ Lang, Brent (27 October 2021). "Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, Concord Theatricals Extend Partnership (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
^ "About". Any Dream Will Do. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
^ "Lloyd Webber buys London theatres". BBC News. 9 January 2000. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
^ "Lloyd Webber sells four theatres". BBC News. 11 July 2005. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
^ "Lloyd Webber takes over theatres". BBC News. 5 November 2005. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
^ Gans, Andrew (11 April 2012). "Andrew Lloyd Webber Sells London's Palace Theatre". Playbill. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
^ Dennys, Harriet (24 March 2014). "Lord Lloyd-Webber splits theatre group to expand on a global stage". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
^ Hetrick, Adam (July 26, 2018). "Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatres Announces Name Change". Playbill.
^ "Lloyd Webber offloads Theatregoer magazine". Campaign. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
^ "Joseph The Musical" (Press release). Archived from the original on 24 June 2007.^{[failed verification]}
^ Gans, Andrew (10 June 2007). "Mead Wins Lead in London Revival of Lloyd Webber and Rice's Joseph". Playbill. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
^ "Public vote says West End in need of Lee Mead" (Press release). BBC One. 9 June 2007. Archived from the original on 20 September 2007.

External links

Really Useful Group

[1] "Universal sells 30% stake in Really Useful back to Lloyd Webber" (Press release). Universal Music Group. 18 April 1999. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2020.

[2] Lang, Brent (27 October 2021). "Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, Concord Theatricals Extend Partnership (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[any-3] "About". Any Dream Will Do. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[4] "Lloyd Webber buys London theatres". BBC News. 9 January 2000. Retrieved 29 May 2007.

[5] "Lloyd Webber sells four theatres". BBC News. 11 July 2005. Retrieved 29 May 2007.

[6] "Lloyd Webber takes over theatres". BBC News. 5 November 2005. Retrieved 29 May 2007.

[7] Gans, Andrew (11 April 2012). "Andrew Lloyd Webber Sells London's Palace Theatre". Playbill. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[Dennys1-8] Dennys, Harriet (24 March 2014). "Lord Lloyd-Webber splits theatre group to expand on a global stage". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 October 2014.

[9] Hetrick, Adam (July 26, 2018). "Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatres Announces Name Change". Playbill.

[10] "Lloyd Webber offloads Theatregoer magazine". Campaign. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[11] "Joseph The Musical" (Press release). Archived from the original on 24 June 2007.^{[failed verification]}

[12] Gans, Andrew (10 June 2007). "Mead Wins Lead in London Revival of Lloyd Webber and Rice's Joseph". Playbill. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[13] "Public vote says West End in need of Lee Mead" (Press release). BBC One. 9 June 2007. Archived from the original on 20 September 2007.

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@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 | homepage         = {{URL|reallyuseful.com}}
 }}
-The '''Really Useful Group Ltd.''' ('''RUG''') is an international [[company (law)|company]] set up in 1977 by [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]. It is involved in theatre, film, television, video and concert productions, [[merchandising]], magazine publishing, [[Gramophone record|records]] and music publishing.  The name is inspired by a phrase from the children's book series ''[[The Railway Series]]'' (which also inspired Webber to create [[Starlight Express]]) in which [[Thomas the Tank Engine]] and other locomotives are referred to as "Really Useful Engines".
+The '''Really Useful Group Ltd.''' ('''RUG''') is an international [[company (law)|company]] set up in 1977 by [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]. It is involved in theatre, film, television, video and concert productions, [[merchandising]], magazine publishing, [[Gramophone record|records]] and music publishing.  The name is inspired by a phrase from the children's book series ''[[The Railway Series]]'' (which also inspired Webber to create ''[[Starlight Express]]'') in which [[Thomas the Tank Engine]] and the other locomotives are referred to as "Really Useful Engines".
 ==History==
 The company was set up in 1977 when Lloyd Webber, frustrated with the terms of his contract with the [[impresario]] [[Robert Stigwood]], decided to take greater control over the management of his creative works. All Lloyd Webber compositions and productions created from that point have been owned by the company.
-The Really Useful Group was floated on the stock market in 1986. Four years later, Lloyd Webber took it back into private ownership, selling 30% to film and music group [[PolyGram]] to fund the cost of buying back shares. In 1995, PolyGram was bought by Canadian conglomerate [[Seagram]], with the Really Useful stake being passed to its own film and music subsidiary, [[Universal Music Group|Universal]]. In 1999, Lloyd Webber paid $75m for Universal's 30% stake, giving the Really Useful Group 100% ownership of all the composer's works.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Universal sells 30% stake in Really Useful back to Lloyd Webber |date=18 April 1999 |publisher=[[Universal Music Group]] |url=http://new.umusic.com/News.aspx?NewsId=27 |accessdate=29 May 2007}}</ref>
+The Really Useful Group was floated on the stock market in 1986. Four years later, Lloyd Webber took it back into private ownership, selling 30% to film and music group [[PolyGram]] to fund the cost of buying back shares. In 1995, PolyGram was bought by Canadian conglomerate [[Seagram]], with the Really Useful stake being passed to its own film and music subsidiary, [[Universal Music Group|Universal]]. In 1999, Lloyd Webber paid $US75 million for Universal's 30% stake, giving the composer 100% ownership of the group.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Universal sells 30% stake in Really Useful back to Lloyd Webber |date=18 April 1999 |publisher=[[Universal Music Group]] |url=http://new.umusic.com/News.aspx?NewsId=27 |access-date=22 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205120018/http://new.umusic.com/News.aspx?NewsId=27 |archive-date=5 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
 ==Divisions==
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 ===Really Useful Theatre Company===
 <!--redirect [[Really Useful Theatre Company]] links here-->
-The '''Really Useful Theatre Company''' produces and manages plays and musicals, mainly, but not limited to those written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is also responsible for licensing its productions worldwide. In the 1990s, RUT mainly produced shows on its own, but more recently has again developed partnerships with other producers and production companies, notably [[Bill Kenwright]], to produce its works, as it had done in the 1980s with [[Cameron Mackintosh]].
+The '''Really Useful Theatre Company''' produces and manages plays and musicals, mainly, but not limited to those written by Lloyd Webber. It is also responsible for licensing its productions worldwide. In the 1990s, RUT mainly produced shows on its own, but more recently has again developed partnerships with other producers and production companies, notably [[Bill Kenwright]], to produce its works, as it had done in the 1980s with [[Cameron Mackintosh]].
 Among its productions and co-productions are:
@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 *''[[La Bête (play)|La Bête]]'' – David Hirson – Broadway, London
 *''[[School of Rock (musical)|School of Rock]]''; Broadway 2015
+In 2016, Really Useful partnered with Concord Theatricals to act as representative for licensing its works in North America.  In October 2021, the groups extended the partnership through 2025.<ref>{{cite news| title=Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, Concord Theatricals Extend Partnership (EXCLUSIVE)| first=Brent| last=Lang| url=https://variety.com/2021/theater/news/andrew-lloyd-webber-really-useful-group-concord-theatricals-1235098530/#!| date=27 October 2021| access-date=2021-11-07| newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>
 ===Really Useful Films===
 <!--redirect [[Really Useful Films]] links here-->
 [[File:Really Useful Films.png|200px|thumb|right|Really Useful Films logo]]
-'''Really Useful Films''' is responsible for the production of film versions of Andrew Lloyd Webber's catalogue. Until recently, these had consisted of lower budget straight-to-video versions of the shows (notably ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]'', ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'' and ''[[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat|Joseph]]''), but 2004 saw Really Useful Films complete the major motion picture ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'', directed by [[Joel Schumacher]] and starring [[Gerard Butler]] and [[Emmy Rossum]], which was nominated for three [[Academy Award]]s and three [[Golden Globe]]s.
+'''Really Useful Films''' is responsible for the production of film versions of Lloyd Webber's catalogue. Initially, these had consisted of lower budget straight-to-video versions of the shows (''Cats'', ''Joseph'', ''Jesus Christ Superstar,'' and ''By Jeeves''), but in 2004 the Really Useful Films completed the film ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'', directed by [[Joel Schumacher]] and starring [[Gerard Butler]] and [[Emmy Rossum]], which was nominated for three [[Academy Award]]s and three [[Golden Globe]]s.
-It has also released DVD and video versions of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]], the 2001 ''Masterpiece – Andrew Lloyd Webber in China'' concert and a musical version of the [[The Gruffalo|Gruffalo]].
+It has also released DVD and video versions of Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]], the 2001 ''Masterpiece – Andrew Lloyd Webber in China'' concert and a musical version of ''[[The Gruffalo]]''.
 The film director [[Nick Morris]] is regularly involved with the films division.
@@ Line 78: / Line 80: @@
 <!--redirect [[Really Useful Records]] links here-->{{See also|Category:Albums produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber}}
-'''Really Useful Records''' produces cast albums of Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals. From 1986 until Lloyd Webber regained full control of the company in 1999, Really Useful Records had an exclusive deal with [[PolyGram]] to release albums through its [[Polydor Records|Polydor]] label. Really Useful continues to release its albums and DVDs through Universal, current owners of PolyGram. Aside from cast albums, Lloyd Webber has also produced albums for [[Marti Webb]], [[Sarah Brightman]], [[Connie Fisher]], Andrea Ross and [[Michael Ball (singer)|Michael Ball]] via the label. The managing director of the record division is Tris Penna, who has recently overseen the remastered and re-release of a significant portion of the back-catalogue. Long-time Lloyd Webber collaborator [[Nigel Wright (record producer)|Nigel Wright]] has served as co-producer on most Really Useful Records albums since 1990.
+'''Really Useful Records''' produces cast albums of Lloyd Webber musicals. From 1986 until Lloyd Webber regained full control of the company in 1999, Really Useful Records had an exclusive deal with [[PolyGram]] to release albums through its [[Polydor Records|Polydor]] label. Really Useful continues to release its albums and DVDs through Universal, current owners of PolyGram. Aside from cast albums, Lloyd Webber has also produced albums for [[Marti Webb]], [[Sarah Brightman]], [[Connie Fisher]], Andrea Ross and [[Michael Ball (singer)|Michael Ball]] via the label.
-[[Lee Mead]], who won the lead role in 2007's [[West End theatre|West End]] revival of Lloyd Webber and [[Tim Rice]]'s ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' by taking part in [[BBC One]]'s ''[[Any Dream Will Do (TV series)|Any Dream Will Do!]]'' recorded a single of the song "[[Any Dream Will Do (song)|Any Dream Will Do]]". The contest's third-placed Lewis Bradley and second-placed [[Keith Jack]] joined him on "Close Every Door To Me". Really Useful Records released the double-A side single to raise funds for the [[BBC]]'s annual [[Children in Need]] charity appeal.<ref>[http://www.josephthemusical.com/news.html] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714151925/http://www.josephthemusical.com/news.html |date=14 July 2007 }}</ref>
+[[Lee Mead]], who won the lead role in 2007's [[West End theatre|West End]] revival of Lloyd Webber and [[Tim Rice]]'s ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat'' by taking part in [[BBC One]]'s ''[[Any Dream Will Do (TV series)|Any Dream Will Do!]]'' recorded a single of the song "[[Any Dream Will Do (song)|Any Dream Will Do]]". The contest's third-placed Lewis Bradley and second-placed [[Keith Jack]] joined him on "Close Every Door To Me". Really Useful Records released the double-A side single to raise funds for the [[BBC]]'s annual [[Children in Need]] charity appeal.<ref name=any>{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/joseph/about/about.shtml| title=About| website=Any Dream Will Do| date=28 October 2014| access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref>
 ===LW Theatres===
@@ Line 87: / Line 89: @@
 '''LW Theatres''' owns and manages six [[West End theatre|West End]] theatres:
-*[[Adelphi Theatre]] (in association with the [[Nederlander Organization]])
+#[[Adelphi Theatre]] (in association with the [[Nederlander Organization]])
-*[[Cambridge Theatre]]
+#[[Cambridge Theatre]]
-*[[Gillian Lynne Theatre]]
+#[[Gillian Lynne Theatre]]
-*[[Her Majesty's Theatre]]
+#[[Her Majesty's Theatre|His Majesty's Theatre]]
-*[[London Palladium]]
+#[[London Palladium]]
-*[[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]]
+#[[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]]
-The group also includes the [[Off West End]] venue [[The Other Palace]], formerly known as the St. James Theatre.
+The group also included the [[Off West End]] venue [[The Other Palace]], formerly known as the St James Theatre which it sold to Bill Kenwright in October 2021. The theatre reopened under its new owner following a closure caused by the coronavirus pandemic with a revival of the musical [[Heathers: The Musical|Heathers]].
-Lloyd Webber purchased the [[Palace Theatre, London|Palace Theatre]] in 1983, followed by the [[Gillian Lynne Theatre|Gillian Lynne]] and the [[Adelphi Theatre|Adelphi]]. In 1999, Lloyd Webber and NatWest Equity Partners bought the [[Moss Empires|Stoll Moss]] group, owners of 10 London theatres, including the [[London Palladium]] and the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]], for £85m from Australian businesswoman [[Janet Holmes à Court]], and formed Really Useful Theatres.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Lloyd Webber buys London theatres |date=9 January 2000 |publisher=BBC News |url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/596495.stm |accessdate=29 May 2007}}</ref>
+Lloyd Webber purchased the [[Palace Theatre, London|Palace Theatre]] in 1983, followed by the New London (now [[Gillian Lynne Theatre|Gillian Lynne]]) and the [[Adelphi Theatre|Adelphi]]. In 1999, Lloyd Webber and NatWest Equity Partners bought the [[Moss Empires|Stoll Moss]] group, owner of 10 London theatres, including the [[London Palladium]] and the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]], for £85 million from Australian businesswoman [[Janet Holmes à Court]], and formed Really Useful Theatres.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lloyd Webber buys London theatres |date=9 January 2000 |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/596495.stm |access-date=29 May 2007}}</ref>
-In 2004, operational control of the [[Queen's Theatre]] reverted from Really Useful Theatres back to [[Cameron Mackintosh]]'s Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. The transfer of operational control of the adjoining [[Gielgud Theatre]] from Really Useful Theatres to Delfont Mackintosh Theatres followed two years later. On 11 July 2005, the company sold four theatres (the [[Apollo Theatre|Apollo]], the [[Duchess Theatre|Duchess]], the [[Lyric Theatre (London)|Lyric]], and the [[Garrick Theatre|Garrick]]) to Nimax Theatres Ltd, a company owned by [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] producer Max Weitzenhoffer, who previously had been a rival bidder for the Stoll Moss theatres, and Nica Burns, production director of Really Useful Theatres.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Lloyd Webber sells four theatres | date=11 July 2005 | publisher=BBC News | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4672413.stm |accessdate = 29 May 2007}}</ref> Lloyd Webber invested £10m of the proceeds from the sales in October 2005 to buy out his ownership partners [[Bridgepoint Capital|Bridgepoint]] (formerly [[NatWest]] Equity Partners), and the group was renamed ''Really Useful Theatres Group''.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Lloyd Webber takes over theatres |date=5 November 2005 |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4410280.stm |accessdate=29 May 2007}}</ref> The Palace was sold to Nimax in 2012.<ref>[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/164752-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-Sells-Londons-Palace-Theatre Andrew Lloyd Webber Sells London's Palace Theatre] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414191409/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/164752-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-Sells-Londons-Palace-Theatre |date=14 April 2012 }}</ref> In 2014, the group split into two companies, and the owner of the theatres was named ''Really Useful Theatres''.<ref name=Dennys1>Dennys, Harriet. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10718055/Lord-Lloyd-Webber-splits-theatre-group-to-expand-on-a-global-stage.html "Lord Lloyd-Webber splits theatre group to expand on a global stage"], ''The Telegraph'', 24 March 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014</ref> In 2018, Really Useful Theatres changed their name to ''LW Theatres'' to avoid confusion with the other companies owned by Lloyd Webber.<ref>Hetrick, Adam. [http://www.playbill.com/article/andrew-lloyd-webbers-really-useful-theatres-announces-name-change "Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatres Announces Name Change"] Playbill.com, July 26, 2018</ref>
+In 2004, operational control of the [[Sondheim Theatre|Queen's Theatre]] reverted from Really Useful Theatres back to [[Cameron Mackintosh]]'s Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. The transfer of operational control of the adjoining [[Gielgud Theatre]] from Really Useful Theatres to Delfont Mackintosh Theatres followed two years later. On 11 July 2005, the company sold four theatres (the [[Apollo Theatre|Apollo]], the [[Duchess Theatre|Duchess]], the [[Lyric Theatre (London)|Lyric]], and the [[Garrick Theatre|Garrick]]) to Nimax Theatres Ltd, a company owned by [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] producer Max Weitzenhoffer, who previously had been a rival bidder for the Stoll Moss theatres, and Nica Burns, production director of Really Useful Theatres.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lloyd Webber sells four theatres |date=11 July 2005 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4672413.stm |access-date=29 May 2007}}</ref> Lloyd Webber invested £10 million of the proceeds from the sales in October 2005 to buy the interest of his partner [[Bridgepoint Capital|Bridgepoint]] (formerly [[NatWest]] Equity Partners), and renamed the group ''Really Useful Theatres Group''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lloyd Webber takes over theatres |date=5 November 2005 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4410280.stm |access-date=29 May 2007}}</ref> Nimax purchased The Palace in 2012.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.playbill.com/article/andrew-lloyd-webber-sells-londons-palace-theatre-com-192412| title=Andrew Lloyd Webber Sells London's Palace Theatre| journal=[[Playbill]]| last=Gans| first=Andrew| date=11 April 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414191409/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/164752-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-Sells-Londons-Palace-Theatre| archive-date=14 April 2012| access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref> In 2014, the group split into two companies, and the owner of the theatres was named ''Really Useful Theatres''.<ref name=Dennys1>Dennys, Harriet (24 March 2014). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10718055/Lord-Lloyd-Webber-splits-theatre-group-to-expand-on-a-global-stage.html "Lord Lloyd-Webber splits theatre group to expand on a global stage"]. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. London. Retrieved 3 October 2014.</ref> In 2018, Really Useful Theatres changed its name to ''LW Theatres'' to avoid confusion with the other companies owned by Lloyd Webber.<ref>Hetrick, Adam (July 26, 2018). [http://www.playbill.com/article/andrew-lloyd-webbers-really-useful-theatres-announces-name-change "Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatres Announces Name Change"]. ''Playbill''.</ref>
 ===Really Useful Magazines===
-'''Really Useful Magazines Ltd''' was formed to distribute ''Theatregoer'' magazine, a monthly magazine edited and published on the Really Useful Group's behalf by the publishing agency Axon Publishing. Published beginning in 2000, the magazine was available in conjunction with the programmes in all Really Useful Theatres. Its Editor-in-Chief was Madeleine Lloyd-Webber. ''Theatregoer'' magazine was sold to Bandwidth Communications, the publisher of ''[[Whatsonstage.com]]'', in April 2005.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/lloyd-webber-offloads-theatregoer-magazine/510219 |title=Lloyd Webber offloads Theatregoer magazine |website=Campaignlive.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2020-05-01}}</ref>
+The company formed '''Really Useful Magazines Ltd''' to distribute ''Theatregoer'' magazine, a monthly magazine edited and published on the Really Useful Group's behalf by the publishing agency Axon Publishing. Published beginning in 2000, the magazine was available in conjunction with the programmes in all Really Useful Theatres. Really Useful sold ''Theatregoer'' magazine to Bandwidth Communications, the publisher of ''[[Whatsonstage.com]]'', in April 2005.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/lloyd-webber-offloads-theatregoer-magazine/510219 |title=Lloyd Webber offloads Theatregoer magazine |magazine=[[Campaign (magazine)|Campaign]] |access-date=2021-11-07}}</ref>
 ===Other interests===
-The Really Useful Group has, in the past, set up sub-labels to cater for pop and dance acts, such as ''Carpet Records'', featuring [[Timmy Mallett]]'s [[Bombalurina (band)|Bombalurina]] ("[[Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini|Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini]]") and [[Doctor Spin]] ("[[Tetris]]"); and [[It Records]], home to [[My Life Story]] in the late 1990s. The name Carpet Records was a play on the acronym RUG, of the Really Useful Group.
+The Really Useful Group has, in the past, set up sub-labels to cater for pop and dance acts, such as ''Carpet Records'', featuring [[Timmy Mallett]]'s [[Bombalurina (band)|Bombalurina]] ("[[Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini|Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini]]") and [[Doctor Spin]] ("[[Tetris (Doctor Spin song)|Tetris]]"); and ‘’It Records’’, home to [[My Life Story]] in the late 1990s. The name Carpet Records was a play on the acronym RUG, of the Really Useful Group.
 ===Charitable donation===
-The group on 27 June 2007 announced<ref>[http://www.josephthemusical.com/news.html/] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070624082254/http://www.josephthemusical.com/news.html/ |date=24 June 2007 }}</ref> that it would donate all receipts from two special performances of a revived [[West End theatre|West End]] production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' to the [[BBC]]'s [[Children in Need]] charity appeal, which would benefit from ticket sales for 16 July's preview and performance of 16 November, on the night of the annual [[Children in Need]] telethon. Viewers of a [[BBC One]] television show, ''[[Any Dream Will Do (TV series)|Any Dream Will Do!]]'' had voted 25-year-old [[West End theatre|West End]] ensemble player and understudy [[Lee Mead]] to take role of Joseph in the production.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/09/dream.shtml] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070920123515/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/09/dream.shtml |date=20 September 2007 }}</ref> Children in Need had benefited by more than £500,000 in income from viewers' voting on premium-rate telephone lines, host [[Graham Norton]] said during the contest's 9 June 2007 final.
+The group on 27 June 2007 announced that it would donate all receipts from two special performances of a revived [[West End theatre|West End]] production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' to the [[BBC]]'s [[Children in Need]] charity appeal, which would benefit from ticket sales for 16 July's preview and performance of 16 November, on the night of the annual [[Children in Need]] telethon.<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.josephthemusical.com/news.html/| title=Joseph The Musical| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070624082254/http://www.josephthemusical.com/news.html/| archive-date=24 June 2007}}{{failed verification|date=November 2021}}</ref> Viewers of a [[BBC One]] television show, ''[[Any Dream Will Do (TV series)|Any Dream Will Do!]]'' had voted 25-year-old [[West End theatre|West End]] ensemble player and understudy [[Lee Mead]] to take role of Joseph in the production.<ref>{{cite news| title=Mead Wins Lead in London Revival of Lloyd Webber and Rice's Joseph| url=https://www.playbill.com/article/mead-wins-lead-in-london-revival-of-lloyd-webber-and-rices-joseph-com-141402| last=Gans| first=Andrew| date=10 June 2007| journal=Playbill| access-date=2021-11-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/09/dream.shtml| title=Public vote says West End in need of Lee Mead| date=9 June 2007| publisher=BBC One| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070920123515/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/09/dream.shtml| archive-date=20 September 2007}}</ref>  During the contest's 9 June 2007 final, host [[Graham Norton]] said that ''Children in Need'' had benefited by more than £500,000 in income from viewer voting on premium-rate telephone lines.
 ==See also==
@@ Line 117: / Line 119: @@
 ==External links==
 *[http://www.reallyuseful.com/ Really Useful Group]
-*[http://www.andrewlloydwebber.com/ The Official Andrew Lloyd Webber Web Site]
 {{Andrew Lloyd Webber|state=collapsed}}
 {{Theatres in London}}
+{{Authority control}}
-<!--best to include it in both as it is heavily focused on London, but not restricted only to London-->
 [[Category:West End theatre]]
-[[Category:British record labels]]
+[[Category:Record labels based in London]]
 [[Category:Leisure companies of the United Kingdom]]
-[[Category:Theatre in London]]
+[[Category:Theatre companies in London]]
-[[Category:1977 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
+[[Category:1977 establishments in England]]
 [[Category:Andrew Lloyd Webber]]
+[[Category:Companies based in the City of Westminster]]
+[[Category:British companies established in 1977]]

v t e Andrew Lloyd Webber
Accolades
Musicals	Jesus Christ Superstar Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Evita Tell Me on a Sunday Cats Song and Dance Starlight Express Cricket The Phantom of the Opera Aspects of Love Sunset Boulevard By Jeeves (aka Jeeves) Whistle Down the Wind The Beautiful Game (aka The Boys in the Photograph) The Woman in White The Likes of Us Love Never Dies The Wizard of Oz Stephen Ward School of Rock Bad Cinderella (aka Cinderella)
Songs	"Amigos Para Siempre" "Any Dream Will Do" "Bad Cinderella" "Close Every Door" "Everything's Alright" "This Jesus Must Die" "I Don't Know How to Love Him" "Superstar" "Oh What a Circus" "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" "You Must Love Me" "Take That Look Off Your Face" "Unexpected Song" "Memory" "Pie Jesu" "The Phantom of the Opera" "The Music of the Night" "All I Ask of You" "Anything But Lonely" "Tetris" "As If We Never Said Goodbye" "The Perfect Year" "No Matter What" "It's My Time" "'Til I Hear You Sing" "Beautiful Ghosts"
Albums	Jesus Christ Superstar Evita Variations Cats The Premiere Collection The Premiere Collection Encore The Collection Now & Forever
Other compositions	Requiem Watership Down
Film adaptations	Jesus Christ Superstar Soundtrack Evita Cats (1998) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert Cats (2019)
Family	William Lloyd Webber (father) Julian Lloyd Webber (brother) Imogen Lloyd Webber (daughter) Nick Lloyd Webber (son) Sarah Brightman (second wife) Madeleine Gurdon (third wife) Jiaxin Cheng (sister-in-law)
Company	Really Useful Group

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
Other	MusicBrainz label