The producer who brought the magic of Harry Potter to the London stage has been named the most influential figure in British theatre.
Sonia Friedman topped the annual 100-strong power list produced by The Stage newspaper.
Sonia Friedman Productions is behind West End hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which follows J.K. Rowling’s young wizard into adulthood, with children of his own. Friedman is also responsible for London productions of Dreamgirls, Funny Girl, The Book of Mormon and Mark Rylance comedy Nice Fish.
Friedman is the first person to top the list who does not own or operate West End theatres.
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was second on the list, published Thursday. Others in the top 10 include producer Cameron Mackintosh and National Theatre artistic director Rufus Norris.
