Rosemary and Howard are celebrating a major milestone in 2024. The husband-and-wife team who have devoted their working lives to theatre and live entertainment have recently between them clocked up over 100 years working in the industry.

The couple celebrated with an Any Excuse Dinner at Spring Restaurant Somerset House recently, where they were joined by industry colleagues and lifelong friends. Special guest speakers included David Suchet, Vikki Heywood and Simon Callow. Other attendees included TE Chairman, Greg Dyke, and Thangam Debbonaire MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Early into his career, Howard cut his teeth in organisations such as The Royal Court Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, and Michael Codron Ltd. During the 1980s, Rosemary was a founder of the Women’s Playhouse Trust, a landmark theatre production company that produced large scale work by and with women, and General Manager of the second largest London Theatre Group.

From 1991, Rosemary and Howard built from scratch and ran for its first 25 years, the world’s largest and most successful live theatre business – the Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd (ATG). Under their leadership, ATG became a premier international theatre owner and prolific, successful global producer.

In 2017, they started all over from the ground up and now run global live entertainment business Trafalgar Entertainment, which includes the second largest live theatre group in the UK.

Throughout their careers the couple have acquired, operated or built some 70 commercial theatres in London, the UK regions and internationally.

They have directly produced more than 300 theatre productions, and co-produced many more, sold more than 160m tickets at their own theatres, on tour and globally millions more, and employed more than 30,000 people in the UK’s world-beating creative industries alone.

Without a doubt, virtually every theatre-goer in the UK will have either been to a venue run by them or seen a show from their stable.

Unusually they have produced right across the spectrum from new plays, revivals, pantomimes, family entertainment, new musicals, rock and roll to classic musicals and partnered with almost all the major subsidised companies in the UK.

As innovators and pioneers, Rosemary and Howard have always looked to the future, and this year is no different. Howard said: “What better way to celebrate a century of joint commitment to the theatre industry than doing what we love most; producing new shows and hopefully entertaining people worldwide!”

You can read Howard and Rosemary’s recent interview with the Sunday Times here.

Photos: Dave Benett