ZooNation Records announce ‘Sylvia – The Essentials’ album, set for release on 5 May, containing 14 selected tracks from Sylvia the musical starring Beverley Knight and releases second single ‘Stand Up’. Produced by Grammy award winner Martin Terefe, the album is available for pre-order and the single is available to download on all streaming platforms now.
The Olivier-nominated musical returns for a limited tour this Autumn ahead of five performances at the Royal Albert Hall from 13 – 15 November 2026 with tickets on sale now.
The Royal Albert Hall was the home of over 20 suffragette rallies and some of the most historic speeches in the fight for women to gain the vote, and the suffragettes were banned from the Hall between 1913 and 1918.
This revolutionary story celebrates the life of Sylvia Pankhurst, the rebellious middle child of Emmeline Pankhurst, and her role at the heart of the Suffragette movement, improving the lives of working women and men across the world.
Produced in association with Curve, Sylvia will open in Leicester on 24 September, followed by Birmingham Hippodrome, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Salford Lowry, Norwich Theatre Royal, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury and close the tour at the Royal Albert Hall.
ZooNation Records have announced ‘Sylvia – The Essentials’, a 14 track album from the musical starring Beverley Knight which will be released on 5 May and is now available for pre-order. Produced by Grammy award-winning Martin Terefe and released by ZooNation Records, the second single ‘Stand Up’ has been released today and is available to download on all streaming platforms now, with lead vocals by Sharon Rose, music by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde (additional music by Kate Prince) and lyrics by Kate Prince (additional lyrics by Tachia Newall).
ZooNation Records was founded to release and champion the music created through the theatre productions of ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company. Born out of a desire to give these unique and exceptional original scores and songs a life beyond the stage, the label exists to capture the energy, storytelling and cultural impact of ZooNation’s work in recorded form. By bringing theatrical music into the studio and onto global platforms, ZooNation Records ensures that the sound of each production can be experienced long after the curtain falls.
Renowned singer/song writer and performer Beverley Knight MBE (Sister Act, The Drifters Girl, Memphis The Musical) reprises her Olivier Award-winning role as Emmeline Pankhurst, alongside Sharon Rose (Hamilton, Motown, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical) as Sylvia in a UK tour culminating in a run at the Royal Albert Hall this Autumn.
Sylvia Pankhurst – fearless, flawed, and unforgettable. The untold story of the rebellious middle child of Emmeline Pankhurst takes centre stage in this irresistible hip hop, funk and soul musical that moves your feet and fires your spirit. Whilst her mother and sister battled for women’s suffrage, Sylvia ignited a revolution for the forgotten: working women, the impoverished, the silenced. Caught between her family and her beliefs, Sylvia risked it all to bring change to millions.
Following its sell-out world premiere production at The Old Vic in 2023, Sylvia will visit Leicester Curve (24 Sep – 3 Oct), followed by Birmingham Hippodrome (6 – 10 Oct), Edinburgh Festival Theatre (13 – 17 Oct), Salford Lowry (19 – 24 Oct), Norwich Theatre (28 – 31 Oct), Canterbury Marlowe (2 – 7 Nov) before heading into the Royal Albert Hall on 13, 14 and 15 November 2026. Sylvia is supported by a grant from the Arts Council Incentivising Touring scheme.
The Olivier Award-winning electrifying musical is fuelled by an irresistible soundtrack by Josh Cohen, DJ Walde and Kate Prince that joyously unites hip hop, funk, and soul, and is brought to life on stage by world-renowned choreographer and storyteller Kate Prince (ZooNation).
The full creative team includes: Kate Prince (Director, Choreographer, Book, Lyrics and Additional Music), Josh Cohen and DJ Walde (Music), Ben Stones (Set and Costume), Natasha Chivers (Lighting), Tony Gayle (Sound), Andrzej Goulding (Video and Animation), Cynthia De La Rosa (Wigs, Hair and Make-up), Lolita Chakrabarti (Dramaturgy), Sean Green (Music Supervisor), Tachia Newall (Additional Lyrics), Priya Parma (‘Book With’), Danielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe (Associate Director), and Jade Hackett (Associate Choreographer).
The Royal Albert Hall played a defining role in the campaign for women’s suffrage, serving as the backdrop for some of the most significant speeches and gatherings in the movement’s history. Between 1908 and 1913, the Hall hosted nearly thirty events linked to the fight for the vote, attracting both militant and pacifist suffrage groups — as well as the National League for Opposing Women’s Suffrage — who hired the venue for their meetings. The first meeting took place at the Hall in April 1908 and each event drew immense public interest; every seat was sold well in advance, with hundreds more turned away at the doors. According to accounts of the time, audiences were composed almost entirely of women, with 200 women stewards dressed in white overseeing proceedings.
Affectionately known by the Suffragettes as a “Temple of Liberty,” the Royal Albert Hall even appeared as their base in a popular board game of the era. However, following the intensification of militant tactics, the Hall’s trustees — like many London venues — banned Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughters, and the Women’s Social and Political Union from using the venue in April 1913. The Suffragettes thus became the first political group ever to be barred from the Hall. After the partial victory of 1918, when some women gained the right to vote, the Hall lifted its ban. On 16 March 1918, it hosted a special “Celebration of the Women’s Suffrage Victory” meeting, featuring addresses from Mrs. Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel — marking both a symbolic and literal return to the “Temple of Liberty.”
‘Stand Up’ single credits:
Sharon Rose – Lead vocals
Josh Cohen and DJ Walde – Music
Kate Prince – Lyrics
Dan See – Drums
Staffan Astner – Electric Guitar
Nikolaj Torp Larsen – Piano, Organ
Martin Terefe – Bass Guitar
Fernando Castillo – Flugelhorn
Produced by Oskar Winberg and Martin Terefe
Produced by Oskar Winberg and Martin Terefe
Mixed by Oskar Winberg at Eastcote Studios, London
Recorded by Oskar Winberg, George Murphy at Eastcote Studios, London
Sylvia is supported by Incentivising Touring: Repayable Grants for Theatre and Dance, a pilot scheme developed by Arts Council England to support larger-scale productions to tour to regional venues.
Listings:
For tour dates and on-sale information please visit http://sylviamusicaluk.com/
Curve Leicester
Thursday 24th – Saturday 3rd October 2026
On sale now
Birmingham Hippodrome
Tuesday 6th – Saturday 10th October 2026
On sale now
Edinburgh Festival Theatre
Tuesday 13th – Saturday 17th October 2026
On sale now
Lowry, Salford
Monday 19th – Saturday 24th October 2026
On sale now
Norwich Theatre
Tuesday 28th -Saturday 31st October 2026
On sale now
Marlowe Theatre Canterbury
Monday 2nd November – Saturday 7th November 2026
On sale now
Royal Albert Hall
Friday 13th November (evening), Saturday 14th November (matinee and evening) and Sunday 15th November (matinee and evening)
On sale now
Biographies
Beverley Knight
Queen of British Soul Beverley Knight has been one of the UK’s most consistently outstanding artists for over 3 decades. She can truly do it all; an Olivier award-winning star of the West End stage, astounding singer with a prolific music career and much-loved TV & broadcast talent, she finds herself recently 50 and bigger than ever.
Beverley was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to British music and charity, has won an Oliver Award (and twice nominated for Best Actress), won three MOBO Awards, been nominated for Best Female at the Brit Awards 3 times and Best Album at the prestigious Mercury Music Prize. In 2024 she also won the Outstanding Contribution to Diversity Award at the European Diversity Awards and was honoured at the Ethnicity Awards for her continued efforts in the field.
Her outstanding live performances have gained her a legion of famous fans, she has collaborated on stage and on record with the likes of Prince, Jamiroquai, Bocelli, Take That, Tom Jones, Chaka Khan & Marvin Gaye. Her most recent ‘50’ headline tour marked the release of her ninth studio album and was her biggest ever tour of the UK, including a sold out Royal Albert Hall. In June 2026, Beverley takes her “Born to Perform” headline tour across the UK. This tour is a journey through her life on both music and theatre stages, using memories and songs with dates at London’s Eventim Apollo, Manchester’s O2 Apollo and her hometown’s University of Wolverhampton at The Halls.
In recent years, Wolverhampton born Knight has forged a formidable parallel career in theatre. Her West End debut was the starring role in The Bodyguard followed by leading the Tony winning Memphis The Musical. At the request of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber she joined the cast of Cats, playing the iconic role of Grizabella. 2021 saw Beverley lead The Drifters Girl (Olivier nominated Best New Musical) as the formidable manager of soul group The Drifters. Her role as Emmeline Pankhurst in the Old Vic’s production of Sylvia in 2023, garnered her both huge acclaim and her first Olivier Award win. Showing her versatility and comedic skill, Beverley starred as Deloris Van Cartier opposite Jennifer Saunders in the revival of Sister Act in Hammersmith Apollo’s highest grossing show ever in the venue. In 2024, Beverley reprised her role as Deloris Van Cartier opposite Ruth Jones at the Dominion. Most recently, Beverley featured as the Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe in her first professional theatre play Marie and Rosetta which is now on stage at Soho Place in the West End.
Her broadcasting work includes presenting 5 series of her own radio 2 show ‘Beverley’s Gospel Nights’, a panel judge in ITV’s talent series Starstruck and two series of the BBC1 show Just the Two of Us. She also appeared in the all-star cast of Amazon’s new live action movie Cinderella (2021) with Camilla Cabello in the title role.
A true British treasure, Beverley is a Patron for Terence Higgins Trust, an ambassador for Plan UK and Go Live, and a founding member of The Circle plus long-time supporter of many charities.
Sharon Rose
Sharon Rose’s extensive theatre credits include the titular role in Sylvia at The Old Vic Theatre, alongside Beverley Knight, and her leading role as Eliza Hamilton in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning Hamilton. Further theatre credits include Caroline, Or Change, Motown, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical and Sister Act.
Her work on screen includes roles in BBC’s Silent Witness and feature film Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, with Forest Whitaker.
Sharon will next be seen in the upcoming PBS series The Forsyte Saga, with Stephen Moyer and Francesca Annis. Most recently Sharon starred in the critically acclaimed The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at the Chichester Festival Theatre and is currently prepping to star as Emma in One Day: The Musical which will premiere at Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in the new year.
Kate Prince
Kate’s work with ZooNation include creating ground-breaking productions such as Into the Hoods (Novello Theatre, West End), Some Like it Hip Hop (Peacock Theatre & UK Tour), Groove on Down the Road (Southbank Centre), The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (Royal Opera House & The Roundhouse), Message in a Bottle (Peacock Theatre, UK, European, Australian & North America Tour), and Sylvia (The Old Vic). The company has also created special performances for the 2012 London Olympics IOC Opening Ceremony, the 2011 & 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards, the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Handover Ceremonies, and Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations in Hyde Park.
Kate’s other theatrical work includes Everybody’s Talking about Jamie (Sheffield, West End & UK Tour), Bacchae (National Theatre), Dream Ballets (Regents Park Open Air Theatre), Ballyturk (National Theatre), Shoes (Sadler’s Wells), I Can’t Sing: The X-Factor Musical (Palladium), and It’s A Mad World My Masters (RSC).
Her film work includes choreography for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Warp, Film 4, New Regency & Amazon), Message in a Bottle (PBS America), StreetDance 3D (BBC Films & Vertigo) and The Holloway Laundrette, which she wrote & directed for BAFTA/ Channel 4.
For TV, Kate’s credits include work for Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance, The Royal Variety Show, Top of the Pops, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Take Away, CD:UK, Blue Peter, Sport Relief, The Album Chart Show, and PopWorld.
Kate’s personal achievements include an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Winchester, an MA from the University of Edinburgh and an MBE in 2019 for her services to dance.
In 2020, Kate was the subject of the BBC Imagine Documentary series entitled Kate Prince: Every Move She Makes presented by Alan Yentob. She has been nominated for five Olivier Awards, a Southbank Sky Arts Award, a WhatsOnStage Award and two Critic’s Circle National Dance Awards. In 2024 ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company won the Critic’s Circle National Dance Award for Best Midscale Company.
D.J. Walde
Danilo J. Walde is a Filipino composer, musician, consultant, performer, and is a Music (BA) graduate of Brunel University.
Theatre includes: Stranger Things: The First Shadow (Composition, Arrangements, Orchestration & Music Supervision) for Netflix & Sonia Friedman Productions (West End & Broadway); The Importance of Being Earnest (Composer) for National Theatre & Sonia Friedman Productions (West End); The Maids (Composer), The Fear Of 13 (Composer & Music Director) for Donmar Warehouse; Bacchae, Till The Stars Come Down (Production Music), Our Generation (Musical Director, composer & music production) for National Theatre; Sylvia (Co-Composer, Music Production & Arrangements) for The Old Vic; Good Person Of Szechwan (Composer & Arrangements) for Sheffield Theatres & Lyric Hammersmith; School For Scandal (Composer), All’s Well That Ends Well (Composer) for RSC; HYMN (Musical Director) at Almeida Theatre.
Other work includes: Message in a Bottle (Music associate and additional arrangements) for Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music UK; Peaky Blinders – The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby (Music Consultant) for Rambert; The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (co-composer, musical director and performer) Some Like It Hip Hop (co-composer, musical director and performer) & Into the Hoods (arranger and remixer) for ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company, Nora – She Persisted (Composer) for English National Ballet.
Also as performer: Vocal Orchestra for Just for Laughs Festival; Vocal Orchestra for Reading, Leeds, & Wilderness Festivals. Stadium DJ for Paralympic Opening Ceremony London 2012 Olympics.
Film & TV includes: The Holloway Laundrette: Fall into You (co-composer) (C4, BAFTA, Big Dance); Random Acts (C4)
Radio includes: Royal Treatment Plant (RTP). Albums include Hope Is Not Enough (Universal) and Halfway To The Sun.
Awards include: Stranger Things: The First Shadow – Olivier Award Winner for Best New Entertainment Play 2024; Sylvia – Olivier Award nomination for Best New Musical 2023 and winner for Best Musical for Black British Theatre Awards 2023; HYMN – Broadway World nomination for Best Musical Direction in a Play or Musical 2021; Some Like It Hip Hop – Olivier nomination for Best New Dance Production 2012 and nominated for Best Dance Production at the Black British Theatre Awards 2020, Royal Treatment Plant (RTP) – nomination for Debut Album of the Year 2008 on XFM.
Josh Cohen
Josh’s theatre credits as composer/music producer include: Sylvia (The Old Vic), Some Like it Hip Hop (Peacock/UK tour), The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, ROH/Roundhouse), The Holloway Laundrette (BAFTA/Channel 4) and upcoming in 2026, Pride at the National Theatre. As a performer, theatre credits include: Rent (West End), The Graduate (West End); Smash (Menier Chocolate Factory); The Comedy of Errors (Regent’s Park); The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Almeida) and narrating Into the Hoods (West End/Royal Festival Hall). Film credits include: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, X-Men: First Class.
Eleanor Lloyd Productions
Eleanor Lloyd Productions is a multiple Olivier Award winning theatre production company in London. We make high level work across the West End and Broadway, producing prestigious plays with a contemporary sensibility, and championing female and ethnically diverse theatre makers in the process.
Current productions include: Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution, now in its eighth year at the specially created theatre in London’s County Hall, Ava Pickett’s The Manningtree Witches at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, and The Ladies Football Club at the Sheffield Crucible.
Upcoming productions include: SYLVIA, the Olivier-Award winning hip-hop, funk and soul musical starring Beverley Knight, which is touring the UK, including the Royal Albert Hall, in 2026.
Recent productions include: Ava Pickett’s adaptation of Emma at the Rose Theatre, Not Your Superwoman at the Bush Theatre starting Letitia Wright and Golda Rosheuvel, Beth Steel’s Till the Stars Come Down at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Last Stand of Mary Whitehouse at Nottingham Playhouse starring Maxine Peake, Shifters at the Duke of York’s Theatre which had a sell-out run in Summer 2024 and was nominated for two Olivier Awards, Deborah Frances-White’s debut play, Never Have I Ever, at Chichester Festival Theatre, Eddie Izzard’s Hamlet at Riverside Studios and Great Expectations at the Garrick Theatre, Prima Facie on Broadway, the Olivier-Award nominated Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial at the Ambassadors Theatre and on tour, Best of Enemies at the Noël Coward, The Collaboration with Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope which played the Young Vic, The Friedman Theater on Broadway and is being made into a feature film, Constellations with 4 different casts which played in rep at the Vaudeville Theatre, winning two 2021 Olivier Awards, and new play Emilia, which transferred from Shakespeare’s Globe to the Vaudeville Theatre and won three 2020 Olivier Awards.
Other productions include: West End transfers of Nell Gwynn, My Night with Reg and Handbagged, West End and Broadway seasons of 1984 by Duncan Macmillan and Rob Icke, and UK tours of Dusty, a new musical about Dusty Springfield by Jonathan Harvey and Shakespeare in Love.
Eleanor co-owns Tilted Sessions, a live podcast production company which is currently producing Uncanny, Brown Girls Do It Too and Something Rhymes with Purple. www.tiltedco.com.
Eleanor Lloyd was awarded an OBE in the 2025 New Year’s Honours. She was President of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) from 2020-2024 and now serves as Vice President. Eleanor sits on boards of the Bretforton Grange and Theatrebarn and Stage One.
Eilene Davidson Productions
Eilene Davidson is an award-winning international producer working on Broadway and in the West-end. New shows opening this Fall include ‘ART’ (Music Box) and ‘Hand of God’ (Playwrights Horizon) in NYC and the west-end transfer of Punch (Apollo theatre) Recent critically acclaimed shows and Olivier winning productions include ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’(Ambassadors theatre) and The Merchant of Venice 1936 (Criterion theatre) EDP is currently a co-producer on ‘Born with Teeth’ (Wyndhams theatre). Recent co-produced Broadway shows include ‘Vanya’(Lucille Lortel theatre) ‘Redwood’ (Nederlander theatre) Prima Facie’(John Golden theatre) Walking with Ghosts (Music Box theatre) ‘Death of a Salesman‘ (Hudson theatre) A Doll’s House’ (Hudson Theatre) ‘Plaza Suite’ (Hudson Theatre) ‘Leopoldstadt’ (Longacre theatre) ‘Walking with Ghosts’ (Music Box theatre) ‘Betrayal (Bernard B Jacobs) and Life of Pi’(Schoenfeld theatre). West-end productions include ‘The Seagull’ (Barbican) ‘People, Places and Things’ (Trafalgar Theatre) ’Enemy of the People (Duke of York’s theatre) ‘Macbeth’(London, Tour and Washington DC) ‘Red Pitch’(@Sohoplace) ‘The Motive and the Cue’ (Noel Coward Theatre) ‘A Christmas Carol’ (Alexandra Palace) ‘Wagatha Christie’ (Ambassadors theatre) ‘The Last 5 Years’(Garrick Theatre) Anything Goes’(Barbican) Uncle Vanya (Pinter Theatre) A Day in the Death of Joe Egg’ (Trafalgar Theatre) ‘Admissions’ (Trafalgar Theatre) and Emilia (Vaudeville Theatre).
PW Productions
PW Productions is one of the West End’s most prolific and significant theatre producers, responsible for some of the most successful productions in British theatre since it was founded in 1983 by Peter Wilson. Productions have included Spirited Away at the London Coliseum, Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, Stephen Daldry’s production of JB Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, De la Guarda at the Roundhouse, Nigel Slater’s Toast. Ross Willis’ Wonder Boy and many more. The company has acted as General Manager and Production Accountant for more than 500 productions throughout the world.
PW Productions, has also presented work in Japan, Singapore, Canada, USA, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Austria, Australia and Hong Kong.
Leicester Curve
Curve is an award-winning producing theatre with a commitment to ensuring as many people as possible can access great art and culture. Each year, over 2million people engage with Curve through performances in Leicester, across the UK and internationally. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, Curve has developed an international reputation for producing, presenting and touring a bold and diverse slate of musicals, plays, new work, and dance, which sits alongside a vibrant community and learning programme.
Recent Made at Curve productions and co-productions include: Muriel’s Wedding; My Fair Lady; The Mountaintop; A Chorus Line; My Beautiful Laundrette; Evita; The Owl Who Came For Christmas; Billy Elliot The Musical; Ride; Finding Home – Leicester’s Ugandan Asian Story At 50; The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber; Giraffes Can’t Dance and West Side Story. Streamed productions include The Color Purple and Sunset Boulevard.
Recent Curve on Tour and West End productions include: Kinky Boots (UK and Ireland tour, European tour), A Chorus Line (Sadler’s Wells and UK Tour, Japan tour) The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium, UK and Ireland tour); Sister Act (Eventim Apollo, UK and Ireland tour); Grease (Dominion Theatre and UK tour); 42nd Street (Sadler’s Wells, UK tour and Toronto); White Christmas (Dominion Theatre and UK tour); On Your Feet! (London Coliseum and UK tour) and The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ – The Musical (The Ambassadors Theatre). An Officer and a Gentleman The Musical; Cat On A Hot Tin Roof; Metamorphosis; The Color Purple; Beautiful – The Carole King Musical; Sunset Boulevard (UK and Ireland tours) and The Jungle Book (UK and International tour).
Curve is supported using public funding by principal funder Arts Council England.
The Old Vic
The Old Vic is an independent creative powerhouse for entertainment and education. A not-for-profit theatre, proud to be a charity. We believe that theatre makes the world better and that anyone should be able to access and experience it – to understand it, entertain it and benefit from it.
We are uniquely placed to achieve all of this as a large 1,000 seat theatre in the heart of London, focusing on creating equal access. We make world-class entertainment on an international scale, reaching audiences of 350k+ every year through eclectic seasons of work, and a further 5,000 through free programmes for engagement, employment and social mobility.
Our duality is important to us. It unites us. We’re so much more than the work we do on stage. We’re about creative excellence and social good.
ZooNation
Artistic Director Kate Prince founded ZooNation in 2002 to pioneer innovative, entertaining and accessible dance theatre inspired by Hip Hop culture. Motivated by the lack of opportunities for ‘street’ dancers compared to ballet, contemporary, jazz and musical theatre performers, she envisioned a company that could redefine the stage for all dance artists.
ZooNation is celebrated for its groundbreaking productions, including the Olivier Award-winning Sylvia (The Old Vic), the West End sensation Into the Hoods (Sadler’s Wells), and the internationally acclaimed Message In A Bottle (Sadler’s Wells). From the vibrant storytelling of The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (Royal Ballet & Opera) to the trailblazing Some Like It Hip Hop (Sadler’s Wells), ZooNation continues to push the boundaries of the industry.
The company’s mission is to revolutionise the theatrical landscape through immersive productions that combine dance, original music and compelling narratives. Drawing inspiration from Hip Hop culture and diverse artistic influences, ZooNation seeks to entertain, challenge and inspire audiences worldwide.
Central to ZooNation’s ethos is nurturing future talent and building inclusive audiences. Under the leadership of Kate Prince and Associate Artistic Director Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe, the company delivers impactful training programmes, empowering young artists and professionals, ensuring access to the industry, and fostering powerful collaborations that keep its productions both inspiring and relevant.
“…one of the most important arts and educational institutions in the country.”
– Debra Craine, Chief Dance Critic, The Times
Sadler’s Wells
Sadler’s Wells is a world-leading creative organisation based in London committed to the making of dance, with over three centuries of theatrical heritage. Since 2005, Sadler’s Wells has created award-winning dance productions, co-productions and touring projects in collaboration with its portfolio of Associate Artists, as well as international dance companies and partners.
These include Russell Maliphant’s multi award-winning production PUSH with Sylvie Guillem; Crystal Pite’s Polaris with Thomas Adès; Gravity Fatigue, directed by fashion designer Hussein Chalayan; Sutra by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and sculptor Antony Gormley; Michael Keegan-Dolan’s Swan Lake/ Loch na hEala; productions by Carlos Acosta’s company Acosta Danza; Natalia Osipova’s Pure Dance; Botis Seva’s Olivier Award winning BLKDOG and William Forsythe’s A Quiet Evening of Dance.
Sadler’s Wells plays a significant role in the development of dance, bringing innovative and inspiring works to worldwide audiences. In the last 15 years, it has created 87 productions that have been enjoyed by 2.6 million people, with over 2,500 performances given at 388 venues in 51 countries. Sadler’s Wells productions have toured to some of the most prestigious theatres and festivals around the world, such as the Sydney Opera House, Park Avenue Armory New York, Theatres de la Ville Luxembourg, the Shanghai International Dance Centre, LA Music Center, Chekhov International Theatre Festival in Moscow and Tokyo International Forum.
In 2020, Sadler’s Wells premiered Message In A Bottle, a Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music UK production by Kate Prince, based on the songs of Sting. In 2021 The Rite of Spring and common ground[s] received its world premiere, in partnership with the Pina Bausch Foundation and Ecole des Sables in Senegal. In 2025, it premiered and toured Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet, a co production with Extended Play and Universal Music UK. Most recently, Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 by Pina Bausch & Meryl Tankard premiered in Wuppertal, re-uniting Pina’s original cast from 1978.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Its vision, set out in its strategy Let’s Create, is that by 2030, England will be a country in which the creativity of each person is valued and given the chance to flourish, and where everyone has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. Between 2023 and 2026, it will have invested over £467 million of public money from Government, alongside an estimated £250 million each year from The National Lottery, to help ensure that people in every part of the country have access to culture and creativity in the places where they live.
Visit the Arts Council website to learn more about its work.