Legally Blonde Producer Upstaged by Blonde Kevin and Ranga Julia.

Howard Panter is one of the biggest name in theatre in the UK. His Ambassador Theatre Group owns 39 venues, including the Savoy and Piccadilly theatres. The company also  co-produces hit musicals and plays by the bucket load. The biggest hits include Ghost the Musical and the latest production of West Side Story which also toured Australia.

But in Sydney for another visit, his latest gala announcement was dashed by the leadership challenge in Canberra.

Plans to launch the Australian Production of Legally Blonde and announce the cast (Monday Feb 27) have been  postponed for a week.

Instead Howard Panter is using his time (almost) as effectively by speaking with Stage Whispers’ David Spicer.

How did a natural blonde (Kevin) and natural red head (Julia) spoil your party?

Well I’ve never had to postpone a launch before. No-one could have predicted the vote would be on at the same time as our media launch. So with the Premier of NSW invited to the launch, it was felt that it was better to hold it a week later. It is a shame I won’t be here next week. I think Legally Blonde will be particularly strong here because Sydney appears to me to be the blonde capital of the world.

I had the pleasure of seeing Legally Blonde in your beautiful Savoy Theatre in London. I loved it, but couldn’t help thinking this is a chicks’ musical, as it’s cute, and features shopping and a Chihuahua.

It is a great girls’ musical and indeed a great date musical. But I have taken my 9-year-old daughter and her grandmother along. The girls go first and the blokes have a great time. Our company’s banker, who you can imagine is a middle aged man, saw it, and it’s become his favourite show.

Yes it has shopping and a Chihuahua but it won the Olivier Award for Best Musical. It has real wit and a great message - If you are true to yourself you can achieve more. It’s been running for three years in London and Australians who have seen it already say they want to see it again when it comes there.

Speaking of London, how is the theatre business going. How has the GFC or troubles in Europe affected business?

People are always hungry for that special experience of being together for live entertainment. There is always a birthday or special occasion to celebrate. Our business is up 20 percent year on year. The West End was up year on year.

Theatre does well in times of recession. During the war years theatre boomed – people wanted to escape reality. Even during the years of the miners’ strike when there was only electricity for three days a week – and the other three days we had to use a generator – people still came.

I notice you are about launch a new musical called Monkee Business (opening in Manchester in March ) can you tell us a little about that?

It’s a new book musical featuring songs (performed) by the Monkees, and I have done a deal with EMI to get some Beatles songs in it. I describe it as Austen Powers meets James Bond. There are hoodlums, Russian spies and nuns running around with guns. It’s going to be a huge amount of fun.

You are unique in that you own venues and also produce plays and musicals. How does that work?

I like to call it vertical integration. It’s a much better. You can plan better. You can’t have a theatre that is dark, you need to have product coming. It’s like having an Italian Restaurant and you pass it and noticed that it was shut. I love the theatre business. I done everything from lighting shows to being a director. We need to have product coming through.

What are your impressions of the state of Australia theatre?

Well it is a bit feast or famine. I was shocked to see that the Princess Theatre in Melbourne is dark at present. It is such a shame because you have such an abundance of talent here. It is second to none.

I am looking to produce more in Australia and would like to set up an office here. I’d also like to see if we could get hold of a venue or two.

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