As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, Stage One has now selected the mentees for the prestigious ‘5 at 50’ initiative, following a highly competitive application process. The five outstanding theatre producers and their mentors are Celia Dugua mentored by Tristan Baker; Danielle Manson mentored by Kenny Wax; Jasmyn Fisher-Ryner mentored by Francesca Moody; Rafia Hussain mentored by Zareen Walker and Sophie Visscher-Lubinizki mentored by Eleanor Lloyd. Wax and Walker are newly announced as mentors in the programme. This landmark scheme brings together leading theatre producers to inspire and guide the next generation, offering a transformative opportunity for early- to mid-career producers already shaping the future of the industry and highlighting Stage One’s enduring impact.
Joseph Smith, CEO of Stage One comments, We interviewed an exceptionally talented pool of people and through the process these five individuals distinguished themselves with outstanding ambition and focus. We know that with the support of this landmark programme they will all take great strides in their careers. Their backgrounds and experience just show there is no one route into producing, and we are excited to be championing five female producers who will no doubt make an impact in our sector.
Sophie Visscher-Lubinizki is a producer and general manager specialising in new work, queer storytelling and championing queer- and women-led teams. She is General Manager of Paranormal Activity, has worked on UK tours including Inspector Morse and The Girl on the Train and is the founder of Speakerphone Productions. Most recently, she produced the world premiere of Private View at Soho Theatre. She is mentored by Eleanor Lloyd OBE.
Jasmyn Fisher-Ryner is an independent theatre, events and digital producer and director of JFR Productions Ltd. She has produced work for the Royal Court Theatre and was nominated for Best Producer at the 2022 Black British Theatre Awards for the double Olivier-nominated For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy and Olivier-nominated Blue Mist. JFR Productions also produced the award-winning fringe hit Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x). She is mentored by Francesca Moody MBE.
Rafia Hussain is a commercial theatre producer with nearly a decade of experience developing ambitious work. She began her career championing early-career Black and Brown voices through small- and mid-scale productions and co-authored the sector-shaping Producing Producers report in 2024, informing national conversations on workforce development for racialised producers. She is mentored by Zareen Walker, head of ATG Productions and in-house producer for ATG Entertainment.
Danielle Manson Danielle is a successful criminal defence barrister who has developed a portfolio of work as an emerging theatre producer, as well as working as a legal consultant (creative) on commercial theatre projects. Her work in theatre expanded in 2021 when she joined the team behind the Olivier Award winning play Prima Facie as a legal consultant. She is mentored by Kenny Wax MBE.
Celia Dugua is a producer specialising in commercial production and audience development. She has been at the heart of Operation Mincemeat since 2019, as Producer at Avalon, scaling it from a Fringe hit into a multi-Olivier and Tony Award-winning landmark. Celia is currently producing the 2026 Chortle Award-nominated David Elms Describes a Room and developing new projects. She is mentored by Tristan Baker.
2026 marks Stage One’s 50th anniversary of supporting theatre producers, particularly those with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. As part of this milestone, the 5 at 50 initiatives has been launched to support emerging producers with clear plans to work commercially in the West End and on national tours. Five exceptional producers have been chosen to receive one-to-one mentoring from leading industry figures over 12 months. Each participant will also receive a bursary of £20,000 with Stage One pledging £50,000 in matched funds to support their next commercial venture.
Kenny Wax MBE comments, Stage One is such a wonderful organisation giving opportunities for new producers to get real life experience and grow their knowledge. Equally importantly, it provides a legitimate outlet to make connections in the industry. I wish there had been a mentor scheme when I was starting out. As a long-standing supporter of Stage One I was honoured to be asked and didn’t hesitate to assist with this bespoke programme.
Zareen Walker says, I’m delighted to mentor for the 5 at 50 programme. Stage One plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of theatre makers, and in ensuring our industry better reflects the richness and diversity of the society we live in. Demystifying the process and actively raising up the next generation of producer talent is essential for the future of theatre and this is a brilliant initiative to celebrate the organisation’s 50th year.
The 50th anniversary celebration plans highlight Stage One’s enduring commitment to the industry, having supported the career of hundreds of producers including Becky Barber, Matt Byham Shaw, Richard Darbourne, Simon Friend, Nia Janis, Chuchu Nwagu, James Seabright, Sarah Verghese and Jamie Wilson.
Stage One’s 5 at 50 programme is supported by Ian McKellen, Sam Mathias and ATG Entertainment through the McKellen Fund.
Stage One is grateful to all its funders and to the many individuals and businesses across the industry who enable and champion Stage One’s work.
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Stage One –
Stage One is the operating name of the Theatre Investment Fund Ltd, a registered charity number 271349. Stage One supports theatre producers with industry-led training workshops, bursaries, Placements, Investment, mentoring and advice. Stage One is the only UK charity solely dedicated to educating, training and supporting emerging theatre producers nationwide with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and those who have been traditionally underrepresented in the industry.
Stage One offer 6 core development programmes, to support commercial producers;
- Bridge the Gap, a one-year training programme for aspiring producers from underrepresented backgrounds. 13 candidates receive bespoke monthly workshops, mentoring and access to commercial opportunities to support their careers.
- Annually, Stage One host workshops focused on producing for West End, Off-West End and Commercial Touring. The Andrew Treagus West End Workshop takes place across three days, where producers are taught by leading figures in the industry and cover all aspects of putting on a production including; marketing & PR, contracting, general management, venue negotiations, budgeting, rights, raising funds & looking after investors. The Off-West End and Commercial Touring workshops are one-day events looking at these same skills on smaller or national scales. We also offer Stage Two workshops quarterly throughout the year. These sessions are half-day, in-depth sessions on bespoke topics for producers.
- The Stage One Producer Placements offer unique hands-on training and development opportunities within established producing companies and venues for outstanding entrepreneurial individuals. There are three strands of the producer placement, London, National and Bridge the Gap. Each year, Stage One offers 9 full-time, one-year paid job placements in production offices and national venues across the UK. In the past we have placed trainee producers London offices such as Playful Productions, ATG Productions, Sonia Friedman Productions and Mark Rubinstein Ltd., and in national producing venues such as Birmingham Hippodrome, Hull Truck, Sheffield Theatres and MAST Mayflower Studios.
- The Bursary Award provides up to £20,000 of financial support to help get producers’ companies up and running, and to support their overall career development. Alongside the financial support the successful candidates are also paired with an industry mentor to help guide their work and development
- Our New York Exchange programme, now in its fifth year, is a partnership with the MFA Producing programme at Columbia University; US Producing students from the programme come to London to learn about producing on the West End and in the UK. UK producers who are accepted onto the programme receive a grant from Stage One to cover travel and accommodation to go to NYC and learn about producing for Broadway and Off-Broadway.
- Investments – Stage One is a prominent investor in commercial, large-scale/West End productions. We do this by setting a specific set of guidelines set by a committee for producers to adhere to and producers apply via an application. Stage One’s Small-Scale Commercial Investment scheme aims to support small – mid scale producers and help them create more commercially viable work and increase their pool of investors. As is with large-scale investment, the decision whether to invest in a production is made by a committee of active producers, at their discretion the guidelines may be varied depending on the individual circumstances of any production.
