The Really Useful Group Ltd. (RUG) is an international

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

set up in 1977 by

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

. It is involved in theatre, film, television, video and concert productions,

merchandising Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of Product (business), products ("merch" colloquially) to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative w ...

, magazine publishing, records and music publishing. The name is inspired by a phrase from the children's book series ''

The Railway Series ''The Railway Series'' is a series of British books about a railway known as the North Western Railway, located on the fictional Sodor (fictional island), Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first published in May 1945 by Wi ...

'' (which also inspired Webber to create ''

Starlight Express '' Starlight Express'' is a 1984 musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern locomotives of diesel and el ...

'') in which

Thomas the Tank Engine Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional, anthropomorphised tank locomotive who originated from the British children's books ''The Railway Series'', created and written by Wilbert Awdry with his son Christopher Awdry, Christopher, first publish ...

and the other locomotives are referred to as "Really Useful Engines".

History

The company was set up in 1977 when Lloyd Webber, frustrated with the terms of his contract with the

impresario An impresario (from Italian ''impresa'', 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, Play (theatre), plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film producer, film or ...

Robert Stigwood, decided to take greater control over the management of his creative works. All Lloyd Webber compositions and productions created from that point have been owned by the company. The Really Useful Group was floated on the stock market in 1986. Four years later, Lloyd Webber took it back into private ownership, selling 30% to film and music group PolyGram to fund the cost of buying back shares. In 1995, PolyGram was bought by Canadian conglomerate

Seagram The Seagram Company Ltd. (which trade name, traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational beverage and during the last few years of its existence, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...

, with the Really Useful stake being passed to its own film and music subsidiary, Universal. In 1999, Lloyd Webber paid $US75 million for Universal's 30% stake, giving the composer 100% ownership of the group.

Divisions

Really Useful Theatre Company

The Really Useful Theatre Company produces and manages plays and musicals, mainly, but not limited to those written by Lloyd Webber. It is also responsible for licensing its productions worldwide. In the 1990s, RUT mainly produced shows on its own, but more recently has again developed partnerships with other producers and production companies, notably Bill Kenwright, to produce its works, as it had done in the 1980s with Cameron Mackintosh. Among its productions and co-productions are: *'' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' – Lloyd Webber/ Tim Rice – London, Broadway, Los Angeles, worldwide *''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

'' – Lloyd Webber/Rice – London, Broadway, worldwide *'' Evita'' – Lloyd Webber/Rice – London, Broadway, worldwide *'' Tell Me on a Sunday'' – Lloyd Webber/ Don Black – London, UK tour *''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

'' – Lloyd Webber/ T. S. Eliot – London, Broadway, worldwide *''

'' – Lloyd Webber/ Richard Stilgoe – London, Broadway, worldwide *'' Song and Dance'' – Lloyd Webber/Black – London, Broadway *'' The Phantom of the Opera'' – Lloyd Webber/ Charles Hart/Stilgoe – London, Broadway, worldwide *'' Aspects of Love'' – Lloyd Webber/Black & Hart – London, Broadway, 2007 UK tour *'' By Jeeves'' – Lloyd Webber/ Alan Ayckbourn – London, Broadway *'' Whistle Down the Wind'' – Lloyd Webber/ Jim Steinman – Washington, D.C., London, UK tours *'' The Beautiful Game'' – Lloyd Webber/

Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton is a British comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. One of the major figures in the alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, his early stand-up style was Left-wing politics, left-wing political satire ...

– London *'' The Woman in White'' – Lloyd Webber/

David Zippel David Joel Zippel (born May 17, 1954) is an American musical theatre and film lyricist, composer, songwriter, director, and producer. Early life and education Zippel was born on May 17, 1954, in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region ...

– London, Broadway *'' Bombay Dreams'' – Rahman/Black – London, Broadway *''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

'' –

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...

– 2006

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

production *'' Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical''; Various; London 2009 *'' Love Never Dies''; Lloyd Webber/Elton/ Glenn Slater; London 2010 *'' The Wizard of Oz''; London 2010 *''Daisy Pulls it Off'' – Denise Deegan – London *'' The Hired Man'' –

Howard Goodall Howard Lindsay Goodall (; born 26 May 1958) is an English composer of musicals, choral music and music for television. He also presents music-based programmes for television and radio, for which he has won many awards. In May 2008, he was name ...

Melvyn Bragg Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg (born 6 October 1939) is an English broadcaster, author and parliamentarian. He is the editor and presenter of ''The South Bank Show'' (1978–2010, 2012–2023), and the presenter of the BBC Radio 4 documentary series ...

– London *'' Lend Me a Tenor'' – Ken Ludwig – London, Broadway *'' La Bête'' – David Hirson – Broadway, London *''

School of Rock ''School of Rock'' (titled on screen as ''The School of Rock'') is a 2003 comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, produced by Scott Rudin and written by Mike White (filmmaker), Mike White. The film stars Jack Black, Joan Cusack, White and Sa ...

''; Broadway 2015 In 2016, Really Useful partnered with Concord Theatricals to act as representative for licensing its works in North America. In October 2021, the groups extended the partnership through 2025.

Really Useful Films

Really Useful Films is responsible for the production of film versions of Lloyd Webber's catalogue. Initially, these had consisted of lower budget straight-to-video versions of the shows (''Cats'', ''Joseph'', ''Jesus Christ Superstar,'' and ''By Jeeves''), but in 2004 the Really Useful Films completed the film '' The Phantom of the Opera'', directed by

Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939 – June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designe ...

and starring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum, which was nominated for three

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

s and three

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

s. It has also released DVD and video versions of Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday concert at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

, the 2001 ''Masterpiece – Andrew Lloyd Webber in China'' concert and a musical version of ''

The Gruffalo ''The Gruffalo'' is a children's picture book by the English author Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It tells the story of a mouse strolling in a wood and encountering a series of predators culminating in the fictional 'Gruffal ...

''. The film director Nick Morris is regularly involved with the films division.

Really Useful Records

Really Useful Records produces cast albums of Lloyd Webber musicals. From 1986 until Lloyd Webber regained full control of the company in 1999, Really Useful Records had an exclusive deal with PolyGram to release albums through its

Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

label. Really Useful continues to release its albums and DVDs through Universal, current owners of PolyGram. Aside from cast albums, Lloyd Webber has also produced albums for Marti Webb,

Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer and actress. Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, she made ...

, Connie Fisher, Andrea Ross and Michael Ball via the label. Lee Mead, who won the lead role in 2007's West End revival of Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat'' by taking part in

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

's '' Any Dream Will Do!'' recorded a single of the song " Any Dream Will Do". The contest's third-placed Lewis Bradley and second-placed Keith Jack joined him on "Close Every Door To Me". Really Useful Records released the double-A side single to raise funds for the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's annual

Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...

charity appeal.

LW Theatres

LW Theatres owns and manages six West End theatres: # Adelphi Theatre (in association with the

Nederlander Organization The Nederlander Organization, founded in 1912 by David T. Nederlander in Detroit, and currently based in New York City, is one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States. Its first acquisition was a lease on ...

) #

Cambridge Theatre The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, London, Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site". Design and const ...

Gillian Lynne Theatre The Gillian Lynne Theatre (formerly the New London Theatre) is a West End theatre located on the corner of Drury Lane and Parker Street in Covent Garden in the London Borough of Camden. The Winter Garden Theatre occupied the site until 1965. On ...

# His Majesty's Theatre #

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

The group also included the Off West End venue The Other Palace, formerly known as the St James Theatre which it sold to Bill Kenwright in October 2021. The theatre reopened under its new owner following a closure caused by the coronavirus pandemic with a revival of the musical Heathers. Lloyd Webber purchased the Palace Theatre in 1983, followed by the New London (now Gillian Lynne) and the Adelphi. In 1999, Lloyd Webber and NatWest Equity Partners bought the Stoll Moss group, owner of 10 London theatres, including the

and the

, for £85 million from Australian businesswoman Janet Holmes à Court, and formed Really Useful Theatres. In 2004, operational control of the Queen's Theatre reverted from Really Useful Theatres back to Cameron Mackintosh's Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. The transfer of operational control of the adjoining

Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 994 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...

from Really Useful Theatres to Delfont Mackintosh Theatres followed two years later. On 11 July 2005, the company sold four theatres (the

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

, the Duchess, the

Lyric Lyric may refer to: * Lyrics, the words, often in verse form, which are sung, usually to a melody, and constitute the semantic content of a song * Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view * Lyric, from t ...

, and the Garrick) to Nimax Theatres Ltd, a company owned by Broadway producer Max Weitzenhoffer, who previously had been a rival bidder for the Stoll Moss theatres, and Nica Burns, production director of Really Useful Theatres. Lloyd Webber invested £10 million of the proceeds from the sales in October 2005 to buy the interest of his partner Bridgepoint (formerly

NatWest National Westminster Bank, trading as NatWest, is a major Retail banking, retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom based in London, England. It was established in 1968 by the Corporate merger, merger of National Provincial Bank and We ...

Equity Partners), and renamed the group ''Really Useful Theatres Group''. Nimax purchased The Palace in 2012. In 2014, the group split into two companies, and the owner of the theatres was named ''Really Useful Theatres''.Dennys, Harriet (24 March 2014)
"Lord Lloyd-Webber splits theatre group to expand on a global stage"
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

''. London. Retrieved 3 October 2014. In 2018, Really Useful Theatres changed its name to ''LW Theatres'' to avoid confusion with the other companies owned by Lloyd Webber.

Really Useful Magazines

The company formed Really Useful Magazines Ltd to distribute ''Theatregoer'' magazine, a monthly magazine edited and published on the Really Useful Group's behalf by the publishing agency Axon Publishing. Published beginning in 2000, the magazine was available in conjunction with the programmes in all Really Useful Theatres. Really Useful sold ''Theatregoer'' magazine to Bandwidth Communications, the publisher of '' Whatsonstage.com'', in April 2005.

Other interests

The Really Useful Group has, in the past, set up sub-labels to cater for pop and dance acts, such as ''Carpet Records'', featuring Timmy Mallett's Bombalurina (" Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini") and Doctor Spin ("

Tetris ''Tetris'' () is a puzzle video game created in 1985 by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer. In ''Tetris'', falling tetromino shapes must be neatly sorted into a pile; once a horizontal line of the game board is filled in, it disa ...

"); and ‘’It Records’’, home to My Life Story in the late 1990s. The name Carpet Records was a play on the acronym RUG, of the Really Useful Group.

Charitable donation

The group on 27 June 2007 announced that it would donate all receipts from two special performances of a revived West End production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' to the

charity appeal, which would benefit from ticket sales for 16 July's preview and performance of 16 November, on the night of the annual

telethon. Viewers of a

television show, '' Any Dream Will Do!'' had voted 25-year-old West End ensemble player and understudy Lee Mead to take role of Joseph in the production. During the contest's 9 June 2007 final, host

Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), known professionally as Graham Norton, is an Irish comedian, broadcaster, actor, and writer. He is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for the comedy chat show ''The Graham Norton Show'' (2007–present) ...

said that ''Children in Need'' had benefited by more than £500,000 in income from viewer voting on premium-rate telephone lines.

References

External links

Really Useful Group
{{Authority control West End theatre Record labels based in London Leisure companies of the United Kingdom Theatre companies in London 1977 establishments in England Andrew Lloyd Webber Companies based in the City of Westminster British companies established in 1977