Twenty-four young theatre producers are being given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present their work in the West End for the first time.

Their 17 productions – plays, musicals, concerts and one-off events – have attracted wonderful performers from emerging talent to popular West End stars. The Rising Stars Festival will run from May to September in Nimax’s six theatres.

Announcing the festival today, Nica Burns, Chief Executive of Nimax Theatres, said: “I am delighted to be welcoming into the spotlight a galaxy of talented young producers – our rising stars making their West End debuts. Entrepreneurial, adventurous, creating shows during our lockdown days to entertain and inspire, attracting stellar performers. Usually behind the spotlight, few understand what a producer does. Without them, there are no shows. If these enterprising producers are the future of the West End, it’s looking good.”

The Rising Stars Festival runs alongside Nimax’s long-running shows and new summer programme. By the autumn, all Nimax’s long-running shows and pre-Covid programmed shows will have reopened.

Nica Burns added: “A big thank you to Oliver Dowden and the DCMS for awarding us a Cultural Recovery Fund grant which has enabled us to re-open and support the Rising Stars Festival.”

17 – 19 May Drag Queens of Pop (Vaudeville Theatre)
Producer David O’Reilly

18 May – 13 June Cruise (Duchess Theatre)
Producers Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment, Jamie Lambert and Eliza Jackson for Lambert Jackson Productions

19 May – 11 July Death Drop (Garrick Theatre)
Producers Ameena Hamid, Jamie Chapman Dixon and John-Webb Carter for Carter Dixon Productions

22 & 23 May Roles We’ll Never Play (Vaudeville Theatre)
Producer Thomas Duern

24 May An Evening with Kathy Burke (Lyric Theatre)
Producer David O’Reilly

24 May Intermissions Live (Vaudeville Theatre)
Producers Alice Fearn & Kirk Jamieson

24 May, 14 June & 5 July Monday Night at the Apollo (Apollo Theatre)
Producers Greg Barnett and Hugh Summers for Wild Mountain Productions Ltd

27 -30 May Public Domain (Vaudeville Theatre)
Producer Adam Lenson

2 – 6 June The Show Must Go On! (Palace Theatre)
Producers Chris Marcus and Damien Stanton for Theatre Support Fund+ and Jack Maple and Brian Zeilinger for MZG productions

7 – 13 June Alyssa, Memoirs of a Queen! (Vaudeville Theatre)
Producers Robin Raynor (with James Quaife) for New Frame Productions

10 – 13 June West End Musical Celebration (Palace Theatre)
Producers Shanay Holmes and Chris Steward for West End Musical Productions

14 June West End Live Lounge (Lyric Theatre)
Producer Shaun McCourt

21 June & 28 June The Distance You Have Come (Apollo Theatre)
Producers Sarah Evans for Sevans Productions and Krystal Lee

28 June The Wonderbirds Live (Duchess Theatre)
Producer David O’Reilly

15 July – 30 August Wonderville Magic and Illusion (Palace Theatre)
Producers Stephen McGill, McGill Productions, John-Webb Carter and Jamie Dixon, Carter Dixon Productions, Piers Cottee-Jones, Piers Cottee-Jones Entertainment

17 September – 13 October The Last 5 Years (Vaudeville Theatre)
Producers Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment, Edward Prophet and People Entertainment Group, with Dan Looney, Adam Paulden and Jason Haigh-Ellery for DLAP GROUP

1 August I Could Use a Drink (Garrick Theatre)
Alex Conder & Liam Gartland for Gartland Productions