Sally Greene is an entrepreneur in the entertainment and arts field. Her career began when she bought the lease of the Richmond Theatre from her father, Basil Greene, in 1986. She went on to restore several key London theatres. Her business portfolio now includes Greene Light Stage, Greene Light Films Ltd, world renowned Jazz Club Ronnie Scott’s and the London restaurant the Cheyne Walk Brasserie, as well as continued charitable involvement in the Criterion Theatre in London’s West End and The Old Vic.

PROFESSIONAL TITLES

Founding Trustee of Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000 Founding Director of The Old Vic Theatre Company Managing Director and Trustee of the Criterion Theatre Trust Chief Executive of Greene Light Stage Chief Executive of Greene Light Films Ltd Proprietor of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club Proprietor of Cheyne Walk Brasserie

CRITERION THEATRE

In 1992 Sally took over the Criterion Theatre, which had been dark for three years. She led the refurbishment, raising the money needed to completely restore this 150-year-old historical building on Piccadilly Circus.

When it reopened in 1993 critics called it the jewel in the crown of theatres, dubbing it the prettiest theatre in London. Sir John Gielgud and Richard Briers reopened it with a short film directed by Kenneth Branagh entitled Swansong. The film was nominated for an Oscar in the short film category and was shot as the restoration took place.

Sally also turned the Criterion Theatre into a Charitable Trust. In September 2010, Stephen Fry was appointed as the new Chairman, bringing a unique combination of skills to the role, with his wealth of experience as a writer, actor, comedian, presenter and director.

CRITERION PRODUCTIONS PLC

In 1993 Sally formed a production company to supply the West End with exciting and innovative productions. The company was launched under a Business Expansion Scheme and Lord Attenborough Chaired the company until 2007. In 1993 it attracted 200 investors, and the company began to produce plays in the West End, on tour in Great Britain and on Broadway.

THE OLD VIC

In 1998 after a plea by Lord Smith, who was Minister for the Arts at the time, Sally stepped in to save The Old Vic Theatre from closure. She revitalised the theatre, forming a Charitable Trust and asking Lord Alex Bernstein to chair it. Within four months she had raised £1.5 million towards the purchase price of £3.5 million. Over the next two years she raised a further £2.5 million to transfer ownership of the Theatre from the Canadian entrepreneur, Ed Mirvish into the charitable trust.

Sally formed a spectacular Board – Lord Attenborough, Michael Bloomberg, Sir Richard Eyre, Stephen Daldry CBE, Lady de Rothschild and Dame Judi – to help reinvigorate arguably one of the most famous theatres in the world.

In 2002 she persuaded Sir Elton John to take up the Chairmanship of the Theatre after Lord Bernstein resigned.

And then, in the wake of his triumphant London stage debut in The Ice Man Cometh at the Almeida Theatre in 2003, Sally drew upon her powers of persuasion once more and convinced Academy award-winning actor Kevin Spacey to become the Artistic Director of The Old Vic. The first season under Kevin Spacey’s direction took place in the autumn of 2004 and he won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Richard II in Trevor Nunn’s production. A string of hits followed: Speed-the-Plow, The Norman Conquests, Inherit the Wind, The Real Thing, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Design for Living, Cause Célèbre, Noises Off, Hedda Gabler and Kiss Me Kate to name a few.

Kevin’s final Seasons as Artistic Director were full of theatrical collectors items: a universally acclaimed production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible starring Richard Armitage directed by Yaël Farber; the UK premiere of Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities starring Sinéad Cusack, Peter Egan, Clare Higgins, Daniel Lapaine and Martha Plimpton directed by Lindsay Posner; and Sweet Bird of Youth with Kim Cattrall and Seth Numrich directed by Marianne Elliott. He ended his tenure with a barn-storming performance in a one man production, Clarence Darrow directed by Thea Sharrock. It was no surprise to all

at The Old Vic when Kevin was knighted for services to charitable services in 2016.

At the end of Kevin’s 11-year tenure, The Old Vic was delighted to appoint acclaimed British director Matthew Warchus to success him in the role of Artistic Director in autumn 2015.

Matthew’s career spans theatre, opera and film and his multi-award-winning stage productions have garnered huge esteem in the UK, on Broadway and have toured internationally. His extensive credits include Matilda The Musical (winner of a record 7 Olivier Awards including Best Director and Best New Musical, and 4 Tony Awards), Ghost: The Musical, La Bête, God of Carnage, The Lord of the Rings, Boeing Boeing, Life x 3 and Art. His 2014 film Pride opened the Cannes Director’s Fortnight and won Best British Independent Film at the British Independent Film Awards. His wide-ranging first season at The Old Vic included the world premieres of David Hare’s adaptation of The Master Builder starring Ralph Fiennes, new musical Groundhog Day, a stage adaptation of the beloved Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, a dance adaptation of Jekyll & Hyde and a new play by Tamsin Oglesby, Future Conditional, alongside the modern classics The Hairy Ape and The Caretaker with Timothy Spall in the iconic roll of Davies. A series of Variety Nights embrace The Old Vic’s vaudeville roots in music, magic and comedy.

Matthew’s second season looks set to build on the success of his first, with some exciting new commissions and high profile names including Glenda Jackson’s return to the stage after 25 years, in the titular role of King Lear and John Boyega in a new adaptation by acclaimed stage and screenwriter Jack Thorne of Georg Büchner’s classic Wöyzeck. As the Old Vic Theatre continues to transition into a new phase in its history, The Old Vic is committed to ensuring that the next generation of young talent is nurtured so that they flourish. Matthew’s ambition is to present a vibrant and varied programme incoporating new writing and musicals alongside classics and artistic adventure. This, teamed with his commitment to open up the theatre to everyone, and a real passion for supporting young directors in the way that he himself was supported, is set to make this a thrilling chapter in The Old Vic’s history. “There’s hardly a more exciting – or more eclectic – theatre programme in London” – Mark Shenton, The Stage

GREENE LIGHT STAGE, formerly OLD VIC PRODUCTIONS PLC

In the summer of 1999 Sally re-launched Criterion Productions, renaming it Old Vic Productions plc (OVP), and it has become one of the leading production and investment companies in the UK. OVP has co-produced or partnered in more than 100 productions in the West End and on Broadway. Recent successes have included the critically acclaimed Pajama Game, directed by Richard Eyre, starring Joanna Riding and Michael Xavier; the critically acclaimed Good People, directed by Jonathan Kent, starring Imelda Staunton; and OVP and Chichester Festival Theatre’s hugely popular production of Private Lives starring Toby Stephens and Anna Chancellor. Other credits include: Noises off; Sweeney Todd at the Adelphi Theatre (also a Chichester/OVP co-production) which won Olivier Awards for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor for Michael Ball and Best Actress for Imelda Staunton; the multi award-winning Jerusalem starring Mark Rylance in a performance widely regarded as the finest of its generation; and Bruce Norris’s razor sharp examination of race and class consciousness in contemporary America – Clybourne Park, which won the Olivier for Best New Play in 2011. In the spring of 2016, to mark the end of OVP’s partnership with the Old Vic Theatre, Sally relaunched the company as Greene Light Stage (GLS) to bring it in line with her film company. In 2016, Greene Light Stage Greene Light Stage (GLS) began a new venture with Elton John called Rocket Stage.

Sally was instrumental in the creation of Billy Elliot: The Musical in a co-production with Working Title/Universal and it continues to Jerusalem

be GLS’s most successful show to date. It garnered a staggering 14 industry awards in the first ten months of opening and the London show recouped in under a year. The show opened in Sydney, Australia in December 2007 to widespread critical acclaim, winning 8 prestigious Helpmann Awards. In November 2008 it opened on Broadway where it received an overwhelming 15 Tony nominations, and won 10. Billy Elliot: The Musical continues to tour with successful runs in Melbourne in 2008, Chicago in 2010, and both Toronto and San Francisco in 2011. In September 2014, a performance was broadcast live to eight different countries, including 554 cinemas across the UK and Ireland. It presented a spectacular finale featuring 27 former and current Billys and reached no.1 at the UK Cinema Box Office. In 2015, its tenth year in London, Billy Elliot: The Musical announced that it would be closing the doors on its West End home for the last time on 9th April 2016. Remaining a hugely popular show, and wanting to deliver it to newer audiences, GLS announced that the show would be embarking on its first ever UK and Ireland tour. Opening at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in March 2016, this brand new tour takes in 10 cities across 12 months and promises to bring the joy and excitement of Billy Elliot: The Musical to a brand new audience.

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GREENE LIGHT FILMS

Greene Light Films (GLF) was established in 2007 as a logical next step for Sally into the film business.

GLF’s first short film Player (directed by Mary Nighy, written by Sam Hodges and starring Pete Postlethwaite, Sam Hodges, Celia Imrie and Haydn Gwynne) received the following mentions and awards:

Raindance Film Festival – Nominated for Best Short Film 2008 Miami Short Film Festival – Nominated Best Narrative Short Film 2009 Shortcuts Film Festival – Selected for screening 2009 Zagreb Film Festival – Selected for screening 2009 Santa Monica International Film Festival – Selected for screening 2009 St. Petersburg International Youth Film Festival – Winner Best Director 2009

GLF’s first feature film Hunky Dory (directed by Marc Evans, written by Laurence Coriat, produced by Jon Finn and Dan Lupovitz and starring Minnie Driver, Bob Pugh, and Aneurin Barnard) premiered at the London Film Festival in October 2011 and was released in March 2012. HHHH “Charming” – SUNDAY MIRROR “Glee meets Dead Poets Society” – TOTAL FILM “This heart-warming Brit-flick is a winner” – LOOK “Endearing... an earnest, eccentric expression of its creators’ nostalgia for the twilight of a musical lotus land” – NEW YORK TIMES.

Player

Hunky Dory

GLF have since been involved in Double Take, one of five winning short dance films to be selected for broadcast by Big Shorts and Channel 4 in association with BAFTA. Written and directed by Sam Hodges and choreographed by Ben Duke, it premiered at BAFTA in July 2012 and was widely regarded as the finest entry.

GLF co-produced Richard Raymond’s debut feature film Desert Dancer starring Freida Pinto, Reece Ritchie, Tom Cullen and Nazanin Boniadi – an extraordinary tale of the search for freedom and love, based upon the true story of Iranian exiled dancer Afshin Ghaffarian, who fled the tyranny and oppression of Tehran, was granted asylum in France and awarded a place at the National School of Dance in Paris, where he continues to live today. Jon Croker’s script inspired acclaimed British Choreographer Akram Khan to work on the film, choreographing stunning sequences shot by cinematographer Carlos Catalán in the deserts of Morocco. The film is scored by Benjamin Wallfisch (Dario Marianelli’s long term collaborator and orchestrator for Atonement, Anna Karenina, Pride and Prejudice, V for Vendetta, The Soloist and Jane Eyre). Desert Dancer opened the Santa Barbara film festival in January 2015.

Desert Dancer : Tomasz Opasinski : 08.04.13 : Project # 03_04

Double Take

RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ CLUB

In 2005, Sally became the owner of world renowned jazz club Ronnie Scott’s, in the heart of Soho, London. Her acquisition of the club was further testament to her unfailing commitment to the sympathetic restoration and rejuvenation of some of the capital’s most iconic establishments. Jacques Garcia, the famous designer of the award-winning Hôtel Costes in Paris, headed the design team and Ronnie Scott’s re-opened on June 26, 2006 following a major £2.5 million and three-month refurbishment to unanimous praise.

Ronnie Scott’s has played host to some of the greatest musicians in the world: Miles Davis, Dizzie Gillespie, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Buddy Rich. Furthermore, since 2006, the club has continued to host some of the biggest contemporary jazz names including Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Tony Bennett and Kenny Garrett, as well as giants from the world of blues, rock and soul such as Van Morrison, Jeff Beck, Marlena Shaw (of ‘California Soul’ fame), Macy Gray and Jools Holland.

In 2009 the club celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of special events that were unanimously praised in the press, and Ronnie Scott’s continues to honour its rich and illustrious musical past whilst remaining at the forefront of the rapid developments in digital and new media spheres. With a fast growing online presence and globally popular radio show, presented by award-winning jazz vocalist and entertainer, Ian Shaw, the International Ronnie Scott’s Radio is now proud to partner with British Airways – providing audio content, new music and exclusive interviews with artists on board BA’s entire fleet. In addition, the Club now boasts

state of the art HD cameras and audio equipment as well as a top level in-house editing suite, which will open up multiple new avenues for Ronnie Scott’s in the future.

In 2014 The Ronnie Scotts All Stars took part in the ‘Zermatt Unplugged’ festival, bringing its presence to the jaw dropping Alpine vistas of Switzerland. The festival presents singer-songwriters, bands and young talent from the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, New Zealand and Switzerland and is a raw, direct and immediate experience for those who attend. In 2014 Ronnie Scott’s hosted the international star Prince, who played four intimate shows at the club over two evenings. Prince played back to back shows to allow as many of his queuing fans to see him perform as possible. The show created widespread excitement amongst celebrity fans too, and the likes of Kate Moss, Cara Delevigne, Adele and Rita Ora attended. In 2015 Lady Gaga played an impromptu gig at Ronnie Scott’s after her keenly-awaited Royal Albert Hall gig was unexpectedly cancelled.

THE CHEYNE WALK BRASSERIE

Sally Greene is the owner of the much loved Chelsea eatery the Cheyne Walk Brasserie which celebrated its 10th anniversary in September 2014 with several unique collaborations and events. An entirely meat-free lunch created by Head Chef Olivier Ripert inspired by the Meat Free Mondays campaign and to which Sir Paul McCartney and Stella and Mary McCartney lent their support, a rolling back to 2003 prices day and a one-off bespoke birthday cocktail entitled ‘Walk in the Park’ created by Tim Moore, founder of London’s hippest Gin producer, Little Bird. The events were a resounding success with a press and online coverage reach of nearly 6.5 million.

CHARITABLE WORK

• Trustee of the Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000

• Trustee of the Criterion Theatre Trust

• Patron of Pop-up Ltd, an essential and timely literature programme that puts the appreciation and sharing of quality fiction by significant authors and artists back at the heart of family-oriented community events

• Patron of HighTide Theatre Festival, which sources, develops and produces contemporary theatre by emerging playwrights from around the world

• Major supporter of the NSPCC’s crucial FULL STOP campaign

• Major supporter of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, one of the foremost independent AIDS charities in the world

• Continuous supporter of Cancer Backup, a charity that offers advice and information on cancer treatment, symptoms and diagnosis, provided by some of the UK’s leading specialists. Cancer Backup has now merged with Macmillan

AWARDS

Sally is the recipient of an OBE and a Montblanc Arts and Culture Award, in recognition of her contribution to the arts in Britain.