Rosemary Squire


Dame Rosemary Anne Squire, DBE is a British commercial theatre owner and entrepreneur. She is the founder of the Ambassador Theatre Group LTD, and co-founder of Trafalgar Entertainment.

Early life and education

Squire was born in Nottingham, England, on 27 May 1956. From 1967 to 1974, Squire attended Nottingham Girls' High School. She then enrolled at Southampton University between 1975 and 1979, where she earned a BA degree in Spanish. She later worked at the University of Barcelona from 1977 to 1978 as an English language assistant. Squire then studied at Brown University from 1979 to 1980 on a postgraduate scholarship.

Career

Squire arrived in Theatreland in 1980. She held various administrative roles at Wyndham's Theatres Ltd. In 1984, she was a manager of Maxbox Group plc, the second largest group of West End theatres. In 1988, she became the manager of the theatre production company Turnstyle Group Ltd, of which she then became executive director. In 1991, she co-produced the West End revival of the musical Carmen Jones.
Squire and her husband Howard Panter established the Ambassador Theatre Group in 1992, with the acquisitions of the Duke of York's Theatre, a management contract of the Ambassadors Theatre, and a cinema complex in Woking. In 1995, ATG acquired the Ambassadors Theatre, which was renamed New Ambassadors Theatre in 1999. Between 1996 and 1997, the group expanded further with contracts for the Milton Keynes Theatre and the Regent Theatre, as well as Victoria Hall. In 1997, Squire became executive director of the Ambassador Theatre Group.

2000s

In 2000, ATG acquired Churchill Theatre, Richmond Theatre, Albery Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Fortune Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre, Comedy Theatre, Trafalgar Studios, Wyndhams Theatre, Playhouse Theatre, and the Theatre Royal Brighton. Squire joined the board of management of the Society of London Theatres and the advisory panel of Arts Council Capital. The expansion of ATG continued with the acquisition of two Scottish venues and the reopening and rebranding of the New Wimbledon Theatre in 2004. Squire was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and joined the board of Donmar Warehouse Productions.
In June 2005, Squire became the first democratically elected president of the Society of London Theatre, and the second-only female president in the organisation's 100-year history. She campaigned to improve the West End theatre-going environment and to secure vital funding for capital improvements to protect the long-term future of London's historic theatres. Squire became a member of The Arts Council of England Lottery Advisory Panel from 2000 to 2005 and is a member of the Theatrical Management Association.
In 2009, Squire was appointed a National Member of the Arts Council England Board. She was Chair of Great Ormond Street Hospital's Theatres for Theatres Appeal and vice-chairman of Dance Umbrella. She is also a Trustee of The Hall of Cornwall. In February 2009, ATG acquired the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. In November 2009, ATG realigned its shareholding to bring in private equity group Exponent for a deal to secure the funding for the acquisition of Live Nation's UK Theatre portfolio. Following this, ATG became the largest theatre group in the UK. Panter remained a joint-owner and became joint Chief Executive and Creative Director. Greg Dyke became the Executive Chairman of the larger group.

2010s

In 2010, ATG opened the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. In the same year, London's Evening Standard named Squire and her husband as the most influential people in British theatre in their list of "London's 1000 most influential people 2010". In 2011, ATG launched their Manchester Gets it First initiative. In February 2013, Squire appeared at number 16 on the inaugural BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List, intended to serve as a snapshot of the 100 most powerful British women.
In 2014, Squire topped The Stage 100 list for the fifth consecutive year, equaling the run previously set by Andrew Lloyd Webber. From 2010 to 2016, Squire topped the list seven times.
In March 2015, Squire announced The SPACe at Nottingham Girl's High School. Squire was Chair of the 'Raise the Curtain' Development Board, which was created to oversee the project. Squire officially opened The SPACe in April 2017.
In 2016, Squire stepped down from her roles at Ambassador Theatre Group to concentrate on new projects. She co-founded a new live entertainment business, Trafalgar Entertainment, and acquired the two-space West End theatre, Trafalgar Studios.
In December 2017, Squire was appointed Chair of Arts Council South West.

Personal life

Squire married Alan Brodie in 1982, with whom she had two children. She divorced Brodie in 1994 and married Howard Panter the same year, with whom she had one child.

Productions

Produced by Rosemary Squire unless otherwise noted.9 to 5 A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, 2019 LondonA Midsummer Night's Dream, 2003 LondonAdmissions, 2019 London and UK TourAfter Mrs Rochester, 2003, LondonAll New People Annie Get Your Gun, 2014 UK tourApologia, 2018 LondonBeing Shakespeare Blue/Orange Carmen Jones, 1991 LondonCompany, 2006–2007 BroadwayDandy Dick Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 2014 LondonEducation, Education, Education, 2019 LondonElling, 2007 London and, 2010 BroadwayEquus, 2019 LondonExit The King, 2009 BroadwayFar Away, 2000 and 2001 LondonFat Pig, 2008 LondonGhost The Musical, 2011 Manchester, 2011 LondonGoodnight Mister Tom Guys and Dolls, 2005–2007 London, 2006 and 2007 UK Tour, 2008–2009 Australia, 2009 BroadwayInala, 2015 Joe Egg, 2001 London, 2003 Broadway, 2009 UK TourJersey Boys Jersey Boys, 2017 UK TourKiller Joe, 2018 LondonLa Cage Aux Folles Legally Blonde, 2009 LondonLegally Blonde Love Me Tender, 2015 Macbeth Mary Stuart, 2018 London

Honors and awards