Theatre Partners was formed by Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson, whose initial collaboration was creating Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, which started life at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre in April 1989, and ran in the West End for 13 years. Having both worked as writers, producers, and directors throughout their careers, the formation of a production company seemed a natural development in their wish to control their own shows.

Inherent in the name Theatre Partners are the aims of the company. These are to link together creators, directors, designers, producers, investors and general management in dynamic partnerships, with the ability to move from blank page to delivery of innovative commercial product on a world-wide stage. Theatre Partners specialises in the development of new product by providing a multi-faceted theatrical infrastructure and expertise for both original and established productions.

Theatre Partners was responsible for bringing the innovative, interactive soul musical Soul Street to the West End (which is soon to embark on a U.K. and European tour), the “King of West End Musicals”, Jailhouse Rock (which ran in the West End until April 2005), as well as managing the continued world-wide success of the “Greatest Rock & Roll Musical of All Time”- Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story.

ALAN JANES
PRODUCER/WRITER

Alan's introduction to the theatre was as a member of Joan Littlewood's youth group at the internationally known Theatre Workshop in Stratford, East London. He then went on to study production and direction at East 15 Acting School.

His stage play, Two Wise Monkeys, was adapted for television in 1973, and since then Alan has written extensively for television, radio, films and theatre. His credits include adaptations of Brighton Rock and Our Man In Havana by Graham Greene, Lady Chatterly's Lover by D.H. Lawrence, and many original plays.

Alan has written for numerous series and serials including Minder. He created and wrote the comedy/drama series Prospects for Euston Films, and wrote three films on the lives of Prisoners Of Conscience for BBC 2: William Beausire, Vladimir Bukovsky and Nelson Mandela. As a producer his credits include two series of the sit-com Rude Health for Channel 4, and the plays Rotten Apples, It's Only Rock ‘n' Roll, The End and Positively Negative. In 1985 he wrote the film Winter Flight for David Puttnam, and more recently Alan's screen adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm has been released in the US and around the world.

In 1989, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, written by Alan, was presented in the West End and ran for 13 years. The UK tour of Buddy has run for over nine years and the show has enjoyed worldwide success playing: Broadway and four US National Tours, Canada, Sweden, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Holland, Singapore, Finland, Austria and Denmark. Alan was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Musical, and internationally Buddy has received 13 nominations and awards.

Alan continued a collaboration with Rob Bettinson, which began on Buddy, as co-writer and producer on their soul musical Soul Street, which played at the Shaftesbury Theatre during 2002-3, and on their Elvis Presley musical, Jailhouse Rock, which ran at the Piccadilly Theatre until April 2005. Alan is also now producer on Buddy, which continues to run as the ‘Most Successful Rock ‘n' Roll Musical in the World'.

ROB BETTINSON
DIRECTOR/WRITER

As a director and writer, Rob has created many outstanding productions. Some notable successes are his stage adaptation of Catherine Cookson's The Fifteen Streets which marked Rob's debut in the West End in 1989. He subsequently wrote the screenplay for the TV mini-series for Tyne Tees Television. Rob's Death Of A Salesman, with Ray McAnally, was a landmark production, and his own highly creative stage adaptation of Victor Hugo's Hunchback Of Notre Dame and unique re-staging of the internationally acclaimed Coventry Mystery Plays are just a few of the many productions Rob has directed.

Throughout his career Rob has been responsible for developing the work of many new writers and is deeply committed to bringing original material to the stage. Rob directed and co-wrote Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story for the West End, Broadway, Australia, UK and USA tours.

1995 saw the production of Rob's comedy play Bare Necessities which enjoyed a National Tour. Also in 1995 Rob was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical for Jolson, along with his co-writer Francis Essex. Rob also directed Jolson which enjoyed a successful run at the Victoria Palace and has since played throughout the world.

1997 saw Rob redefining the musical of The Goodbye Girl which he re-developed with Neil Simon, Marvin Hamlisch, David Zippell and Don Black. The Goodbye Girl was also directed by Rob for the West End and National Tour.

In 2000, Rob directed the Charles Aznavour musical Lautrec which played in the West End, and in 2002 he co-wrote and directed Soul Street at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Rob then continued his collaboration with Alan Janes on their musical Jailhouse Rock which finished its run at the Piccadilly Theatre in April 2005.

RICHARD PORTER
GENERAL MANAGER

Richard has worked in commercial theatre management for the past 20 years. West End productions include: Me and My Girl (Adelphi Theatre), High Society (Victoria Palace), The Rink (Cambridge), Rowan Atkinson’s New Revue (Shaftesbury), Unforgettable (Garrick and three tours), A Saint She Ain’t (Apollo), The Full Monty (Prince of Wales), and Jailhouse Rock – The Musical (Piccadilly).

He has also been Manager of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Her Majesty’s Theatre, the London Palladium, and the Aldwych Theatre.

Richard was Chief Executive of the Theatre of Comedy Company between 1999 and 2003. As well as being responsible for programming and overall operation of the Shaftesbury Theatre for the Company, he produced Simon Day’s Spike (Nuffield Theatre, Southampton), starring Richard Briers, Amy Rosenthal’s Sitting Pretty (UK tour), starring Maureen Lipman, and the world premiere of Alan Plater’s Only a Matter of Time (Watermill, Newbury).