NIMAX Theatres - About

On the 26th September 2005, producers Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer purchased the Apollo, Lyric, Duchess and Garrick Theatres from Andrew Lloyd Webber, creating Nimax Theatres Limited. The Vaudeville Theatre, solely owned by Max Weitzenhoffer, completes the Nimax portfolio.

NICA BURNS

Nica Burns is one of the UK’s leading play producers. Artistic Director, Donmar Warehouse 1983 to1989; Director and Producer Intelligent Finance Comedy Awards (formally the Perrier Awards) the UK’s leading live comedy awards from 1984 to the present day; Production Director of Really Useful Theatres from 1993 to 2005; owner and Chief Executive of Nimax Theatres Limited from 2005.

Productions since 2000: in 2001 her productions won four Evening Standard Awards: Medea starring Fiona Shaw directed by Deborah Warner won Best Actress and Best Director (Queens and Broadway), Feelgood by Alistair Beaton, a play Nica commissioned won Best Comedy (Garrick) and Kiss Me, Kate won Best Musical (Victoria Palace).

Also, Dawn French in My Brilliant Divorce (Apollo, 2004), Sitting Pretty by Amy Rosenthal (tour, 2005) Christian Slater in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Gielgud, 2004), David Suchet in Man and Boy (Duchess 2005), Who’s the Daddy? by Toby Young and Lloyd Evans (King’s Head 2005), David Schwimmer in Some Girl(s) by Neil LaBute (Gielgud 2005).

In 2006, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Apollo), the reprise of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest starring Christian Slater and Alex Kingston (Garrick),Breakfast with Mugabe by Fraser Grace directed by Anthony Sher (Duchess), Fool for Love by Sam Shepard starring Juliette Lewis (Apollo), See How They Run (Duchess), and A Moon for the Misbegotten starring Kevin Spacey (Old Vic and Broadway).

In 2007, a tour of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest starring Shane Ritchie and Swimming with Sharks (Vaudeville) by Michael Lesslie and starring Christian Slater and Helen Baxendale.

In September 2005, Nica bought four of London’s most beautiful playhouses, the Lyric, Apollo, Garrick and Duchess Theatres from Andrew Lloyd Webber with her business partner Max Weitzenhoffer, forming Nimax Theatres Limited which she runs as Chief Executive.

In 2006 and 2007 Nica and Max were named fifth in a list of most important people in British Theatre by The Stage newspaper.


From left: Max Weitzenhoffer and Nica Burns


MAX WEITZENHOFFER

Max Weitzenhoffer has been involved in numerous shows, such as Sleuth, Equus, The Elephant Man, Rose, Timbuktu, Mass Appeal, Passion and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Piaf. He co-produced Off-Broadway Tickles by Tucholsky, The Good Parts, Three Guys Naked From The Waist Down and Road To Mecca.

On Broadway his work includes the International Tony Award winning hit Dracula, Going Up, Harold and Maude, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance, Blood Knot, Burn This, Largely New York and the Tony Award winning musical The Will Rogers Follies. In the West End: Budgie, Burn This. In 1999 he started co-producing with Nica Burns. Productions include: Scissor Happy, Defending The Caveman (2000 Oliver Award), Medea starring Fiona Shaw directed by Deborah Warner (2001 Evening Standard Awards for Best Actress and Best Director), Feelgood (2001 Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy), My Brilliant Divorce (Apollo) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Gielgud and Garrick), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Apollo), A Moon for the Misbegotten (Old Vic and Broadway) and Swimming with Sharks (Vaudeville) starring Christian Slater and Helen Baxendale.

In January 2001 he became the owner of London’s Vaudeville Theatre and in September 2005 Max bought the Lyric Apollo, Garrick and Duchess Theatres with his business partner Nica Burns, forming Nimax Theatres Limited.