Stage One has announced the 13 brilliant rising producers who have been selected for the Bridge the Gap programme for 2025/26. Bridge the Gap is a bold Stage One initiative championing under-represented voices in commercial theatre producing. Launched in 2018, it’s the only year-long programme of its kind, dedicated to diversifying and opening doors across the industry. Backed by nearly 50 years of Stage One’s expertise in supporting producers through education and investment, Bridge the Gap is helping to build a more inclusive, vibrant future for theatre production throughout the country.
The producers selected for 2025/26 are Anastasiya Yevchenko, founder of the female-led NGO New Ukrainian Drama; Andy Mandoiu, an independent producer, fundraiser and Access Support Writer for Arts Council England applications, who currently leads Chaotic Good Theatre, a company which amplifies underrepresented migrant voices and Anousha Karim, who most recently led a full-scale tour of Romeo and Juliet across the East Coast of the US, and will be based at the Kiln Theatre for the next year.
They are joined by Ben Quashie, whose work has contributed to 70+ productions, earning 39 award nominations and 8 wins, including recognition from the Black British Theatre Awards (nominated for Best Producer in 2023), UK Theatre Awards, Stage Debut Awards and Offies; independent live-arts producer Bobby Harding, whose recent projects include Main Character Energy by Temi Wilkey (Paines Plough Roundabout, Summerhall Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 and Soho Theatre 2025) and LUV SHANNON X by Joseph Wilson (Seventeen Gallery 2024).
Award-winning Sheffield-based producer and Co-Founder, Producer and Company Manager of Black Bright Theatre Company Helen Denning joins the programme, alongside Jasmyn Fisher-Ryner, who is the founder of JFP Productions Ltd, and has worked as a producer for the Royal Court Theatre and was nominated for the Best Producer Award at the Black British Theatre Awards in 2022 for producing and platforming the double Olivier nominated production For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy). Kashif Boothe is best known for his acclaimed series Nate & Jamie, which won Favourite Web Ensemble at the Screen Nation Awards in 2018 and he most recently received The Mainstream Ones to Watch Award for Best TV/Film Director in 2025.
Also chosen for the programme is Brooklyn native Lisa Richardson, who was the General Manager for the 2023 West End showcase of Billie the Kid and is currently the Head of Outreach/Assistant Producer at J Clare Productions and Joy Productions and Raha Mahamoud who co-produced Dugsi Dayz (Royal Court, 2024) — winner of the Untapped Award and BBC Popcorn Award, and is particularly committed to platforming Muslim and disabled artists. Suher Sofi’s impressive credits include having produced Desperate Times (winner of the Futures Festival at Pleasance) and work on BBC Studios Productions include Amol Rajan Interviews: Alan Sugar, Gary Lineker, Inside Our Minds (S2), and Life & Death Row (S4), and she now works in the editorial team on The One Show.
Completing the cohort are Syania Shaharuddin, who works with Nonsuch Studios, contributing to a wide range of creative projects in the Midlands and Zeynep Gunaydin, whose previous roles have included work with Sadler’s Wells Theatre, The Little Angel Theatre, and Mousetrap Theatre Projects as well as V&A, Inspirate Festival and touring across the UK.
Through The Producer Programme with Bridge the Gap, Stage One aim to support emerging producers, equipping them the skills they need to transition into commercial producing. This includes monthly bespoke workshops on commercial theatre producing, a commercial producer mentor, personal coaching sessions, regular networking opportunities, a place on the Stage One workshops, access to the BTG Kick Start Grant (up to £5,000) as well as tickets to commercial shows.
Previous alumni of the Bridge the Gap prgoramme include Ameena Hamid (Why Am I So Single?, Garrick Theatre; Bonnie and Clyde, UK Tour), Sarah Verghese (For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court Theatre; A-Typical Rainbow, Turbine Theatre), who is Production Co-ordinator at Jamie Lloyd Productions, and Miranda Debenham, who has just been named as Executive Producer at Interplay Theatre in Leeds.
Joseph Smith, Chief Executive of Stage One comments, The calibre of candidates who applied for this year’s Bridge the Gap cohort was so strong. The group we have chosen all bring a unique set of skills and potential to the programme. I’m thrilled to start working with them and look forward to having their energy and insights in the programme and part of the Stage One community.
Bridge the Gap is supported by Theatre Development Trust, John Gore Organisation, Sonia Friedman Productions Ltd, Runaway Entertainment and The Aziz Foundation.
Main Image: Suher Sofi, ,Courtesy of Stage One