Kenny Wax
Kenny is the Vice President of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) - the trade organisation for the West End Theatre industry – after a three-and-a-half-year term as President.
In 2022, Kenny produced four family musicals: Identical, based on the book ‘The Parent Trap’ by Erich Kastner - a story of twins separated at birth and brought back together, directed by Trevor Nunn; Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, based on the book of the same name by Kate Pankhurst - a pop-fuelled celebration of some of history’s incredible women and their stories; the first ever UK tour of Bugsy Malone – the acclaimed Lyric Hammersmith production, based on the world-famous movie by Alan Parker; and a brand new show based on the CBeebies smash hit Hey Duggee. This summer, Kenny also collaborated with New Vic Theatre Stoke, to tell the legendary story of The Great Escape in their new production Tom, Dick & Harry.
His current success is SIX which is playing to sold out audiences in the West End; on Broadway; on tour in the UK, US and Australia; and on Norwegian Cruise Lines. The show performed at Hampton Court Palace in summer 2022 and soon the show will begin two tours across America, with more international dates also in the works. The studio album received ‘gold’ status last year and is consistently in the album charts. The original Broadway cast album was released in May 2022.
Kenny has so far produced six shows with Mischief Theatre: including The Play That Goes Wrong (winner of the Olivier Award for ‘Best New Comedy’), which reopened in the West End at the Duchess Theatre and recently completed a UK tour; Peter Pan Goes Wrong has played the West End twice; The Comedy About A Bank Robbery ran for nearly four years at the Criterion Theatre; Mischief Movie Night gained Mischief their fourth consecutive Olivier nomination and was streamed for the first time all over the world in December 2020; Groan Ups played at the Vaudeville in autumn 2019 and later toured the UK; Magic Goes Wrong was made in collaboration with notorious magicians Penn & Teller and toured the UK after a wonderful run at the Apollo Theatre. Recently, Kenny set up Mischief Screen with Mischief Theatre, having been the Executive Producer of two Christmas television specials on BBC 1: Peter Pan Goes Wrong and A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong. In Spring 2020, Mischief hit the airwaves again with a comedy series commissioned by BBC1, The Goes Wrong Show, now available on DVD and to stream. The second series aired in autumn 2021 and is available on iPlayer.
Notable productions include the world première of Top Hat, which won three Olivier Awards including ‘Best New Musical’ (2013) and the Evening Standard Award for ‘Best Night Out’. Once on This Island also won the Olivier Award for ‘Best New Musical’ in 1995. In 2020, his production of The Worst Witch won the Laurence Olivier Award for 'Best Family Show' and his production of Julia Donaldson’s much-loved book What the Ladybird Heard was nominated in the same category for the 2021 ceremony. Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World won the UK Theatre Award for 'Best Show for Children & Young People' in 2022.
Kenny is renowned for producing some of the best family theatre both in the West End and on tour. Productions include We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Around The World in 80 Days, Mr Popper’s Penguins, Oi Frog & Friends! and the Olivier Award nominated stage adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather.
