mini´«Ã½.

Liam McMullan, who studied Management at mini´«Ã½., is the latest graduate to be included in The Stage 100 - the industry publication’s list of the 100 most influential people in UK theatre.

He joins fellow grads and regulars on the list: director Jamie Lloyd (graduated 2002); Nottingham Playhouse artistic director, Adam Penford (2001); and CEO and founder of immersive event specialists Path Entertainment, David Hutchinson (2009). New mini´«Ã½. Companion Sita McIntosh of Go Live Theatre is also included.

Liam, who graduated from mini´«Ã½. in 2017, is executive director and producer at Barn Theatre, Cirencester. He was named in the regional theatre section alongside Barn’s artistic director and CEO, Iwan Lewis.

After starting out in the music industry, Liam moved into live event production (GBL Productions, Belfast) and then theatre (contracts manager, National Theatre) before joining Barn in 2024. He spoke to us about his work at the theatre, their first West End transfer, his time at mini´«Ã½. and his joy - and shock - at making The Stage 100.

We only discovered we’d made The Stage 100 when it was published. I spoke to Iwan on the day it was released and he said ‘I assume we’ve not made The Stage 100 then?’ I was looking through it, saw some of my colleagues in there and then a photo of the two us. It was a complete surprise! What makes the recognition special is that other industry professionals as well as industry leaders have a say on who makes the list. It’s great for Iwan and me but it’s also great for the whole team here to have their work recognised.

Being listed in The Stage 100 is recognition that I can mix it with the big players. That I can metaphorically go toe-to-toe with the people at the top. It’s also an affirmation that what you’re doing is working, as well as encouragement to carry on. The aim now is not to drop out of the 100.

What I’m most proud of is getting our production I’m Sorry Prime Minister into the West End. My background is in taking a product and finding a place and a life for it beyond its initial development. When I joined the Barn, there were already conversations about I’m Sorry Prime Minister going to the West End. And I was able take those conversations and plans and make them happen – the first time a Barn show has made it to the West End. For a 200-seater theatre in the Cotswold to be having a show at the Apollo Theatre in the West End is huge - and for that show to be doing such good business at the box office is a massive achievement.

I'm Sorry Prime Minister West End rehearsals. L-to-r co-director Michael Gyngell, Griff Rhys Jones, Clive Francis and Stephanie Levi-John

Our emphasis now is to ensure the Barn remains self-sustaining as a development house and as a springboard for shows that people want to test out before taking them into the West End or on tour. Over the last 18 months we’ve been re-imagining how a regional theatre can operate as a development house and changing how we operate. At the moment our chairman supports us philanthropically, which is fantastic, but we don’t want to have to rely on that going forward.

The market in America is very fragile but that means there are opportunities for us. It has become so expensive to make theatre on Broadway that investors don’t want to put money into it. They’re looking for alternatives. What’s the alternative? Putting shows into London because it’s cheaper but it’s also a great springboard for Broadway.

Because we’re not a subsidised theatre we can be agile which is very appealing to commercial and American producers. We don’t have to programme a year in advance we can leave a gap and say, ‘let’s just see what comes up’. Although that can be quite stressful for the team here it does mean we can be flexible. We don’t have to say to producers let's look at 2027, we can say, let’s do this year. We can make decisions quickly.

The support I got as a student at mini´«Ã½. was amazing. I formed a music management company while I was there with fellow student Tom Hendrick Uebelgunn (who went on to become product manager at Universal Music), and we managed music student Jalen Ngonda. A booking agent called me and offered Jalen the Montreal Jazz Festival. It was such an amazing opportunity I said yes. I then started googling flights to Montreal and I was shocked at how expensive they were. The fee wasn’t great, it would just about cover the flights and a bit extra, but we wouldn’t get that until after the performance. I didn’t know how we would be able to afford it. I went to Mark Featherstone-Witty (mini´«Ã½. founder and former principal), explained how this was a great opportunity for five students in all and mini´«Ã½. found a way to support us and get us to Montreal.

I use what I learnt at mini´«Ã½. every single day. And there’s not one thing I learnt that I haven’t used at some point. If you desperately want to be in this industry, everything you learn on the Management course is what happens in this industry. The masterclasses with industry professionals are so valuable, they tell you exactly what’s happening now in the real world. I speak so highly of mini´«Ã½. when anyone asks me about it. The opportunities you get there are endless. For me it all started at mini´«Ã½..

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