Simon Friend Entertainment, a respected force in theatre production, has announced its official rebrand to Melting Pot, marking a new chapter in its journey as a dynamic, forward-thinking independent creative company. Simon Friend will lead the business alongside long-standing colleague Hanna Osmolska, both serving as Directors.
The new brand identity reflects the company’s evolution and commitment to developing and presenting stories that resonate across generations, while acknowledging the wealth of theatrical talent that contributes to the success of every production. The name Melting Pot signifies a continued commitment to creating spaces where ideas and voices come together to manifest compelling work, showcased globally.
As Simon Friend Entertainment, Friend and Osmolska have earned a reputation for producing bold, high-quality work, including the West End, Broadway, and international hit, Life of Pi, which won five Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards, and the double Academy and BAFTA Award-winning film, The Father starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. Friend has been named in The Stage 100 most influential people in British theatre.
Melting Pot is currently producing two companies of Life of Pi – one across the US and one in China – and extensive UK tours of Ghost Stories, followed by a West End season, and The Girl on the Train. Later this year, Life of Pi opens in Seoul, the company’s blockbuster Dolly Parton musical Here You Come Again tours Australia, Paranormal Activity runs in four major producing theatres across the US followed by West End and New York, and Inspector Morse tours the UK. This year, over 250 actors, stage managers, and technicians will be employed on their shows across over 150 performance weeks and gross ticket sales of over £60m.
Simon Friend and Hanna Osmolska, Co-Directors of Melting Pot, said: “Since the company’s first production in November 2015 we’re proud to say that (18 months of Covid aside) SFE hasn’t had a single week without at least one show we’ve produced and general managed, and often there’s several. However, the company’s output – 38 productions since our inception – is a collective effort, and with a large slate in front of us, working with dozens of artists, as of today the business will be rebranded Melting Pot. The name acknowledges that, as the saying goes, it takes a village to make a show, and each one is the result of many creative efforts.”
In December 2024, Friend and Osmolska, alongside Steven Greenhalgh, launched the theatrical licensing agency, Theatre Global, which represents a variety of professional and amateur rights in titles such as Lolita Chakrabarti’s Olivier Award-winning adaptation of Life of Pi, Deborah Moggach’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and the Drop The Dead Donkey play by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin.
About Melting Pot
Melting Pot is an independent theatre and film production company. They develop, produce, and manage all their own productions, which have won Academy Awards, Tony Awards, BAFTAs, and Olivier Awards. Simon Friend founded the company in 2015 (as Simon Friend Entertainment Ltd) and has been named in The Stage 100 most influential people in British theatre, and was joined by Hanna Osmolska in 2017.
More information can be found here.
