Sonia Friedman Productions has announced a major leadership transition as part of a wider company restructure.
Executive Director Diane Benjamin will step down in January 2026 after twenty-five years with the company. She will continue to work with SFP as a consultant.
Joining the company as Executive Director from late September is Kash Bennett, currently Executive Producer of National Theatre Productions and President of the Society of London Theatres.
Sonia Friedman said, “It’s impossible to sum up what Diane Benjamin has meant to me and to Sonia Friedman Productions over the past 25 years. She is a true one-off – the very best in the business when it comes to overseeing a large, international producing theatre company. When she joined, there were just three of us; today, we produce and co-produce 10, 15, sometimes 20 shows a year around the world and our work employ thousands of people annually and is seen by many millions. That transformation is in no small part thanks to Diane’s brilliance, her courage, her unshakable integrity, her loyalty, and her fierce commitment to doing things properly.”
“She is a leader, a mentor, a friend – known for her great kindness, her generosity of spirit, and her fierce dedication. She is utterly irreplaceable, and I honestly can’t imagine this company without her. But change is inevitable. Happily, she won’t be disappearing entirely – she’ll remain close and continue to advise us as a consultant – but this marks the end of an extraordinary era. I will miss her more than I can say.”
“We are very privileged to have the indefatigable Kash Bennett join SFP, taking up the role of Executive Director from the end of next month. Her incredible track record speaks for itself, and as we evolve to the next phase in our company’s life her brilliance, passion, unique experience and tenacity will prove both an essential and inspirational addition to our team.”
Diane Benjamin commented, “2026 marks 25 years of working with Sonia Friedman and SFP, during which time it has been the honour of my career to have been part of some of the most ground-breaking, inspirational and extraordinary productions worldwide. From Boeing-Boeing to The Nether and Jerusalem, from The Book of Mormon to Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, it has been a joy to work alongside the best in the industry, to work side by side with Sonia and the entire amazing team at SFP. They are the most caring, dedicated and passionate group of people I could have had the good fortune to work with. I look forward to continuing my relationship with SFP and the wider industry, as I move to the next stage in my career.”
Kash Bennett added, “I’m incredibly excited to be joining Sonia Friedman Productions. SFP’s reputation for bold, brilliant, world-class theatre is second to none, and I’m thrilled to be working alongside such an extraordinary team. It’s no secret that I have long admired Sonia – she is an exceptional producer with exquisite taste – and I can’t wait to collaborate with her to bring groundbreaking stories to the stage and share them with audiences around the world.”
Benjamin first joined SFP as General Manager before becoming Executive Director in 2012. Her career began at the National Theatre, where she established the Contracts Department, later moving to the Ambassador Theatre Group.
Bennett brings extensive experience from her time at the National Theatre, Stage Entertainment UK, and as President of SOLT. Her credits include The Lehman Trilogy, Dear England, Standing at the Sky’s Edge, and Ocean at the End of the Lane.
More information can be found here
