The Theatre of Comedy Company

In 1983, the playwright Ray Cooney, together with thirty leading actors, directors and writers (the Founder Members) created The Theatre of Comedy Company and took out a lease on the Shaftesbury Theatre. The ambition of the Company was to present the very best of British comedy writing, both at the Shaftesbury and other West End theatres. Its initial seasons were a huge success and allowed the Company to purchase the freehold of the Theatre in 1984. The current Chairman, the highly regarded television executive Don Taffner OBE, joined the Company in 1986 and became the majority shareholder in control of the management of the Company in 1992.

Harnessing the talents of the Theatre of Comedy Members under Don Taffner, the Company's success extended beyond the Shaftesbury Theatre, producing and co-producing a number of notable regional and West End productions, including Alan Ayckbourn's Intimate Exchanges; Peter Nichols' Passion Play with Founder Member Leslie Phillips; Hay Fever at the Albery Theatre and the successful revival of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie starring Patricia Hodge. The Company received numerous accolades, which included two Olivier Awards in 1986: the Best Comedy Performance for Bill Fraser and Best Comedy Production for J.B. Priestley's When We Are Married; in 1993, the Best Play of the year for John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation and in 1994, three Olivier Awards including the Best Comedy of the Year, for Member Terry Johnson's Hysteria.

During 1995 and 1996 the Company co-produced The Royal Court Classics' season at the Duke of York's Theatre and produced Plunder with Griff Rhys Jones at the Savoy Theatre. Staying On, a stage adaptation of Paul Scott's prize-winning novel followed in 1997 starring Member Prunella Scales and Richard Johnson and in 1998 Brief Lives, an adaptation of the writings of John Aubrey, starring Founder Member Michael Williams was produced at the Duchess Theatre.

More recently, the Company presented the world première of Spike by Simon Day, starring Founder Member Richard Briers; Amy Rosenthal's bitter-sweet comedy Sitting Pretty starring Founder Member Maureen Lipman at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton and on tour; and, Member Alan Plater's comedy Only a Matter of Time at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury.

Combining the synergies of both the theatre and television industries has led to notable successes as the Company co-produced programmes for television with our sister company DLT Entertainment U.K. Ltd. These have included the hugely successful BBC comedy As Time Goes By starring Founder Members Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, which was written and directed by Members Bob Larbey and Sydney Lotterby, respectively. Most recently, two "Reunion Specials" were broadcast by the BBC at Christmas 2005.

Also for the BBC, the Company produced a four-part comedy drama, Love on a Branch Line, an adaptation of John Hadfield's book by Member David Nobbs, starring Leslie Phillips, and Bloomin' Marvellous written by Member John Godber and starring Sarah Lancashire and Clive Mantle.

The Company continues to actively develop new theatre and television projects, drawing on the strengths of its Members and the wider theatre industry. The partnership with DLT Entertainment UK, one of the UK's significant independent television production companies and maker of the hit comedy My Family, give it a unique position that is expected to generate further Theatre of Comedy productions in the near future.