Press releases & announcements

25th May 2006

Bloomsbury Acquires Theatre List

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, (“Bloomsbury”), the children’s, adult and reference book publisher, announced today that its subsidiary A & C Black has acquired Methuen Drama Ltd for a total cash consideration of £2.35m.

Methuen Drama Ltd has over 700 titles in print and the list includes plays by top contemporary authors such as Caryl Churchill, Michael Frayn and David Mamet as well as established classics by Bertolt Brecht, Oscar Wilde and Dario Fo. The list also includes practical books for students that cover voice training, directing and stage management, a number of more general titles, theatre biographies, diaries and letters.

The acquisition is complementary to a number of A&C Black’s publishing activities including its established practical theatre list and the New Mermaids series of plays. A&C Black has also recently reached agreement with the Shaw Foundation to publish a number of Bernard Shaw’s most famous plays and these will be rolled in to the Methuen Drama list. The Company plans to develop the Methuen Drama list across all of the English speaking markets, exploiting it more fully in the trade and educational spheres.

Nigel Newton, Chairman of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, said:

“Methuen Drama is a highly prestigious name and has a list of well known authors and playwrights. We have the sales and marketing expertise to exploit its list fully in the trade and educational markets and will be looking to add both practical theatre titles and new works which will become the classic plays of the future.”

The Methuen general list will stay with the current management and will be sold under the name Methuen Publishing Ltd.

Peter Tummons, Managing Director of Methuen said:

‘I am delighted that the drama list and the Methuen Drama name will go to such an old established house as A&C Black, backed by the entrepreneurial spirit of Bloomsbury. I’m sure the list will prosper in such good hands’.

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