The Really Useful Group (RUG), the production company of Tony Award-winning composer, writer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber, has rebranded. As of Aug. 13, the company is known as LW Entertainment, and will continue to manage Lloyd Webber’s oeuvre of works, which includes “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Evita,” Sunset Boulevard” and “Starlight Express.”
LW Entertainment will maintain its day-to-day leadership team, which comprises CEO James McKnight, chief operating officer and general counsel Louise Hughes, group chief financial officer Lawrence Chapman and chief commercial officer Libby Grant.
The announcement of the new company name coincides with a slew of new focuses, productions and partnerships.
First, LW Entertainment will prioritize copyright exploitation of Lloyd Webber’s catalog, while Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals (LWHM) will manage theatrical production. The company is currently represented in London’s West End with a Rachel Zegler-led revival of “Evita,” directed by Jamie Lloyd.
In New York, LW Entertainment has licensed “Masquerade,” an immersive adaptation of “The Phantom of the Opera” currently playing Off-Broadway.
Also in New York, a newly announced mounting, “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” will transfer to Broadway in spring 2026, produced by LWHM and Mike Bosner; additional details including venue, casting and production timeline will be announced.
Details for an upcoming production of Lloyd Webber’s latest musical, “The Illusionist,” will be announced.
LW Entertainment has also entered a partnership with Penguin Random House. In fall 2026, Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, will release “Our Strange Duet,” a young adult novel adapted from “The Phantom of the Opera.” “Our Strange Duet” is developed in collaboration with Erin S. Craig. The Penguin Random House partnership is also slated to publish three Little Golden Books and a coffee-table book.
Beyond the page, “Phantom” will also receive a new screen adaptation as LW Entertainment has teamed up with Justin Leach of Qubic Pictures, an animation production company, to create a “Phantom of the Opera” anime.
“This is part of significant, global plans for ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ over the coming years across live theater, film, publishing, music and many other areas,” said Lloyd Webber in a statement.
Futhermore,LW Entertainment has entered into a strategic equity investment with U.K.-based producer and general manager GWB Entertainment. The goal of this partnership is for LW Entertainment to gain broader representation in Asian markets, a longstanding hallmark of GWB Entertainment.
LW Entertainment has engaged the company Merchantwise to create and expand new merchandise for Lloyd Webber properties.
Finally, LW Entertainment recently relaunched AndrewLloydWebber.com, which includes the launch of the Box Five Club, a free, dedicated global hub for fans of Lloyd Webber’s musicals.
“‘The heart and soul of the company is creativity and innovation’ — a quote from Bob Iger which perfectly reflects LW Entertainment,” said Madeleine Lloyd Webber, group president of LW Entertainment and LW Theatres. “This is a very exciting new chapter for our family business, while respecting and building upon RUG’s extraordinary legacy. The Lloyd Webber family are aligned and share the vision of LW Entertainment: to create, entertain, excite, challenge, disrupt and inspire audiences across many art forms for generations to come. The brilliant team led by James McKnight, ably supported by our chair David Chance and the rest of our board, have already delivered innovation, and I’m excited and optimistic about the ambitious plans they have for the future.”
“I am thrilled that the final piece of the reorganization of the Lloyd Webber companies is complete,” added Andrew Lloyd Webber.
