Sir Howard Panter: Let him entertain you

Few people have had a greater influence on modern theatre than Sir Howard Panter. As co-founder of Trafalgar Entertainment, he oversees a global network of theatres and productions, including Sydney's Theatre Royal, while producing acclaimed shows such as Fiddler on the Roof, Jersey Boys, The Lehman Trilogy and many more. In this conversation, Sir Howard reflects on why timeless works continue to resonate with audiences, the importance of quality storytelling, and why theatre remains one of the most powerful ways of bringing people together.Sir Howard also shares his remarkable journey from an art student who discovered he was better at "bossing people around backstage" than painting, to building two of the world's largest theatre companies from the ground up. He discusses the risks of owning theatres and producing shows, the challenge of programming successful seasons, and his passion for restoring historic venues to create spaces modern audiences enjoy visiting.The conversation also explores Trafalgar's work filming stage productions for cinema and television audiences, and reveals Howard's high regard for Australian performers, whom he believes are among the finest musical theatre actors in the world.🎭 Trafalgar’s production of Fiddler on the Roof runs at Sydney’s Theatre Royal until October 3 before heading to the other capitals. Their new production of Noël Coward’s Private Lives, starring Lisa McCune and Hugh Bonneville in his Australian theatre debut, runs at the Theatre Royal from February 6, 2027.