Cameron Mackintosh

The biggest British musical theatre star to emerge in the 1980s and 1990s was arguably not a performer, director, or writer but a producer. Cameron Mackintosh is a unique figure within the contemporary theatre. In a commercial musical theatre environment that has increasingly moved towards producing by committee—with investors often taking a producer title and even having a creative voice—Mackintosh’s early financial success with Cats and Les Misérables has enabled him to exercise an unusual level of control over the projects that he produces. Drawing on published interviews, existing scholarship, and original personal interviews with his creative collaborators, this article explores Cameron Mackintosh’s creative and business influences and assesses his lasting impact on the global musical theatre scene.