KMP Logo

about us

PRODUCERS Andrew Kay and Liza McLean established Kay & McLean Productions Pty Ltd in 2008. Together with UK co-producers Duncan C. Weldon and Paul Elliott they have presented Australian tours of plays starring some of the greats of British theatre, including; The Importance of Being Earnest, starring Patricia Routledge, The Hollow Crown starring Dianna Rigg, Ian Richardson, Derek Jacobie and Donald Sindon, Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads starring Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack followed by Brenda Blethyn and Sigrid Thornton as well as the Australian and New Zealand tour of Waiting for Godot, starring Ian McKellen and the Sydney Opera House season of Haunted, starring Brenda Blethyn.

Other productions have included, The Graduate, starring Jerry Hall, Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, Elizabeth Coleman’s Secret Bridesmaids’ Business, the Melbourne Festival season of The Magic Flute (Impempe Yomlingo), and an Australian tour of classical pianist James Rhodes.

In 2011 Andrew and Liza were thrilled to be one of the co commissioners of the extraordinary The Bridge Project production of Richard III starring Kevin Spacey which later performed to sell out audiences at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre. In 2014, Kay and Mclean presented in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, Felicity Kendal in the Bath Theatre Royal production of Noel Coward’s Hay Fever.

In 2012 Andrew and Liza began the process of commissioning and developing the first ever stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film, North By Northwest. With an extraordinary creative team led by Simon Phillips & Carolyn Burns with Nick Schlieper, Ian McDonald and Esther Marie Hayes, together with their producing partner, Melbourne Theatre Company, the play had its celebrated World Premier in June 2015. This was followed by a State Theatre season in Melbourne in 2016 with our partners at Arts Centre Melbourne.

In 2017, North by Northwest celebrated international showcase seasons at the Theatre Royal Bath in the United Kingdom and the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto presented with partners Theatre Royal Bath Productions and David Mirvish.

Kay & McLean Productions partners with producers, directors and venues to present world class live performance in Australia and overseas. Our partners include:

Warner Bros Theatre Ventures
KMCB Limited
Jonathan Church Productions
Theatre Royal Bath Productions
David Mirvish
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Adelaide Festival Theatre
Duncan C Weldon
Paul Elliott
Arnold Crook
Nigel Everett
Sean Mathias
Glynis Henderson
Sacha Brooks
John Reid
Michael Coppel
David Vigo
Brooklyn Academy of Music
The Old Vic
Neal Street
Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester
Fiery Angel Ltd
Arts Projects Australia
Melbourne Festival
Red Events
The Arts Centre Melbourne
Perth Theatre Trust
Sydney Opera House
Melbourne Theatre Company

 

 

ANDREW KAY

Andrew KayAndrew Kay's first outing as a commercial producer goes back to 1977 when he produced a Northern Territory tour of Ron Blair's "The Christian Brother".Since then he has worked in most sectors of Australia's arts and entertainment industry including as GM of Melbourne Theatre Company, CEO of the Paul Dainty Corporation and Managing Director of International Concert Attractions Limited.

Like most producers, he has produced everything from runaway smash hits to shows that he would rather forget.His favourite success stories include his Grammy Award winning Soweto Gospel Choir, the record breaking 1997 world tour of the extraordinary David Helfgott, and shows such as Simon Phillip's legendary productions of The Importance of Being Earnest starring Ruth Cracknell, Frank Thring and later Gordon Chater, The Blue Room starring Sigrid Thornton and Marcus Graham as well as Amanda Muggleton's unforgettable roles as Shirley Valentine and as Maria Callas in Masterclass.

During this time Andrew has had the pleasure of producing and presenting some extraordinary international artists including Maggie Smith, Brenda Blethyn, Derek Jacobi, Yehudi Menuhin, Wynton Marsalis, Pete Postlethwaite, Dianna Rigg, Ian Richardson, Donald Sindon, Patricia Routledge, Ian McKellen, Eric Idle, Paco Pena, The Goodies and Ibrahim Ferrer. Andrew's shows have performed against the foot and mouth outbreak in London, September 11 in New York and SARS in Singapore.


Andrew is President of Live Performance Australia, Australia's peak employer body for live performance and producer of The Helpmann Awards.

 

 

LIZA MCLEAN

Liza McLean has worked in the entertainment industry in Australia and overseas for the past twenty years, working for and collaborating with extraordinary Producers and some of worlds’ finest actors, singers and performers.   Recently she was appointed the Executive Producer for the 2013 Helpmann Awards presented by Live Performances Australia.

In 2005 she formed Tinderbox Productions Pty Ltd and is the sole director.  In 2008 Liza formed a new company Kay and McLean Productions Pty Ltd with producing partner and close friend Andrew Kay.

In 2013 Kay & McLean Productions will present in association with Michael Coppel Theatrical, Jerry Hall as Mrs Robinson in The Graduate with an Australian cast at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne.  Earlier this year, Tubular Bells “For Two” in association with Places & Spaces, the Broadway hit production, My First Time starring Sharon Millerchip and Josef Ber with the Sydney Opera House. In 2012 with Glynis Henderson Productions The Spaghetti Western Orchestra.  In 2011 Kay & McLean Co-commissioned the international tour and produced the exclusive Sydney Season of The Bridge Projects’ Richard III starring Kevin Spacey, Magic Flute, Impempe Yomlingo as part of the Melbourne Festival, James Rhodes national tour and Haunted starring Brenda Blethyn.  In 2010 The Graduate starring Jerry Hall and the Australia and New Zealand season of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot starring Ian McKellen, Roger Rees and Matthew Kelly.  Other theatrical credits include, Producer - Warriors of Brazil 2010, Producer  - Meow Meow “Feline Intimate” 2009, Producer – Elizabeth Coleman’s Secret Bridesmaids’ Business 2009. Liza McLean for  Tinderbox Productions is responsible for all financial management on the above KMP productions.

Tinderbox Productions Theatrical credits include, Executive Producer – 2013 Helpmann Awards, Producer– The 39 Steps – 2009 Melbourne and Regional Tours & 2008 Sydney Opera House and Hong Kong, Talking Heads 2007 Australian Tour – starring Brenda Blethyn & Sigrid Thornton.  Consulting Producer – Paco Pena A compass to the Rhythm, and Tango Fire.  Associate Producer – The Hobbit and  Shaolin Warriors Legends of Kung Fu.  Co-Producer – Dorothy the Dinosaur’s Dance Party USA Tour, Humphrey in Rock Around the Magic Forest Clock, Australian Tour Producer – The Ten Tenors 2006 and Supervising Producer The Misfits Australian Tour.

Prior to this, Liza McLean was an Associate Producer for ICA Presents Pty Ltd, working on many successful tours including Bed Among the Lentils and Soldiering On, two of the Talking Heads series monologues, starring Dame Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack, The Hollow Crown, starring Dame Diana Rigg, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir Donald Sinden and the late Ian Richardson, The Blue Room starring Sigrid Thornton & Marcus Graham, Masterclass starring Amanda Muggleton and The Importance of Being Earnest starring Patricia Routledge.

 

 

© Kay and McLean Productions 2013