Tom Stoppard Theatre Opening & Portrait

Portrait of Tom Stoppard in the foyer of the Tom Stoppard Theatre, September 2026

Still coming to terms with the honour, excitement (and social anxiety) of last week…

The re-naming of a central London venue such as a West End theatre is not something that happens overnight or without a whole village of people behind it. To have played a small part in this historic chapter of our rich culture has been a tremendous honour and unexpected thrill.

Little did I know when I started out on my professional photography journey all those years ago that my work would end up on permanent display in the centre of London. 

The shoot itself was the first of several times that Tom and I would work together over the years and truly my first ever portrait commission. Having been photographed by several of my photographic heroes including Irving Penn, Jane Bown, Richard Avedon and countless others, it was with immense surprise and gratitude that Tom kept coming back to me. 

In 2010 Tom, well established as one of Britain’s greatest living playwrights, took a chance on me - a completely unknown photographer and stage-hand who’d been working less than a year in theatre.

I envisioned and planned meticulously, setting up a natural light studio in the scene dock of the theatre - light backdrop, textured wood in the foreground and a stool. Of course Tom turned up in a light coloured shirt which just didn’t work against the background. Luckily I’d brought a black grandfather shirt of mine with me which Tom graciously agreed to change into.

I always knew it was a special shoot (the contact sheet itself is testament to that) but what is interesting to me is how the cultural significance of an image can adapt and evolve over time.

As I said, blown away! 

Seeing this large print beautifully presented in the foyer of the newly named theatre and how people stopped to take it in was truly humbling. 

My thanks and profound respect to Ed, Sabrina, Jacky and the rest of the Stoppard family, to Sonia and her team and the theatre owners for making this happen.

Of course thanks to Tom for taking that chance - and being such a good sport changing shirts for the shoot!