The Producers Tickets

Richard Kind will take on the role of Max Bialystock in the West End production of The Producers at the Garrick Theatre for a seven-week run, beginning 23 March. Kind is stepping into the role while Andy Nyman temporarily departs to open the world premiere of The Psychic at York Theatre Royal. Nyman is set to return to the show on 11 May.

Kind is no stranger to Max Bialystock, having first played the character on Broadway in 2004 and reprising it for the 2012 Hollywood Bowl production. Now, he brings his interpretation of the iconic role to London audiences in this five-star revival.

The first major London revival of Mel Brooks’ musical adaptation of The Producers received a sold-out run and glowing reviews when it opened at the Menier Chocolate Factory last year. Now the show has transferred to the West End. But did lightning strike twice? or was the production, like Bialystock’s investors, flatlining? Was it time to call time on Springtime? Or was the show, like Franz Liebkind’s musical, a hit? Shut up, I'm having a rhetorical conversation!   

Bialystock (Andy Nyman) muses at the beginning of the production that critics have a lot to say when they leave at the interval. Which is why he would be pleased (or, I guess horrified) to learn that I haven’t written an essay here. I left well after the final bows (there are some great moments post curtain call, that I implore everyone to forgo their earlier train to catch).

Despite being 58 years old, the musical still inspires creatives on both sides of the pond.  Brooks’ satire of Broadway excess follows Max Bialystock, a washed-up producer, and Leo Bloom, a timid accountant, as they cook up the perfect scam: stage a guaranteed flop, pocket the investors’ cash, and run. But when their outrageously tasteless new musical Springtime for Hitler - complete with a giant tap-dancing, swastika-clad pigeon - becomes a smash hit, the scheme unravels in spectacular fashion. 

Mel Brooks’ hit Broadway musical The Producers is famous not only for its outrageous comedy but also for its unforgettable score. Packed with clever lyrics, big show-stopping numbers, and hilarious parodies of musical theatre itself, The Producers songs bring the characters’ wild schemes to life. Below, we break down every song from The Producers, so let’s get this show on the road, shall we. 

Act 1

The first act introduces Max Bialystock, Leo Bloom, and the outrageous plan to make money by producing the worst Broadway show in history.

Overture

The orchestra sets the stage with a lively overture that blends melodies from the songs to come, giving the audience a taste of the comedy and chaos ahead.

Opening Night

Max Bialystock is introduced as a once-great Broadway producer whose latest show has flopped. The chorus laments the disaster, immediately immersing us in the world of failed productions.

The King of Broadway

In this number, Max reminisces about his glory days as a successful producer. Full of braggadocio and fading grandeur, it paints Max as a larger-than-life figure desperate to reclaim his former fame.

We Can Do It

This duet is where Max convinces Leo Bloom to join his outrageous scheme (to create the world's worst musical in order to bag a ton of cash). Their comedic back-and-forth showcases their contrasting personalities and sets the partnership into motion.

I Wanna Be a Producer

Leo dreams of escaping his dull life as an accountant in this fantasy production number. Surrounded by glamorous showgirls, he imagines a future of excitement and showbiz success.

Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop

This eccentric solo introduces Franz Liebkind, the former Nazi who wrote the musical Springtime for Hitler. With absurd Germanic flair, Franz reveals both his devotion to his pigeons and some serious dance moves.

Keep It Gay

When Max and Leo seek out Roger De Bris to direct their guaranteed flop, Roger and his assistant Carmen perform this hilariously camp number. It’s a tongue-in-cheek celebration of showbiz excess that parodies Broadway stereotypes.

When You Got It, Flaunt It

The Swedish bombshell Ulla auditions for Max and Leo with this cheeky showstopper. Brimming with confidence and comedic double entendre, it cements her as both a love interest and a scene-stealer.

Along Came Bialy

Max rallies his wealthy widows to invest in Springtime for Hitler. Tap-dancing with walkers, the ensemble of little old ladies helps Max secure the financing he needs in one of the funniest sequences in the show.

Act I Finale” (“We Can Do It – Reprise” / “In Old Bavaria” / “Where Did We Go Right?”)

The act closes with the team assembled and Springtime for Hitler ready to begin rehearsals. The finale blends reprises and new material to create a chaotic, triumphant ending that sets up the disaster (or success) to come.

Mel Brooks’ The Producers is packed with outrageous comedy, unforgettable songs, and some of the most eccentric characters in musical theatre. Below, you’ll find a full guide to the main characters in The Producers and the colourful personalities that drive its hilarious story. For more about who plays these roles on stage, check The Producers cast list. 

Meet the Producers characters

The musical follows Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, two down-on-their-luck producers who scheme to get rich by staging a guaranteed Broadway flop. Along the way, they meet a parade of wild and eccentric characters that bring this satirical musical to life.

Who are the main characters in The Producers?

The main characters are Max Bialystock, Leo Bloom, Ulla, Franz Liebkind, Roger De Bris, and Carmen Ghia. And the star of the musical within a musical, Springtime for Hitler, is Lorenzo St. DuBois.

Who is the villain in The Producers?

While the show has no traditional villain, Franz Liebkind (the eccentric ex-Nazi playwright) plays an antagonistic role; he hits the stage manager over the head, making him unconscious, he shouts at audience members declaring that he ‘outranks’ them, and he publicly declares his undying love for Hitler throughout. Which is a red flag bigger than the one they wave in Les Miserables. However, all of his faults are fabulously over the top, that he doesn’t threaten anyone.

Hold onto your little old lady walkers, the full cast for the West End transfer of The Producers has finally been announced, and it's bursting with more star power than Max Bialystock’s black book of investors.

After a hit sold-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, the gloriously inappropriate Mel Brooks musical is hotstepping it into the Garrick Theatre from 30 August 2025, with opening night set for 15 September.

Leading the lunacy are original cast members; Andy Nyman (Hello, Dolly!) as scheming impresario Max Bialystock, Olivier Award nominee Marc Antolin (Matilda) as the anxious accountant-turned-producer Leo Bloom, Trevor Ashley (Les Misérables) as Roger de Bris, Raj Ghatak (Life of Pi) as Carmen Ghia, Harry Morrison (Come From Away) as Franz Liebkind and Joanna Woodward (The Time Traveller’s Wife: The Musical) as Ulla. 

What are producer tickets? 

While most West End theatre tickets sell out quickly, a handful of seats are often held back for last-minute use by the show’s producers. These highly sought-after seats are known as Producer theatre tickets or “producer’s seats.” For example, at MAMMA MIA!, they’re cheekily referred to as Benny and Björn’s seats. In short, these are some of the best seats in the house, reserved in case a producer wants to attend on the night.

What does a producer do?

But what exactly does a theatre producer do? A theatrical producer is the driving force behind a production; responsible for securing the script, hiring the director, raising investment, managing the budget, and overseeing marketing. Producers often have the final say on major casting decisions and are key to turning a show into a runaway success (or, sometimes, a costly flop). Legendary producer Cameron Mackintosh, for instance, still takes an active role in Les Misérables decades after its premiere.

The Producers

Those searching for ‘Producer theatre tickets’ often come across the show The Producers itself, appropriately named, since it tells the story of two Broadway producers who hatch a scheme to make money from a guaranteed flop. Their plan backfires when the show becomes a hit! Adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks’ 1968 film, the musical became a sensation, winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards in its original Broadway run with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. The show later inspired a 2005 film and was staged in London at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 2004–2007, starring Lee Evans, and Leigh Zimmerman before embarking on a UK tour.

Following a sold-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, the current adaptation plays at the Garrick Theatre from 30 August 2025 to 21 February 2026, starring Olivier Award nominees Andy Nyman and Marc Antolin. This laugh-out-loud comedy is one of Broadway’s most celebrated musicals, and West End audiences now have the chance to experience it live.