Cameron Mackintosh

Born 17 October 1946 in London, sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is one of the most influential musical theatre producers in the world, responsible for producing hits such as "Les Misérables", "The Phantom of the Opera", "Miss Saigon", "Cats", and "Hamilton". His father, Ian Robert Mackintosh, was a Scottish timber merchant and jazz trumpeter and his mother, Diana Gladys (née Tonna), was a Maltese-French production secretary. He has a younger brother, Robert, who is also a producer. At 8 Mackintosh saw a production of the musical "Salad Days", which caused him to decide to become a theatre producer. He went to the Catholic Prior Park College in Bath.

In his teens he worked as a stagehand, later becoming an assistant stage manager, an finally - in the 1970s - a producer.

In 1981 he produced Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Cats", which became a huge success despite the initial doubts about whether singing cats were a good idea. This led to Mackintosh being approached by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, who asked him to produce what was then a French concept album called "Les Misérables" in London. Again, the musical was a huge success.

In 1982 at the opening night of "Oklahoma!" in Adalaide, Mackintosh met an Australian theatre photographer Michael Le Poer Trench, who became his partner.

In 1986 he produced Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical "The Phantom of the Opera", the Broadway production of which became the longest-running Broadway musical in history. He went on to produce a number of other musicals, including "Five Guys Named Moe", revival of "Follies" and West End Transfers of "Oklahoma!", "My Fair Lady", "Carousel" and "Avenue Q".

He was awarded the 1989 Drama-Logue Award for Production for the Musical, "The Phantom of the Opera" in the Really Useful Theatre Company Inc. production at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Honorary Fellow, St Catherine's College, Oxford, 1990.

He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1991 for The Observer Award for Outstanding Achivement for his creative contributions to West End Theatre and generous contributions to Oxford University for a visiting drama professorship, the Royal National Company for the presentation of great musicals and the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn.

In 1996 Mackintosh was knighted for his services to musical theatre. Two years later he celebrated his 30 years in the business with the concert gala Hey, Mr.

Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh (1998).

Picked up the Musical Theatre Award on behalf of the cast of "My Fair Lady" at The Varity Club Show business Awards 2002.

In the Independent of Sunday 2006 Pink List - a list of the most influential gay men and women - he came no. 4, same as last year.

Ranked #7 in the 2008 Telegraph's list "the 100 most powerful people in British culture".