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Paul Gregg (born 1941 in Scarborough, North YorkshireGuthrie, Jonathon. (31 August 2004) / Home UK / UK – Pure theatre on and off the football pitch. Ft.com.) is a businessman and entertainment impresario, who built Apollo Leisure Group into the UK's biggest theatre owner and largest independent family run cinema chain in the United Kingdom
After selling Apollo to SFX Group in 1999, and leaving new owners Clear Channel, he was a large stake holder in Everton F.C., before falling out with former friend Bill Kenwright in 2004, and selling his stake in October 2006 to Robert Earl.
Gregg built his empire by taking over struggling venues and turning them round. The Liverpool Empire Theatre, which was losing £750,000 a year under the Derek Hatton led council, was leased to become a home to big musicals. Gregg also reopened the Lyceum in London in the 1990s at a cost of £14 million, after the theatre had been closed for 10 years. Andrew Lloyd Webber's revival of Jesus Christ Superstar ran for two years, followed by Disney's The Lion King. On 28 September 1982 in association with friend Bill Kenwright, Gregg co-produced a production of The Mikado at the Cambridge Theatre, London. Programmes/Ephemera . Gilbertandsullivanonline.com.
The eventual portfolio of venues included The Point Theatre in Dublin, the Sheffield Arena and Wales National Ice Rink in Cardiff; as well as 23 theatres nationwide, including: Hammersmith Apollo, the Apollo Victoria and the Lyceum in London; the Bristol Hippodrome; the Edinburgh Playhouse; the Old Fire Station and Apollo in Oxford; Grand Opera House in York; the Opera House, Palace and Apollo Ardwick in Manchester; the Liverpool Empire and the Floral Hall in Southport. Apollo also owned Tickets Direct, which sold around £6 million theatre and concert tickets in 1999.
On 6 August 1999, Apollo accepted a takeover offer from the American entertainment corporation SFX for £158 million, because: "We were running a family business and suddenly we realised there were 5,000 people in the family." Gregg and his family owned 80% of the company, and received between them £126 million worth of shares and loan stock in SFX. The latest British theatre news for 08/06/99 . Britishtheatreguide.info (6 August 1999). SFX also agreed to acquire The Barry Clayman Corporation, 50% owned by the shareholders of Apollo, which promotes concert and entertainment events, and whose European tour artists include: Riverdance, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones. SFX Entertainment Agrees to Acquire Leading U.K. Entertainment Provider Apollo Leisure Group. – Business Wire , 3 August 1999, via HighBeam archive]
Paul Gregg stayed on, becoming European Chairman of the enlarged SFX group. Gregg approached producer David Ian to head up the theatre division, but Ian refused. After, the SFX Entertainment division was acquired by Clear Channel in 2000. Stage 125 :: Timeline :: 1980–present Gregg eventually persuaded Ian to join the group by absorbing Ian's joint venture with actor Paul Nicholas, and made Ian head of the European Theatre group before he left. Ian took over Gregg's role as European managing director of Entertainment at Clear Channel. The Stage / Features / Seeing clearly – David Ian
Apollo also announced plans to open London's first West End multiplex cinema in a decade. A new five-screen complex will be part of a £70 million scheme to enhance lower Regent Street. Four more new regional complexes are under development.
Together, cinemas and bingo generated pre-tax profits of about £1.5 million on turnover of £12.2 million in the year to 25 March 2004. From this, the Paul Gregg took £240,000 in dividends.
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