Oakley Capital Corporate Finance (“Oakley”) has advised global media company Imagine Nation, on an investment by LDC (www.ldc.co.uk). Imagine Nation (“the Company”) is an ambitious new business with content rights, extensive media relationships and a strategy of developing innovative live theatre, film and television formats globally. Oakley Capital Corporate Finance acted as sole advisor to Imagine Nation on the transaction.
The Company was co-founded in 2012 by CEO Kees Abrahams and Robin de Levita. Media entrepreneur Kees Abrahams was formerly President of International TV Production at Sony Pictures Television and CEO of “Who Wants to be A Millionaire?” owner 2waytraffic. Multiple Tony Award winning Chief Creative Officer Robin de Levita is one of the most highly-regarded creative directors in the theatre industry. Harvey Goldsmith, one of the world’s leading entertainment producers and promotors, is non-executive director at Imagine Nation and Chris Pye, known for senior roles at the BBC, ITV and Sony Pictures, is the company’s non-executive Chairman.
In the coming year, Imagine Nation will announce a number of major productions on different continents in collaboration with a variety of business partners. Imagine Nation’s initial focus will be in live theatre, using both unique content and innovative staging concepts such as the revolutionary “SceneAround”. This format was first developed for the musical Soldier of Orange in The Netherlands, which has been sold out since it opened more than three years ago. SceneAround, for which Imagine Nation exclusively represents the international rights, involves a rotating auditorium with the sets built around the auditorium, in which the audience rotates from scene to scene (click above to see video). New Productions, producer of Soldier of Orange – The Musical and co-producer Robin de Levita have been the pioneers of this theatrical system.
Imagine Nation’s strategy is to develop distinctive, immersive theatre concepts and global formats which will provide unique and memorable experiences for audiences around the world. One of the first productions is ANNE, an adaptation of the story of Anne Frank, for which Imagine Nation has secured exclusive rights. ANNE will be premiered in Amsterdam in May 2014 at Imagine Nation’s newly built theatre, Theater Amsterdam, in the centre of the city.
Oakley has worked with Kees Abrahams for several years, with Partner Chris Godsmark floating 2waytraffic on the London Stock Exchange in 2006 and acting for the company on its sale to Sony for £114m in 2008.
Chris Godsmark, Partner of Oakley Capital Corporate Finance said:
“We are pleased to be advising Kees and his new partner Robin on such an ambitious global media venture. This is one of the most experienced and talented teams in the media industry and we expect the business to grow very substantially over the next few years. We are delighted to be advising Imagine Nation moving into the next exciting phase of growth.”
For more information, please contact:
Chris Godsmark, Partner
James Chapman-Andrews, Director
+44 20 7766 6900
Juliet Clarke / Nick Woods, Powerscourt
+44 20 7250 1446