Vicky Featherstone tops Stage 100 list

Vicky Featherstone has topped this year's Stage 100 list of the most influential people in theatre, moving up from 29th place to 1st place, knocking Sonia Friedman off the top spot.

Featherstone has moved up the list following her response to the sexual harassment claims within the theatre industry. She is the third woman to top the list as a solo entry.

She said: "It is a total shock and honour to be recognised by The Stage for our work around No Grey Area, especially amongst this list of theatre heroines and heroes.

"I share this with the fearless and passionate team and board at the Royal Court. But mostly, it is affirmation to the brave women and men who spoke out about their experiences that they are being taken seriously and proof that my theatre colleagues, with the power to do so, are listening and that we can achieve fundamental change. As an industry, we are once more leading the way."

Elsewhere on the list new entries included Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda at 9, Martin Green – executive director of Hull City of Culture – at 14, director Ivo van Hove at 19 and new Young Vic artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah. Kwei-Armah becomes the first black Briton to feature in the top 20 of The Stage 100 list.

Playwright James Graham has moved up 66 places on last year, and is now positioned at number ten following his run of three plays in the West End. Other people in the top ten include Cameron Mackintosh and Nicholas Allott (2), Friedman (3), Andrew Lloyd Webber (4), Rufus Norris and Lisa Burger (5), Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer (6), Nick Starr and Nicholas Hytner (7) and Michael Harrison at 8.

The list has been released for 22 years and is decided through industry consultation and ultimately by a panel of senior editorial staff at The Stage.