Bloomsbury Regulatory News (BMY)

25 May 2006 07:00

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC25 May 2006 25 May 2006 Bloomsbury Acquires Theatre List Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, ("Bloomsbury"), the children's, adult and referencebook publisher, announced today that its subsidiary A & C Black has acquiredMethuen Drama Ltd for a total cash consideration of £2.35m. Methuen Drama Ltd has over 700 titles in print and the list includes plays bytop contemporary authors such as Caryl Churchill, Michael Frayn and David Mametas well as established classics by Bertolt Brecht, Oscar Wilde and Dario Fo.The list also includes practical books for students that cover voice training,directing and stage management, a number of more general titles, theatrebiographies, diaries and letters. The acquisition is complementary to a number of A&C Black's publishingactivities including its established practical theatre list and the New Mermaidsseries of plays. A&C Black has also recently reached agreement with the ShawFoundation to publish a number of Bernard Shaw's most famous plays and thesewill be rolled in to the Methuen Drama list. The Company plans to develop theMethuen Drama list across all of the English speaking markets, exploiting itmore fully in the trade and educational spheres. Nigel Newton, Chairman of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, said: "Methuen Drama is a highly prestigious name and has a list of well known authorsand playwrights. We have the sales and marketing expertise to exploit its listfully in the trade and educational markets and will be looking to add bothpractical theatre titles and new works which will become the classic plays ofthe future." The Methuen general list will stay with the current management and will be soldunder the name Methuen Publishing Ltd. Peter Tummons, Managing Director of Methuen said: 'I am delighted that the drama list and the Methuen Drama name will go to suchan old established house as A&C Black, backed by the entrepreneurial spirit ofBloomsbury. I'm sure the list will prosper in such good hands'. ENDS For further information, please contact: Tim Spratt/Charles PalmerFinancial Dynamics 020 7831 3113 Sandy Karon, PA to the Chief ExecutiveBloomsbury Publishing Plc 020 7494 6015 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange