RUNAWAY ENTERTAINMENT
Charlie Parsons is behind Runaway Entertainment, a theatre development company which develops extraordinary and ambitious shows for the stage, using the thinking that Charlie brought to his groundbreaking TV shows. Charlie, working alongside Olivier-award winning producer Tristan Baker, uses his extensive shaping and storytelling skills on new and acquired commissions turning them into theatre that gets talked about and brings new audiences.
Runaway’s most recent production is The Hunger Games on Stage where Runaway built the 1200 seat theatre in Canary Wharf specially for the show through its company Troubadour Theatres. As The Hollywood Reporter says “the enthralling, 2.5-hour production is a feat of engineering, technology, choreography, illusion work and just about every possible creative department you could think of.” Runaway developed the script at the same time as building the theatre.
2:22 A Ghost Story was an overnight hit when Runaway opened it in the West End : this ghostly fable caught the zeitgeist with its powerful acting and use of music and special techniques to scare, delight and entertain. It was Lily Allen’s stage debut and was the subject of her 2025 album West End Girl. Lily won an Olivier for her performance. 2:22 A Ghost Story has become a global success story and has and is playing all over the world.
Runaway’s newest project is a feel-good musical A Knights Tale, based on the cult Heath Ledger and Paul Bethany film which is expected to open in late 2026 and features hits from the 90s and noughties.
Runaway was also behind Girl From the North Country featuring the music of Bob Dylan with a book by the acclaimed Conor Macpherson. Charlie and Tristan at Runaway developed this, and drove the creative process in this groundbreaking. award winning show which won an Olivier, a Tony and was nominated for a grammy.
Its other hits include the award winning E. Nesbit classic The Railway Children, the Olivier winning musical In the Heights, and the highly acclaimed West End and touring production of Guys and Dolls. It also manages productions for the stage including Footloose and The Mousetrap.