Mark Watson sells a stake in his production company

New tie-up with DLT Entertainment

Showbiz giant DLT Entertainment has bought a stake in Mark Watson’s production company, Impatient Productions.

DLT owns the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End and has produced TV shows such as My Family and Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit and recently invested in the talent agencies Andrew Roach Talent, The Soho Agency and Blue Book Artist Management – which represents Watson.

Meanwhile Impatient, which Watson set up with his partner, the former BBC radio producer Lianne Coop, has produced tours, podcasts and radio shows for the likes of Josie Long, Daliso Chaponda, Sofie Hagen, Shappi Khorsandi and Laura Lexx as well as Watson himself.

It also produced 24 drive-in gigs during lockdown in conjunctuon with celebrity chef Tom Kerridge.

As part of the new deal, DLT’s president Donald Taffner, Jr, will have a seat on the board.

He said: ‘We’ve been fans of Mark and Lianne’s and everything they’ve been doing at Impatient Productions for a long time. Despite being hugely successful already there’s no doubt that the industry faces new challenges and Impatient Production’s creativity and adaptability (especially during lockdown) has been so impressive and illustrates their work ethic and innovation.

‘We’re excited to officially welcome them into the DLT family and can’t wait to see what the future holds as we delve into new territories, collaborations and ideas.’

Watson added: ‘This is a major moment in the eventful history of Impatient Productions. We started out in a low-profile way and weren’t taken seriously by some sections of the industry at first. But we have built a lot in a short space of time and I’m very happy to be pooling our talents with the clout and dynamism of a team like DLT’s. It’s already proved to be a fruitful partnership and we are only just getting started.

‘This year has been very tough for everyone, but we’re coming out of it in a strong position and this new alliance is another big step forward for us, giving us the muscle to pursue even more of the projects that have made people talk about us.’

Lianne Coop Coop, right, added: ‘Donald has been a fantastic ally to Impatient ever since we started sharing ideas and discussing collaboration. His infectious energy and enthusiasm have given us courage to do the many and varied things that we have in the past couple of years.’