The words The Stage 100 rising stars

Tom, and fellow recipient Nick Butcher, are the composers and lyricists for The Little Big Things, which opened at @SohoPlace in London’s West End on 2 September 2023. Based on the memoir of rugby player Henry Fraser who, at 17, suffered an accident that left him paralysed from the waist down, the musical was described by The Stage as “groundbreaking and huge-hearted” and The Guardian as “movingly full of the joy of being alive”. Its run has been extended in the West End to March 2024.

Tom says: “I’m honoured to have been mentioned among The Stage 100 2024’s rising stars. I’ve always looked up to and admired the people on this list, so it means a great deal to be mentioned this year among such incredible artists.”

Now in its 27th year, The Stage 100 is intended to reflect the 100 most influential people working in theatre and the performing arts. It is considered from the point of view of The Stage as a trade publication and so focuses both on theatre as a business and an art form.

A photo of Tom Ling