First Night Records

First Night Records is a UK record label specialising in West End Musical releases. It was set up by music business veterans John Craig and Tony Edwards in 1984 and has recorded well over 150 productions, beginning with the first recording of "Singin’ in the Rain" starring Tommy Steele at the London Palladium.

In October 1985 Les Misérables, produced by Cameron Mackintosh, premiered at London’s Barbican Theatre to extremely downbeat and negative reviews. Edwards and Craig had nevertheless been so entranced in listening weeks previously to an early French version of the musical that they had already pledged to Mackintosh that they would record the show “regardless of run or reviews”. It was a costly proposition, and at the time there was no guarantee that following its limited run at the Barbican the show would transfer to the West End.

The recording went ahead. Les Mis did transfer, and on its opening night at the Palace Theatre in early December the Original Cast Recording was on sale in the theatre. First Night Records had been born. Ecstatic word of mouth continued to gainsay those initial “Les Glums...” reviews and a first miserable ship-out to the retailers morphed into an inward armada of Les Misérables repeat orders. Today, many times platinum, it is still First Night Records’ best-selling album.

Over the next 30 years, First Night Records recorded every show that Sir Cameron Mackintosh produced including Miss Saigon, Oliver (1994 London Palladium production), Follies, My Fair Lady, The Witches of Eastwick, Martin Guerre, Mary Poppins, the live recording of the 2009 production of Oliver! featuring Rowan Atkinson and Jodie Prenger, recorded at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Les Misérables Live! 

In 2025, First Night Records continues to release recordings from the West End stage with Cameron Mackintosh’s visionary new production of Oliver! and the award-winning production of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button the Musical, a magical tale of love brought to life by a 14-strong cast of actor-musicians playing 30 instruments.