Starting A Theatre Company - PART ONE

Don't do it!

PART 2. If you must do it, then pop back here every now and then and find out how I'm getting on, and if we make it!

When we first started the Maverick Theatre Company in 1994, after some amateur experiments, I wrote a short diary entry in our very first programme. It wasn't me being heroic, but a desire to share with our potential audience what was going on and how we came to be presenting theatre in a pub and why it had taken weeks of working 18 hour days. It also allowed me to get some perspective on the event. We presented Willy Russell's Educating Rita, partly because it's a very good play (commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, don't y' know!) and partly because the process of producing, directing and creating a new theatre venue was an Education for me. It was Educating Nick. The feedback from that little diary entry was so good, I made a mental note to do it again some time. Maverick Theatre was, and still is, all about dispelling some of the popular myths about theatre. Breaking down some of the traditional barriers. In our case saying “forget the telly for a night. Come down the pub for a pint and a pie and watch a play.”

In 1997 I wrote a play called A Ghost Of A Chance (dangerous title if the critics hadn’t liked it which, fortunately, they generally did!) It starred 13 year old Justyn Luke Towler and Paul Henry, a very smart actor who will forever be known for his role as ‘Benny’ in Crossroads. Although I’d had the very great pleasure of working with Sir Derek Jacobi on one occasion – yes, really, THE Sir Del. And what a star he was – there was great interest in a named actor like Paul supporting us little theatre gits. So I kept a production diary. It meandered all over the place and although occasionally a fag, was quite good fun. And because I did it daily as I went, I had no idea how it would end up. We made a number of copies and bound them and charged a fiver, I think, to cover the costs and they sold out. Again it was a desire to tell our audience what was going on. To encourage a greater sense of ownership, I guess. I couldn’t have a pint with everyone and let them know how we were doing, so the production diary filled this gap. And again the feedback from the book was very positive.

So now I’m starting again – another journey of discovery. But this time the technology has moved on. I can now BLOG! No need to charge for a book. The whole drama of trying to find money, sponsors, actors, and premises will be here for cyber-ever. I’ve got some big and unique ideas, some of which have never been done before. This time Maverick will be touring. Or at least that’s the plan. So join the soap opera that is Maverick! I’m doing some part-time work on Rock Station The Arrow, but unless I can find some business funding, we’re sunk before we start. Watch this space!

PART THREE.

Get yourself a home made logo. See above. Thanks Robb and John Slater.

Coming Soon. That Michael Palin thing.