Happy Birthday, Sir Ed.

It's again been a busy few weeks. I'm bashing away at the new Maverick website - find it at http://www.mavericktheatre.co.uk/ And we may have Maverick's first full-time, part-time administrator. Watch this space.


I did a couple of extra radio shows this week too - filling in for Ian Danter. Best Seat In The House is an hour of live music at 11pm tonight and Rock with Laughter is a mix of comedy and music at 11pm on Saturday night. The sort of 'different' radio that gives The Arrow and DAB a good name!

I've also started a 'retail' bit on the website, called The Shakespeare Shop, with some great gift ideas and collectors items. It's been onerous, but quite good fun, finding stuff in shops and off t'interweb to sell on the site. And any profits will go to the theatre company. Warm glow all round! And it's tied up with pay pal, which is a great way to pay! Give it a go. Gooo onnn, you KNOW you want that Globe Theatre First Day Cover!

And it's Elgar's 150th Birthday this week. He's well tied up with the Midlands and interestingly, he went to London to try and make his fortune - but he failed and came back to Worcestershire with his tail between his legs. No comment.

I had the professional rights to produce the play 'Journey's End', by RC Sheriff a few years ago. I felt it was ripe for a production. But the size of the cast put me off. Not the size, but the cost! It had a very successful run in the West End not long ago. The production and the play are all tied up with Birmingham through a fairly convoluted route that involves Birmingham Old Rep theatre - the first Rep Theatre in the world! And the whole point of this rant is that we were planning on using Elgar's Nimrod at the end of the production. Glenn Bayes, a local actor who had obvious directorial skills, had worked out a lovely end to the piece. I won't say what it was, because I think we're going to use it in Henry V - Lion of England! But it was good.

Glenn is a Brummy Boy, who, unlike Elgar, went to London ten years ago and hasn't come back to Birmingham. In fact, thinking about it, many of the early Maverick talent is now down the smoke. Glenn's gone, Rebs ran and no more hangin' in Kingstandin' for our Andy.

I'd like to buy Sir Ed a pint. But he's 150. I think I might go to London.






An early amateur production of 'Brighton Beach Memoirs' at Hall Green Little Theatre, Birmingham, in about 1991 ish. Of the seven people pictured, four would be directly involved in Maverick Theatre. Three are now living in London. (Photo: Haydn Thomas)