Any Maverick ideas?

A mad moment in the pub?

I'm looking for hard evidence to support my assumption that Maverick's productions in pubs and community spaces will attract new audiences to theatre.

This assumption is actually borne out by our work at the Billesley Pub in Birmingham during the 1990's and at Birmingham Library Theatre during the early 2000's. We have evidence to show that Maverick attracted non-theatre goers through our programme of contemporary classics, ticket-pricing and a robust marketing strategy aimed squarely at the council estates surrounding our venue. Basic market research in the form of printed questionnaires left on seats in the pub showed our audience to be generally non-theatre goers who were younger, more female and less well-off when compared to national statistics for regular theatre attenders.

I want to return to that model and roll the concept out nationally. A touring circuit that will address my belief that there are substantial proportions of the population who do not feel theatre is for them. My experience, both personal and professional, is that if the proposition is right, a new, more inclusive audience can be developed. The benefits are huge, not just for the new attenders, but to whole communities, other theatres, professional practitioners and society in general.

Unlike the work of the legendary Joan Litttlewood with her Theatre Workshop at Stratford East, this will be a touring project. It is very ambitious.

And it is obviously going to cost money and will be an almighty struggle, so I need to build the best possible case to present to funding bodies and commercial organisations whose help will be crucial to realise the project.

So, have you any comments, ideas, references or research that might help me? Perhaps you were one of our new theatre attenders? Or are there reasons why you perhaps have a problem with going to the theatre? How important is 'the event'?

Any contributions, good, bad, long, short or indifferent will be very welcome and annonymous. Did you perhaps attend any Maverick shows in Birmingham or on tour?

I hope to make a case for the Arts Council to award a small grant to allow the research to move forward and I shall contact you for permission if I would like to  use your comments. Please email me at mavericktheatre.co.uk or comment below.

Thanks very much for your help.  Here we go again... maybe!

And if you are looking for information about the new HOLLYOAKS actress auditions, I'll put details here tomorrow. Ta.