What a twit. Er.

First I blogged a bit. Then I got a website for Maverick Theatre. Then, yippee, came Facebook. And now I twit on twitter.

It's addictive. I only have 5 followers. I only know 2 of them. But I follow 4 others. And I really find it fascinating what Stephen Fry has had for brekkie, or that my talented mate Will is writing a new Tweenie tour on his desk top comp instead of a laptop.

The other glory of Twitter is that you only have 149 characters I think it is, to write your post. So it releases a sweep of creativity. Give it a go. It's the 'new thing' at the moment, but as I said, addictive, perhaps because you can't spend that much time updating. And, of course, my 3g iPhone means I can twitter anywhere now. It is slowly dawning on me that I might be a bit of a gadget freak. My mac book pro is a thing of beauty, (referred to as my "mac mistress" by Rebecca, my real mistress) although I am trying to run two companies and pass a full time Masters degree so electronic help is definitely needed. But twitter can be disarming in its simplicity.

I have adopted the hugely imaginative twitter name of NHennegan. Go to twitter.com and give it a go!

Must go. I've another 149 characters to use up...

With one of these you can Twitter anywhere. Check out my iPint application. Not available from any iStore.

Straight in, no messing!

New Year and time to get stuck in. So I created a new commercial production company last night, incorporated it and opened a new business bank account today. It is the next step in my plan to conquer the world. Mmmbbwaahhhh! All I need now are 80 people with a £1000 prepared to take a gamble/have a bit of fun with Hancock's Finest Hour. Easy? I'm reminded of the fact I started Maverick in the last recession. Is it just me do you think...?

Review of 2008. Well why not...

... everyone else does it. And 08 has been a fairly spectacular year. The first full year of Maverick Limited, me deciding to apply to Uni and getting in. Moving to London full time which was a glorious wrench. Leaving my house after 20 years and living full time with my partner of 17 years...

It needs a picture. Mmm. I know! My part-time review, 'Best Pies of The World' (London edition).

Here's a GREAT pie. Occasionally served in the RADA bar.



Happy New Year.

Come the revolution, comrade...

I've been watching, as I guess we all have, the programmes and events surrounding the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War. It's all been very moving, but I can't help but wonder at the futility of it all, how it's always the little man who suffers. Left to their own devices, the soldiers on the ground managed to arrange a football match. Apparently the Germans won. Again.

This time last year we presented my Henry V - Lion of England at Brighton. When I was adapting Shakespeare's story in 1992, about an invasion of France, I was listening to the news about the war in Bosnia. It never ends, does it. That's why last year, at Brighton, I had Ed, our Henry actor, pin a poppy on his costume, as he gives the final lines. "... think on our tale, look at the world and muse, How little, little mankind has grown, and how much we still all have to lose." There was a palpable gasp from the audience.

And talking of a world fit for heroes, how come I can't find an NHS dentist in West London? I thought we had a Labour government. Come on politicians, this isn't good enough. You can lead a country to war, but can't arrange for me to have a loose crown fixed without it costing me a fortune.A hero - Ed Morris in Henry V - Lion of England. By... er... me.

Bill's Big House

My education into the big wide world of London theater continues apace. I'm still mindful of the fact that when William Shakespeare was my age, he was actually returning to the Midlands at the end of his career. But then Bill never had the M40 or a Renault Megane, did he.

The first two months have been, in our esteemed tutors own words, something of a 'boot-camp'. Head of the course Andrew is a rare breed - an easy academic with a soft Scottish lilt who has, unlike many academics, been there and done at least most of it. He has all the T-shirts (almost literally!) and has done everything and been everywhere. We - the students - are amazed the R.S.C and the National Theatre have escaped Andrew's gentle touch. It can only be a matter of time, if Andrew decides he fancies it.

The other chief boot camp jackbooter is Julius - arguably one of the top six people in British Theatre. He's an interesting mix, is Jules, and I like him very much. He comes in for lectures once a week after he finishes his day job which at the moment is TEN No 1 theatre tours! After lectures one Thursday night he offers fellow producer-in-training Samantha and I a lift home - we're in the same direction - and he pops in to his office to pick up his phone charger. What an office! But if you're Bill Kenwright I suppose it's all tax deductible.



In stark contrast, here's my office...



A desk in our 1 bedroom flat. Although, apart from the phone, it's newer than Bill's office.

IKEA Wimbledon, we salute you.

Posh Innit!

Look! A new Maverick logo! The first one designed by a pro, Dave Walsh Design, of Birmingham.

The original logo was a mix of me, John Slater, Robb Williams and whatever we could get a computer to print for free. Remember the days, computer fans, before the days of WYSIWYG? (Ask if you want to know more. There's a comment section on this blog thang.) x

Playing with the Big Boys

New experiences continue unabated, not least of which is the fact I've been able - had no choice really - to get over the claustrophobia I developed some years ago on the London Underground. And I also find I'm really quite enjoying this University lark. Don't get me wrong, the pay is rubbish. Well non existent. Actually of course you have to pay fees. (I can't BELIEVE there's virtually no financial help for an MA. Age discrimination I think. Or maybe academic discrimination. Most Masters have done a 'normal' degree. Not me mate. I think I'm a special case. Well, special. Maybe just a 'case'. Whatever. Get back to it...!)

It occurs to me that one of the big gripes I had about my beloved Birmingham is that there were no networks. There are maybe four theatre producers in Brum that I can think of. And the chances of us ever getting together socially were virtually impossible. And we all have different agendas and methods of working. Plus most of the original 'Mavericks' have moved on, mainly to London. My main, regular chums in Birmingham have long since been bored by my theatre talk and it is not doing them a disservice when I say most of them have absolutely no ideas about the standard or concept of theatrical production anyway, so nights down the pub tended to fairly uninspiring for me and probably very boring for them.

So its only just occurred to me that three days a week I am not only listened to when I talk about theatre production, but listen to lectures about it and hang out with people who are equally if not more into it than I am. Bliss! I have a new bunch of chums who rave about theatre in different disciplines and I am regularly meeting/talking to theatre obsessives, mainly West End, but not exclusively. It can't last. This is almost fun. Imagine. Me, at my age, admitting that. They won't believe it down me local in Brum...