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      Interview: I.D.S.T. What Does It All Mean?

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      Jack Condon on his play If. Destroyed. Still. True.

      This week’s guest on our Runn Radio show was Jawbone Theatre‘s Jack Condon. Jack is a writer and actor, and If. Destroyed. Still. True. will be his first full length play when it comes to the Hope Theatre between 26 April and 14 May.

      We hear about the play and its themes of what happens when the place you grew up is no longer a place you feel you can call home, and how that affects relationships. As Jack explains, it is a theme he feels is universal and something experienced by so many people.

      We also hear why the play was originally going to simply be called I.D.S.T. and what the phrase means, plus why the play is being filmed and how he hopes this will allow it to be seen by audiences in small towns and villages who may associate with its themes.

      If. Destroyed. Still. True. plays at The Hope Theatre from 26 April. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      Interview: Are You Almost Adult Enough for London?

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      Charlotte Anne-Tilley tells us about her play Almost Adult

      Charlotte Anne-Tilley first came to our attention a year ago when her show Twenties was online as part of TheSpaceUK’s short online festival showcasing many of the artists who would normally have been planning to head off to Edinburgh that summer. The show caught our attention for both its inventiveness and for being what felt a very true portrayal of a young girl moving to London where she believed she would soon be heading off to all the celeb parties and bumping into famous names every street she walked down.

      Since then Charlotte and the team have been busy rewritting Twenties into a live full length show, which will be playing at The Space in Canary Wharf from 13 to 15 January 2022, before they hope to then take it to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. So it seemed the perfect time to sit down with Charlotte to find out how the show has changed, not only with its name now being Almost Adult, and how her life has changed since we presented her with an award as part of TheSpaceUK’s festival season.

      Almost Adult

      [embedded content]

      Hope has just moved out from her childhood home in Macclesfield to the bright lights of London. After getting a job at a (get this) dinosaur themed bar and moving in with a very mature housemate, everything seems to be going brilliantly. But when she learns some questionable things about her manager, things at work spin out of control. Hope slips deeper and deeper out of her depth and questions how ready she was to leave home after all. 

      With witty audience interactions, hilarious physical comedy and touching vulnerability, you can expect a good laugh followed by a single tear rolling down your cheek. 

      The work-in-progress of Almost Adult won Everything Theatre’s Make Do and Mend Award for Ingenuity in Lockdown and was nominated for The Voice’s Editor’s Choice Award. 

      Almost Adult plays at The Space 13 – 15 January. Tickets can be booked here.

      You can find out more about the show and future dates by following Charlotte on Twitter here and Instagram here. More

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      Interview: David Brady tells us what he has been up to: Lately

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      David Brady of Proforca on new play Lately

      LIsten back to our interview with David Brady from Proforca, whose play Lately, is on at Lion and Unicorn Theatre from 7 to 18 September.

      You can book tickets for the play here

      This interview was original broadcast on our Runn Radio show on 1 September 2021.

      Lately @ Lion and Unicorn Theatre

      The Monster Always Wins”

      Cal & Alf. Callum & Alison. They were supposed to be part of each other’s lives forever, if only the universe had let things happen the way they should. 

      But whoever they were before, they’re different people now, and the problem with living here is that is always pulls you back again, no matter how hard you try to get away. 

      And the universe that sent them spinning into free-fall throws them together again when the girl who ran away comes back to find out what happened to the boy who didn’t want to leave. 

      And the question that the universe needs to answer most of all now is – Whatever happens to those bits of us we leave behind and thought we’d lost forever?  More

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      Interview: Aaron-Lee Eyles on “I Didn’t Want This, I Just Wanted You”

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      We’re always looking to highlight those interesting little plays that can so easily be overlooked, yet are the lifeblood of fringe theatre. So when Aaron-Lee Eyles contacted us about his upcoming play, based on the real life story of a man who won $31 million on the lottery, we thought it would be great to chat with him to find out just why he decided this was a story to turn into a musical.

      Hi Aaron, so first things first, give us a quick synopsis?

      The play is about a Home Depot worker and family man Billie-Bob Harrell Jr, who won big on the lottery. The months that followed surely changed his life, but not in the way you might think! What was meant to be a life-changing miracle turned into a tragedy of misery and deceit. The play has been devised by the cast alongside Director/ Composer Rob Hardie and myself as Writer/ Director. A wild, surprising, musical tale that recounts the compelling true story of Billie Bob Harrell and his (mis)fortune. 

      Many recent shows we’ve seen have been set firmly in the here and now, but it looks like this play is something much more set in make-believe. Or have you really won $31 million?

      The play is set in Texas 1997, but our world is a little wild and abstract -but it is a true story, Billie-Bob Harrell Jr. really did win $31 million!

      What was the start point for you then?

      For some time I’ve been keen on making a play based on a lottery winner and the consequences that come with such sudden financial gain. After researching further I discovered Billie-Bob’s story and was amazed by how it was already so fantastical and tragic, I knew that this was the one.

      You said the play is “devised by the cast alongside director and writer” – as the writer, is it an easy thing to watch others change your story?

      I’m incredibly excited to work alongside our cast and co-director Rob Hardie on this project. My own ideas going into rehearsals are only going to be refined and improved by collaborating with the group. I’m credited as ‘Writer’ as I will be contributing a large amount to the text and will be responsible for writing up our script as we go but its very much written by all of us!

      We haven’t even touched upon the fact it’s also a musical, was that always the plan when you started writing?

      Yes! We always planned for this production to have a musical element. Rob and I worked together last year when he wrote original music for my play ‘Freaking Free Mark DeFriest’ – this time we aim for the music to be more lyrical and used to show characters change of emotions and relationships. We also have a fantastic cast with great musical talents, so I can’t wait to see what comes from that.

      So what style of music are we going to hear?

      We’re going to have a mix of styles- there will certainly be some ‘musical chaos’. Rob Hardie, our musical director, says that you will for sure be hearing a blend of country and folk music with a bit of southern rock.

      The show is only playing for a few dates in July, does this mean it’s still a work-in-progress? 

      This is a brand new play and these performances will be the first! But it will be a complete and finished item- we have a couple of dates next month and we are just so very excited to be working again.

      What are your hopes for the show once it’s completed this initial run?

      We do hope to bring the show back, if the demand is there of course! We’ll take on any feedback given and are already thinking about a potential return in the winter. A lot of work and commitment is going into this run so we don’t want that to be the end of it for sure!

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      Our thanks to Aaron for his time. I Didn’t Want This, I Just Wanted You is currently scheduled to play:

      Bread and Roses Theatre on 4 July at 2pm and 12 July at 7pm & 9pm. Tickets available here

      Guildford Fringe Festival on 8 July at 7.30pm. Tickets available here More

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      How Comfy Are Your Seats? The Space

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      We absolutely adore The Space Arts Centre. And not just because one of our reviewers also happens to be heavily involved! It’s a venue that promises a home for exciting new writing, offering a place to try out new works that might not otherwise get the chance to grow. We might not love every play we see there, but we love that they are always willing to take the risk to try something different. It’s what draws us back at every opportunity.

      So who better then to be the second venue in our How Comfy Are Your Seats? series than The Space’s Deputy Director, Matthew Jameson, to share more on why you really should be visiting this wonderful building soon.

      Let’s dive straight in, what’s your role at The Space?

      It was an ever shifting, no-two-days-the-same kind of job even before the pandemic, and now it’s even more varied. I tend to manage the visiting companies and productions, co-ordinate marketing, deal with site maintenance and handle in-house producing, with a few bits of dramaturgy, programming and directing thrown in. I’m also the livestream camera operator and currently the de facto bar manager (but don’t get me talking about the bar…)

      We’ll be honest, last time we come we got a little lost due to road works, tell us the best way to get there.

      Not a problem, every first visit is a step into the unknown, but it does get easier. You can’t go too far wrong with the 5 minutes walk from Mudchute DLR. And we’ve got 3 buses that stop right outside the venue with a helpful announcement from Canary Wharf, who have just streamlined the bus traffic. If you’re feeling leisurely, you can catch the Thames Clipper to Canary Wharf Pier, which is a lush journey from Central London or the East.

      Right, we know how to find you, but once we get there, what’s on offer before we head in for a show? Is it time to mention that bar?

      Oh go on, get me talking about the bar! We’ve recently taken on management of the in-house bar (now named ‘the Space Bar’) and we are loving being pub landlords. We’ve got a long, sun-trap beer garden for this weather as well as an atmospheric inside seating area just at the back above the theatre, converted from what used to be the church’s vestry. We’ve been listening to our artists and audiences about what they want from a bar, so have been making some changes to our stock which have been very popular. We’re in the process of re-opening the kitchen to bring back a limited menu, hopefully from mid/late June, which we’ll expand as we go.

      And once we head inside, what’s the size and layout for a show?

      Under social distancing, we’ve been operating in either end-on, or reverse end-on for our raised main stage. Currently our max capacity is 40, and we’ve already had some sold out shows since re-opening. We’re lucky that we have no fixed seating, so in non-Covid times, anything goes! In the round, traverse, promenade, you name it, someone has staged it here.

      What type of shows are The Space’s forte?

      We’re all about new writing and/or emerging artists. But ’emerging’ doesn’t just mean artists under 30! We’re all about giving a platform to companies who want to showcase their skills, make socially relevant work or just need a supportive environment to get their show off the ground. For internal productions, we’ve had a cracking run of new writing festivals pre, during and post-lockdowns, which we’re bringing home with the Foreword Festival (playing from Next Tuesday 8th with Laura Horton‘s Labyrinth Diet to open). We’ve got four new scripts which were selected from our script development programme, ScriptSpace, that we’re giving full productions to.

      What can people normally expect to pay for a ticket for a show?

      It’s largely up to the companies that perform with us, but we try to cap our standard price and concessions as £15 & £12. For online viewers, we’ve been conscious of economic accessibility, so our livestream prices operate on 3 bands: £10 standard, £15 supporters rate and £5 low income rate. We want to make sure that everyone who wants to see our shows can, regardless of financial or geographical barriers.

      Any personal highlights from past shows?

      We’ve had a lot of brilliant work during my time here. I always love work that fully embraces the uniqueness of the venue, so Threedumb Theatre‘s revolutionary The Black Cat was a great example of how you can truly embrace streaming and digital theatre fusion. I also have great memories of Two Fest, our last in-house, in-venue production before the pandemic, 13 plays over three bills across two weeks. Absolute madness, but nuanced, varied work throughout.

      Do you have any “they played here first” stories of big names or shows that started with you?

      It’s our 25th anniversary as a venue this September, so we’ve seen a fair few who are now household names (including Les Enfants Terrible) as well as our dear patron Sir Ian [McKellen], who rehearsed and kicked off his 80th birthday one-man show here. We’re more excited about the next steps and developments of recent projects such as Four O’Clock Flowers by Louise Breckon-Richards, which is hitting the film festival circuit having debuted as a play at the last Foreword Festival in 2019. The companies and artists we have at the Space today are tomorrow’s headliners, see them here first!

      What are the plans for the coming months then, what exciting shows have you got lined up for us?

      We’re currently programmed for our Summer/Autumn season until the end of October, which is a far longer season than we’ve ever had before, but we’ve had plenty of pre-Covid projects to reschedule as well as many new and exciting shows approach us. I’m particularly excited for our first partnership with the London Horror Festival in October (who are currently taking applications here). There’s also a lot of top secret things being lined up for the 25th anniversary, but you’ll have to watch this Space.

      So tell us just why we should all come along to see a show at The Space? What’s your unique selling point?

      It’s a gorgeous, grade II listed building with the most reasonably priced, atmospheric bar in London. The theatre itself is intimate enough to be personal and grand enough to be epic. The shows we programme are made by the theatre innovators of the future and you’ll want to see them here first.

      Finally, and obviously the most important question of all, how comfy are the chairs?

      The chairs themselves? More padded than average. But the legroom? Unbeatable!

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      Thanks to Matthew for finding time in his very busy day to chat with us. You can find a list of reviews and articles from the Space below. More

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      Interview: Playwright Laura Horton on Labyrinth Diet

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      When Laura Horton put out a tweet asking us to buy tickets for her upcoming show so she wasn’t alone in the theatre drinking a bottle of wine, we loved the humour of it, and wondered if the show would be more of the same. So, a couple of tweets and DM’s later, we arranged to sit down with Laura, without any wine in sight, to chat about Labyrinth Diet; why you should go and see it (or watch the streamed version if you can’t make it in person), and just what on earth is chub rub?

      First things first, tell us a little about Labyrinth Diet.

      It’s about a woman in her mid-thirties who’s still navigating body and life insecurities and this notion that she has to transform herself before she can thrive. The play takes place at a clothes swap party. She’s been invited by an old friend, but rather than being a fun experience it throws up all sorts issues. It also includes a very involved ‘witch dance.’

      Clothes swap party? Are these common nowadays?

      Yes, I’ve been to many clothes swap parties, in fact I’m in a clothes swap WhatsApp group. Everyone brings things they no longer wear and you just switch them. What’s left goes to the charity shop.

      Are we right in thinking the show will touch upon body image issues and the pressure on woman to look a “perfect” size?

      Absolutely, when I was growing up you had to be a ‘perfect size 10,’ then in my twenties it was ‘heroin chic,’ now it’s lip and bum fillers. There always seem to be an in vogue size which is unattainable for most. I think we have a really long way to go.

      Your press release has the phrase “chub rub”, I’m a middled aged bloke who really doesn’t know the latest lingo, you’re going to need to explain that one to me.

      Chub rub is an uncomfortable sensation that comes from thighs rubbing together. It’s often worse in the heat!

      Ah it is what we suspected! Maybe we won’t dwell on that one. Moving on swiftly…

      Was there a lot of raiding charity shops for clothes props as soon as they re-opened from lockdown?
      The brilliant Set and Costume Designer Constance Villemot is raiding charity shops as we speak.
      That tweet which got our attention said you’d only sold eight tickets so far, please tell us that that has changed since we first spoke?

      I really hope so, I get the next sales report on Monday so fingers crossed!

      You’re playing at The Space, how have you found working with them?

      The Space has been wonderful. I sent an early draft of Labyrinth Diet to their ScriptSpace programme, it was selected for a reading last year and ended up happening over zoom. They gave me my first short commission in August 2020 and then approached me earlier this year to offer me a slot to stage the play for a week as part of Foreword Festival. They’re providing four emerging playwrights a platform festival to showcase the world premieres of their work, which is just incredible at a time when it’s harder to break-in than ever.

      The show is supporting “Smart Works”, can you tell us a little about what they do?

      Yes, Smart Works is brilliant UK charity that provides high quality interview clothes and interview training to unemployed women in need. They harness the power of clothes and confidence to allow a woman to be her best at a crucial moment in her life, giving her the confidence, the self-belief and the practical tools required to succeed at interview and transform her life.

      As well as penning Labyrinth Diet, you’re also Plymouth Laureate of Words, what’s that all about then?

      The Plymouth Laureate of Words is a partnership initiative between Literature Works, Plymouth Culture and The Box. Over the next two years 2021-22, I’ll be a representative of the city, working with the community and organisations to explore and tell the city’s stories. I’m the first woman in the position and also the first playwright. So far I’ve written one commission that I’ve been reading out at events and I’ve just finished running playwriting workshops in Plymouth Primary Schools.

      And finally, that bottle of wine, red or white? We may want to come share it with you depending on your answer.

      To be honest I like all colours of wine, it depends on the weather so we’ll have to see, or I’m happy to go with your choice.

      Make it a white then please.

      I have an actual in real life play in London opening soon (my 1st). At the moment we’ve only sold 8 tickets & I’m terrified it’ll just be me in the theatre with a bottle of wine. I totally get if people are feeling nervous, but if you’re not please come! https://t.co/HQlExRdr8E— Laura Clare Horton (@LauraCHorton) May 27, 2021

      Our massive thanks to Laura for finding time to chat to us. We look forward to sharing that bottle of wine with you in a packed theatre soon.

      Labyrinth Diet is playing at the Space Arts Centre between 8 and 12 June. If you cannot make it in person, you can watch the show live streamed on either Thursday 10 June (7.30pm) or Saturday 12 June (2.30pm). Further information and booking via the below links. More

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      Venues: The Bread and Roses Theatre

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      As theatres begin to re-open everywhere, we thought what a good time to actually dig a little deeper into some of the wonderful fringe venues hidden away throughout London, and the people who make them tick.

      First up then is The Bread and Roses Theatre. The theatre can be found above the pub of the same name, right in the heart of Clapham. It’s just a short walk from both Northern line and Overground stations, so there really is little excuse for not checking it out.

      Need further reasons you should go? Well, we thought why not ask someone right at the heart of what they do to tell us more.

      Hello there, shall we start with introductions?

      Hello, I’m Velenzia Spearpoint, the Artistic Director of The Bread and Roses Theatre

      Ok, we know where to find you, but what’s the size and layout style of your space?

      We’re an intimate, 40-60 seat venue above the Bread and Roses Pub in Clapham. We have a flexible auditorium so productions can be staged end-on or as a thrust. For I and the Village (showing at the time of the interview), it’s in a thrust. Currently, we’re opening a reduced capacity welcoming 20-25 people each night, so it will be slightly different, but we very much hope you’ll come on this adventure with us. 

      What type of shows do you usually put on? 

      For the shows we produce ourselves, we choose from our Bread and Roses Playwriting Award every two years, after reading through around 500 submissions by talented writers. You can find out more here

      The play we’re reopening with, I and the Village, sheds light on the Direct Provision System, for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland. It sheds light on life behind years of waiting, unable to work or make any personal progress. I and the Village explores the consequences of long term confinement in a system designed to be flawed. A story of longing, survival and hope.

      For all other shows, they are produced by visiting companies and we share the risk by offering a transparent box office deal. Artistic quality and representation of our societies’ real diversity are at the heart of the theatre’s programming with a focus on new writing, underrepresented voices, distinctive work and the development of new work and opportunities. If you’re interested in bringing a show, find out more here. 

      What can people normally expect to pay to see a show with you?

      We are always aiming to keep prices as affordable as possible, for work in progress shows and our Clapham Fringe Festival, it can start from as little as £5, for full length show it tends to be a maximum of £15. 

      You’re above the pub, would you recommend it as a nice place to come pre-show for a drink and bite to eat? And post show to chat about what you’ve just watched?
      The kitchen is ran by the Uk’s first gourmet corndog company ‘Twodogs Down‘, American comfort food at its best. The pub has two beer gardens front and back and plenty of space inside to enjoy pre-show drinks. With happy hour Monday to Friday between 4pm and 7pm, it’s £4 on selected beers and wines. The pub also offers free live music on weekends, with genres ranging from blues, folk, reggae and more. 
      We’re sold, we’ll get our order in now.

      Any particular highlights from your past shows? Any actors or shows start here that are your “they played here first” stories you tell everyone about? 

      Jamie Beamish who’s gone on to work in big tv shows, such as Bridgerton and Derry Girls bought his Cat The Play, co-written with Richard Hardwick, to us in the first year we were open in 2015. 

      What are the plans for the coming months then, what exciting shows have you got lined up for us?

      So apart from our very own playwriting award winner 19/20, I and the Village by Darren Donohue opening on the 25 May 2021, we’ve got an exciting line-up for the months ahead, highlights include:Stray Dogs by an aspiring up & coming Producer Justin Treadwell.There’s a trio of improv events, including where you can see Pippa Evans: And many many more, check out the full programme here & follow us on social media to be the first to hear.

      So tell us just why we should all come along to see a show at The Bread and Roses? What’s your unique selling point? 

      As we briefly mentioned, we want to champion theatre-makers at all stages of their career and are one of the very few venues in London that operates in the business model (box office splits with no hidden fees) that we do. Obviously, we all still know far too well that starting out in theatre-making is very challenging, but audiences can come in the knowledge theatre-makers are being nurtured and supported as much as possible in the process.

      Finally, and quite possibly the most important question of all, how comfy are your seats?

      Haha, good question

      Thanks, we thought so too, we’re going to ask everyone this in the future.

      They’re okay, all chairs rather than stalls, so should be fairly comfy. 

      Our thanks to Velenzia for her time to chat about the theatre. If you’d like to see shows we’ve previously reviewed at the venue, you can find them via the below link. Please do also give the theatre a follow on their social media channels, it really does help. You can find them all below as well. More

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      Interview: Welcome to London’s newest venue

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      Personally, I think you can never have too many theatres, but perhaps I’m biased.

      You may think that the midst of a pandemic might not be an ideal time to open a brand new theatre, but that is exactly what is about to happen in Camberwell’s SE5. So we thought we’d have a chat with Georgia Leanne Harris, Golden Goose’s Artistic Director, to find out about the theatre, what we can expect from them, and of course, what Covid-19 has done to their plans.
      What was the initial inspiration for a brand-new London venue?
      Personally, I think you can never have too many theatres, but perhaps I’m biased. In reality we stumbled across a space that had such great potential, and that wasn’t really being used, and thought, ‘this could be something special’. The inspiration for the venue actually started with the venue itself; it was an opportunity we didn’t want to miss, and all of our plans have grown from there!
      What does Golden Goose offer that may not be available in many other venues?
      I suppose the obvious thing is that we’ve got quite a lot of space! With a lot of fringe theatres having small, black box rooms, we’re hoping to offer another option. We’ve got space and height to allow for those slightly larger casts or a band that some venues just don’t have the room for, and (when we’re allowed to be at full strength), we have the capacity to allow in some good crowds to share the work. 
      How has your thinking had to change due to the current situation?
      It’s absolutely changed how we launched this theatre. We’ve had to adapt like everyone else and look at how we can sustain and support artists and work with the new ‘normal’. We can’t currently host enormous shows, so instead we’ve sought out shows with smaller casts that we can offer space to. This means we’re still supporting artists and actually launching a theatre.
      We’re so incredibly proud of all the artists in our opening season. They are shows that are touring safely, that have come from cancelled events, that are revivals with important things to say. Our building and our community are going to build slowly and safely, but we’re thrilled to be able to adapt so that we can still exist as a new building at all!
      What can we expect to see at Golden Goose?

      I don’t think you can expect a certain type of show from us. We want to become the kind of venue where we ask artists what they want to say and work out how we can facilitate it. At the moment, we’re looking at runs ranging from a couple of nights, research and developments, rehearsed readings, all the way up to runs of 3-4 weeks for fully funded shows who feel they can sustain them.
      We do want to produce in-house shows once or twice a year as well, and this is something we’re looking to do in the spring. But for now, we have an amazing revival of Mark Lockyer’s Living With The Lights On which is full of chaos and hope. We have a UK premier of the musical Now. Here. This‘, and a poignant comedy Howerd’s End which looks at the life of Frankie Howerd and how he was forced to keep his love life a secret.  
      We also can’t wait to welcome Eating Myself by Pepa Duarte, which explores nurturing ourselves, women’s relationships with food and what it means to be Peruvian. And we have lots more coming this year that we aren’t even telling you about yet!

      How are you going to become a vital part of the local community?
      We really want to engage with the local area and provide a space that feels welcoming. Whilst it just isn’t safe or practical right now to have an ‘open doors’ policy, we would love to find a way of creating a place for people to sit and work in our bar during the day, and welcoming local artists into our space.
      We’re also planning further down the line working with teens in the area; offering drama classes and workshops about careers in the creative arts, as well as workshops for locals of all ages from practitioners in various fields. While our community engagement is likely to really kick off in the new year (when we can hopefully start to gather a little more safely) we will still be reaching out this year and making contact to say, ‘we are here, what can we do?’.
      All set for opening night then?
      Of course, we’d love to have a big launch night but that just isn’t feasible right now! Perhaps we’ll throw a delayed welcome night when we host our first in-house production, just so we have some excuse for a party! To me, just welcoming audiences into a building for the first time, especially after so much time apart, and having that first shared experience is a party in itself! 
      Thanks to Georgia for taking the time to talk to us about Golden Goose. The venue opens the doors to its first show on 13 October. We hope to see you all there. More