I don’t suppose any of us imagined when we went into lockdown in March that November would see the country still shut down, the theatre industry in tatters and arts professionals still having to fight tooth and nail to be paid. But here we are again and this time around it feels like even more of a slog to keep the creative spark burning.
Just as some pub theatres had dipped a toe back into the water of live performances and we welcomed a brand new pub theatre to our fold (welcome, Golden Goose) doors have had to shut again. There’s no denying that our beloved pub theatres are struggling. Small theatres that operate on small budgets and even smaller grants are feeling the pinch. Many have had to let staff go and it Is hard to plan for future productions.
At the start of lockdown there was a huge flurry of online get togethers, sharings, readings and filmed monologues and it felt fresh as the spring sunshine buoyed us all up. Coupled with the opportunity to enjoy some of the National’s and Globe’s best productions among others it felt like we were able to ride the wave of creativity and see light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been hard maintaining that level of creativity but the good news is that pub theatres are leading the way in creating opportunities that have more longevity.
In order to celebrate and salute our creative allies we’ve been finding out from our friends how they have approached this difficult time and how they are keeping their creative communities and audiences involved. Nothing will replace live theatre but the response to the restrictions is impressive. The theatre community thrives on human interaction and the sparking of ideas so if you’ve been feeling isolated and lost your creative mojo there is bound to be something here to suit. The key aim for all of them? Stay connected.
Our friends at the King’s Head decided they wanted to offer something a little different and more in keeping with who they truly are by using social media as its main platform.
‘We have long been a springboard for emerging artists and a space to develop and learn as evidenced in our Awards, Festivals and Trainee Resident Director Scheme,’ explains the theatre’s Shaadi Kosravi-Rad so they created King’s Head Theatre online in order to stay ‘Distanced. Not Disconnected’ with artists and audiences. ‘#KHTOnline is an accessible resource of ideas, skills and advice,’ says Shaadi. ‘It’s also a malleable format that we’ve been able to adapt as we progress, with more of a focus on the live, connective element when it was most needed during lockdown and now, a structure that enables more discussion, collaboration and promotion for artists, companies and venues.’
Do pop into #KHTOnline which goes live every Thursday at 1pm, streaming on Facebook and Instagram. There’s an archive of this on their blog (www.kingsheadtheatre.com/news-blog) and Youtube Channel (bit.ly/KHTYouTube) with an absolute wealth of workshops, readings and skills sessions you can dip in and out of for inspiration and support.
A recent KHTOnline skills session with Aileen Gonsalves focused on: truthful, authentic acting, and how to stay connected to your 'partner' when self-taping. Plenty more to choose from.
LPT Award-winning Jack Studio has taken a different but equally inspiring approach by creating a series of new films. ‘Connect started at the Jack Studio back in May, when we received an ACE emergency fund to support the project,’ says artistic director Kate Bannister. ‘Our aim was to create four short films bringing together theatre writers, directors and performers, associated with the Jack, to collaborate for the first time with film makers and editors. As we couldn’t share work in our usual way, Connect was a way of finding new stories, working with theatre artists and creating together at this time.’
The project began with the writers, who produced their own response to the theme of connecting. The Jack now has a series of four short films being edited which will be available soon: Ray and Doreen by Melanie Pennant, Nadia’s Gift by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, Chicken by Lin Coghlan and Masterpiece & This Place We Call Home by Elliot Clay.
Brockley Jack's immaculate rehearsal room which became one of the locations for filming and inspired the story.
Kate explains how they decided to use the Jack’s spaces as the backdrop for the project which was filmed just before the second lockdown. ‘We needed filming to be as safe as possible - but it also meant the building became part of the stories. The shorts were filmed in the rehearsal room, theatre, foyer, stairs and pub garden – and the writers took their inspiration from these spaces when they began their scripts.’ If you know the Jack as well as we do it’s exciting to see how the spaces are being used. The filming also acted as a springboard for a makeover so the spaces have been refreshed and the space is ready to hit the ground running when doors open again.
Moving from South East to South West London, Theatre503 has launched Studio, a package of online support that includes courses, masterclasses and talks and as always, 503 are committed to continuing to support and nurture new voices from a diverse range of backgrounds. Meanwhile the Finborough has been releasing filmed version of past plays and continues to support writers through its Finborough Forum which- like most things this year- has moved onto Zoom for the time being.
I Wish to Die Singing by Neil McPherson available free to view (Photography: Scott Rylander)
It’s truly heartening to see how much pub theatres have done and how hard they are working to keep their communities thriving and connecting. It’s impossible to include all actors, writers and directors in projects however so how do you keep your own personal creative mojo going in such difficult circumstances?
Many of us are struggling financially and it can be difficult to remain positive when your mental health is taking a beating. If you’re a parent there was the added pressure of homeschooling for months and managing children who might be worried, anxious or bored. Actor Veronica Ellis believes that staying connected is the key for those in the creative industries who are parents and those caring for others. ‘Table reads have been brilliant, as an opportunity to create new characters and read new writing,’ she says. ‘I've actually made new friends, some whom I've never met physically. It's like a creative equivalent of a dating app!’ With two small children, Veronica’s hands have been full day and night. ‘There were occasions when I was too shattered to be able to do anything,’ she admits but structure and carving out a little me time has helped. ‘This was when my partner and I made Mondays theatre night. There was so much fantastic work online. It was a real chance to appreciate theatre I had not had the opportunity to see.’
Setting small achievable goals, advises Veronica, is the key to maintaining positive mental health during lockdown. ‘Even if the goal is small it’s something to focus on week to week,’ she says.
One of these goals was to set up her own filmed monologue contest with the help of her agent Natalie Giacone from NGPM. ‘Some actors who have worked consistently in theatre have no evidence of their work,’ Veronica explains, ‘and it's a great chance to find people you enjoy collaborating with, you never know where chance meetings may lead you.’ She helped set up teams of actors, directors and writers who created a monologue from a short prompt and filmed it. These were then judged by an industry panel and each monologue received a set of feedback notes. It’s easy to forget that industry folk who are usually rushed off their feet and snowed under with work have also been champing at the creative bit so may be willing to support up and coming creatives.
Sherice Griffiths being filmed for the NGPM Monologue competition
Freelancers Make Theatre Work has come together to create support for the theatre community and support with financial advice as well as workshops in combat and fitness, wellness and breathing. It’s important to stay physically active as well as connected as we move into shorter, darker days.
Setting small goals and targets can help us stay focused and this is where the support from pub theatres can help.
‘Tune in to #KHTOnline and join KHTConnected!’ suggests Shaadi from the King’s Head, ‘use spaces and platforms like these to connect, develop ideas and create. Think outside of the box and make yourself known, we certainly are open to hearing your thoughts and ideas!’
‘Embrace what you have,’ adds Veronica Ellis, ‘enjoy opportunities as they come and be kind to yourself, it's ok to have a break every now and then. If you have an idea, write it down, return to it when you have a chance.’
The bottom line for staying creative in difficult times is to stay connected. Whether that’s via videochats, workshops or creative opportunities or watching and engaging with online content, that spark of human connection has to be at the heart of our industry’s healing. There’s reason to be positive too as it’s possible that even when theatres open their doors again, these virtual opportunities will continue to be part of the pub theatre repertoire enabling creatives and audiences to ensure that their plays have a wider spread and appeal and are more inclusive and accessible to all. It’s exciting to think that creative work could be available for audiences beyond London so that small spaces open up and become more available via our new-found technological skills.
Just as 2020 seems to have lasted five years, there’s been a tiny spark of hope this week with news of a vaccine. While it will be a long time until life becomes more recognisably normal the resilience of both theatres and the theatre community is inspiring and moving. Together we can get through this and start to rebuild our cherished pub theatre family and you can rest assured that when that happens our reviewers will be first in line for your shows!
We can’t wait to see you all again soon.
Siân Rowland is a playwright, script reader and LPT reviewer
We are very proud to announce that LONDON PUB THEATRES MAGAZINE is now an OFFIE AWARD WINNING publication
A ONEOFF Special Award has been awarded to London Pub Theatres Magazine and Editor Heather Jeffery for providing a vital forum for highlighting the excellent work that happens in rooms in pubs, with sensitive editing, and an acute sense of the importance of tiny fringe venues to the health and development of British Theatre