Do the working classes deserve theatre?

Every evening we ask our audiences to comment on our shows

As an actor and a writer I think I have a social conscience and believe that the arts are an important part of civilised communities.  I want people from all walks of life to experience the joy that I get from some theatre, I want society en masse to watch great stories told by Actors, live and local.

But as a producer I don’t give a jot for the working classes, simply because they don’t give a toss about my work and me.

For twenty years I have championed working class theatre performing stories in “found “ venues within some the poorest communities in the UK.  I have given away workshops to schools or community centres to encourage them to take part in theatre.  I have given hundreds of pounds of tickets to the less fortunate in society, only to have empty stalls because they never turn up.  I have sold tickets for “pay what you can” nights and still no take up, so my question is, why should I waste my time?  Why should we waste money sending in the clowns to inner city council estates when all they want is Coronation Street and Britain’s Got Talent?

On Saturday night a young man came into our theatre in a shop in Oldham, he sat at the back and laughed.  At the end of our comedy we invited the whole audience to the local pub The Boltmakers Rest on Rock Street Oldham to come and join us for Karaoke, and the young man joined us.  Over a pint he told me he had never seen a play before, he had never been to Panto or had a theatre in Education Company visit his school.  He told me how much he’d enjoyed the show and that he now wanted to see more.

I left that pub not only with a new friend but a renewed enthusiasm to share my art with as many and varied people as possible.  This man reminded me how lucky I was during the 1980’s to have access to great theatre on my doorstep and to have inspirational teachers telling me that if I wanted to, I could work in the arts.   But most of all this man reminded me that, there for the grace of the Gods and good fortune I too could still be on a council estate in Nottingham.

So, this December Hard Graft Theatre Company will produce their annual Christmas show for the young people of the North West and as ever we shall give away hundreds of free tickets to organisations,  community groups and charities to help promote the art of theatre and storytelling, thanks to a young man in a pub singing karaoke.

Waiting for the review

Ask any artist about reviews and they will probably tell you that they are not to bothered what is said about them, if you asked me I'd come up with similar rubbish like that as well, but underneath my thick skin is an insecure, nervous bloke wanting to be liked (I am an actor).

On Wednesday we had the Stage Newspaper and the Oldham Chronicle watching our production of I Love Oldham, both very important and both influential in different ways.  The Chronicle is the local paper, the voice of Oldham for an age and a well respected source of news and views for the good people of Oldham.  Their reviewer is a powerful figure in the theatre world within the borough, pointing a way through for audiences to experience the best of the arts.

The Stage is the nations theatre newspaper, read by professionals and  picked up by funding bodies like Arts Council England.  A nod from them and we might get some interest from other venues around the country looking for the next "bums on seats" production.

So, for the last two days, this puppet has been dangling on his string waiting for the masters.

I have got 2 seats sold for tonights show (24th May).  If the reviewers like me I guarantee this time next week we will be sold out.

Every night we ask the audience to leave contact details and comment on the show, he's an example.

Call Me.

The thing is about site specific theatre is that you never know what's around the corner.  When I was performing Thick As Thieves once in a Nottingham shop a policeman walked in having had reports that two burglars with axes had been spotted breaking in.  The surprise on his face as he walked into the middle of a performance with 60 people in the audience was classic.  


So last night, we're into the final (touching) act of I Love Oldham last night when a drunk irishman (this is not a racial stereotype , its a fact that adds to comedy/horror of the story) who staggers into the shop mid performance and is trying to buy our old phone prop in the shop window. "I've been fekking trying to buy the frekking phone all day" he slurs. to which Rayyah McCaul as Joyce tells him to pop round in the morning and "we'll put it to one side".  At least someone believes our characters are real.

Really enjoyable night and thankfully the phone has started ringing with bookings.  As the film said, "build it and they will come."


http://iloveoldham.hardgraft.co.uk/

The shop window of I Love Oldham with the old Telephone that everyone wants to buy.

Countdown to Oldham first

4 days to go till we open our doors to the public for the first time.  All day yesterday the cast and crew were busy making this unique event a brilliant experience for locals with great performances and a utterly brilliant set to look at.  I don't want to show too much as it wil spoil the surprise for the audience but here is a sneak preview of the shop window.

Celia, our designer has been busy trailing the web and other charities to find the hidden gems from our past and from the response of local shoppers we have hit the nail on the head.

come and see the shop and the show from 21st May 2013 12 Albion Street Oldham

7 days to go.

It is always very exciting when you get the keys to a new property that you know you are going to be involved with for a while and our new shop on Albion Street Oldham is no exception.  As you can see we have already started the massive job of dressing the front of the shop, this is quite important as it's a really bit part of

Stories are the most important things in the world.

Every month I do a walk around Oldham visiting sites that historically have had reports of ghosts, we call it the Oldham Ghost walk.  Most nights we average 5 or 6 people (I will never be a millionaire) and what I find really interesting is that by the time we are at the half way point a couple of the group will start telling me their stories.  These stories sometimes about Ghosts, but mainly about their town and what was there in their past, the names of shops, about getting drunk and sleeping in the grave yard.

People love stories, they love to listen and they love to share.   Maybe the Ghost walk should evolve into the Thursday night story club, where you bring an open, relaxed attitude and we share in the brilliance of stories.  Tell us where you met and fell in love, or where your Uncle Ted worked before he went off to war, tell us why a street is called Gas Street or who used to clean the Church clock twice a year.

People love stories, people love other people's stories told by the people.

A Ghost, caught on CCTV in the Butterflies Nightclub in Oldham in the 1990's and a cracking yarn.

Local shops for local people

Went into Prime Mark today to see if they would let us use any old shelving for the set of the show.  Talk about corporate bureaucrats, I had to write a headed letter so the manager could forward it to head office where it would surly get passed around for a month before they told me no.  So, I went down the lane to Zutti and spoke to Maggie the owner of this independent clothes shop who without a heart beat said "Yes".  Moral of this story is, when ever you need the help of business in the arts ask the local businesses as they have the power to help.

Shops are like theatres, in the front are flash stock, shelving, lighting and glamour, behind all the gloss are the bare bones, the kettle and if you're lucky a toilet.