This is the first post I have ever made and it’s a long one, about the meeting I attended at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre on Thursday 16th April 2009.
The building was buzzing as we filed into the Theatre Royal auditorium. It was a who’s who of local creatives and supporters.
Dick Penny began by thanking the theatre’s supporters and apologising to those who had not yet received replies to their suggestions and ideas, but the level of correspondence has been tremendous and they are continuing to work through it.
He then recapped on how the theatre had been developing over the last year, both physically and financially. Physically, large parts of the exterior and the fly tower are currently under scaffolding, whilst asbestos has been systematically removed from the interior. Financially, he confirmed with pride, the theatre was now solvent and as a result was finally in a position to start investing in “the art” as well as the building. For a theatre seemingly in dire straits only eighteen months ago, it may come as a surprise to hear that he feels the theatre will not really be affected by the recession, but his reasoning is clear; in addition to renewed Arts Council funding and ongoing fundraising efforts, the theatre is expanding its work slowly and is running on a small number of staff, thirty-five to be exact, instead of the pre-redundancy level of eighty-five. This means, the theatre is currently in a stable position so long as it continues to develop in this way.
Dick was keen to point out that the theatre has been open since December last year, with performances taking place in the Studio and Basement. The Theatre Royal will be back in use next week with the Young Company’s production, BRAVE.
Another key message was the new vision for the theatre; the Bristol Old Vic is part of the community. It is not a stand-alone entity to be revered as untouchable by other members of the theatre world; it is open and indeed, actively seeking to work with others. With about forty companies currently using the building, including Theatre Bristol, who now have a base there, he wants the theatre to be viewed as a resource for the artistic community.
Finally, the time came for us to hear from Artistic Director, Tom Morris. Although some may be cynical, I believe he could be the white knight for whom we have been waiting. He has a long-term vision and a genuine passion and excitement for the role he will take on in September.
Tom is currently working at The National Theatre, where he worked on the hugely successful adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s book War Horse, and with Bristol favourite, Knee-High Theatre Company on A Matter of Life and Death. He has previously worked with Emma Stenning at the Battersea Arts Centre; a place he described as an “eccentric, falling-down building”, suggesting a sense of ‘de ja vu’ in his new role.
As I listened to Tom, I began to ask myself ‘What makes a good Artistic Director’? I believe it is someone with a true vision who embodies the quality of a true leader. He or she must be a Henry V of the theatre they run; they must be more than an inspirational orator, they must be willing to lead the charge.
Tom believes theatre should make “an appeal to your imagination”, that it “only exists when you imagine it”. It should be an “act of collaboration” between all involved, from the actors to the audience to the building’s staff.
During his visits to the Bristol Old Vic, he has counted at least fifteen spaces he believes could be used for theatre work and clearly has his imagination set on doing a piece in a tiny, hidden bar he discovered in the top of the building. If an artist approached him with an idea for the space he would no doubt listen, as he believes that in order to create the kind of work he supports, the only requirement is faith in the lead artist/s behind an idea. How does he define an ‘artist’? As “a person who can see round corners” and is crucially skilled in two ways; firstly in how they see the world and secondly, how they articulate that view in a way that enables some of us to catch a glimpse.
Executive Director Emma Stenning spoke briefly about her background, which included working with Tom before travelling to theatres around the world. Recently she worked for the A.C.E. at a time when they were making some very difficult decisions and she worked as the Head of the Manchester International Festival; she hopes these experiences will help her to fulfil her role in Bristol.
She clearly shared her colleague’s enthusiasm for her new role and said she would “start today” if she could.
The final part of the evening consisted of a series of questions from the audience. The questioning revealed that work on the electrics means the building will close again at some point, but it won’t stop them being active as a company.
After a reference to the ‘Main House’, Tom and Dick abolished the use of ‘Main’ house or stage and reinstated the use of ‘Theatre Royal’. For them ‘Main’ breeds in people’s minds an implicit division in the quality of work or as Tom put it, “the Main Stage for proper work and the Studio for slightly embarrassing work”.
When asked how soon they would start producing plays after Tom and Emma’s arrival in the autumn, it was pointed out that the theatre had already started producing with the Catherine Johnson commission Suspension, but the Autumn would see Tom collaborating with Dick, evolving gradually until April 2010, when Tom would be fully in charge of the programme.
One audience member loved their ideas but asked if they could make them pay. Dick Penny answered by making us question how we view the Arts; he said it all depended on what was meant by ‘make it pay’. He illustrated his point by saying that we ‘invest’ in hospitals but we ‘subsidise’ art. The reality is, they just can’t make enough money from the box office to do what they really want, but as long as they don’t spend more than they earn, he believes they can ‘make it pay’. Emma reiterated that they needed to come in on budget and on time, but working out the financial model and reinventing it was key to creating a nimble organisation that could respond quickly.
Throughout the questioning their agenda was clear. They are striving for a theatre of inclusion not exclusion. For audiences this means a diversification of the theatre’s output, broadening their demographic appeal, but doing so without alienating current supporters. For local ‘artists’ this means no longer viewing theatre as an impenetrable fortress, but as a resource, a place where they can eventually gain guidance.
Dick Penny has clearly managed to inspire the respect and faith of a large number of people but many will no doubt be sceptical that Tom Morris can make his ideas a reality, which is understandable, as he has yet to prove his worth to the Bristol audience. I would say to those sceptics that he has no crystal ball, he cannot show us the future, all he can do is outline how he plans to develop the theatre and solve issues raised; only time will tell if it all works. What he does have is vision, experience, passion and a brilliant track record; he is a man who can ‘see round corners’.
In my opinion Tom, Emma and Dick have the right view of the future; they are trying to build something that can last. If they succeed, if they continue to doggedly refuse to be pushed into quick fixes, I believe they could create a true legacy in an age where so much is about getting immediate results. If they succeed they could create a long term artistic prosperity instead of an ephemeral financial glory.
Other articles you may be interested in:
Guardian BlogNational Theatre department profileWhat’s on Stage Bristol Evening Post Telgraph Review of SuspensionBRAVE
