Brewing Up a Theatrical Storm

It's not a picture of someone drinking at a brewery, it's actually 'Rum &Vodka' which runs Wed 14th - Sun 25th October

Googling ‘Brewery Theatre Bristol’ it’s a bit disappointing that, so far, the opening of such an important space appears to have flown under the radar. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not expecting it to make the News at Ten, and I did find a short article on Original FM’s website, but for there to seemingly be no online article from any Theatre commentators is a real shame.

With so little online reportage (I am excluding Theatre Bristol’s coverage – they do appear in the search results!), you may wonder why I think it is so important. I don’t blame you. How can an audience or a city understand what it could mean for them if they have no idea of what is happening?

'Full Twist' runs Wed 28th October - Sun 8th November

If you live in the Southville area, on one Thursday night you may have spotted several people dotted around North Street wearing badges and red carnations, pointing other people down the road, towards the old brewery: they were our chaperones. It was a bit like being part of a secret society, we were directed to the rear of the building where we found ourselves in a bright open space with graffiti art on the walls and freshly made bread and cheese on a table (I never quite made it to this table as I spent most of the night talking, but I did hear some very good reports). The bread is from the bakery that will reside in The Brewery and be a quirky addition to the experience. The space I have just described is not the theatre space, but the rear part of the building, where additional plans are afoot.

I arrived just in time to hear a very funny talk from the Tobacco Factory Theatre Manager, David Dewhurst about the new venture. He made the speech instead of Artistic Director Ali Robertson, who was preparing for his own ‘launch party’ as his wife had gone into labour earlier that day. After this we were finally allowed into The Brewery.

It is brilliant. It’s a small, black, ninety-seater, studio space with huge potential, which puts me in mind of The Green Room in Manchester. In addition, as an audience member, joy of joy, there are no pillars. I would also venture to say (having tested them briefly) that the seats are rather comfy. But why is a small theatre space in Southville potentially so significant?

'Gizmo Love' runs Wed 16th - Sun 27th September

Think of The Brewery as the BBC3 of theatre in Bristol. The Tobacco Factory has been producing some great work and developing its standing over the last few years, but the closure of the Bristol Old Vic really allowed it to blossom by throwing light on its work and giving it the space to grow as the city’s main theatre venue. Like BBC1 or 2, there’s a large capacity (250 – 300+ for this space, depending on the type of performance and use of space), and is great for established companies. However, this can present a problem for new, un-established companies, without a recognised piece or a strong following. These companies need a space with a smaller capacity that can allow them to run for longer to develop the work and audience support. This is where the similarity with BBC3 lies. Think of the number of shows that have been trialled and allowed to grow their audience before transferring to the ‘main channels’, including my current favourite, Bristol-based Being Human. The Brewery will hopefully work in a similar way and this is why it is so important to Bristol: it can encourage and support development in a city with a strong tradition of companies creating nationally and internationally renowned work.

'Mrs Gerrish's Christmas Stocking' runs Wed 2nd - Sun 13th December

Anyone who attended Tom Morris’ talk at the Bristol Old Vic will know that he has similar plans to develop small spaces within ‘his’ theatre, which is equally as exciting, but the spaces he wants to utilise will be very different to The Brewery, and at a time when it feels like the city is on the cusp of change over the coming years, there is plenty of room for all of these much needed performance spaces. In addition, whilst Tom Morris and Emma Stenning have very exciting plans for the future of the Bristol Old Vic and its place within the community, George Ferguson, Ali Robertson and the Tobacco Factory team are already engaging with the community rather successfully and this new venue allows them to develop that further and bring new work to their loyal audience.

I have compared these Bristol venues in isolation, but the reality is that when the Bristol Old Vic reopens we must see each one as a component of a whole, and support them as a whole (without excluding other venues in the city such as the Alma Tavern) because that is the only way they will achieve their full potential and enable our city to continue to culturally flourish.

I opened by bemoaning the lack of local and national coverage of The Brewery’s launch, but after discussing its importance, I wonder if it is better to slip under the radar? That way the theatre can do its own thing and there’s no expectation of the outcome. However, people won’t support it, if they don’t know it exists and despite the current lack of coverage, the national press have been particularly supportive of Bristol and the Bristol Old Vic, so I hope that it won’t be long before word gets out and audiences everywhere are aware of its arrival on the theatre scene and head over to check out their exciting new programme.

Links:
Tobacco Factory
Bristol Old Vic

‘Once more unto the breach, dear friends...’

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 Blog
National Theatre department profile
What’s on Stage
Bristol Evening Post
Telgraph Review of Suspension
BRAVE