sustained theatre

By Paul Clay

So, how will Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre realistically work with the aims of Sustained Theatre?

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Blimey, it’s a big question. One for us to face up to as an industry, as well as individual companies. The Royal Exchange Theatre, for those who don’t know, is a 700-seater, full-time producing theatre, working entirely in the round for over thirty years. Our main space is a glass and steel construction on three levels positioned in an eighteenth-century cotton-trading hall and in 1998 we added the Studio, a flexible 90-seat Studio which is the creative heart of the company. There is no hiding in the round, limited scenery, no wings, no ‘upstage’ and the result is the most extraordinary theatrical experience.

Our remit is to produce new writing and established texts which we do forty-eight weeks of the year, creating nine main stage productions and four studio shows per year. In addition, we have the Bruntwood New Playwriting Competition - where all submissions are under a pseudonym – on the newly launched website,www.writeaplay.co.uk.

“We have recently launched ‘Special FX’, an initiative aimed at bringing new audiences into the hall by presenting free performances for one hour between 6-7pm...”

The Studio has also been dynamic in its exploration and development of new writing and of non-text based work from artists based in the North West region. We have built solid and creative relationships with a diverse range of theatre makers such as Fittings Multimedia Arts, Ben Faulks, Sonia Hughes, Motion Loco, En Masse, and with regional festival programmes X.trax, Queer Up North and Exodus. The popular annual showcase of work in progress ‘Blue’ is now in its sixth year providing an essential platform for both emerging and established artists to profile their work with technical and producing expertise provided by the Studio team. The Studio also profiles the best of national small scale touring work with particular attention given to children’s and young people's theatre companies.

Our burgeoning Education department is responsible for a wide range of theatre-based projects, workshop programmes and developmental activity, much of which focuses on engaging with under-represented groups and individuals. Our schools programme currently includes three year partnerships with primary schools in Crumpsall and Cheetham Hill, and with Cedar Mount High School, working with children for whom English is not a first language. Other current projects include our Muslim/Jewish Youth Theatre and our Refugee Theatre Company (for ages 17+). We are also currently developing a new Young Muslim Playwriting Project.

On Friday evenings we have recently launched ‘Special FX’, an initiative aimed at bringing new audiences into the hall by presenting free performances for one hour between 6-7pm, with a range of artists such as Arun Ghosh and Upasana Dance Company.

The highest possible artistic endeavour has always been central to the work of this Company and we have been honoured to attract the best creative talent to Manchester over many years, regardless of origin, gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity. I am not for a moment suggesting we are perfect, or that we have ‘cracked it’, our core audience is still generally, white, middle-class and of a certain age, but things are changing, we are making progress. Most importantly, we are open to ideas and opportunities. We need to work together as an industry, all of us, for the future of live performance in all its formats.

And the future? We are already in discussion with the Arts Council and the Sectorabout how we can work together. I don’t pretend to have the answers, but we do have many exciting ideas about how to support writers, performers and audiences from diverse backgrounds in Manchester and beyond and will be looking to make at least some of these a reality in the next three years.

High quality work is the key to the survival of the arts in the UK, audiences vote with their feet so one of the initiatives we need to look at is how we give work space to grow. We have a 700 seat theatre which is very exposing and often very difficult for established creative teams to master, and a 90 seat theatre which is intimate, creative and empowering. The jump between the two is huge. I would echo the call of the artists and theatre-makers at the regional North West Sustained Theatre meeting in March, for a new, flexible, creative space capable of use as a development and occasional performance space - open to ownership by all.

What do you think? What lessons can be learnt by 'mainstream' British theatres in developing new audiences and who are the winners (and losers) in championing an interesting diversity of work? Is the Royal Exchange Theatre doing enough? How does it compare to your region?

About the author

Paul Clay

Having graduated with a degree in Theatre and Sociology from the University of Manchester in 1988, Paul has gone on to work in a number of senior production roles in the arts which have included positions at Almeida Theatre, English National Opera and Theatre Royal Plymouth. Having previously worked at Royal Exchange Manchester between 1998 and 2002 as Production Manager, he returned to the company as Executive Director in July 2007 to lead a staff of 200