Going back to the country could be lifeline for drama
theatre. We are incredibly excited to be performing Mozart’s The Impresario at Lamport Hall and wonder whether this could help reinvigorate a national touring culture based around the beautiful historical buildings across the UK.
When we started our theatre company two years ago, we might have thought twice had we known COVID-19 was just around the corner. Certainly, the prospect of any live theatre for the foreseeable was looking pretty doubtful and posed a serious threat to the likes of our theatre company, which had just had its first birthday. Thankfully, government restrictions have eased a bit and our production of at Lamport Hall is going ahead. Within the first week of tickets going on sale, we had sold out and we have received many kind messages from audience members expressing their excitement at the prospect of re-engaging with live theatre It apThis
makes us believe there are numerous possibilities for emerging artists and theatre companies, especially working with historic houses and unconventional spaces and performers have felt more powerless than ever, waiting for the phone to ring in an industry where all the lights have gone out. Sam was performing in The Mousetrap when lockdown hit It had stopped its run since 1952 and Sam, like all the other actors in the West End, found himself unemployed overnight. This is not, of course, an entirely unfamiliar feeling for an actor! So, we found ourselves asking: how do we take our company into our own hands and help change our work, so that it can go ahead in a safe and secure way?
Country houses, like Lamport, are perfect for theatre in the new normal. They have space. Theatres are designed to pack an audience in tightly, whereas the grounds of a house like Lamport allow for socially distanced, outdoor performances. They are beautiful venues which lie outside of densely populated areas. Why should you have to go into the city to see a show? Why not travel out of the city, so that any gathering of people is occurring away from densely populated areas, outdoors and with room enough for audience memfrom each other?
Furthermore, lockdown has reminded us how important community is. Much of the work we want to create involves working with the local community and historic houses have an important part to play.
During our first show Vincent’s Brixton, which we produced with Van Gogh House London, we read scenes from the play in a Brixton care home, as well as working with local volunteers on the project. A historic house is emblematic of a particular community and its history. They are the perfect hubs to reach out to communities which otherwise might not have easy access to theatre.
If Lamport Hall is anything to go by, there could be many more extraordinary venues across the country who would welcome emerging theatre companies. With the uncertain landscape that lies ahead, we and others like us may have a vital role