The Making Theatre Podcast

This time we talk to Nick Hytner about forming the London Theatre Company and creating it's first home - the Bridge Theatre at One, Tower Bridge.

If like us you ever paused to wonder how someone goes about starting a theatre, this episode provides a fascinating insight into the process.

From the hunt for the venue, and the hair-raising rollercoaster of finding investors and securing funding, to the relationship with the architect and the design of the stage, auditorium, foyer and backstage space, we chart the journey of the Bridge from small, scrappy start-up to sell out run of Guys and Dolls.

In a wide-ranging interview, Nick also offers some choice observations and sage advice from a directing career that spans forty years and includes a decade spent running that other little place on the South Bank, the National Theatre...

This time, we leave behind the warm, dry confines of the conventional theatre space and head outside for an inspiring conversation with Angie Bual, creative director of Trigger, a company based in the south west of England, who create and produce bold live and digital events, often on a large-scale and often outdoors.

With obsessions that range from dragons to upholstery via horticulture and kite-flying, Angie is a brave and compassionate artist, who can talk millions of pounds of funding into existence and makes ambitious theatre without walls. We hear about her remarkable journey from a bespoke performance for a house-bound pensioner in a Glasgow tenement, to the hatching of a dragon the size of a double decker bus on the Plymouth Hoe in front of 30,000 people…

This time we talk to Sarah and Mark about their extensive experience writing and directing pantomime.  Their own particular brand of raucous rock-n-roll panto has been seen for 19 consecutive years at the Liverpool Everyman, during which time,  along side their multi-talented cast of actor-musicians,  they have built a loyal and lively audience.

We hear about their unique approach to developing the script, the true intent of the Flowerpot Men, managing the hazards of magic hair, and getting into a panto frame of mind on a beach in mid August.

They also talk frankly about the precarious nature  of being a freelancer, but despite having made ther last panto for the Everyman, and facing an uncertain year, rest assured;  it might well be behind you, but it's most certainly not behind them..

For this episode, Bruno adjusts pan and tilt to catch James squarely in the spotlight and focus on his career, and in particular his experience lighting opera.  We discuss the idiosyncrasies of working in this medium, and how it differs from lighting theatre.  We talk about how we respond to music with light, the rewards of getting to know a piece of music intimately, and how having a band in the room always seems to improve things.  We also explore the nature of the 'rep' system and the challenges of making work in some of the biggest repertory opera houses in the world, such as the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan in New York.  While we wait for maestro to finish tinkering with the overture, we also reveal a little of the life we lead on the road, and unpack the secrets of James's kitchen bag...

This time we are talking to Kate Pakenham, an independent producer with a passion for theatre, and a drive to make work with a strong social purpose. We learn how each show can be compared to a mini start-up, and how producing, even when you can line some things up, is always a leap of faith. We discover that a trip to Pret can be surprisingly lucrative, but also that where and who the money comes from can be just as important as the money itself. We hear about when to be in the room, when not to be, and a sage piece of parental advice; when in doubt, make people tea.