James Haddrell on Greenwich’s theatrical return
James Haddrell, the artistic and executive director of Greenwich Theatre, reflects on the challenges of returning to live performance.
As COVID restrictions are lifted, theatres across the country are facing a host of questions. What should we programme to bring audiences back? Will audiences feel comfortable returning to busy theatres? What can we do to restore confidence in a pastime that has mass gathering at its heart?
At Greenwich Theatre we have already started testing audience appetite for a return to live performance. In June we presented Bad Nights and Odd Days, a rare staging of four short plays by Caryl Churchill, with Paul McGann and Kerrie Taylor leading an exceptional cast. There is no doubt that we were fortunate during the project – nobody contracted COVID, and whilst we did lose members of the production team to isolation, none of the performances were cancelled.
It wasn’t an easy return – audiences had to be socially distanced, two of the plays were written originally for radio and had to be transplanted to the stage, and the subject matter of the four pieces ranged from a crisis of confidence in a telekinetic English woman to a picture of a world ravaged by environmental collapse.
However, we were determined to remind audiences of just how special a trip to the theatre can be. It can be entertaining and challenging at the same time, it can tell tough stories but still have moments of joy, and it can bring people together to experience something new. Reviews were fantastic, with the show heralded by the Guardian as “prescient and daring… a celebration of the restless and prolific originality of a great dramatist.”
That success story has done wonders in restoring our confidence in making live theatre. We are now in rehearsal for our summer repertory season – featuring productions of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Pinocchio, performed on alternate days by the same cast and designed for anyone aged 6 and above.
For Pinocchio, writer Tony Clark has gone back to the original novel about the puppet who dreams of being a real boy, creating a fantastic family tale full of comedy, drama and music. Meanwhile Russ Tunney’s adaptation of Joan Aiken’s classic children’s adventure story The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase will see the show we made for Christmas 2020 finally reach the stage after rescheduling twice.
Newly reimagined now that COVID restrictions on stage have been relaxed, our intrepid cast will tell the tale of two young cousins battling against their wicked governess Miss Slighcarp and her inept henchman Mr Grimshaw.
We know that many people are desperate to come back to the theatre – indeed some already have – but it is essential for us that people feel as comfortable as possible. For both shows, therefore, we have decided to retain social distancing for audiences during the previews and have limited capacity for the whole run to enable people to spread out if they want to.
Safety is always paramount for us at Greenwich Theatre, and audiences can trust that a visit to our venue this autumn will be a safe one.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Pinocchio, 5 August-5 September 2021