12 Oct 2020
Yesterday we finished performing a three show day of Barmy Britain in Bridlington Spa, which has truly one of the most wonderful theatres I’ve ever performed in. The relationship with the audience is glorious and the dynamics of the space make acting so easy you feel you’re walking on air. It has instantly become one of my favourite theatres in the world. We woke up this morning to head back to Birmingham with the news that the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund has awarded us £132,000 towards new productions in the coming months and to stabilise the company for the future. In truth this means a lot more to us than just its monetary value, as it has made us feel the supreme efforts we’ve been making to keep presenting theatre throughout the pandemic have been worthwhile in a broader context of contributing to the nation’s theatrical ecosystem. It’s a show of support from which any company going through this nightmare can draw tremendous encouragement and it’s a huge boost to our determination to get through this crisis not only intact, but with renewed vigour to provide innovative and exciting theatre. Our aim over the next few months is to surprise ourselves and our audiences with just what can be achieved in the most difficult of circumstances, while at the same time having a lot fun along the way to share with young people and their families all over the country. It’s a fantastic boost when it’s most needed.