One of the joys of the theatre is that it never stands still. It’s a constantly evolving medium, with a turnover of venues, shows and personnel that can keep it fresh and surprising. And while some venues and artists will inevitably atrophy, others come along that move fast - and can quickly usurp the ‘establishment’ in the process.
This month is the eighth anniversary of the founding of Dalston’s Arcola Theatre, and yet it feels both like it has been here forever —- it is now an indispensable part of the fabric of London theatre — and has only just arrived.
The National Theatre of Scotland is even younger - its first artistic director was only appointed in 2004, and its inaugural production presented in February 2006 - yet it, too, has already embedded itself firmly in the theatrical ecology; and has done so, moreover, without a permanent building base but merely the idea of operating as an umbrella for productions that tour under its auspices.
I’m thinking of them because over the weekend I saw new productions at both the Arcola and by the NTOS (this time at Lyric Hammersmith), and it struck me how revolutionary both have been at establishing their brands fast - and maintaining them. I went along to both with genuine anticipation and expectation - and even if mine weren’t fulfilled at Hammersmith, at least I had them.
It made me wonder why, for instance, I am usually depressed nowadays by the prospect of visiting Hampstead Theatre - whereas I am delighted by the idea of going to the Arcola. That’s because the Arcola has managed to build my trust in the last few years that my time there is usually going to be well rewarded - whereas at Hampstead my hopes for that outcome have been serially eroded. The Arcola may not be the easiest theatre to travel to, but it is always a pleasure to arrive; the reverse feels true at Hampstead.
And so it proved once again last week. Hampstead’s UK premiere for Brecht’s Turandot added another dire evening there to the sense memory that already attaches to the place; whereas the Arcola on Friday was buzzing once again for a rare sighting of Tennessee Williams’ Small Craft Warnings. No, this isn’t the greatest of his plays by a long shot; but somehow the venue’s trust in the play inspired mine, and I soon surrendered to its strange mythical world. So, it felt, did an audience that included RSC artistic director Michael Boyd — he may not have been at the RSC’s most high-profile Stratford opening of the year with Hamlet last month, but it was good to see him out and about supporting other work in London.
The Arcola always surprises you - not least the moment you walk through the theatre door, to find out what the seating configuration is this time. But that’s only part of its charms; while directors respond differently each time to give the playing area new shapes and dimensions and reinvent the relationship with its spectators afresh, the Arcola is also a theatre that lays down the welcome mat in other ways — at Friday’s press night, this included a free buffet of food brought in from the wonderful kebab house across the street.
Yet it’s also a welcoming theatre on non-press nights, too; there’s always vibrant sense of purpose and community about the place. But the real nourishment, of course, is on the stage, where the characters this time are indulging a more liquid diet. And, at these close quarters, you will want to raise a toast to actors that include Sian Thomas, Greg Hicks and Jack Shepherd for bringing such an inhabited sense of being to their characters.
The NTOS’s new latest piece, 365 - premiered as part of this year’s Edinburgh International Festival and now at Lyric Hammersmith - is also an ensemble work, like NTOS’s biggest hit to date, Black Watch. But if this wordy, worthy piece about the (lack of) after-care of kids who have been in care as they move into the outside world doesn’t hit the same spot emotionally or creatively, it is just one part of their ever-growing portfolio of productions that also reconfigures their relationship with the audience each time: as artistic director Vicky Featherstone says on the company’s website, “Since our launch in February 2006, over 230,000 people have sat in theatres, stood in woods or on ferries to see our work.” How many other companies could characterise where their work is done in this way?
