Why the plight of pub theatres matters

Our area is home to a number of pub theatres that are waiting to be given their due. In a cultural climate governed by corporate values, shouldn’t more be done at a local level to improve and protect traditional venues against an almost eugenic theatre culture?

The pub and the theatre are two cultural icons that have co-­existed side by side since the beginning. The Dionysian festivals of ancient Greece and the great, lidless hotpot of Shakespeare’s globe were both a medley of social interaction and spectacle (not to mention booze). People congregated and took part in the communion of theatre; strengthening their bonds with one another and with their own cultural identity. Those little, upstairs rooms could prove to be an influential and positive contributor to our local identity as they once were.

Big­ time theatre today boasts the exact opposite agenda by selling escapism; a place to disappear to and forget about the world around us. Far be it from me to tell you where or what you should spend your time and money on, but there is an important question we need to ask ourselves:­ do we want theatre reclaimed or should it remain at an unhealthy distance from those who watch it?

Ultimately, theatre is about story­telling, and stories are an important ingredient in the forming of identity; whether that be little girls and boys growing up to their favourite bedtime narrations, or on a much broader, sociological level. Theatres have been the ideological epicentre for entire civilisations: entertaining the masses while contributing to their moral and social development.

Nowadays, we may struggle to find socially, psychologically and emotionally enriching theatre because it rarely has a finger on the pulse; it takes a dialogue between theatre-makers and their audiences which is lacking in places like the West End but would thrive elsewhere.

Incidentally, I’m not talking about content: I don’t believe that only plays that would be “good for the community” should be performed. However, I do believe that theatre should be encouraged by the local community and, in return, the community should be inspired.

Pub theatres are giving us an opportunity to reclaim a place that brings us together, encouraging a collective ideology based on expression and freedom of speech. However, this won’t happen without support from the locals and hard work from the theatre companies themselves. For them to thrive, the professionals need to be coming back to their roots to address the need for more diverse (but ultimately less profitable) forms; raising standards and maintaining theatrical tradition.

This is by no means an outlandish request: Sir Ian McKellen (Patron of the Little Theatres Guild) is an avid supporter of small venues and frequents them often; but if more is done at a local level, if we take pride in our theatres, we will be enriching London’s creative gene pool ourselves and achieving a palpable feeling of ameliorating our cultural landscape. We could even end up improving the quality of productions and the strength of community on a national level.

I have many friends who work at the Lion and Unicorn on Gaisford Street; and have worked myself with the Theatre Collection, residents at Camden Park Road’s Lord Stanley. A prime example of a company that would thrive with our support, embedded at the core of the company’s ethos is a noble objective: to reinvent and perform much of Russia’s theatrical masterpieces.

Theatre Collection may not be for everyone but, in our current climate, residing within a niche is the only way for a company to stay above the waterline. However, who’s to say we wouldn’t see the rise of a new and improved repertory-­style theatre growing just beyond our garden walls? I believe that we would. As with any underdog, a firm belief and a dedication to betterment is all that is needed to instigate sea change.

Theatre at its finest is inclusive, impactive; it bowls through the streets where it grew up and remains a defining reflection of the community that nurtured it. Theatre never was, yet somehow has become, a commodity we ‘go out’ for; it used to be about ‘coming in’. We need somewhere that personal, innovative and passionate work can develop (without the muzzle of the box office) – and then be shared with a community enriched by its presence.