There are parallels in the lives of Norwich Puppet Theatre (NPT) and The Little Angel Theatre which has just gone dark, writes Ian Woods.
They are two of only five building-based puppet companies in the United Kingdom. Each had a creative founding father; both are based in converted buildings; they have companies that tour extensively; and whereas we had our financial blip in the late 1990s the Little Angel is having one now.
In 1978 the Norwich Puppet Theatre Trust was created to convert the medieval church of St James into a dedicated centre for puppetry and as a home for Ray da Silva?s puppet company (later renamed Norwich Puppet Theatre). Galvanising the citizenry of Norwich was Tony Ede who guided a committee to raise the funds and see the conversion through to completion. Sadly Tony died before the opening in December 1980, but his vision is still a reality 21 years later.
For many NPT is just the church by the Barrack Street roundabout that they pass every day, but this is only one aspect of the organisation. The current work of NPT falls into three broad categories:
The venue - which is both a producing and receiving house, with children?s puppet making workshops complementing the year round programme.
The company - the NPT company keeps two or three productions from the repertoire available during any one year and aims to produce one new play per annum. These productions tour extensively to schools in the East of England, to venues throughout the UK, and to festivals in Europe and beyond. So far this year ?Thumbelina? spent three weeks in Madrid and ?Harlequin in Trouble? two in Mexico.
The resource for puppetry - providing rehearsal space for other puppetry companies; placements for higher education students; hosting an evening class leading to a City & Guilds qualification in puppet making; and as an information source for educationalists and the general public. Each of these elements supports the finances of the organisation, which are underpinned by grant support from East England Arts, Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council.
Like the infamous V&A café advert, you could say that we are a touring company with a building attached. However the building is far more than that - it provides a centre from which we can rehearse and develop work, a focus for showcasing work and a resource for other companies in the region. The downside is that NPT has been grant supported at a level similar to theatre companies that do not have a venue to sustain. Suffice it to say that the income from touring work supports the home base. Why not cut costs and close the venue? - an idea pushed forward in the late 1990s when the historic deficit was not showing any signs of reduction. Without the theatre we would have difficulty creating the quality of work that supports it! This wheel within a wheel of finance is an ongoing challenge. There is a constant balancing act between finding and promoting work for the building, while giving time to our own company to rehearse and develop work ready for marketing, performance and touring. But then there are the joys of seeing the faces of an enthralled audience; successfully getting sets, puppets and performers to some corner of Europe (and back again) in one piece; and reading children?s letters after a performance in a school.
So where do we go from here? The theatre celebrates it?s 21st anniversary with an open day on June 22 - with workshops, performances, back-stage tours, and ?try out a puppet? as just a few of the events. We are just starting a two year RALP funded project for two new plays for 3-9 year olds. The first production - Hansel and Gretel - will be performed in Norwich during the school summer holidays before going on tour in the Autumn. There will be a major refurbishment of both theatre spaces; a strengthening of the administration team; the launch of an interactive website; and development of a Norwich festival of puppetry using venues across the City. It is highly unlikely that a new dedicated puppet theatre will be created in this country and, although puppetry would exist without us, it is vital that we do exist to maintain the profile of this artform.
Ian Woods is General Manager of Norwich Puppet Theatre t: 01603 615564 e: norpuppet@hotmail.com