The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor
I am a founder member of The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor, a company formed in 1996 with the aim of staging theatrical work in spaces not usually used for theatre.
Over the course of 24 years the company has staged more than 45 plays and events, the majority of which I have directed. These have all been free to the general public (we have performed at times at benefit events for some other organisations where people have been charged). Always utilising large casts (some have been as large as 70 performers), there are often minimal rehearsals, but we never allow this to compromise the quality of the work.
See my blog entry on free theatre, its costs, and its benefits…
The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor – June 1996 onwards
Direction for The New Factory:
FEKS at the Torriano Meeting House London – a celebration of the original Factory of the Eccentric Actor – more…
Victory Over the Sun at the Undercloud Festival in Bucharest – a version of a rarely performed ‘Futurist’ Opera – more…
An Evening with Karl Marx at the Torriano Meeting House London – an evening of readings and short plays – more…
Blue Blouse – an hour long piece about the Blue Blouse theatre movement in the Soviet Union in the 1920s – more…
Lenin in London 2015 at The Marx Memorial Library London – a short piece focusing on the domestic life of Lenin during his pre-revolutionary visits to London – more…
Bakunin Tiger of Wrath at The Torriano Meeting House – This small-scale work with a cast of 15 explored the life of ‘the apostle of revolution’ Mikhail Bakunin – more…
1848 at The Conway Hall London – a large-scale work with a cast of 70, and explored the Europe-wide revolutions of 1848, the most widespread wave of revolution in history – more…
A Jubilee in Bohemia – Chekhov’s short comedy staged at the first Souladění Festival in Cesky Krumlov – more…
Lenin in London at The Marx Memorial Library – staged as a benefit for The Marx Memorial Library – more…
Lenin’s Lunch a short film – Lenin’s attempt to eat his lunch whilst being besieged by well-wishers and admirers – more…
To Moscow…To Moscow… at The Conway Hall – a promenade through the life of Anton Chekov that featured a cast of 38 and 6 musicians – more…
The Tables Turned at The William Morris Society – a 19th Century piece of agitprop staged as a joint venture – more…
The Wedding at the Pushkin Club – Chekhov’s short comedy performed at the Pushkin Club in Bloomsbury, London – more…
Kollontai in London at The William Morris Society – staged for The William Morris Society at Kelmscott House in London as part of their 175th anniversary celebrations – more…
Victory Over the Sun at the 176 Gallery – a rarely performed ‘Futurist’ Opera was created in 1913 by Khlebniko, Kruchenykh, Matiushin, and Malevich – more…
General Strike 1926 at The Conway Hall – an examination of the lives of those involved in the only general strike this country has seen – more…
1905 at Mary Ward House – a view of the events of the year long 1905 revolution in Russia, which included the original ‘Bloody Sunday’ massacre – more…
Peace, Land, Bread at The Torriano Meeting House – a small-scale look at political journeys and moments – more…
New Babylon 1871 at The Round Chapel – inspired by the 1927 Kozintzev/Trauberg film this work recreated the events of the Paris Commune of 1871 – more…
Lichtenberg at Bridge Lane Theatre – a work marking the tenth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall – more…
The Red Cabbage Cafe – the story of Humphrey Veil an engineer in 1920’s Soviet Moscow, and his relationship with Sophia Bellechasse to a backdrop of Stalin’s rise to power – more…