The Red Cabbage Cafe

March1999 saw a ‘one night only’ staging of The Red Cabbage Cafe by The New Factory, at a time when The Roundhouse was almost derelict. It was directed by Gary Merry.

November 1998 saw the second and largest staging of The Red Cabbage Cafe by The New Factory at The Atlantis Gallery in Brick Lane, London. Directed by Gary Merry.

The New Factory were the first to use this space for theatre performance, and played to more than a thousand people over 3 nights

June 1996 saw the first staging of The Red Cabbage Cafe, and coincided with the founding of The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor. This adaptation of the book of the same name by Jonathan Treitel, was written for the stage by Penny Dimond of the company. It was produced on a shoestring budget with a cast of 30 performers, and directed by Gary Merry.

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.

This was performed over 3 nights, free to the general public, who were also given free soup and vodka – establishing a New Factory tradition of both feeding, and not charging the audience.

The Red Cabbage Cafe – 1996 to 1999 – London