Michael Cabot on London Classic Theatre
Why was London Classic Theatre set up, and when?
I set up LCT in 1993, shortly after leaving drama school. Like a lot of young directors, I was keen to produce my own work, so I started putting on plays on the London fringe. It was a fairly precarious business (still is in many ways) but the fringe is an environment that has always welcomed risk-taking and we caught the attention of the national press fairly early on. We began touring in 2000. I think the company had gone as far as we could in London and it was time to broaden our horizons. Touring was the logical next step.
I try to programme a balance of challenging and accessible touring theatre, but ultimately, I am now in the fortunate position of being able to do work that I am passionate about. I choose plays that I think have something to say and always try to keep the emphasis on strong writing. The writing is always key. I have directed all 25 LCT productions since 1993. We have a strong core company of actors that we often draw from, many of whom have worked for us on two, three, or more occasions. For this revival of The Caretaker, I’m delighted that Nicholas Gasson and Richard Stemp, two of the original 2004 cast are back and they are joined by the excellent Nicholas Gadd.
How is it all funded?
LCT has never received any funding. It is entirely self-supporting. This has meant that things have often been quite hard in financial terms, often with us having to cut our cloth accordingly, but there is also a great freedom in not having to depend on someone else for support. I won’t pretend that funding wouldn’t come in handy, but I think we have developed a mentality of just getting on with it.
How has it changed over the past ten years?
There’s no question that we are in a very different place than we were ten years ago. We had no contacts in the regions at all back then. In the beginning, it was a case of just getting the work out there and seen, trying to get a foothold on the touring circuit. As of this year, we have performed to over 300,000 people and our work has now been seen in more than 150 theatres and arts centres around the UK and Ireland. We are have built relationships with a large number of well-respected touring houses and repertory theatres and are always looking to move into new areas and forge new partnerships.
How do you see the future?
I think we can approach the next ten years with confidence. I’m very ambitious to maintain our success, but my primary focus is on the work. I think we have set a standard for ourselves over the last ten years of doing great plays well. I want that to continue. Making good theatre doesn’t necessarily need to be complicated. For me, it’s about building a strong team who really care about the work. Find a good script, cast well and let the actors get on with it.
