As Artistic Director of The Leatherhead Theatre Repertory Company I intended offering a range of classical and original plays in all genres. The challenge is to attract an audience back who remember the Theatre’s hey-day before it ceased as a Repertory Company in 1986. 

The main aim was to make the community feel the Theatre belonged to them, and to encourage writers, within a limit of thirty miles in Surrey and the South East of London, to submit their work for review and selection for performance. I wanted to see local amateur drama groups being involved in workshops and drama classes, where they could offer their own opinion and actively help in the selection process. Though not without our own vision, the Theatre is conscious that, for it to be a vital part of the society, there has to be interaction, and therefore look towards a constructively critical exchange.

In October, we began with ‘an evening of poetry, short stories and short play scripts’ in the Mezzanine Bar to mark the inauguration of the Company. Local actors, poets and playwrights all contributed to the evening and we were graced with performances from special guests, Lance Pierson and John Carson who gave dramatic renderings of Classical poems and offered autobiographical insights into their choice of poetry.