The People I Want to Make Theatre With

Over the last few blogs, I've written about storytelling, commitment, ensemble, respect, confidence, growth and the things I value when building a company. But as I bring this series to a close, I find myself coming back to a much simpler question.

Who do I actually want to make theatre with?

The answer has very little to do with lead roles. Very little to do with line counts and surprisingly little to do with talent alone. Of course talent matters. We're creating theatre. We need performers who can tell stories, connect with audiences and bring characters to life. But when I think about the people I've loved working with most over the last ten years, I don't remember them because of the role they played. I remember them because of who they were in the room. I remember the people who cared. The people who turned up excited to create. The people who asked questions. The people who wanted to improve. The people who worked hard because they loved the process, not because they wanted the spotlight.

I remember the people who celebrated somebody else's success. The people who checked in on cast mates. The people who stayed behind to help. The people who made rehearsal rooms feel welcoming. The people who understood that theatre is a team effort. Because that's the thing I've learned again and again. The best productions aren't built by individuals. They're built by companies. By groups of people who choose to support each other. Who challenge each other. Who inspire each other. Who trust each other enough to take risks.

When I think back to the productions I'm proudest of, I rarely think about a single performance. I think about the atmosphere in the room. The excitement. The laughter. The conversations. The discoveries. The feeling that everybody was pulling in the same direction. I think about people building each other up rather than competing. I think about performers creating stories together. I think about the moments when a group of individuals became a company.

That's what excites me most about the future. Not just the shows we'll do. The people we'll do them with. As Anything Goes Theatre Company enters its next chapter, I'm excited about the stories we're going to tell. I'm excited about the challenges we'll take on. I'm excited about the worlds we'll create. But most of all, I'm excited about finding the people who want to create them alongside us. The people who are curious. The people who are kind. The people who are committed. The people who are collaborative. The people who understand that every role matters. The people who love storytelling. The people who are willing to learn. The people who support the company around them. The people who care.

Great theatre isn't built by the most talented person in the room. It's built by a room full of people who care enough to create something special together. Those are the people I want to make theatre with. And I can't wait to see what we create next…