Starting out in the world of producing.
When you start any form of actor training, a lot of emphasis is put on acting styles and technique. There is some discussion about creating and writing your own work, and you learn from the best about directing and how to create a killer show for an audience. However, there are many questions left unanswered in terms of producing a show, meaning a vital part of the theatre-creating process is missing. After all, you may have the most amazing script, director and actors, but if you have no way of producing the performance, then you have no way of making money. In short, we need to stop treating theatre as just a passion project.
I have to admit, when I completed my actor training almost 10 years ago, I had little interest in producing theatre. My own finances were in ruins from three years of study, let alone comprehending how to finance a show with no money to start with. Fast forward almost a decade, and I am now helping to produce a piece of theatre for the Camden Fringe this summer. I approach this with a great deal of trepidation, but also courage that what I am doing is going to lead our little show to success in the country’s capital.
Finding the right venue
Finding a venue is hard… finding the right venue is even harder! A lot of consideration needs to be put into making sure you approach the right venue for your show. Do your research. If you are a first-time producer, aim high, but not too high. You are not going to sell out the London Palladium on your first performance. You need to build a reputation as a company that builds trust with your audience. Below are a few tips we have found when producing work that are key to getting the venue you want.
Tour Pack
This is a must. A tour pack provides potential venues with all the information they need about your show. When we created our first touring show, “The Shakespeare Jukebox”, and were getting no interest, our friends in a successful theatre company asked us “What’s in your tour pack?” To which, we replied “What’s a tour pack?!” Your tour pack is unique to your show. Make sure you have lots of images either from your show, or create some publicity shots!
Look for venues that are right for you.
Be realistic about the sort of venues you want to work in. Do you want to perform in an outdoor space, in the round, black box or proscenium arch? Also, consider capacity. A show with a recognisable name is going to sell more seats than a new piece of work from an unknown company. Does your show have any links to the local area? (Top tip: Shakespeare sells a lot better in Stratford-upon-Avon than it does in York… this is from personal experience).
Email the correct people
Don’t copy and paste a generic email to your venues. Explain why you want to work at that particular venue! In terms of who to email, make sure you are addressing the correct person. Most larger venues have a head of programming listed on their website. If you can’t find this, then address your email to the Artistic Director of the venue. If all else fails, put FAO - HEAD OF PROGRAMMING in your email subject line.
Marketing your show
Now that you have your venue, you need to make some money. Read your contract in detail and know the ‘deal’ you have agreed to. Are you paying a flat rate hire for the venue? Or are you on a percentage split? (A note on splits: A lot of theatres work on a 70/30 or 80/20 ticket split in favour of the producer. If you are performing at a fringe, be prepared for this to go down to a 50/50 split!) Create a spreadsheet that shows the money coming in and out for your show. Get your spreadsheet to calculate the income from ticket sales and the split. This way you know roughly the money you are making or losing.
In the 21st century, there is a lot of marketing that can be done for free, but make sure you know the audience you are advertising to and where they are going to be looking for advertisements. You can’t produce a show for 70- to 80-year-olds and only advertise on social media. Remember you can boost your social media posts by paying money. This is worth doing for those posts that are already gaining traction.
Consider contacting local radio stations, newspapers and online advertising websites. Take posters and flyers to local shops and restaurants and ask if they will advertise your show. The worst they can say is ‘no’, in which case you move on to the next place.
In short, you will need to spend money to advertise your show. Whether that is by printing flyers and posters, or boosting social media posts. Make sure you have budgeted for this.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” said the playwright John Heywood… and neither is a theatre production. So far, for our production of “Around the World in 72 Days”, we have not sold a ticket. However, we only went on sale a week ago, and the performance is not until August. Trust your process. Keep marketing and posting! Those tickets won’t sell themselves. One show we performed last year only had two tickets sold the morning of the performance, and we sold a further 10 by the evening! Keep plugging that show and make sure you don’t give up.
So remember,
unless you are a West End theatre producer, no one knows it all! But trust your process and enjoy the art of producing your show for an audience. Remember why you are doing this… because you love it! Because you want your work to be seen. You will have successes and failures along the way, and hopefully, they will balance themselves out. Keep going and create great theatre.
Remember our show “Around the World in 72 Days” is being performed at the Barons Court Theatre this Summer as part of the Camden Fringe Festival. We will be performing on Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th August 2025 at 5:30pm.
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