Category: News

What a fantastic year 2012 has been!  We thought we’d take this opportunity to look back on the Space highlights! (more…)

Fantastic news here at the Space!!!

(more…)

(pictured above, clockwise from top left: Karoly Ficsor in Leviathan, Rita Walters and Eamon Ali in Kid Arthur, Charlie Mafham and Duncan Leighton in Caucasian Chalk Circle and Tereza Harding, Barbie Chambers and Joan Rock in Macbeth in the Blitz)

January

The year began with the birth of Centre Manager Mari Rettedal-Westlake’s first child, Oskar.  He’s now a regular visitor but was exhausted by his first journey to the Space.  January ended with another first as our adult group, WorkSpace mounted their first full-scale production, performing Macbeth in the Blitz to three full houses.

February

A reasonably quiet month saw us beginning rehearsals for The Caucasian Chalk Circle in earnest, The Misshaped Pearls performing a fantastic gig and Docklands Youth Forum preparing for The Event.

March

Our first in-house production of the year, The Caucasian Chalk Circle receives rave reviews

‘A promising and engaging production for an innovative space that certainly has some bright years ahead.’

There’s a musical feel to the month with the University of Greenwich’s Glee club performing Welcome to the Madhouse whilst our very own Space Cadets delighted friends and family with their Musical Medley.

April

Ben Gunn in our 2010 production of Treasure Island, Matthew Gould returns as the director of Baby Jesus Freak and Stage Kiss, two pieces of new writing.

The SpaceWorks groups came together to celebrate the end of the 2^nd year of the company with a look back on our achievements, a Hubbub barbeque and performances from each age group (and a special sketch by the staff and tutors!).

May

Debut theatre company, Beehive, perform Paper Wings to full houses whilst A Monkey With Cymbals return with Aphra.  Otherwise, a quiet month, the calm before the Summer storm!

June

An amazing month:- WorkSpace perform The Space Between Sleeping, written by Steven Shawcroft and then join our fundraising committee in their first event – a sponsored Wheels and Walk around the Isle of Dogs.

We then open two Space Productions in two days!  Emma Sampson directs Tartuffe at the Space (Will Seaward receiving an Off West-End nomination as Best Actor) whilst Alex Crampton transfers last year’s successful production of A Doll’s House to the Arcola.

We also launched Stargazers, our new membership scheme giving people access to cheaper tickets, food from our café bar and discounts on hiring the hall.

July

Music takes over in July as the Isle of Dogs Choirs Festival is followed by the UK premiere of new musical Slay It With Music, brought to us by A Stage Kindly and subsequently transferred to the Greenwich Playhouse.

The Space Youth Drama group delighted local audiences and Millwall Park users with their site specific, promenade piece The Wall, staged in the railway arches.

August

Not to be outdone by the SYD, our WorkSpace group created their own site specific piece, Leviathan explored the building of the Great Eastern on Burrell’s Wharf.

Lazarus Theatre Company brought their Summer of Greeks to the Space with Electra: Her Life and Orestes: His Fall performing in rep.

In Edinburgh, former Night at the Dogs compere, Nick Helm, won an award for ‘Best Joke of the Fringe’.

September

To celebrate the 15^th anniversary of the opening of the Space, we ran two features looking back at Fifteen people who shaped the Space and Fifteen memorable performances.

The Fifteen festival brought together a selection of fifteen minute performances over 3 nights, culminating in a marathon event on the Saturday featuring Meerkats, Birthday cakes and the Party Pastoral Support Team!

October

There’s barely time to catch our breath after Fifteen before Kid Arthur and the Knights of the Revolution, our final in-house production of the year, takes to the stage.  The fundraising committee combine with the WorkSpace group to create the Marvellous Medieval Banquet Fundraiser and Space regular, David Grindley celebrates his 50^th birthday!

Mari returns from her maternity leave and we say a big thank you to Emma Sampson for providing cover and reinvigorating our marketing and box office systems.

November

Andrew Venning returns to the Space stage in Look Back in Anger directed by former Hubbub manager, Ben Metcalf.  Guillaume Pige and theatre re- performed The Gambler, a beautiful piece of physical theatre.

WorkSpace Productions begin rehearsals for the Trial, the first event in 2012 and the 2000^th in the Space’s history!

We also open our new book corner in Hubbub – pop in and pick up a book!

December

More old faces return as Amber Elliott directs Tabitha Becker-Kahn in Titian Rep’s The Winter’s Tale.  Our Christmas audiences are delighted as is Amber when she picks up an Off West End award nomination for Best Director!

We end the year as always – the staff Christmas party followed by London Docklands Singer’s sell-out Christmas Concert for CRISIS

A big thank you to all our performers, audience members, workshop participants, directors, designers, tutors, volunteers, trustees, partners and staff for making 2011 such a great year.  In difficult times we broke our record for number of tickets sold in a calendar year!

The Space is celebrating its 15th anniversary! From its humble origins in a derelict church the Space was transformed into a vibrant arts centre back in 1996. It is both an important creative hub, producing outstanding professional productions, and an asset for the local community. Over the years the Space has required a high level of commitment and dedication from its staff, volunteers and trustees.   The incredible lengths that they have gone to in order to make the Space a success are recognised here in our feature ’15 people who shaped the Space’. Of course there are many others who have contributed, we would also like to thank all of our volunteers, artists, performers, supporters and audience members for making the Space such a great place to be.

Adam Hemming, Sir Ian Mckellen and Robert Richardson

13-15 in a series of 15 people who shaped the Space

Read part one

Read part two

Read part three

Read part four

Adam Hemming

After a short spell as Centre Administrator, Adam (pictured below) became Director of the Space in April 2005. His appointment marks a watershed in the history of the Space and the beginning of its transformation from a slightly struggling arts centre to a significant theatre venue with substantial community links. Adam is now the longest serving Director of the Space and has proven to be a competent organiser and talented theatre director in his own right.  Soon after his arrival he also arranged for a group of volunteers to completely redecorate the interior, which has given it a more intimate feel for theatre productions.

The breadth of his contribution has been extraordinary because not only has he considerably improved the day to day management and operation of the Space, he has raised funds, developed an impressive group of volunteers, built strong links with many community organisations and developed a distinctive artistic policy to which he himself has been a major contributor.

Before Adam, the Space was simply a host venue; now it regularly produces its own shows and has a continuing programme of community activities all under its umbrella brand of SpaceWorks. The quality of the Space’s artistic output under Adam has soared not least because he himself has directed and acted in many of its shows. But in terms of shaping the Space, Adam’s most distinctive trademark has been the generosity with which he has encouraged other talent at all levels. Under his direction, the Space has truly become a place of opportunity for everyone from aspiring actors and directors to those who want some work experience in the office. 

Many people comment that the Space’s defining feature is its warmth and the heartfelt integration of local residents into its artistic programme. He has nurtured so many young artists, who badly need encouragement and an affordable venue to stage their work. The diversity of the Space’s users and the palpable positivity radiating from its walls is testament to Adam’s generosity and inclusive outlook.

Adam would be the first to admit that he has not done all of this on his own but it would be difficult to imagine the Space as it is now without his determination, inspired vision and leadership.   
  
Sir Ian McKellen

Sir Ian McKellen (pictured above left) is one of the most influential and acclaimed stage and screen artists of our time. His work in England and abroad has garnered countless awards and critical acclaim, including four Olivier Awards (including the title role in the National’s Richard III), and a Tony Award (Salieri in Amadeus). Sir Ian is also one of the most recognizable figures on screen, most recently as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. His work on screen has garnered him a Golden Globe and SAG award, three BAFTA nominations, and four Emmy nominations. He is also a supporter of the arts, and the Space is no stranger to his generous spirit.

When Robert Richardson began the mammoth task of transforming the derelict St Paul’s church into the Space, he managed to enlist the support of local resident Sir Ian Mckellen as one of the patrons.  The support of Sir Ian was crucial in those early days, enabling Rob to gather more support, raise the profile of the project and encourage journalists down for a photo opportunity.

Sir Ian performed his ‘Knight Out’ event on the opening night, and played to full houses again on the 5th and 10th anniversaries.  On the latter occasion, he brought along Gandalf’s sword and gleefully used it to cut the birthday cake.  Unbelievably generous with his time and talents, Sir Ian would always stay on after the performance and talk to the audience individually.

Christian O’Connell ran a competition on his breakfast radio show where members of the public had to persuade celebrities to call in and be interviewed by the DJ.  All the interviews were put on the website and the public voted for their favourites, the winners receiving a cash prize.  With the deadline looming Robert and Adam approached Sir Ian and tried to explain what we needed him to do.  On the final day of the competition, Sir Ian called in and gave a fabulous interview, talking about the history of the Space and singing the Coronation Street theme tune down the phone.  We rapidly set about encouraging people to vote and whilst we didn’t win, we came in a hugely respectable third place!  You can still find the interview on the XFM website:- http://www.xfm.co.uk/article.asp?id=83532

Sadly, Sir Ian’s busy schedule prevents him from joining us for our 15th anniversary but we count ourselves extremely fortunate to have a stage and screen legend associated with the Space.

Robert Richardson

The concept and the construction of the Space were very much the result of the vision, enthusiasm, determination and charm of one man, Robert Richardson (pictured above centre).

Robert sadly is no longer with us, having died at the age of 50 from a form of Leukemia in 2007, however, he was like a comet trailing light and inspiration through many people’s lives.

Back in the late 1980’s the Isle of Dogs was undergoing momentous changes, not necessarily to the liking of people who had lived in the area for many generations.  At the time Robert was Deputy Manager of the Wigmore Hall and lived nearby in Hesperus Crescent. The church which now houses the Space was unused and falling down.  Rob’s vision of transforming the building into an arts centre that would provide entertainment for the locality and hopefully draw in people from across London came at an opportune moment.  The London Docklands Development Corporation was happy to provide significant funding for this idea that would bring culture and entertainment for the area and draw people in from outside.

Rob gathered around him various friends and supporters, formed a charity (in order to give the idea a “legal entity”) and then set about the onerous task of further fundraising and overseeing the construction and conversion work. It took him almost 8 years to acquire the building, restore it and create the Space as we now know it.

The Space opened in September 1996 with Rob as the first Director.  Rob had very wide ranging interests, from classical and jazz music to being a keen supporter of Nottingham Forest and a proficient cross country skier.  He liked to try new things and encourage others.  He was a keen cyclist and having turned 40 he decided he would like to learn to ride a motorbike.  Not one to do things by half –measures – he took a week off work, went on an intensive course and passed first time. Amanda, (his long time partner and second wife) was inspired to rise to the challenge and she in turn learned to ride a motorbike.  Rob was never one to be possessive about things and given this nature it was no surprise to his friends when he decided after a few years that he would like to move on to a new challenge and pass on the Director’s post to someone young and talented.  He went on to become part of the team that embarked on the £15m project to transform the derelict Roundhouse building in Camden into the lively and thriving art centre it has now become – he saw this vision become reality before he passed away. However, Rob always kept in contact with the Space, would come down and see shows and was always available to give support and advice to those who took on the role of Director.

An extraordinary man, much missed. Robert did more than shape the Space. He created it and he set the tone for the way in which the Space operates, as a genuine community in which everyone’s contribution is valued whether it be patrons, staff, board members or volunteers.   

Robert’s vision for the Space went well beyond what can be seen today and ambitious plans to develop adjoining land are still being discussed albeit the current economic climate has forced them to be put on hold. They include additional activity rooms, a larger cafe/ restaurant and better support facilities such as box office and green room. Much of this was designed to create opportunities for young people in the area to learn practical arts skills. The current SpaceWorks programme is fully within this vision and its impact continues to bear witness to the way in which Robert’s original concept still shapes the Space today.     

By no means a definitive list, a selection of audience members from the last 15 years have nominated and commented on some of the stand-out memorable performances witnessed at the Isle of Dogs venue. We’d like to recognise every performer that has added to the history of the venue, from lead roles to third spear-carrier from the left, from virtuoso musicians and legendary comedians to theatre companies taking their first steps, we thank you for entertaining our audiences.

Come and see some more performances at our Fifteen Theatre Festival!

Read part one

Read part two

Read part three

Read part four

The Master and Margarita, A Knight Out and The Graduate

13-15 in a series of 15 memorable performances celebrating 15 years at the Space

The Master and Margarita

Heartened by the success of the Dog Season, Space Productions took on Bulgakov’s cult classic novel, adapted by Edward Kemp, in 2008.  This challenging piece demanded the removal and re-attachment of a head from its body, the lead actress somehow flying and a host of magical tricks!  Magical advice was sought from Norway whilst a 20-strong cast was assembled and the team set about finding inventive solutions to the challenges posed. 

Strong performances from Giles Roberts, Kate Sullington, Justin Davey and Andrew Venning in the lead roles were enhanced by the quality of the ensemble that supported them.  Two of our regular audience members recall the show:-

‘The standard of Space productions over the last four years has been extraordinary and bears comparison with any similar sized venue in the whole of London. For me the most ambitious and most accomplished of all its shows has been Adam Hemming’s production of The Master and Margarita. This is an immensely complex and technically difficult piece of theatre and to see it brought to life so brilliantly at the Space was pure pleasure. Wonderful ensemble playing and lots of inventive technicals on zero budget complemented some weighty lead performances. A real gem.’

‘There were so many good things about The Master and Margarita, for me the best was the brilliant combination of Woland and his team of demons. Chaos was never sewn in a more stylish way! As well as being deliciously macabre, Adam Hemming, Andrew Broadhurst, Rob Stott, Caroline Colomei and Mary Emmott-Roberts brought humour and a touch of melancholy to their roles. A great team who’s crowning glory was presiding over the delirious party scene – like Eyes Wide Shut if David Cronenberg had directed it.’

Sir Ian McKellen in A Knight Out

By far the biggest profile name on our list is Space patron, Sir Ian Mckellen.  A local resident, Sir Ian generously supports a number of organisations and the Space has been fortunate to host his one man show on three separate occasions.  Sir Ian, playing to packed houses on our opening night, 5^th and 10^th anniversaries, enchanted the audiences with his incredible talent, warmth and charisma. 

As Sir Ian writes on his website, A Knight Out was originally ‘devised in response to an invitation from an arts festival, which celebrated the 4th Gay Games held in New York.  The format was simple — confiding reminiscence of my parallel lives as an actor and as a gay man, illustrated with the words of poets, novelists and playwrights.’

It is part ‘greatest hits’ and part ‘an evening with…’ as Sir Ian delights the audience with renditions of some of his most famous characters (Richard III and Gandalf included), whilst recounting tales and challenging the audience to name all of Shakespeare’s plays.  Sir Ian’s love of the English language and vocal range is highlighted in an excellent recital of the thesaurus definition of the word ‘ululate’.

The opportunity to see such a great actor perform in the intimate surroundings of the Space is something that will live long in the memory of everyone who attended.  We look forward to Sir Ian returning to the Space at some point in the future. 

The Graduate

‘The Graduate’ was the first Space Production under the SpaceWorks banner and was performed in the Summer of 2009.  Daisy Whyte, a contemporary of director Adam Hemming at Goldsmiths College, was cast as Mrs Robinson – the iconic seductress brought to the West End stage by Cybil Sheppard and Jerry Hall.  A daunting task for any actress to live up to, Daisy accomplished a stunning performance, bringing class, sex appeal, perfect comic timing and a powerful onstage presence.  The play combines comedy and tragedy to great effect and this was beautifully embodied by Daisy’s portrayal of Mrs Robinson.  Daisy’s acerbic treatment of young Benjamin Braddock, played wonderfully naively by Damian Cooper, and the scene of drunken confessions with her daughter, again beautifully portrayed by Fiona Drummond, provided us with some onstage relationships that will live long in the memory.  Special mention must also go to a wonderful supporting cast including Lucy Frederick, Matthew Lyon, Pradeep Jey, Michael Westen and Rachel Hickson and an excellent soundtrack, put together by Seth Botos.

There were many memorable scenes – the perfectly executed comedy of the lift scene, Lucy Frederick’s hysterical outburst in the psychiatrist’s office, the dramatic finale as Mr Robinson maniacally breaks down a door with an axe.

‘It’s difficult to pick just one performance from this production. The entire cast was superlative and the entire show marked a real maturity for Space Productions showing it could not just pull off ambitious, esoteric projects like The Master and Margarita, but it could also inject life and vitality into well known works. Everyone remembers lines like “Mrs Robinson, are you trying to seduce me” from the film but it’s the memory of “Pour her in” and “No, I missed the bus!” that make me remember this brilliant production.’

The Space is celebrating its 15th anniversary! From its humble origins in a derelict church the Space was transformed into a vibrant arts centre back in 1996. It is both an important creative hub, producing outstanding professional productions, and an asset for the local community. Over the years the Space has required a high level of commitment and dedication from its staff, volunteers and trustees.   The incredible lengths that they have gone to in order to make the Space a success are recognised here in our feature ’15 people who shaped the Space’. Of course there are many others who have contributed, we would also like to thank all of our volunteers, artists, performers, supporters and audience members for making the Space such a great place to be.

Read part two

Read part three

Alex Crampton, Martin Young and Mari Rettedal-Westlake

9-12 in a series of 15 people who shaped the Space

Alex Crampton

After joining the Space initially as a volunteer and doing a shift as a barperson in Hubbub, Alex was Assistant Director on the Space’s first in-house productions.  Later Alex took the directorial reins for The Gut Girls before being appointed Company Manager of SpaceWorks in May 2009.  Her dedication, enthusiasm and creative energy has seen SpaceWorks go from strength to strength and become an integral part of the Space’s operations.  With over 300 local people registered on the project, aged between 7 and 77, Alex manages to make sure she welcomes each individual member and over time creates an affectionate bond.  Alex is much-loved and respected by all of the SpaceWorks groups, the tutors that she brings in to work with them and the volunteers she enlists to support her.  Despite difficulties with funding in the last year, Alex has always continued to push SpaceWorks forwards, responding to feedback, varying the activities and improving the experience for everyone involved.

Adam Hemming recalls Alex’s first request on joining the Space:-
‘Alex wanted her own desk, somewhere amidst the chaos of the Space that she could call her own.  Pretty soon it was festooned with bright photographs, maps of the Isle of Dogs and neatly organised folders.  A sign also went up warning temporary users of her station what would happen if it was left untidy!  Alex’s desk is a good way of describing her personality:- bright, colourful, meticulously organised with a fantastic sense of humour.’ 

Alex now directs regularly for Space Productions with Adam and her exquisite production of A Doll’s House became the company’s first transfer as it went on to receive critical acclaim at the Arcola.  Space regulars are eagerly awaiting her next production, ‘Kid Arthur and the Knights of the Revolution’ coming this October.

Martin Young

An Isle of Dogs resident, Martin has been involved in the Space in one way or another since its very conception. In the late 1980’s when work first began on creating the Space, he was the Councillor for the local Millwall ward in which the Space is located. He acted as a champion of the Space within the council and among the local community. His assistance was invaluable in helping to smooth the way for the Space’s development. His contribution is remembered through an acknowledgement in the stained glass windows around the Space’s main performance area.

From the start, Martin has been a frequent attendee at Space performances and supporter of Space events. In 2004 he became a member of the board of trustees and since 2009, he has chaired the board.
 
As well as bringing his own vast experience of community organisations to the benefit of the Space, Martin has made full use of his wide range of contacts and friends to provide advice and support on subjects as diverse as planning and catering. His many contributions have helped the Space to grow as an organisation within a strong framework of good management.    

Alex Crampton comments on Martin and wife Lesley who also sits on our board of trustees:-

‘Both have a great sense of humour coupled with a sincere dedication to helping community activities of all kinds around the island.  I have such admiration for how much time Martin and Lesley have for others despite their heavy professional workloads.’

Mari Rettedal-Westlake

Like Alex, Mari (pictured top) joined the Space initially as a volunteer.  Adam recalls, ‘I’d put out an advert for music producers for a new series of Gigs in Space.  Mari responded, came for an interview and instead of music we spoke mostly about theatre.  I didn’t realise then that it would be the first of many theatre conversations we would have!’  After a stint behind the bar at Hubbub, Mari found full-time employment elsewhere before a generous donation from founder Robert Richardson and a grant from the Isle of Dogs Community Foundation enabled us to recruit a Centre Manager to work alongside Adam.  Mari interviewed impressively and the pair have gone on to form an excellent partnership over the past five years.

Quite often the first point of contact for a new volunteer, hirer of the hall, visiting artist or audience member, Mari’s delightful personality and cheerful disposition meant everyone was afforded a warm and open welcome to the venue.  With someone else to share the workload, productivity at the Space increased dramatically, more volunteers were recruited, more events and festivals scheduled and our audience numbers rose sharply.

With an MA in Creative Producing from Central, Mari helped Adam to form Space Productions, her creative, organisational and budgetary skills leading to 10 successful productions.  In addition to Space Productions, Mari formed Maddid Theatre Company with Vala Ómarsdóttir, produced two Enterprise festivals and organised a huge outdoor children’s festival in Bartlett Park.  Mari’s work on the latter impressed our project partner, SPLASH arts, who laid the success of the event quite firmly at Mari’s feet, no less impressive was the fact that Mari was due to go on maternity leave a few months later!

Married to Robin Westlake in 2008 in her native Norway, Mari gave birth to Oskar on 7th January 2011 and promptly signed him up to become a Space Cadet as soon as he turns 7! 

One colleague describes Mari as ‘the Duracell bunny with alternative dress sense’. A mountain of work and a vast team of volunteers, she will continue to plough through it and coordinate everyone until the job gets done. No matter how long it takes, no matter how much needs to be done, Mari never complains.

By no means a definitive list, a selection of audience members from the last 15 years have nominated and commented on some of the stand-out memorable performances witnessed at the Isle of Dogs venue. We’d like to recognise every performer that has added to the history of the venue, from lead roles to third spear-carrier from the left, from virtuoso musicians and legendary comedians to theatre companies taking their first steps, we thank you for entertaining our audiences.

Come and see some more performances at our Fifteen Theatre Festival! 

I Think, You Stink!, Little Fish and Magnus Muldoon

10-12 in a series of 15 memorable performances celebrating 15 years at the Space

Nick Helm and Rob Stott in I Think, You Stink!

A co-production between the boys from Bad Ash Productions and the Space, this show went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2008, came back to the Space for a Christmas Special and has since performed in a number of London venues. Nick and Rob created a series of shows that they performed in Edinburgh and St Albans, where the two first met whilst at secondary school. They first performed at the Space with Stroke and then went on to manage our longest running comedy programme, A Night at the Dogs. I Think, You Stink! was a series of horror comedy vignettes, all set to music opening with ‘Welcome to the Hypnozone’, a trippy attempt to hypnotise the audience into believing they were terrified, and culminating with the rock opera, ‘Boyfriend From Hell’. Rob’s most memorable performance was as the ‘Tesco Chainstore Manager’, an uptight jobsworth who cracks under the pressure of running a supermarket and dismembers all of his customers whilst Nick’s ‘Joe Cocker growl’ in Beast Boy was a tour de force, his performance as Satan in a red romper suit had to be seen to be believed! Rob’s versatility as a performer came to the fore in future Space Productions, from a camp ugly sister to the sinister Krogstad in A Doll’s House, whilst Nick has just been awarded the funniest gag at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Little Fish

Little Fish swim in dark waters, girls shrink to the size of matchboxes, and a blind creature sings deep in the woods…

Lizzie Montgomery and Amy Lumsden met whilst volunteering at the Space in 2006. Initially brought in to assist on that year’s Enterprise festival, the two of them stayed on to help manage our 10th anniversary celebrations. When they teamed up with playwright Sarah-Liisa Wilkinson, Pact Imagination was born and became one of the resident theatre companies at the Space.

Little Fish, written by Sarah-Liisa was shortlisted for the Old Vic New Voices Award in association with Theatre 503 in 2009 and performed as a work in progress at the Space in January 2009. The company returned in 2010 for an extended run.

Cici lives through the stories she tells her brother Jamie but their fairy-tale existence is shattered when sister Claire, a reality TV star, pays an unexpected visit.

Performed superbly in the full run by Helen Clapp, Damian Cooper and Lucy Laing, Little Fish enchanted audiences as can be seen by the following selection of quotes.

‘Fantastic Production, very fresh, engaging and a brilliant night out’

‘The Show was absolutely brilliant, the best piece of theatre I have seen in a long time’

‘I thought the whole experience was wonderful… the play was good, the story held interest all the way through and the cast was excellent…’

‘It was beautifully acted, written, and directed piece that really showed the best in fringe theatre. A touching experience.’

‘A brilliant, original play, fantastic cast, superb soundtrack and excellent, thought-provoking twists and turns. Magical!’

Andrew Broadhurst as Magnus Muldoon

In the same bill as Dogg’s Hamlet (no 2 in our series) was Tom Stoppard’s other canine related piece ‘The Real Inspector Hound’. There were a number of memorable performances:- Justin Davey and Richard Sandle-Keynes double act as theatre critics Moon and Birdboot, Sophie Scott and Melanie Gray vying over Andrew Venning’s Simon Gascoyne and Space intern, Brandon Keller’s motionless corpse (despite lying in a puddle of tea one night!), but one particularly stands out in the mind of one of our regular audience members:-

‘Ask any member of my family what their most memorable performance was at the Space and they will all give you the same unhesitating answer Andrew Broadhurst’s 2007 portrayal of Magnus Muldoon, the wheelchair bound Major in The Real Inspector Hound. The mad eyes, the frantic manipulation of the wheelchair and, above all, the furtive pushing up of the false moustache have entered family folklore and, even four years later, the mere twitch of fingers towards mouth produces instant recognition. Muldoon’s revelation as Hound/ Lord Albert/ Puckeridge was a priceless piece of theatre that will stay with us forever.’

 The Space is celebrating its 15^th anniversary! From its humble origins in a derelict church the Space was transformed into a vibrant arts centre back in 1996. It is both an important creative hub, producing outstanding professional productions, and an asset for the local community. Over the years the Space has required a high level of commitment and dedication from its staff, volunteers and trustees.   The incredible lengths that they have gone to in order to make the Space a success are recognised here in our feature ’15 people who shaped the Space’. Of course there are many others who have contributed, we would also like to thank all of our volunteers, artists, performers, supporters and audience members for making the Space such a great place to be.

Gordon Silverman, Lesley Young and Steve Pilcher 

7-9 in a series of 15 people who shaped the Space

Gordon Silverman

Hubbub café/bar has operated at the Space for over ten years, a remarkable achievement for Gordon Silverman (pictured above), keen motorcyclist and Rangers fan.  Hubbub’s cosy atmosphere, excellent food and welcoming staff have provided the Space’s audiences, performers and staff with a perfect place to unwind.  Organiser of the most keenly contested fantasy football league on the Isle of Dogs, Gordon married Lorna Masheder in 2009.

In addition to providing a great catering service for hirers of the hall, Gordon’s annual Marathon day party never fails to attract a huge crowd, supporting the runners and enjoying a barbecued burger.  On a Saturday and Sunday morning, many local residents can be found enjoying ‘the Works’ – the best breakfast on the Isle of Dogs.

‘Gordon was a great help to me when I first arrived at the Space, his knowledge of the building, the local area and the history of the Space was invaluable.   Gordon is generous, passionate about food  and a consummate professional.  Hubbub’s catering has been provided at numerous events at the Space and Gordon has always ensured a high standard of food and service. I met my wife in Hubbub so I have that to thank him for too!’ Adam Hemming (Centre Director of the Space)

Lesley Young

Lesley joined St Paul’s Arts Trust, responsible for managing the Space, in 2004 and has been an active member of the board of trustees ever since.  One of the Space’s most enthusiastic and loyal supporters, she has been especially active in fund raising without which the Space would not have been able to achieve as much as it has.  Lesley has brought a fantastic energy to the board and her network of contacts has delivered new trustees, resident performers, local audience members and workshop participants through our doors.  Lesley’s alter ego, Lobelia Golightly, gave us a fantastic script to work on for the Space’s first in-house Christmas show – ‘The Saving of Santa’, which delighted audiences young and old.  A barrister by day, Lesley has become a key member of our WorkSpace group and gave a memorable performance as King Duncan in Macbeth in the Blitz.

Alex Crampton comments on Lesley and husband Martin who chairs our board of trustees:-

‘Both have a great sense of humour coupled with a sincere dedication to helping community activities of all kinds around the island.  I have such admiration for how much time Martin and Lesley have for others despite their heavy professional workloads.’

The volunteers at the Space have all been drawn to the venue for a whole range of reasons.  Steve first came into contact with the project when Robert Richardson was fundraising for the restoration and conversion of the building and mucked in to assist when the contractors for the first phase had gone bankrupt.  They had left a void that urgently needed bricking up to avoid the structure above collapsing, so Steve appeared one afternoon with a bricklaying trowel, mixed up some cement and “set to” with some bricks and solved the problem (quite literally shaping the Space!).  It transpired that Steve and Rob were virtually the same age and families were from the same area and they became good friends.

Steve has known all of the staff at the Space and the following comments show how highly he is regarded.

‘A total legend. No job too big or small. From painting the auditorium (again) to giving tired workers a lift home after another long day.’

‘Possibly the kindest person I’ve ever met, Steve always takes the time to stop and ask ‘how are you?’ even when he’s been working for 16 hours straight and has just arrived at the Space to do accounts on a dark, rainy Monday evening.’