Accidental Conversation with Tim Major: Broadway Panto Producer 2004-2009

Hi

I said that I would post on here anything that might be relevant to the Cinderella project - and so today I am writing about a chance meeting I had with Tim Major who produced the Broadway Panto from 2004-2009. 

I would like to say that I was very productive. Instead of which I ended up spending a couple of hours having fun, drinking too much coffee, chatting and watching people coming and going at the theatre. There was a lot going on - I had a meeting with Chris Mellor, the Creative Producer to talk about ideas for co-producing and closer working relationships between the Broadway and Arc.

The theatre was hosting a workshop for a new musical, and there was a team of about 10 people working in the auditorium to come up with some new songs for it. It looked like they were enjoying themselves experimenting and I think the event may even have been streamed.

I also met Phil and Tim there who were dismantling the door they borrowed from us  for their latest Finch show. Tim packed it into the back of his car and headed back to the Malthouse. The building works make access a bit of a challenge at the moment, the whole of the front car park is a big hole. So I met Tim back there and we got the door back into the studio.

Tim Major

Tim (Major) http://www.timmajor.co.uk/

I don't know Tim very well, although our paths have crossed many times as Tim and his partner Mel produced the pantomime for the Broadway Theatre from 2004-2009. He and his team rehearsed at the Malthouse a few times. And indeed our MD Phil was composer and MD for Tim over those years. Tim's productions at the Broadway were the bread and butter of the theatre in those years and I was just checking out some reviews from those times and read this on the British Theatre Guide in 2010 (the year it was taken back in-house).

The key difference between this year's pantomime and last year's is that Tim Major and Melissa Waudby are nowhere to be seen. They really were the Broadway panto; producing, designing, writing, choreographing and directing the annual festive treat between them for six years on the trot. Major's Dame had become an audience favourite and it seems that his high heeled shoes have proved too difficult to fill. This year, they are sadly missed.

Tim is a bit of a renaissance man, writer, producer, director and actor and is successfully producing feature films as well now! I hesitate to call him a wheeler-dealer - but he is definitely a canny one!  I had only had snatched conversations with Tim until yesterday.  I had been really pleased that he had come to our panto, as I imagined that can't have been easy with 6 years of building it behind him. 

We started chatting as we were taking the door through, about empty spaces, directing and panto - so I suggested Tim leave the door and we grab a coffee and have an impromptu chat. I had mentioned to him about this blog and that led us to talk about how paranoid directors are sometimes about other directors coming into rehearsals. We are not brilliant at sharing practice generally. We talked about how its probably because we know that if we are in the making process things are going to look awful and not work as well as the magic moments when things come together. It can become very self-conscious if someone comes in we don't really know or trust. I have one very trusted peer director, our Associate Director Joss Bennathan. We can be helpful to each other as critical friends and it always prompts new ideas and thoughts. 

Tim and I found ourselves talking about Peter Brook - sitting in the 'gap' on the comfy sofas and chatting about all things panto and theatre. Tim is a panto officianado, unlike me! He is also an accomplished dame ( I have seen him in action!).  I had been quite nervous about him coming to see our Cinderella, as he could have been rightly bitter. He admitted that he was worried too, not from bitterness but in case he didn't like it and as we now shared an MD that could be quite tricky!  He's like me when it comes to feeding back on a show - just can't lie. I can lie about someone's cooking, but a show -no. 

Fortunately he liked the show. But the thing that touched me most in his feedback was that he said he could feel the love in the show, which had been missing for the past couple of years. Of course that's true. Whatever the differences might be in our individual signatures and visions, the process is driven by the same shared values of love, co-creation, collaboration, generosity and fun. That doesn't mean that Tim, like me doesn't crack the whip - we agreed that we most certainly do!

I loved the unexpected hour I spent talking to Tim, and began to wonder whether we might find ways to work with each other in the future. I am really looking forward to more chats with him and to share practice. Its been a great couple of weeks in terms of talking to other directors.

My relaxed and funny day ended with watching Natalie's rehearsal of Crossing Over. It was lovely to have Letitia and TJ back. I had to say to TJ - that his time away at the National and the Riverside has really sharpened his acting - its very noticeable, and very exciting. They're doing a good job with one more day left (today). I made notes and need to write them up now and send to Natalie for the start of her rehearsal day today. 

I went off then to stay at Abbotswick in Brentwood  for a bit of a retreat - and to do some thinking and writing for 24 hours. 

I think I might also go for a lovely long walk in the 14 acre grounds.