How to… produce a play

There is no set template for producing a play. I once read that a producer is a banker, a cheerleader and a fireman – which summarises it quite nicely. 

I’ve been producing theatre for four and a half years professionally. I started by working on a show at the Finborough Theatre that needed a general manager. I made it up as I went along, and have been doing it much the same ever since. Every day is different: I learn every day, and every day I have to make decisions that I have never made before. It can be stressful, but the good far outweighs the bad. Here are my tips… 

Find your play

No good show was ever made out of a bad script. Many bad shows have been put together out of good scripts, but good shows have only ever come out of good scripts. The cliché is correct – the play very much is the thing. If you can find a good new play, so much the better; critics and industry in general are most interested in new work, particularly in smaller venues.

Employ the key team

After choosing the right play, the next most important bit to get correct is the appointment of the director, design team and production manager. The director should come first and will be a key element in shaping the project. They will help you bring in the right design team, and getting a good production manager early is always a good idea. Once employed, empower them to do their jobs – you’ll be amazed at how talented people in our industry are.

Find a venue

There are over 140 venues in London alone – do your research and try to find out which one will work for you. If you can find a couple that would like to put your play on, then you are in a strong position to be able to negotiate favourable terms. Find a producer who has worked in the venues before to understand what they’re like to work in and watch a show there so you can understand the audience experience.

Raise the money

There are many ways to do this, but they generally split into commercial and non-commercial. Both require the project to be thought through and a plan to market the show. Grant-making bodies will want to get just as much of their money’s worth as commercial investors. Think very carefully when pulling a show together about who might be interested in coming to see it, how the subject matter or personnel involved will attract press interest, and what else you are going to do to get bums on seats.

The rest is easy…!

Once you’ve got the play, the venue and the team together, there’s just contracting, production, press, marketing, rehearsals, accounting and the rest to do. But if you’ve got those first key elements correct you’ll be onto a hit. Good luck!

Tim Johanson is an independent producer and general manager, working in London, Edinburgh, on UK tours and in New York.

Tim is currently producing The Wasp, which is at Trafalgar Studios until 16 January.