Theatre Workshop also supported and promoted new writing, producing successful new works such as Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey and Brendan Behan’s The Quare Fellow which both transferred to the West End. In the 1950’s Irish writer Brendhan Behan, an ex-IRA man, was struggling to get his work performed, then in 1956 Littlewood championed his work at Stratford East. ‘The company’s exceptional flair for improvisation and rewriting – Behan’s script was chaotic – drew full houses.’ Littlewood played a crucial role in providing the Irish playwright worldwide success and lasting influence. In actual fact The Quare Fellow has only just finished a run at the Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn where it was being performed by a co-production of the Oxford Stage Company and the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, under direction of Kathy Burk. The revival of The Quare Fellow marks the 50th anniversary of the first production in Dublin in 1954, but ‘it was the Theatre Royal, Stratford East production that launched Behan’s career as a major playwright.’ Thus proving Littlewood’s contribution to the theatre in her discovery of new writers and new talents which have left an enduring legacy within the industry.
Under direction of Joan Littlewood herself, with Gerry Raffles as manager, the Theatre Workshop group brought their ‘People’s Theatre’ to the derelict Theatre Royal at Stratford East in 1953. At the beginning they lived in the theatre as a commune in order to save on costs, sharing all the tasks of running a theatre. Actor Murray Melvin said of that initial stage ‘The theatre was terribly hard up, so like everyone in the company I mucked in. I painted the foyer, built sets, sewed on buttons, cleared the drains and appeared in the plays that Joan Littlewood directed – a new one every fortnight – here at the Theatre Royal.’ Most other professionals at that time and even today, would not even entertain the idea of lowering themselves to such menial tasks. ‘It was policy for her Theatre Workshop to divide up the takings from a performance amongst all the actors and staff, including the cleaners.’ This manner in which they lived was frowned upon by many in the industry who thrived on a hierarchical system.
The Theatre Workshop at Stratford East has since its establishment always involved classes and activities for the young. Groups were formed and the young people within them progressed to train and work in the theatre, thus forming the beginnings of Theatre In Education. This is a policy which was put into action by Joan Littlewood and has continued growing from strength to strength up to the present day. ‘A great number of today’s actors, directors, technicians and administrators began their careers in the youth groups of the Theatre Royal.’ In addition, the youth groups at Stratford set a precedent which many other theatres and theatre schools have since followed, making Littlewood’s contribution to youth theatre a lasting legacy.
Littlewood’s work at Stratford East has been continued since her departure, the Theatre Royal continues to be run by Pioneer Theatres Ltd, the charitable company set up by herself and Raffles in 1953. The current artistic director Philip has in his time as director served to continue the tradition of experimental and sometimes controversial work. Littlewood believed that ‘Good Theatre draws the energies out of the place where it is and gives it back as joie de vivre’ and ever since Littlewood left Stratford East the theatre’s work in developing productions reflecting the variety of London cultures has been clearly established. A prime example of this is that ‘by 1990 half of the shows staged at Stratford East were of Black or Asian origin equating exactly to the balance of people in the community.’ With regard to this Hedley said "I am particularly proud we have been able to give opportunities to so many black and Asian actors, directors and writers." The Theatre Royal is famed for its expertise in staging popular theatre that can reach the widest audience and play to all ages; it is through this element that it has obtained a new role both nationally and individually.
The company Mission Statement is that ‘Theatre Royal Stratford East works to discover and develop new talent and new audiences.’ A statement that Joan herself would surely be proud of and one which proves her legacy to the theatre in working with new talent and with involving the audience as part of each performance. Littlewood has always been famed for breaking down the barriers between the cast and the audience. Her unique approach to theatre attempted to involve artistes and audience in drama as a living event. In addition, Stratford East has eight key aims, of which one reads ‘to entertain and educate by remaining true to the social and educational values of Theatre Workshop.’ A statement which undoubtedly proves above all else how significant Joan’s contribution to Stratford East has endured.
Regardless of its commitment to bringing a diverse programme of work to the local community it proved impossible for Theatre Workshop to attain funding. A representative at the Arts Council said ‘It would be difficult to find a board of directors who would be sympathetic to the experimental nature of your work.’ Thus proving that the officials of the time regarded Joan and her work as too innovative and controversial too risk ploughing money into, despite the fact that the Arts Council was meant to be an impartial governing body. It was only after international recognition that the local council considered funding and small amounts of money began to drift in. This success for Theatre Workshop had been found abroad at the 1955 International Festival of Theatre in Paris, where their reworking of Volpone and Faversham were performed to much acclaim. Over the following years Theatre Workshop took numerous productions to the Paris Festival, in 1963 winning the Grand Prix du Festival for Oh What A Lovely War a theatrical chronicle of the events of the First World War told through the songs and documents of the period. This piece was to become Theatre Workshop’s most famous production of which the great philosopher Bertrand Russell said: "It brought war to within our grasp which is immensely difficult.’
It received great acclaim from the London audiences and critics alike and has gone on to become a classic of the modern theatre; it was ‘a work of genius in which all her techniques came together.’ The play is now on the standard reading lists of schools and universities all over the country and is constantly being revived by different companies on all scales from school groups to professionals. Thus the production of Oh What A Lovely War is an immense contribution to the theatre and to Theatre In Education where it remains a landmark piece. It is also a significant asset to the war genre as a whole and ‘Through its aesthetically brilliant mix of musical nostalgia and brutal fact, Littlewood's show did more to change public perceptions of war than any work of literature.’ Since it’s debut the play’s power increased as the movement against US imperialism’s war in Vietnam developed in Britain and Internationally. The Littlewood classic also renews its topicality today in view of President Bush and his attack on the Iraq.
In 1945 the uninvited Littlewood gatecrashed The Edinburgh Festival, ‘the fringe they called us. The name stuck.’ In subsequent years Theatre Workshop returned with an increasing number of fringe companies, making the Edinburgh Fringe Festival a lasting legacy which has now come to overshadow the official festival. ‘In 1994 and 1995 Littlewood came over to Britain for the launches of her book……by then a reference book listed 100 fringe theatre groups in London.’ She viewed all of these groups as her ‘children’ and they provide a fine example of both her success in the industry and also of what she inspired others to achieve.
Joan Littlewood took theatre away from the bright lights and the big money of the West End and worked in the unfashionable working class surroundings of the East End. ‘From the East End it blew great gusts of fresh air into the more conventional West End.’ However, Theatre Workshop was so successful that several of its productions did in fact end up going to the West End such as Mrs Wilson’s Diary (1957) by John Wells and Richard Ingrams. Of Theatre Workshop’s achievements at this time Littlewood said ‘we have three shows in the West End and nothing at E15. Success is draining us.’ Another unfortunate point was that these shows took entire trained companies when they transferred, which dissipated the entire strength of the shows as the talent responsible for their original success was no longer present.
The significance of Joan Littlewood’s work is evident in Marvin Carlson’s book Performance, a critical introduction where he describes how performance has ‘moved into political activity directly within disadvantaged communities, inspired…..by specific community-orientated reformers such as Joan Littlewood and Welfare State in England and particularly Augusto Boal in Latin America.’ In these instances Boal states how art combines with day to day routines as a method of exploring social circumstances and of enhancing leadership skills in both the performer and the audience. In referring to Littlewood alongside Boal with regard to their work on theatre for the underprivileged Carlson is recognising Littlewood’s outstanding contribution to and influential position within the field of theatre for the marginalised, as do many other critics.
In conclusion Littlewood gave many great classics a new lease of life with her fresh and original interpretations, she discovered new writers and presented of modern plays with contemporary themes by a company full of distinctive performers. Joan also did incredible work at Stratford East where many generations have benefited from her work Yet, she did cause controversy, she was blacklisted with McColl by the BBC and ENSA for being subversive. She encouraged group theatre and worked with new actors and new writers, all elements which were seen as both pioneering and contentious at the time. In her later years Littlewood won many awards but "She also refused a lot of awards, she was very anti-establishment, and famous for offending the high and mighty without any qualms at all." The critic Kenneth Tynan said of her "It now seems quite likely that when the annals of the British theatre come to be written, Joan's name will lead all the rest." I agree with Tynan and believe that Littlewood’s work will stand out above the rest because she was experimental, adventurous and often controversial but above all she achieved a working class revolution on the stage.
Future Stratford Website, People
Performance, A Critical Introduction page 120
