By: Rosie Sharman-Ward
May 2025
I attended the FUSE Gathering hosted by Theatre Royal Plymouth and Beyond Face, a company whose show, In Search of Goldoni, was playing in The Drum. Before the event I had asked one of the organiser’s, TRP Assistant Producer Jodie Paget, what the event comprised and who she hoped would attend. It seems a gently structured mingling of writers, artists and makers from across the industry in the South West of England was the aim of evening thereby allowing open access for anyone who might be interested in learning, joining or collaborating. “The word networking makes people twitch a bit, so we call it a gathering”, Jodie explained.
Unsure quite what to expect I arrived to find the Gallery Café buzzing with people discussing their favourite topic, theatre, whilst enjoying a glass of wine. I immediately felt at home, thrown only slightly by the promised nibbles comprising two small bowls of crisps…
I had a fascinating conversation with Assistant Producer, Kelly, from Hall for Cornwall, comparing the differences and similarities between the two venues which in turn became a discussion with a man called Tigger (it’s official, he changed it legally a few years ago!) who introduced himself as autistic and ADHD. Tigger works with local venues to develop relaxed performances and safe spaces making them more accessible. He has worked with both venues.
I then caught up with Babs Horton who took her wonderful play, In the Lady Garden, to the Edinburgh Fringe at the same time as her daughter Laura took her play Lynn Faces. Both had great success with the shows but very different experiences of the Fringe, something that seemed to be a recurring theme during the evening. After chatting for a bit about teaching, I was very happy to learn Babs is writing her next play.
Beyond Face
The speakers this evening are from Beyond Face, a theatre company based in the South West. The CEO, Alix Harris, founded the company ten years ago. A freelance actor herself, she became increasingly aware that many people from the global majority community felt that theatre was not meant for them either as artists or even audiences where unforeseen preconceptions became barriers. Do we need to dress up? Can we bring our own sweets? The inception of Beyond Face as a company that works to encourage local global majority artists by giving them opportunities to develop their craft came about from this realisation and the Company has grown from there. Initially supported by Plymouth’s Barbican Theatre, then a residency at Theatre Royal Plymouth, they are currently an associate company with Bristol Old Vic.
Alix’s passion and integrity shone through her talk. She spoke of how the theatre industry has its own language and phraseology which can feel exclusive, so they work on demystifying the processes.
The company’s productions had taken a step back during the pandemic years but their latest piece, In Search of Goldoni, written and performed by Saikat Ahamed, is currently on tour. Alix explained the process of choosing and developing a play for the stage. Beyond Face predominantly feature autobiographical or personal experience pieces so when Saikat asked Alix to join him in developing his script with a view to looking at where it might go in the future, it became a natural progression that they should commission the show. I saw it in The Drum – it is so beautifully written, full of laughter and charm yet describing the way grief for a loved one appears in unexpected, agonising flashes perfectly.
Alix handed over to Corinne Walker, Artist Development Producer & Facilitator, who again is a performer but now works with writers and people who might want to write across the region both in person and via Zoom. She runs scratch writing sessions which can lead to the company’s actors performing the scripts to give their ideas life and direction. I can’t imagine anything more exciting than having an idea, being encouraged and supported to write it down, then seeing it blossom in front of me! As with Alix, Corrinne’s enthusiasm and zest for her work was palpable and lit the room.
The State of the Art
The event and the people attending was warm, welcoming and interesting. The lure of Theatre for me has always been the creativity and the ability to put into words the shared human experience. In this room were the people who weave this magic and were happy to discuss their work and encourage others. The industry, in common with all the Arts, is suffering from cuts in funding and have seen their budgets pared to the bone. By evenings such as this the Theatre has found a route to continue growing by a network of venues, artists and makers. Long may they gather!
To discover more about TRP’s Artist development programme visit https://theatreroyal.com/artist-development-home/
To find out more about Beyond Face visit https://www.beyondface.co.uk/