TRP Stories: Caleb Barron

Caleb Barron is a writer, director, poet, occasional actor, and Co-Artistic Director of Cornwall-based theatre company Maybe You Like It. Caleb recently brought his new show Down To Chance to Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP) ahead of a run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Caleb’s journey into the world of theatre began in Hampshire, where he found his passion for performance, which flourished during his time at university. Caleb said: “Growing up, I did weekly workshops [at a satellite group of Chichester Festival Theatre] that had improvisation and devising and so when I went to university, I wanted to try my hand at something beyond performance.

“I directed a couple of shows, but then couldn’t find a play I wanted to direct, so I wrote my own.” This leap into writing and directing marked the beginning of Maybe You Like It, the theatre company Caleb founded with fellow students. What began as a small, student-run group has since grown into a dynamic, fast-paced company known for its high-energy stage shows and sharp comedic storytelling.

“We started as a group at university and have since grown into ourselves as we’ve found our voice and our style.

“Our aim is to entertain and make audiences laugh.”

With Maybe You Like It, Caleb and the team have created four productions to date, each one pushing the boundaries of creativity and performance. Bringing the shows to Theatre Royal Plymouth is something that Caleb is passionate about. “I live in Looe in Cornwall, which is where the company is based,” Caleb says. “It’s a beautiful and inspiring place to live. My favourite place to showcase work for the first time is down here in the South West.”

That commitment to storytelling has led to a strong connection with TRP, which has supported Maybe You Like It in various capacities over the years. “Theatre Royal Plymouth has been very generous and has given us rehearsal space for Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs) last year and for Pleading Stupidity when we toured it in the autumn of last year,” Caleb explains. His relationship with TRP extends beyond logistical support; he has also collaborated with the TRP team on creative projects like last year’s 24 Hour Plays, and now, TRP is supporting the company’s latest venture, Down to Chance.

Down to Chance is the company’s most ambitious production yet, telling the incredible true story of Genie Chance, a radio reporter and mother who found herself at the heart of the 1964 Great Alaskan Earthquake, becoming a vital communications link in Anchorage during the disaster. The show captures the resilience of not just Genie, but the entire community that rose to the challenge when faced with an overwhelming crisis.

“As a company, we all bring different ideas for shows of things we’ve heard in the world or things that we’ve been working up in our own minds,” says Caleb. “Ellie Cooper, who wrote this show, found this story online, thought it was incredible and felt like no one was telling it.

“She did a deep dive on all of the primary sources, including the radio reporting from Genie at the time.

“It’s an amazing, compelling story, and we tell it in a fast, frantic and hopefully thrilling way.”

TRP is supporting Maybe You Like It with Down to Chance, having partnered with Pleasance Theatre for the Edinburgh National Partnerships programme, which works with national producing houses to support extraordinary work around the UK. TRP has provided space and resources to develop Down to Chance into what Caleb hopes will be a standout show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, and hosted previews of the show in The Lab in July.

Caleb says, “I think this is our most ambitious show in terms of the story and the way we’re telling it, so having TRP alongside to help us work all of those things out has made it a really special experience.

“Everyone has been so supportive in helping us find ways to achieve what we want to,” Caleb says.

With this being Caleb’s fourth time at the festival, Down to Chance marks another milestone in the company’s journey. “Edinburgh Fringe is unlike any other experience; there’s nowhere else in the world where you can have 3,500 other shows that are competing with you, but also there’s this wonderful sense of camaraderie that you’re all creating together at the same time.

“All of our shows have started at the Fringe and it’s always been a mad, fun month of just constantly flyering and trying to bring people in and let people know about your show, whilst trying to make the show as good as possible, even though you’re tired. It’s an incredible, unique place to bring work.”

While Down to Chance is the star of the Edinburgh run, Caleb is also excited for the return of Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs), which will be hitting The Drum this September.

Don’t miss these two exceptional productions from a company that’s always pushing the envelope and finding new ways to make theatre that’s not just entertaining, but also profoundly moving.

Book tickets for Down to Chance at Edinburgh Fringe: edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/down-to-chance 

Watch Caleb’s video: