A fresh look at theatre in the heart of the West End

Rita WaH reports on how Westminster Theatre is building on its Christian traditions.
A CHRISTIAN theatre? I shivered at the thought of gloomy plays depicting the sorrows of the world, in an embarrassingly amateurish, parish hall way against a backdrop of the crucified Christ. Notions of brainwashing techniques with overtly Christian propaganda messages sprang to mind as I climbed the steps of Westminster Theatre in Palace Street, Central London.
I was in for a surprise as I stepped in from the cold. I wandered through an informative literary library and a friendly restaurant, and then into the warm theatre which is hosting The Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde.
This was indeed a real theatre, in West End tradition, not a pretend one or an effort at one. I could feel my step lighter as I met Carol Henderon, the artistic director of a new smaller theatre, First Floor Theatre, beneath the main theatre, which is just coming to the end of it's first season.
Carol filled me in on the history of this "Christian" theatre. Bought in 1931 by the Westminster Memorial Trust as a living tribute to the men and women of Moral Rearmament, a dynamic organisation committed to moral and spiritual rearmament before the Second World War. "Here will be created the plays of the new renaissance to fashion the world they died to bring," reads the founding dedication.
The Westminster Memorial Trust handed over the theatre in August 1980 to Moral Rearmament, which in turn decided to hand over the running of the theatre to a new council of management in 1987. The new ecumenical management team includes Mgr George Leonard, a former advisor to Cardinal Hume, and author, journalist and Anglican playwright Rev Daniel Pearce.
Together they are committed to presenting productions exploring the most authentic human values including hope, compassion and faith. But surely all theatres are committed to this? "Well we are committed to the highest possible standards of theatre here, really pushing back boundaries and reaching for thought provoking truths," answered Carol. "There are some theatres where standards are not so high."
Westminster Theatre is part of SWET, the main organisation of West End theatres, and it has earned its place in such hallowed company because there has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into staging an excellent repertoire of plays over the years.
But is there any restriction imposed on working there, any loss of artistic licence, I asked searching for some reason to believe that this is a different theatre space. "I am an artistic director first, and 1 am also a Christian," smiled Carol, convincing me that there is no conflict in her two allegiances. "I am always searching out material which is impressive, provoking, but it doesn't necessarily have to be doom and gloom. If it was it would not be good drama," she explained.
Carol's brief as the new artistic director of First Floor Theatre is to encourage new playwrights. "We are committed in this new theatre to giving budding creativity a start, a place to have play peformed in London's West End."
The setting up of this new theatre alongside the main stage is sign of the commitment of the management to discovering and fostering real theatre and talent. "I find the council very open to ideas and as yet have not felt controlled, confined or hampered by them" said Carol.
What about nudity, violence or aspects of theatrical expression which would obviously cause eyebrow lifting among certain Christian circles? "I have total confidence in the management here, and as yet they have had full confidence in me. But if 1 felt that this was the right way to portray the message of the play, then I would propose that, and I'm sure the management team would have some lively and interesting discussion, deciding and supporting my judgement." Again Carol emphasised that this is a business as well, and the importance of catering for the audience. A series of controversial productions, she pointed out, could alienate a growing audience. "There is such a fine line, isn't there, because you do want to provoke and encourage reflection and thinking in drama, but if you loose your audience, you achieve nothing."
Treading that fine line is part and parcel of this director's job. Carol gets dozens of new plays every week, and she also travels around Britain to many festivals on the lookout for plays for First Floor Theatre.
"I also suggest plays that I have read or seen to professional actors and directors and guarantee them a space. We do not have a resident company here. We act as a receiving house to companies," she explained.
A new play by Nancy Ruthven The Widening Gyre, is presently on stage there, About Northern Ireland it seeks to ask some thought provoking questions about what is happening there. "There are no answers, but it reveals a new aspect to this situation for a British audience."
Westminster Theatre are anxious to make drama accessible to the widest of audiences, hence the very reasonably priced tickets at £6. There's also a membership scheme to encourage a club atmosphere.
"We have expanded our education programme and 200,000 children have visited the theatre. There are plans afoot for workshops in writing and production."
"We have our regular audiences and it is broadening the whole time. We have one regular member who is an American pilot who always comes to see a play on his stopover time from the States," Carol reported. Westminster Theatre hopes by encouraging the club ambiance, audiences will get a chance to really enjoy and discuss theatre. . . There's an invitiation for you!