In Good Company: Front Row Theatre

Ask any university-trained aspiring actor and they’ll tell you that job opportunities are often few and far between. This is not helped by the fact that graduates of renowned (and affluent) drama schools are often given preference in the industry. This is just one of the many issues surrounding modern-day theatre that is tackled by Front Row Theatre Company. Established in 2014 by graduates of the University of Central Lancashire's Acting course, Front Row creates opportunities for the university’s emerging creative talent.

Mike Coombes, one of the company’s directors (currently to be seen in Channel 4’s Cucumber), explains how one of the driving forces behind Front Row’s conception was the founders’ shared belief that Preston has just as much to offer the Northwest arts scene as larger cities such as Liverpool or Manchester. The company’s ethos is to challenge the association of theatre with a limited section of society: “We want to try and create relevant, significant theatre that deals with real people and real situations,” says Coombes. “Whether that is political, whether that is social, or whether that is to do with relationships.”

Despite most of their members coming from working class backgrounds, Coombes insists that Front Row aims to make theatre that is inclusive rather than politically charged: “A lot of people who have come to our show have said ‘It’s a lot happier than I thought it would be!’” he laughs.

It’s easy to understand the preconception. Front Row’s first production, Food for Thought, explores a politician’s attempt to close down a town’s food bank in order to open a fracking site; weighty themes indeed, but the play chooses to concentrate on showcasing the human stories rather than the sombre context. How do the events impact on the day-to-day lives of the food bank volunteers?

Front Row have certainly hit upon a subject that is becoming increasingly relevant in the UK today. “People who are going to food banks now are people that have full-time jobs and families,” explains Coombes. “We struggled to get our head around that… this could happen to anybody at any time.”

Staying true to their values of community engagement, the company have toured their production around community centres and theatres located close to food banks. This is in keeping with their desire to produce stories that have a sense of relevance, but also serves to promote the location of food banks within communities.

What about the future of Front Row; will they establish a permanent venue somewhere in Preston? “That’s the dream really,” Coombes responds. “There are a lot of buildings being shut in Preston. Who knows? In 20 or 30 years’ time we might have our own theatre. Before that, in the near future, we just want to carry on producing theatre experiences. We’re trying to get people into the theatre: rather than going to conventional theatre venues, let’s take it to community centres, let’s use churches. It’s about getting rid of the stigma of walking into a theatre and thinking you’re getting judged or that you won’t understand what’s going on.”

With ever-decreasing funding and fewer opportunities for young people from less privileged backgrounds to access professional actor training, Front Row has arrived at a turbulent moment in the arts. Change is on the horizon, and it is companies such as this that will lead us in the right direction.