Reshaping the Octagon
Young, talented and ambitious, the recently appointed artistic director of the Bolton Octagon, Elizabeth Newman, discusses her plans to revitalise the town's theatre scene
A collective sigh of relief was breathed by many on hearing the news that Elizabeth Newman had been appointed artistic director of the Bolton Octagon. While David Thacker has done an excellent job, the idea of a young, female AD was just too exciting a prospect. But while these labels don't begin to cover the qualities Newman can bring to Bolton.
Newman is one of those infuriating types: talented and successful to the umpteenth degree. A graduate of the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme, this is her third artistic directorship, having led Southwark Playhouse and Shared Property Theatre Company. Her productions while associate director at the Octagon – Alice in Wonderland, Love Story, Duet for One and Separation – were stylish, seductive and open-hearted; and all were up for a Manchester Theatre Award this year. She isn't yet 30.
Worse still, when I meet her she turns out to be charming, too. I follow her up to the Octagon's rehearsal space, along a weaving web of narrow breezeblock corridors that betrays its 60s origins. The space is strewn with clothing, and on the walls are pinned the designs for Newman's current production: Noël Coward's Private Lives, which opened on 26 March.
While it might be an older play, Newman still sees a chance to do something refreshing. "Often it is done with a lot older actors. Whereas actually the characters are meant to be in their 20s; I think we're getting back to what was originally intended by casting younger."
The idea of casting younger seems apt given Newman's appointment, which has received attention in part due to her age. "Growing up is the thing we all have in common, and I imagine the people commenting on it are thinking about themselves when they were my age. But I believe that the work I have done here in Bolton, and the work I did before I came here, has given me a good set of skills and capabilities... I trust the judgement of the people who appointed me."
Whatever the age of the artistic director, the main challenge facing a small theatre remains the same: reaching an audience. "We have an amazing core audience who are really avid supporters of the Octagon," says Newman, "but the Octagon isn't managing to seduce the Asian communities who have been here for years, or the new communities in Bolton – like refugees. There are lots of people that don't know about the theatre and are incredibly artistic, who don't have a vehicle to explore their art or express themselves. We want to change that."
To do this, Newman is setting up focus groups within the town. She is also planning to put on productions outside of the building and bring in new artists and production companies to work within it. "I am looking forward to seeing the Octagon combust with life, becoming a big creative hub," she enthuses.
Unsurprisingly, given the number of wonderful children's productions she has directed, it is the younger audience she is most passionate about. "We need to break the cycle of children only going to the theatre through school – because when they leave school they stop coming," she explains. "Children must engage with art away from education – it needs to become part of their everyday life. I believe the arts make us better healthier, happier people."
To encourage this engagement, the Octagon will develop its online presence, so that characters and storylines exist beyond the confines of the theatre space itself – something Newman hopes will appeal to all age groups.
Newman takes up the role in July, and it will be interesting to see what becomes of her plans. "For me it is giving back to the people of Bolton, acknowledging we are only here because of them," she says. "We're here, we listen and no one is anonymous to us."