PROFILE OF THE THEATRE &  INTERVIEWS



Emma has been Artistic Director of the Canal Café Theatre, the UK’s leading launch pad theatre for the comedy industry and producer of in-house and touring show, NewsRevue since 2001.  Although Canal Café is renowned for comedy, it’s also an ideal venue for cabaret, Improv, magic, new writing and talks.  Recent talks have been on subjects as diverse as serial killers, fishing and cricket.

Of course, the pandemic was as challenging for Canal Café Theatre as the next venue. However, thanks to a successful funding application (“the form felt like doing a PhD” says Emma) they were able to open again as soon as was permitted. “We had Peter Pandemic Panto and it sold out very quickly (with the permitted capacity of 30 instead of the usual 60)” explains Emma.  We also did a “dining and drinks thing” in tandem with the pub below with everything done by an app with bar codes so that food and drinks could be brought to the table. Really nice to be waited upon in this way but Emma “missed the atmosphere, that shoulder to shoulder.”

“I noticed coming back, the impact on people’s mental health in a negative way has certainly increased, it’s more than just the pandemic, it’s also the impact of social media” explains Emma. 

However, she has been encouraged and very impressed by the auditions for NewsRevue. Performers have to be able to act, sing, do impersonations, accents, dance and learn a huge amount of script in a very short space of time. “The standard has been phenomenal” says Emma “sometimes in the past we’ve struggled but this year we have been spoilt for choice.”

NewsRevue which is open four nights a week at the Canal Café Theatre was the fastest selling show at Edinburgh fringe last year. It sold out the entire run at the huge EICC (socially distanced). It will be back at the EICC at full capacity this year. The previews will be in London for three weeks at Canal Café Theatre from 7 – 24 July. 

The show is always needing good scripts and writers are invited to submit their work. They will be paid for any submissions which are used in the show.  For those interested in submitting some work, it’s important to see the show first (complimentary tickets are available from the venue to see the show).  “The cast and director write a lot more than they used to” explains Emma.  “We may edit anything coming in, so it might be a shared credit.”

It's not the only change being made in working policy. Part of the commitment made by theatres who received funding was to do their best to increase the diversity both onstage and off. Hearing of the accusation of institutional and casual racism in some drama schools and in other areas of the profession, Canal Café Theatre has introduced a person of colour onto the NewsRevue audition panel.

The theatre currently has two resident companies performing in regular slots. The first is TECTUM, a working-class actor company. Tectum is a company that helps working class actors to get representation.  “Changes that need to take place are often at grass roots level”, explains Emma. The second is LiveWired Comedy Improv. LiveWired are an improvisation troupe who perform regularly and off the back of its success now run Saturday morning workshops for beginners through to advanced, usually with opportunities to take part in a showcase for friends and family.

In addition, Canal Café have a number of emerging playwrights and performers currently in association with the building. One being Alfie Cain, author of the play Dropped, the story of a young footballer’s dream turned reality which performed to sold-out audiences during its first run in early April with further performances planned. “Even had Jude Law and footballer Ian Wright come to see it” mentions Emma.  It’s about a young boy who spent his whole life preparing to become a professional footballer and then he was dropped. “It’s something like a 1 in 17,000 chance of actually making it as a professional footballer” says Emma, “it’s a bit different for us and has brought more diverse audiences into the theatre.” The theatre is also working with Ethan Olswang on his debut production of My Friend, Hershel Fink. This play is about antisemitism in the British queer community and British drama schools. Following live performances, the show will be available online to a more international audience.

Emma herself is no stranger to the international scene as she speaks several languages and works internationally. “Dad’s Hungarian – I’m not fluent but it spurred me on to learn languages” says Emma. She used to be a French teacher and Head of Drama in a secondary school. Her heart was “in theatre” but she did what her parents wanted her to do. Before committing to their choice of higher education, she had a successful audition at RADA just to prove something to herself.  Her degree at Liverpool led to creating French speaking theatre-in-education company A La Carte. Her enthusiasm was such that she produced Sartre’s No Exit in French, also directing the show and playing the role of Estelle.  Her dream was still to work professionally in the theatre. “That is the nature of vocations” smiles Emma, “I wouldn’t welcome it as a lifestyle for anyone unless they are called to do it, then the rewards are great, but there can be a lot of downtime.” During lockdown, Emma opened another business “Screen Presence” helping people to get confident and comfortable on screen and to create one-minute calling card videos. 

Emma’s passion for theatre and theatre arts is palpable. For anyone who hasn’t experienced Canal Café Theatre first hand, it’s a venue with its own unique qualities, in a lovely spot on the Regent’s Canal in Little Venice.    Check out the programme of shows here.