Much has happened since our last interview with Audrey Thayer in 2019. We are delighted to find out more about the current ethos of Drayton Arms Theatre.

Originally from Minnesota, Audrey Thayer, thinks that theatre in London could afford to be more international.   In America funding is state by state, and as Minnesota has some of the highest arts funding in the country, there was a very strong theatrical scene, with The Guthrie Theatre welcoming Ian McKellen (amongst many actors of very high calibre), experimental theatre and amazing children’s theatre. “As I was growing up, we had season tickets and went monthly to see children’s shows” recalls Thayer.  Whilst Drayton Arms Theatre doesn’t produce family shows, it has eclectic tastes, which includes around three foreign language or international shows each year. “It’s less than I would like” admits Thayer. 

The brewery, Mitchells and Butlers have employed Thayer, since 2016.  “Being employed by them and having that safety net means that I don’t have to be as concerned about the more commercial side of theatre,” explains Thayer.  Although furloughed during the pandemic, it was still a very scary time. “The Drayton was silent for 16 months” she explains, “a few shows pulled through from pre-pandemic but not terribly many, it was an empty calendar”. Slowly, a few brave companies started taking the plunge to be the first ones back. “Now it’s going well again,” she says but she has noticed that audiences are ‘different’, and the success of shows is less predictable.  “We’ve lost that middle ground.”  Thayer believes that audiences are now reluctant to take a risk. “If they’re spending money, they just want to know it’s a good show.” She’s also noticed that tastes have changed and that comedy, the lighter stuff, is doing well. “Darker and experimental theatre is not doing as well” she acknowledges.  “People are just wanting a laugh today, proper escapism; like post world war, they don’t want to be reminded of all the awful things.”

“I feel that in the last few years my mindset has really shifted” says Thayer. She is not just looking for quality and what people will want to see; she’s grown more interested in the people behind it; those who are hardworking and passionate about what they do. “It’s a much more enjoyable space to have lovely people who care about theatre as much as I do” says Thayer. She still wants to keep the standard high and to be the person who says “yes”.  “We’re not here to criticise just for arbitrary reasons,” she affirms, “I want people to have the freedom to create and sometimes that’s more important than the art itself.”

She is still seeking out shows to bring to the venue, mainly at the Vault Festival and Edinburgh Fringe. “It’s the best hunting ground there is (at Edinburgh fringe). The festival has a lot to sort out in terms of accessibility and diversity, but despite all the challenges some of the most exceptional work is still done there” says Thayer, adding “I love going”. As well as the longer runs, the theatre still has its Sunday and Monday affordable slots to give people a chance of putting on work without the financials risks. “It’s cheap and cheerful for a reason” emphasises Thayer, “the work can be weird and wonderful, rough and ready, a work in progress; it allows people to try out work to see if it’s got legs.”   

Though Audrey runs the theatre by herself, she acknowledges two groups of people she could not survive without. The first are her pool of freelance technicians, almost all of whom have been with her for over five years, running every get in and keeping the theatre’s tech going. “Without their time and expertise there truly would not be a theatre here, at least not one with working lights”, she says. The second are the staff at the pub, who support her by doing front of house and serve her cups of tea during long meeting days.

As well as many new companies coming to the Drayton in 2023 there are also returning companies. There’s Toby Hampton with his Christmas show (The Grotto showing until 30 December), Tamise En Scene who are back with another production in French, and Kevin Lee who has recently finished his fourth show at the Drayton Arms.  One resident company is Little Lion Theatre, headed up by Alice Greening, which has produced three shows in the past year. “She’s one of my technicians who is a producer in her own right … she specialises in Canadian work” explains Thayer..

When asked about her own work as dramaturg, writer and actor, Thayer is still considering an in-house production, however time is not on her side. “It’s tough” she says, “Artistic Director a bit of a misnomer, it’s more like creative programming or creative producing - certainly there’s an art to choosing and shaping the flow of how the work goes but there’s a lot of admin at the end of the day.” Recently, she co-produced TENDERFOOT with 3 Way Tango and is looking to produce a regular scratch night for dramaturgs and producers to meet and mingle.

“I don’t miss acting” says Thayer, “I think it was such a lovely part of my life but there’s such a huge amount of rejection, and having lived life a bit longer, I’m more interested in the security that a steady job brings.” However, she seems a little wistful about it, claiming that she never had a “waifish figure” and that she was always cast as the “elderly lady or a witch”.  “I might grow into that when I’m 50 or 60 years old” she grins and then adds as an afterthought: “I do a bit of writing in my spare time.” 

As for her work as a dramaturg, she is very clear. “What I don’t love about the theatre scene here, is how plays are made and get to the stage” she asserts, “I would love to see more transparency.” She explains how writers mistakenly send their scripts to theatres, in the hope that their work will be put on, but to no avail. “We’re not a producing house” she acknowledges, “however if people do send a script to me, I’m happy to give some feedback.”  

A less conventional aspect of the theatre in the last year involves audience nudity. “Richard Lambert approached me with this idea for his production of Boys in the Buff,” explains Thayer “and we were sold out to the rafters with people begging for tickets”.  The theatre had on site monitoring (and towels on seats), with Lambert put in charge of making sure it ran smoothly every night.  It's returning 22 July, as a special ‘clothing optional’ performance. Thayer is always open to ideas even if “it’s a bit wild” she’s “willing to hear it”.

Thayer says that she is most touched by “the little things”; she’s not trying to change the world but hopefully just giving creatives the opportunity for full artistic freedom to create something. “I love nothing more than receiving those emails at the end of a run which say, ‘thank you so much, we had such a great experience’”, says Thayer. 

“What I love about getting to programme the Drayton shows is the sheer variety, almost every week we see something new that we’ve never seen before,” she says.  “Audiences who are brave enough to take a punt on that are so lucky and we can’t wait to welcome them with a pint in hand.”

 Audrey Thayer was chatting with Heather Jeffery, Editor of London Pub Theatres Magazine