Kennedy Bloomer: Family, Support and Exciting.

KB: (laughs) If a girl from the Black Country can work in theatre, anyone can work in theatre!

I don't think there is a single thing. Theatre has it's problems you know, funding, diversity, all manner of things. If there was one single thing, it would improve much quicker.

Firstly, 'Splintered' (lagahoo productions, devised by the company) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival - It was a cabaret about homophobia and sexism. It was the most fun I've had in a theatre for a long while. But also the most heart wrenching as we follow these queer Caribbean women. It was so detailed about what it's like but also huge influences from carnival and cabaret. And then, as part of the Maiden Speech Festival at the Tristan Bates Theatre 'Please Feel Free to Share' by Rachel Causer. It's all about a flawed, complex woman and it felt like a real person who was really brought to life. I try to go to as many festivals and new writing nights as possible whenever I can.

My dad was in a band when I was little and I was their biggest fan - I was in a big puffy dress rocking it out on the dance floor to anything he did! And then we were taken out to the big theatres to see the touring musicals that would come through to Birmingham or Wolverhampton. And I looked at them thinking 'How do you do this? I want to do that! How can I get up there and do it?' That was my first inkling for theatre. 

Yes. But then I realised I wanted to do the whole thing and not just the one single thing!

You wanted to be calling the shots in live theatre? 

(laughs) Well, yes! I think I've been in love with live performance ever since a young age and how much theatre can affect you. You're in front of a person live, right in front of someone in character. Film on the other hand, I feel there is a bit of a barrier; if you want to, you can stop it, put it on pause. You don't have a relationship with the performers on screen. Like, if I get scared, I can leave the room. If I think it's boring, I can turn it off. But I won't be able to go to The Woman in Black!

My glasses. All those scripts I have to read and the paperwork! 

Hands down, Victoria Wood. Her story from when she was told her accent was wrong and she'd never work, and what she became and created, is absolutely brilliant. She is such an inspiration to anyone who has a bit of an accent about them. So many theatre professionals lose their native accent and I definitely will not! I meet so many actors who have lost theirs, and then spend half an hour with me, and it all comes flooding back! 

Well, as I was announced the Artistic Director, I've had loads of lovely messages from people describing how much they love the theatre and their memories of the venue as an audience or company member, and that's been great and so supportive. People keep coming back which is fantastic. I think what we're going to do for 2020 is try to get out there even further with the local community in Islington. 

Otherwise we would all be doing Shakespeare 24/7! (laughs) I just think how things move on, socially, economically, you know, these big topics that aren't talked about, experiences from minorities that are becoming vocalised, theatre needs to keep up to date with that. And we need to be able explore these topics in order to identify our support of key cultural shifts. It keeps us questioning and challenging our society. 

Oh...

Organisation, the ability to listen to other people and be able to take their opinions on board, and the skill of being able to put anything into under 220 characters for a tweet! I've spent many a time agonising over trying to get rid of 3 characters for marketing a show! 

Well, the first thing in January will be a show called Hamlet: Rotten States retold by: 6FOOTSTORIES. I don't want to say too much about it, but we have a very exciting season for 2020 coming up!

I think it's being in a position where I can give other people an opportunity. We're in in industry now, where we're all working more than one job so that we can do what we love. I mean, being out there, working for free or not at all. This is what I love to do and am passionate about: creating my work because there's not enough out there, working up to five jobs, just to get by, and now I've been given this amazing opportunity to help other artists. And to uncover diverse voices, surrounded by a strong team to help me do that. 

Here, we're a 50 seater, which makes everything very intimate. We like theatre that knows it's theatre. There's a lot of theatre out there that's written for people in their mid-20's and 30's and we're interested in broadening that scope. We want theatre that has a real emotional relationship with its audience. I love theatre that is unexpected. A show that can make me laugh and cry within an hour is a winner.Or laugh and cry at the same time! Matthew has created this amazing reputation at the Hope, and all I can do is try to make sure that that continues...

And spice things up! (laughs)