Writer and creator of The London Literary Pub Crawl.com. and a few plays. BohemianBritain.com. Event and Theatre Producer. Done quite a bit on the wireless too!
SO! 2026 -will see the first London People’s Theatre Company (an idea originally presented in Birmingham… Britain’s Second City!)
The Brilliant Birmingham cast of our first People’s Theatre Company. Henry V by William Shakespeare. Adapted and directed by Nick Hennegan. Original music by Robb Williams.
We’re planning two new original productions.
A reprint of the Maverick Theatre story book will be available.
There will be a tour of the show that started it all. This is ‘Henry V – Lion of England.’ The tour will take place in the autumn.
Plus the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – and the London Literary Pub Crawl is now out twice weekly!
I thought I’d add our Maverick Theatre newsletter here… with some extra photos!
A personal message from Artistic Director Nick Hennegan.
“Thank you so much for your support – and for being on our newsletter list!
2025 was a frantic year – I had to move home (A BIT stressful!) although fortunately we still have our lovely Maverick broom cupboard … sorry, office!
We created the first demo episodes of our audio drama. ‘George Holmes and the Seven Dimensions’ showcases a brilliantly talented young cast.
Then we reprised my award-winning play ‘A Ghost of A Chance’ with an equally brilliant cast at the Tabard Theatre in Chiswick at Easter.
(The Tabard won London Pub Theatre of the Year for 2025! Well deserved. Clever Them!)
Thanks to Bob Paisley, and Central Standard Theatre, I went to the beautiful Kansas City, Missouri , USA (there’s a difference between that one and Kansas City, Kansas, I now know… I think!)
I met some lovely creative people and saw some great theatre at the BlackBox Theatrewhere we created a new, multi-media, multi-city Literary Pub Crawl (coming to an online screen near you very soon!)
Then we were at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the summer.
We started Thursday evening ‘London Literary Pub Crawls’ around Soho and Fitzrovia.
And we ended the year raising seed funds for the first ever London People’s Theatre Company.
The Brilliant Birmingham cast of our first People’s Theatre Company. Henry V by William Shakespeare. Adapted and directed by Nick Hennegan. Original music by Robb Williams.
For the sixth year in a row, the version of Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol‘ I Adapted and Directed is once again selling out theatres in the UK. Performed and Produced by Olivier-Award Winner, Guy Masterson.
I started to take part in my first NotNanNoWriMo, where you write 50,000 words of a novel in a month. I got to 37,000 words, but I did start ten days late. Soooo…! Watch this space!
Phew!
So in 2026 – we are presenting the first ever Maverick People’s Theatre Company production in London – ‘Romeo and Juliet F.C.’
We are celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the play that started it all. ‘Henry V – Lion of England’ will have a UK and overseas tour in the autumn. And a number of on-line projects which I hope you might like.
We are once again running our Diploma in Creative Producingthree evenings a week. It’s online for anyone who wants to make their own Theatre.
Oh… and my messy little blog,BohemianBritain.com (The one you’re reading now!) has been voted Number Two of the Top Ten Bohemian Blogs in the world! Get me!
I have another couple of mad ideas. Which might create a new female-focused musical. And also lead to a unique celebration of Birmingham AND London!
Maverick is a tiny not-for-profit charity started in 1994 on a Birmingham (Britain’s Second City, by the way!) council estate housing project, so your support – just being here – is hugely appreciated.
Have a lovely and peaceful Christmas. And hopefully we will see you live (or virtually) soon!
In the final ‘Literary London’ show of 2025, Nick Hennegan presents two Christmas classics! Part of his OWN version of A Christmas Carol, preformed by Olivier Award Winner Guy Masterson, and the Welsh Wizard Dylan Thomas, reading his own ‘A Childs Christmas in Wales’
On our last outing of 2025, here are 10 happy faces from around the world at the Newman Arms Pub, Fitzrovia, London W1. Shortly before the ‘lightweights’ started to fall by the wayside.
(Writer Richard was leading. He boasts he’s put the “Pub Crawl” back into the London Literary Pub Crawl!)
Happy holidays – and see you in 2026.
Cheers!
Nick, Richard and all at the Maverick Theatre Company.
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 – 5 out of 5 glasses of fine Christmas Cheer!
Theatre At The Tabard 2 Bath Road London W4 1LW
The Tiny Tabard Theatre are deservedly building a reputation for presenting Christmas productions that are original, moving and suitable for children AND adults. Productions that over-deliver in their compact auditorium. And this production is no exception to that growing, golden reputation.
The classic Edwardian story from the book by E Nesbit, made famous by the 1970 feature film, is the story of three young children and their mother who, because their father has had to ‘go away’, find themselves in the countryside. And poor! But it’s a countryside that is crisscrossed with railway tracks – and their dwelling is near to the railway station run by an amicable station manager called Perks (Jay Olpin). There’s very fine acting from the whole company, but especially Christopher Laishley who multi-roles with a physicality and characterisation that is rare to see and a privilege to witness.
The children are charming and nuanced too. Peter (Max Pascoe) is a suitably boyish Edwardian boy, Bobbie (Emma Rowe) is the eldest of the siblings and we see a beautiful scene with her struggling between childhood and adult responsibility with her troubled and stoic mother – delicately played by Kirsten Shaw – a reflection completely of childhood breaching into adulthood. The youngest child, Phyllis (Anya Burlton) sweetly and charmingly supplies most of the comedy moments.
Louise Haddington has beautifully adapted a massive story into two hours running time. She actually might have been better with less story, but even if the first act felt occasionally a little frantic, the final combination of her writing and the very assured direction from Simon Reilly gives the show a massive pace and emotional impact.
It looks great too and chops must go to Rob Miles for set design, Nat Green for lighting, Nick Gilbert for sound and Alice McNicholas for Costume Design. Even the scene changes are slick and seamless and a credit to Stage Manager Jack Cleary and his team.
It’s an emotional and moving production – there was hardly a dry eye in the house, even on the Press Night! Perhaps even more importantly in our current political climate, this production is ultimately all about community and people being nice to each other. And who could ask for more than that, particularly at Christmas!
The Tabard Theatre won The London Pub Theatre of the Year for 2025. And this is another example of why it was such a deserved award.
The Railway children is a real treat. Get a ticket before it leaves the station.
How would Shakespeare have got on if he had the problems we modern-day writers have?
HOW long did I spend getting ready for a writing challenge! Which software To Use, or Not to Use. That is the Question.
OR… even to use a computer at all? What about writing longhand?
And then, if longhand, what book, paper, pen to use? Smart notebook? There’s a few around now.
As far as I am aware, Shakespeare just had the choice of a quill and parchment to write on.
I’m guessing he might have had a favourite nib or feather – or even a favourite TYPE of parchment. I doubt there was much choice with the colour of his ink.
And that was it –
Nowadays, if he decided to use a computer… even that throws up decisions to be made by the modern day writer! Tablet or laptop? Mac, PC or Chromebook?
Shakespeare would have had no knowledge of any of it and saved SO much time! SO easy, back in his day… What do you think the Bard may have used?
Join Nick Hennegan who celebrates the annual Westminster Abbey wreath-laying ceremony for Welsh Poet Dylan Thomas. He includes ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ and music and poetry from Cerys Matthews.
Another lovely gang from around the world celebrating the genius (and bars!) of some of the greatest writers in the world! The London Literary Pub Crawl. Why not give the writer in your life A Literary Pub Crawl Gift Voucher this Christmas!
Tanya from Boston, USofA, and Dave from High Wycombe, come to the end of a fine evenings perigrinations and refreshment, in The Toucan, Soho. With writer/guide Richard.
