Nick Hennegan

New recruits!

Sue and Peter- the latest recruits to the London Literary Pub Crawl family. Seen here, at the end of a grand old time of creative enlightenment and generous refreshment.

Be Bewitched in Chiswick!

Bell, Book and Candle. By John Van Druten, Directed by Mark Giesser. Now till 11th March 2023.

🍷🍷🍷🍷 🪄(4 glasses out of 5, PLUS a Magic Wand!)

Theatre At The Tabard, 2 Bath Road, London W4 1LW.

Beth Burrows and Edward Hayes-Neary (Photo Charles Flint)

The new regime at the Tabard Studio Theatre in Chiswick, West London has been in place for less than a year. Yet, they seem to have already developed the habit of finding unusual and quirky offerings to present. This little-known classic from the 1950s is no exception. Bell Book and Candle is a kind of RomCom with magic! Literally! A ‘friendly’ coven of witches lives in London and one of them, Gillian, (Beth Burrows) falls for a non-witch and wants to fit in by not practising witchcraft anymore.

This kind of leads to all sorts of problems and the plot needs a book of spells to keep on top of, but it’s a good-hearted, good-natured slice of fun and unique enough to demand a viewing. The costume, cast and set work perfectly, apart from the odd vocal weakness, and it’s easy to see why Sol Saks, the creator of the popular worldwide TV hit Bewitched, credits this play as his inspiration.

I have to say it… This play is magic!

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Theatre at The Tabard.

Thinking about starting a Theatre Company or training as a Theatre Producer..?

If you want to know more about starting a Theatre Company or training as a Producer there’s a 1 hour Zoom session this Monday 6th March, between 6-7pm. It’s pretty informal and relaxed. Tickets are either £5 or £2 for the ‘ideas rich-cash poor!’

See you there!

http://www.TheatreProducerTraining.Com

It’s hard to say (Theatrical) goodbye!

It’s a glorious sadness saying goodbye to the talented Creative Producer Cohort after lectures tonight. I always hate it! But with their talent they will be creating new Theatre soon. And it’s a small business so we’ll meet again. In fact we’re now taking new applications for April! Do you want to create Theatre? Set up a theatre company? And make me sad all over again in July when the new cohort will finish? See www.TheatreProducerTraining.Com

Sob..!

Want to make a play..?

See http://www.TheatreProducerTraining.Com. Or contact me. x

Stage Ghosts and Haunted Theatres!

Summary:

Nick Hennegan talks to theatre worker and writer Nick Bromley about his life, work… and Theatre Ghosts! Nick has been a West End Company Manager since 1971, with shows such as The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Love Never Dies to his name.

He is the sixteenth Master of the Drury Lane Theatrical Fund, founded by David Garrick in 1766, and a member of both the Ghost Club and the Society for Psychical Research.

More information on Nick at https://lnpbooks.co.uk — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bohemianbritain/message

Guess where we were on Saturday.

Kings Heath, Birmingham. It reminds me of how East London felt 20-odd years ago.

I was born in the front room of a house in Hollybank Road on a council estate housing project in Kings Heath. Although we later became Billesley. No idea why. One day we were B14. The next B13. Didn’t really change our lives much! And our family didn’t have much of a pub culture. I think my Dad used to drink quite a lot as an Irish young man in Leeds. although, as the story goes, Mom said to Dad, “it’s the drink, or me.” And fortunately for me, Dad chose her! Dad told me how his Dad was a drinker and brutal with it. He’d come home sometimes after a night in the pub and get his belt off to beat his kids. I never met my Grandad, although my older brother did and said he seemed like a nice man. And I can’t condone his brutish behaviour, but I had some element of sympathy for him, when I realised Dad, as the youngest of seven kids., lost his Mom, my Grandmother, when he was seven years old. So my Grandad, who was an Irish labourer from County Mayo, was suddenly responsible for bringing up SEVEN kids, on his own, in the 1930’s (No NHS or welfare in those days either!) in a one up, one down house in a slum in Leeds.

Wow.!

I might share a bit more about the Hare and Hounds later. It’s a great music pub… I often used to have a drink with the late, lovely Brian Travis from UB40 there. But for now, what do you think about my Grandad’s situation?

Soundscape of Love.

Summary:

This time, Nick Hennegan creates a musical and spoken word soundscape around the theme of love and giving! — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bohemianbritain/message

Theatre at The Tabard, Chiswick, London; Opening night party!

Get down to the brilliant Theatre at The Tabard! You’ll be able to see it from the street!

I wrote and directed my first play – Henry V – Lion of England, a one-person adaptation of Shakespeare’s epic play, in 1992. A working-class kid, who didn’t know Shakespeare, it held no fear for me. We put it on for 1 night at the MAC – Midlands Arts Centre – in April 1992 and it got ‘picked up’ by Starward Ltd. The managers of comedian Jasper Carrott, Phil Cool and others. They took us to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe which kinda changed everything for me.

Us… well, them.. on the set… a lovely after show collection of local Theatre supporters. And actors. And Press. And some famous names.

Which is why, 30 years later, I’m privileged and fortunate to be invited to events like this, the press night of a little known classic, Bell Book And Candle at The Tabard.

A picture. Significant if you see the show!

It’s a great story. The forerunner of the US television hit Bewitched. A kind of reverse romcom, but with magic. To be honest, it’s not a perfect production – review to follow – but it’s a great conceit, and you really should try and see it. It’s heritage is also testimony to the talents of the new leaseholders of the Tabard Theatre, a husband-and-wife team who are, like many at the small-scale end of this business, complete and utter unsung heroes. So get down to the Tabard, grab a pint – and be Bewitched!

Bedford Park. WB Yeats lived here too. Come out of the tube and turn right and keep right. You’ll fall over the Tabard!

Plays Down The Pub! Maverick hits the bar again!

Hic!