Photo by Steve Ullathorne
Over the past three years, I’ve toured two shows through the UK Rural Touring Network, performing in village halls, community centres and all manner of spaces that sit outside the traditional theatre circuit.
Here are five things I’ve learned.
1. Your show is a bigger event than you think.
It’s easy to think of a performance as simply another date on a tour schedule. But for a venue, its volunteers and audience, it can be one of the major cultural events of the month.
I remember arriving at a village hall in South Shropshire and discovering that audience members had travelled from several different cities to attend. Some came because of the show’s subject matter. Others came through word of mouth. What struck me was the sense of occasion. For one evening, a small rural venue became a hub for conversation, connection and shared experience.
2. Local knowledge beats any marketing strategy.
You should do everything you can to promote your work, but the people who really understand an area are the volunteers, promoters and organisers who live there.
Time and again, I found myself benefiting from networks and relationships that had been built over years, sometimes decades.
3. Simplicity is your friend.
Touring becomes much easier when you can fit everything into a car, adapt to different spaces and solve problems quickly. The less complicated your set-up, the more energy you can spend on the work itself.
4. Everyone wears multiple hats.
As an independent theatre-maker, I found myself acting as producer, performer, writer, production manager and occasionally technician. Rural touring rewards flexibility and a willingness to muck in.
5. The conversation afterwards matters.
Some of the most valuable moments happened after the applause. Over cups of tea, at the bar, while packing away. Those conversations led to new contacts, future opportunities and lasting relationships.
The biggest lesson of all?
Great theatre isn’t defined by the scale of the building, the size of the budget or the sophistication of the equipment.
It’s defined by people gathering together to share an experience.
And rural touring does that remarkably well.
Russell Lucas is a UK-based director, writer and creative producer working across theatre, screen and live performance.