Remarkable reach of small Cornish theatre group is highlighted as Beverly Hills theatre signs rising Brit as artistic director.
by Nick Stark
THE WALLIS Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts this week announced the appointment of Paul Crewes, the pioneering head of Britain’s innovative Kneehigh Theatre group, as its first Artistic Director.
The announcement caps a remarkable rise for both Mr. Crewes and the Kneehigh Theatre Group, which began near the Cornish town of Truro in 1980 when a village school teacher began to run theatre workshops in his spare time. From such humble beginnings the Kneehigh has built a reputation for creating vigorous and popular theatre for audiences throughout the UK and beyond. Mr. Crewes’s reputation as grown as the group expanded its audience, most recently with Tristan & Yseult, which performed at St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York, and at the South Coast Rep in Costa Mesa, and Brief Encounter which opened at The Wallis in February 2014 during the Company’s first season. Other U.S. theatres to present Kneehigh’s productions include the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Alley Theatre in Houston, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and ACT in San Francisco.
The Wallis’ Board Chairman Jerry Magnin announced Mr. Crewes’ appointment as the Company’s first Artistic Director this week as the Board voted to approve the Search Committee’s recommendation of Mr. Crewes, whose contract begins October 1, 2015. He will assume full-time artistic leadership in April 2016.
“In just two years, The Wallis has risen to a premiere position in LA’s lively performing arts landscape and Paul is the perfect person to guide The Wallis to a new level of prominence,” said Mr. Magnin. “We first worked with Paul when he brought Kneehigh’s Brief Encounter to our stage for our inaugural season in a stunning, first-rate production that combined film with theater. Even then we knew it was just the beginning of a long-lasting relationship. We are confident that under his artistic leadership, Paul will guide The Wallis and our growing audience on a new and ever-expanding path of discovery.”
In the classic British tradition of amateur dramatics, the history of the Kneehigh seems gloriously DIY. After the school teacher had gotten things rolling, a local farmer, a sign writer from Tesco, several students, a thrash guitarist from a local band, an electrician and a few others – none of whome had any professional training – got involved. The workshops took place ‘in the spirit of cheerful anarchy and casually slipped into performance, and finally the production of shows,” according to the Kneehigh’s website. “Proudly, we now find ourselves celebrated as one of Britain’s most exciting new touring theatre companies.”
As for Mr. Crewes, he finds himself facing the delicious prospect of a new life among the movers and shakers in Beverly Hills. He said of his appointment: ”As we can see from last season’s many successes, The Wallis is at the beginning of a very exciting journey…Every time I visit The Wallis I feel passionate about the opportunities that exist for this amazing organization in the heart of Beverly Hills. We will constantly explore ways of bringing this stunningly beautiful building alive with activity, performance and participation on a daily basis.”
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