So, where shall we start? Let's take a look at that UK Theatre Association's .pdf list of theatres and production companies on the Resources page. In alphabetical order, first up is Act Productions Ltd.
Looking at their website, for anyone wanting to work in the West End and on number one tours, the home page is pretty exciting. This is it. This is one of those companies that do it. Look at all those well known, high-end TV faces.
The repertoire is interesting too: solid drama, interesting adaptations, a commercial musical and they're willing to take risks – Krapps Last Tape is no pushover as a crowd pleaser, even if you've got Gambon in the lead.
From the layout and feel of the website, I'm getting an impression of experienced producers, with a good reputation, able to source private investment for productions they can feel proud of.
Why do I say private investment? Because I can't see any evidence of funding from the Arts Council (AKA The Lottery). A mainstream theatre company wouldn't necessarily come under the Arts Council's remit of organisations to support and the website's 'Investment' tab is a bit of a give away.
Clicking on 'Meet The Team' shows the key personel. So Roger Wingate decides what he's going to spend his money on i.e. what he can sell to investors, CFO Pauline Morrison oversees how the money's spent and producer Ros Povey organises the nuts and bolts theatre making/line managing. If they're still at it.
I say 'if' because a look at the 'Productions' page shows things have been quiet for a few years. Having a single founder can sometimes mean a lot depends on them. Let's get a better idea of who they are and of the company's structure.
I always like to see those three little letters – Ltd. It means you can check in with Companies House, root around, see who the company's directors are and take a gander at finances.
Type the company name or number into the CH search box. The number is either at the bottom of the company's website or in their terms and conditions. If you form your own theatre company one day you'll have one too.
Anywho, what have we got?...Oh, that's interesting, they were a film company first; mmm, you're always looking for synergy. That explains the 'Associated Companies' tab on their website showing Curzon Cinemas and Artificial Eye – the latter a UK cinema chain, the former a UK film distributor. What you'd call an attempt at a company vertical. They've merged now.
Roger was certainly ambitious. Mind you, things were buzzing back then, Channel 4 and Film Four were getting everyone excited and Working Title was making big strides. It felt like the UK had an independent film industry for a while. Independent from America that is.
Back to Companies House, we see Act Ltd was formed in 1994, since then having had 23 officers with 2 remaining active and 21 resignations – coming and going with their share capital I'd say.
So who are the two left standing? Ros Povey, 53, and Roger, now 83, the company founder, retired to the shores of Lake Geneva. Ah, well that rather answers our question.
It says Roger was a chartered surveyor. That suggests where his money for theatrical investment came from – property development. Wow, that's a lot of company formations he was into – 28 in 1999 alone! Pinewood Studios, Curzon Cinemas, a ton of entertainment companies.
I think it's safe to say Roger was a significant player at one time. Clicking on Google reveals some pics and a resume. Yep, into property development till his 60's, then more and more involved in the entertainment industry. Still on Linked-In as the owner of Act Ltd.
The other active officer, Ros, was appointed in 2020 but as the website says, she'd been with the company since 2010. So, she was appointed company director when Roger turned 80 and decided to retire.
You can click on the company's accounts Filing History, interesting if you're into that side of things. This shows the company accounts from 1994 onward, the latest being submitted in 2022 for the company's previous financial year. They all show a loss at the end of the year. Nothing unusual in that. You wouldn't want to pay tax on any profit if you can help it, it's what the entertainment industry is famous for.
So, what are we left with? A distinct impression that the company has lost steam and in its current form has come to the end of a good twenty year run. As the About page says, the last production was 2019.
Covid put it to sleep and it hasn't woken up. Will the current active officer revive it? Carry the company name on? Maybe, if it's useful as a brand to attract investment. Working at the level she has been, she's got her own production company and various irons in fires no doubt, including film production by the looks of the BFI site. Enough hustle to be getting on with.
Interesting though. From first impressions of, 'Wow, so this is what an big-time-indie-theatre-company looks like,' with some research we've come to understand Act Ltd is probably a spent force; but it was certainly one of the most successful independent West End theatre production companies in the first two decades of the millennium.
Another useful takeaway is the realisation that the entertainment industry is a people business. The world of the theatre is a network, made up of individual talents, limited companies and partnerships, sometimes coming together, sometimes falling apart. The more you understand about them the better.
Next time, we'll take another look at the list.
