For all the thousands of new entrants into the world of UK theatre every year, few if any arrive equipped with the knowledge they need to put on great shows.
The established path is learning by doing, one which the author of The Accidental Producer himself (Tim Johanson) is both a veteran and firm advocate of, with the caveat that certain pitfalls are best avoided as well as hidden opportunities that more could do with knowing.
Written during the Covid pandemic (a hidden opportunity of its own) this book is one producer’s chance to look back on a career filled with highs and lows, identifying a few clear dos and don’ts along the way. Appropriately, the launch for the book was held at The Kiln Theatre in Kilburn – host to Johanson’s currently running production of Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York), which has been so successful at The Kiln that its run has not only been extended by a month, but the production is now also due to transfer to The Criterion Theatre in London’s West End this Spring.
It’s unrealistic to picture anyone’s success in the industry as an uninterrupted upward trend of hit upon hit. However, the book guards against this illusion, as forthright about when things have gone wrong in Johanson’s productions as much as it is about things going right. What remains significant throughout are the lessons each production provided, good and bad.
These lessons are delivered in distinct chapters of the book separately covering the art of theatre production from the bottom up, from choosing a script and creative team to fundraising and press releases. It’s an authoritative overview that Johanson grounds at each chapter’s close through interviews with professionals working across the industry, balancing theory with reality.
Appropriately then, the launch itself was rounded out by a Q&A between Johanson and Kevin Shen, the latter being, by his own description, an accidental producer for Yellowface which showed at The National Theatre in 2014. The similarity of experiences between the two was clear, as well as a recognition that mistakes made by both could have easily been avoided with a little foreknowledge. With The Accidental Producer now widely available, these classic production missteps may well fail to repeat.
The Accidental Producer is now on sale from Methuen Drama
