Q&A: Adam Nichols, OVO Artistic Director

This week’s blog is a particularly special appearance from one of the Much Ado team – the Artistic Director of our co-producing partners OVO, Adam Nichols.

How did you first come to be involved in making theatre at such an extraordinary site?
One of our regular actors has a personal connection to a member of the Grimston family, who have been living in the Gorhambury Estate, within which the Roman Theatre is situated, since the 16th century. There had been the occasional performance there since the 1930s, when the site was excavated, but we are really the first company to have brought the theatre back to full operation since 300 AD!

What’s been the highlight of being OVO’s Artistic Director?
There have been so many! Opening our very first show back in 2003 still sticks in the mind. Getting our first pop up venue in St Albans, a recently closed but much loved bookshop in the city which we took over briefly in 2009, and then our move to The Maltings Theatre in 2011 when that venue was at risk of permanent closure. Our debut at the Minack Theatre in 2016 was absolutely amazing, as has been every subsequent visit to that magical location. And there have been so many incredible memories at the Roman Theatre – perhaps most powerful being the return of audiences after Covid in 2020, and the unique atmosphere of bringing people back together that summer, which I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Aside from all of those highlights, what I’ve enjoyed the most has been building a strong collaborative ethos with an inspiring group of people, and seeing actors and creatives grow and develop over multiple shows with us – in some cases the whole 20 years we’ve been going!

What is the difference between directing a play for an indoor or outdoor setting?
I love working outdoors because there is nowhere to hide. The word theatre originates from the Greek theatron, meaning the ‘seeing place’. The simple fact of being able to see outside the space breaks the barrier between the audience and the performers – it becomes a collective, collaborative, democratic experience. This ‘seeing’ encourages a complicity between the players and the audience that I rarely see in an indoor performance. In practical terms, the main differences obviously involve the technical and atmospheric challenges – no lighting, rain, (and – increasingly in these times of climate change – extreme heat) – as well as needing to make performances big and engaging in performative terms.

How do you think organisations can work together most effectively, particularly in the post-pandemic landscape?
The theatre industry talks a lot about collaboration but in practice there is a lot less joining up than there could be. I think creativity can often be quite an individualistic process, and I also find that the way the arts economy is structured often creates perverse incentives for people to compete instead of collaborate. Having worked for many years in other industries away from theatre, I definitely see the potential for much greater sharing of resources and expertise. I’m delighted that we are embarking on what will hopefully be a long term partnership between OVO and Creation – OVO is also co-producing with Pitlochry Festival Theatre for the first time this summer. I personally find this exchange of ideas and approaches enriching and stimulating, and there’s no doubt that in these fairly straitened times for theatre, we need to work together to continue to be able to afford to offer accessible high quality live performance.

How would you describe a night out at the Roman amphitheatre for someone who has never been?
It’s a magical location where you can really feel the echoes of historical performances from centuries gone by. It’s also a stunning beautiful site, with amazing views and sunsets (even when it’s raining!). The arena is a thrust configuration, meaning that the audience is seated on three sides of the stage, so although it’s a large space it’s also very intimate and there’s a great connection between performers and those watching. And we have a great bar with show themed cocktails!

For tickets in Oxford click here
For tickets in St Albans click here