Stepping on the gas: Fuel Theatre

You might not have heard of Fuel Theatre, but for nearly 20 years this independent production company has been consistently producing some of the best theatre in the UK. A glance at their list of previous collaborators reveals some of the most interesting, innovative and exciting theatre-makers working today. Companies such as Gecko, Blind Summit, and the Belarus Free Theatre, not to mention writers like Francesca Beard, Ben Power, and Lemn Sissay, as well as multi-disciplinary artists like the brilliant Paula Varjack, and Brian Logan.

If you aren't even familiar with all of the names on my list, then I would urge you to spend a little time in the Fuel Theatre production archive and seek out the work of those they make theatre with. You won't be disappointed by the diversity, ambition and impact of the work you will find there. One of the reasons you might not have come across Fuel Theatre is because they don't have a building. A feature which artistic director Kate McGrath considers a positive – she describes the company as being ‘building-free’. Free to perform their work in unusual spaces, anywhere in the country, free to bring theatre to the specific audiences that they want to engage.