For teachers working in West London, SCRUM Theatre is a new company offering bespoke workshops and a transformed community arts hub in Hammersmith. Ali Warren visits SCRUM Studios to find out more.
In rugby, a scrum is a method of restarting play, which involves players packing closely together with their heads down and attempting to gain possession of the ball. A new theatre project in Hammersmith wants to bring young performers together in a similar way: getting their heads down and gaining ownership over their own creativity.
The team at SCRUM is ambitious not just for its new company, but also for the potential of its new building – a special offering in itself. Best known for transforming disused spaces into artistic hubs, SCRUM Theatre is breathing new life into the Lilla Huset building on Talgarth Road. Once home to Hammersmith and Fulham Council's archives, this repurposed space is now known as SCRUM Studios, housing three rehearsal rooms, a playwright's centre, self-tape studio, a workroom for designers and costumiers, and a large performance space. The building was designed by Ralph Erskine, the same architect who designed the famous Byker Wall in Newcastle upon Tyne. If SCRUM hadn't redeveloped the space, there's a good chance it would have remained empty as an unused commercial building.
A look inside
One of the additional special things about the building is the library. It's supported by Nick Hern Books and is intended to be a resource for everyone to be able to access scripts. There is also now a self-taping studio up and running, to also help with the audition process, although SCRUM is still hoping to improve the equipment available in this space.
Where it all began
The SCRUM story really began in lockdown when the team decided to reimagine what the theatre industry could look like, particularly in relation to what teachers want. A national survey of teachers was carried out and the responses came from all over the country and subsequently informed the development of the performance and resources for SCRUM's maiden show, Twelfth Night. ‘What teachers want is at the heart of everything we do,’ says Bethan Barke, SCRUM's schools officer.
The first production
Performances of Twelfth Night will be supported by workshops for both students and teachers, with funding available for free tickets and transport to all performances. There will also be a free digital pack available at no extra cost, which will combine teaching ideas with information from the rehearsal room. There'll be videos too, explaining elements of the play such as the iambic pentameter.
SCRUM's aim is to create a production of Twelfth Night that people really want to see, trying to move away from the idea of a Shakespeare play as a classically elitist piece. It's a play that the director Lucie Dawkins is passionate about and there have been significant developments in discussing issues within the play – issues of gender and sexuality for instance. The music for the production has been composed by Dominic Applewhite, drawing on group music sessions with other artists in the SCRUM company.
In motion
There will be two types of performances – a full theatre performance in a three-week run in SCRUM's warehouse space in Hammersmith and a touring production. The plan is to perform in non-traditional performance spaces such as community centres, but the priority will be visiting areas and schools that are underfunded for theatre. It is hoped that the Twelfth Night project will be supported by funding from Arts Council England as part of its Levelling for Culture priority area list, but other funding is being developed.
For the area local to SCRUM Studios, there are additional opportunities for schools in West London. On the website there are some outlines of possible workshops for all education sectors, but schools officer Bethan Barke is keen to emphasise that SCRUM can create bespoke sessions for individual classes, schools and teachers. At the moment, all these activities are taking place in schools, but it's hoped that as the network develops, these activities will also be held in SCRUM Studios as well. If you're a teacher working in West London, SCRUM's the place to go for workshops or access the building for opportunities to play and create. There's plenty to enjoy here.
scrumtheatre.co.uk