A Brief History
Polka
Theatre started life as a touring company in 1967 under the Artistic
Directorship of Richard Gill. Gill was spurred on by a commitment to
fine design and craftsmanship and a passion for puppetry, taking the
company’s work to many of Britain’s major theatres. By 1971,
following a successful Arts Council application (the first annual grant
to any company working in the field of puppetry), Polka was attracting
staggering audiences of 250,000 each year.
But
touring to other people’s theatres imposed restrictions: small
casts, shows that will fit every stage… Gill had a policy of bringing
skill, craft and colour to Polka’s productions, and now he wanted
to do the same to a building which could be a home for Polka’s
work. In 1976, Polka found the Holy Trinity Halls in Wimbledon and in
1979, following a lengthy fundraising campaign, Polka’s dream
of a permanent home for children’s theatre became a reality.
When Polka – The Children’s Theatre opened its doors on 20th November 1979, it became the UK’s first theatre venue dedicated exclusively to children. This momentous event was marked by a Gala Performance attended by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
With two performance spaces (a 300-seat Main Auditorium and a 90-seat studio), a café, a playground, a toyshop and exhibition and gallery spaces, Polka Theatre was unique in its totally child-centred design. It quickly became a popular attraction both locally and London-wide, for the high production values of its ongoing programme of puppetry performances, and for the exceptional environment in which they were staged.
Now
a producing house, its annual programme consisted of seven homegrown
productions. Importantly, Polka Theatre also provided a permanent London
venue for touring children’s theatre companies from all over the
UK and abroad.
Once established in its own space, the Company quickly began to diversify, and the number of writers, directors and puppeteers with whom the company worked grew. By 1983 Polka was regularly programming and producing productions aimed specifically at the Under-5s: the studio, known as the Adventure Theatre, became the designated performance space, and even today it remains the only space in the UK dedicated exclusively to work for Early Years audiences.
In
1988, Vicky Ireland joined Polka as the company’s second Artistic
Director. Under Ireland’s leadership, the company flourished as
a centre of excellence, leading to a 75% increased in revenue funding
in 1991. Productions, now predominantly actor-based and driven by quality
scriptwriting, widened in both content and form. In addition to stagings
of classic children’s stories, Ireland produced historical and
biographical dramas (Rosie Blitz, Dreams of Anne Frank,
Playing From the Heart (based on the life of Evelyn Glennie);
adaptations of contemporary children’s books (Three
Cheers for Mrs Butler, Kensuke’s Kingdom, Jacqueline Wilson’s
Double Act); and devised work – the most remarkable
of which was Off The Wall, a co-production with the David Glass Ensemble
which took works of art by the likes of Rene Magritte, Henry Moore and
Francis Bacon, and brought them to life on stage.
Over the years, Polka worked with some of Britain’s leading writers, including Alan Ayckbourn, Philip Pullman, David Holman, Jamila Gavin, Malorie Blackman, Charles Way and Mike Kenny. Ireland’s devotion to quality playwriting was also reflected in the appointment of a Director of New Writing in 2001, out of which Polka’s New Writing Programme was born.
Another notable landmark’s in Polka’s history came in 1994, when Polka won the Vivien Duffield Theatre Award to begin the pioneering audience development initiative, Curtain-Up!. The scheme offered free theatre tickets to disadvantaged schools whose pupils would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience theatre due to financial or other difficulties, supplemented by money to cover transport costs and a free post-show drama workshop to support the visits. The scheme, which still runs, has introduced an estimated 30,000 school children to the magic of theatre since it began.
In 2002, Annie Wood was appointed as Polka’s third Artistic Director. Wood had worked extensively in children’s theatre in the UK and abroad for fifteen years before she joined Polka. Her productions of The Red Balloon and Martha had both received international acclaim, each touring North America, including a run on Broadway.
Wood’s first major commission for Polka was the groundbreaking installation performance piece, Best Behaviour, devised and directed by Mark Storor. Part theatre and part live art, the show took place in the theatre’s foyer, changing the nature of the audience’s relationship with the performers: the action happened in glass cabinets, on tables and chairs halfway up walls, and on ropes suspended from the ceiling. Best Behaviour was later described as “one of the best pieces [of theatre] this century” in a five-star review in The Guardian.
2003/2004
saw Polka extend its target audience both downwards and upwards: the
Adventure Theatre played host to recent developments in theatre for
babies and toddlers, while the first ‘Polka Teens’ show
went into production, Abi Bown’s poetic Hey There,
Boy with the Bebop.
Meanwhile, a number of productions went out on the road: there were UK tours of The Selfish Giant, Double Act and Bad Girls (co-produced with Watershed Productions), and Young Europe (co-produced with company of angels) and an international tour of Martha’s Wild Goose Chase to Bermuda and the US.
Today, Polka Theatre continues to lead the way in producing innovative, high-quality and often daring theatre that remains relevant to a new generation of young audiences. The heart of our work is rooted at our Wimbledon home, which has now seen over 2,000,000 visitors in the 25 years since we opened our doors.
Our work could not continue without the support of our funders: Arts Council England, Association of London Government and London Borough of Merton.
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