BEHIND THE SCENES: Trafalgar Studios handover from Martin Freeman's RICHARD III to Jane Horrocks in EAST IS EAST

Jamie Lloyd's Trafalgar Transformed seasons are not just about renovating the look of a theatre. Lloyd wants the transformation to reach the audience too and deliver high quality theatre to new audiences. Halfway through his second Trafalgar Transformed season, BWW:UK was behind the scenes as the baton was handed over from the critically acclaimed Richard III to the cast of East is East, starring Jane Horrocks.

Both casts were on hand to answer questions, compered by artistic director Lloyd, who's proud of the impact these seasons are having on audiences. On Monday nights all tickets are £15 and half the tickets go to outreach programmes to reach people who wouldn't normally go to the theatre. He revealed that 61% of Monday Night audiences have never been to the theatre before - but perhaps more impressively, across the whole week 55% of the audience have never been to the West End.

Martin Freeman, making his West End debut as Shakespeare's tyrannical king is a big fan: "Monday nights have genuinely been one of my favourite things, it feels alive and the energy is cracking in the room."

Dismissing suggestions that the run is too short to really get into the role, Freeman shared his admiration for older Shakespearean actors, such as Sir Ian Mackellan and Sir Patrick Stewart.

"I don't know how they do it. I couldn't see myself doing this in 20 years - it's doing me in now."

He added: "This is the longest run I've ever done, and it feels like ample time - that's the polite way of putting it."

The show has seen some controversy over the use of live goldfish in one key scene in the gruesome play - but Jamie Lloyd, a committed vegan, promised that "the fish are doing really well - they are growing" and he stood by his view that no animals had been harmed in the production. He suggested the idea for the goldfish came out of his desire for realism - but with hindsight perhaps wouldn't have used them.

Next up is a return to the stage for Ayub Khan Din's family drama East is East, set in 1970s Salford. And this time round Din is taking a very hands-on role playing the part of George Khan - so did being a writer/actor cause any tensions with the director? Khan doesn't think so.

'For the first week I was used as a writer, if I could explain in more detail the script but for the last two weeks I've just been an actor."

He went on to add, "You have to allow every new director to have their own take on the piece."

For young director Sam Yates, having the writer so involved is a boost for the production: "You get ultimate authenticity by having the writer in the piece and in the rehearsal room."

Lloyd's next production is Sondheim's Assassins at the Chocolate Factory, where he's keen to continue his work to challenge some of theatre's orthodoxies. But on the issue of diversity among casts, he told how he approached one agent for an unnamed actor only be to told by the agent, "Isn't this character white?" Unsurprisingly Lloyd feels there needs to be changes at all levels.

So will Trafalgar Transformed be a long-term solution? Lloyd warns that it's a tough prospect to run profitably.

"It's impossible to make any money - there's so few seats, and we're not stinting on the quality of work; and sticking to £15 Mondays - that's going to be the biggest challenge in the long run."

In the meantime, Lloyd hopes East is East will continue to show audience just how great coming to the theatre can be.

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