THEATRE TALK: Scratch my BAC

Scratch my BAC

I must begin by declaring a vested interest: my involvement with the Battersea Arts Centre has stretched back a good few months and is only deepening over time as I become more and more impressed with their artistic choices and the ethos the company believes in.

The work produced and presented there is nothing short of unique - it frequently challenges boundaries and shows what can be achieved with a supportive creative team and a bright vision.

The residency of companies like Puppet Centre and 1927, who fuse animation and music, amongst other mediums, in the building mean a variety of intriguing, sometimes gothic, always unusual work fills the theatre's months.

While I feel very strongly about BAC, I also continue to review its shows because whilst BAC and many of its shows are inextricably entwined in terms of development (more on that next paragraph), this doesn't influence anything insofar as the reviews go.

What this week's title means, and what has come to my attention in recent weeks, is the concept of 'scratch' performances, where artists can present something they've been working on and get a bit of audience feedback as to how to develop it. This way of working is something BAC champions and which has seen shows such as 1927's The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea move from a twenty-minute showcase to a full-blown, and well-reviewed Edinburgh performance.

Similarly, Nic Green's recent triumph with female empowerment three-parter Trilogy (it sold out at the BAC last week and has done so at the Barbican, where it plays this weekend) started many moons ago, when her work was spotted by BAC producers who helped nurter her, along with other Theatre Partners, until her work developed into the full-blown and full-on experience it is now (see picture above - credit Colin Hattersley).

While BAC is not alone in presenting scratch work, it is one of the few to do so on a regular basis and with such verve and excitement. Indeed, the company has a 'Scratch Festival' annually, where performers can try out their pieces over three weekends. Artists are constantly in residence in the building and regular share ongoing work with staffers before presenting it to the public. These are exciting times at the BAC - I'm just grateful I discovered it when I did.

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