News

2nd February 2010.  HANCOCK'S FINEST HOUR UPDATE.  Your first chance to see it will be at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmonds, three dates only, last weekend in April.

9th December, 2009.  We now have a Twitter account. And there's a new Freelance position.  For more details, see Jobs.

10th November 2009.  After very good feedback from the first workshop at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, others are planned. See the website for further details.

28th September, 2009.  The Maverick Youth Academy is starting a new session for young, aspiring actors from ages 14+ interested in learning about performance and working towards LAMDA qualifications in Birmingham and London.  For details see HERE.

28th September, 2009.  The first Producers workshop happens at the THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY LANE.  Feedback is very poisitive from the ten participants and we decide to plan more.

14th August 2008.  First bookings are coming in for our national tour of 'HANCOCK'S FINEST HOUR'.  Birmingham dates looks like being the ALEX Theatre week commencing 16th June, 2010.

15th July 2009.  The second venue for our new 'Introduction To Creative Producing' Workshops will be the beautiful Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. See HERE for details

3 July 2009. 
We secure the first date for the new Introdction to Producing Workshops.  19th September 2009 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Very appropriate! E-mail for an application form - producers@mavericktheatre.co.uk

23 June, 2009.
Maverick are proud to announce a new workshop 'An Introduction to Producing'. 
This unique seminar will look at everything needed to put on a show or start a production or theatre company, from the local pub to the West End of London.  Finance, the law, choice of plays or musicals, copyright, contracts, fundraising, investing in theatre, parties and pitfalls!

Led by Nick Hennegan, Maverick's Artistic Director and Creative Producer of Nicholas Hennegan Limited.  Nick set up Maverick in 1994, was selected to attend the S.O.L.T.  (Society Of London Theatre)  Commercial Producers Workshop and the T.M.A. (Theatrical Management Association) 'Taking Steps' National Touring Seminar and has recently graduated from a Master of Arts in Creative Producing and Live Events at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Courses in Birmingham, Manchester, London, Liverpool and Leeds, will cost just £75 full price (£45 concs) 10 am - 5pm.

Further details from nick@mavericktheatre.co.uk

12 May 2009.  The new leader of the Maverick Youth Academy is announced.  Claire Jones is massively qualified as a performer, teacher and comedienne. She's originally from Birmingham, and before University was an intern with Maverick in 1998, when Nick Hennegan played his own Henry V - Lion of England, for one night only on the main stage of the Birmingham Rep Theatre.  She will run the Academy, the new LAMDA lessons and the new Summer School.  We are delighted to have her on board.  Welcome Claire!

11 May 2009.  After nearly a year in the job, actor Jon Morris resigns as full time leader of the Youth Academy.  Our bad news is good news for Jon - a film project he has been working on for nearly 2 years ('Killriculum') has finally come to fruition and he's going to be a busy boy!  But it's not goodbye.  Jon has been involved with Maverick since the Billesley pub days and he will come back and run sessions with the Academy. We are also talking about a schools tour of Henry V - Lion of England.  But we know all at the Academy will miss him and we thank him for all his efforts, his tenacity in the early days and the very high standard of his work.  Thanks Jon. x

9th May 2009. The Maverick board meet to try and work out what to do after Aston Reinvestment Trust decline the second half of our loan.  All our plans depended on it, although it shouldn't effect the Youth Academy. The general consensus is to postpone everything and try and tick over until we can find alternative funding. Although a not-for-profit company since inception, it's obvious we need to become a full charity.  But that costs!

20 April 2009. The Maverick Youth Academy is to start L.A.M.D.A lessons.  See here for further details.

24 March 2008.  Nick Hennegan gives successful presentation to potential investors for Hancocks Finest Hour at the Actors Centre, London.

23 March 2008.  Aston Investment Trust turn down although its a very kind no and they did help us before.  It's a problem, but nothing is insurmountable and we have some good plans to move on the Academy.

2nd March 2009.  Once again we approach the Aston Reinvestment Trust in Birmingham.  Cashflows sent and more fingers crossed!

27 Feb 2009.  Ex The Bill regulars and very fine actors Eric Richards and Trudie Godwin are rumoured to be interested in taking the very demanding 'Dresser' and 'Makeup' roles in Hancock.  Scripts are sent and fingers crossed.  Watch this space.

19 Feb 2009.  We rearrange a meeting for those interested in becoming Theatre Angels.  To talk about investment in Hancock's Finest Hour we are meeting at The Actors Centre, London, on Tuesday 24th March 2009.  For details email Nick Hennegan on nick@mavericktheatre.co.uk.  Its the first activity of a new company Nick has set up to produce comercial theatre.

10 February, 2009. Check out the Theatre Forum on this site.  Local company looking for actors.

6 Feb 2009.  The Academy Youth Group at Kings Heath is on for tonight, despite the weather.  Please call if you are not going to come.

2 February 2009.  Nick Hennegan arranges to meet Chris Hayes, director of Hancock's Finest Hour.  The snow intervenes!  Plans are also formed for the first national tour of Maverick's hit comedy, PALS, in Spring 2010

29 January 2009.  Nick Hennegan is considering options for the national tour of Hancock's Finest Hour. Dates should be released soon.  It will be Maverick's biggest ever production.  "Scary but exciting" says Nick.  Watch this space.

17 January 2009.  Nick has a good meeting with Claire at the Westley Hotel in Birmingham about a radio course and LAMDA exams for the Academy and local schools. Watch this space!

9 January 2009.  We are holding an event in London for people who would like to become theatre 'Angels' and invest in our national tour of Hancock's Finest Hour.  It's on Monday 19 January in London.  To attend, please e-mail info@mavericktheatre.co.uk or fill in the on-line form HERE.

7th January 2009  We are sorry to have to report the death of Roger D. Scott, the Maverick Chaplin and long time friend of Maverick who passed away after fighting cancer. Please see the BLOG for further details and a picture.

2 January 2009 Happy New Year. 2009 is going to be a big 'un!  Watch this space.  May all your dreams come true!

23 December 2008.  Nick Hennegan has come up with a scheme that will allow us to use commercial money to finance our work if the Arts bodies are unable to help.  See here.

8 December 2008.  The Maverick Academy is to make its first short film in the new year and we consider repeating the experiment in London.

6th November 2008.  We decide to start fixing dates for the Hancocks Finest Hour tour and lining up venues. Two very established companies are keen to co-produce, but the figures may not bear this out. 

See 'Blog' for details.

10 October, 2008.  After a board meeting, we decide to proceed to find funding for the Academy - The Peoples Collective Part 2.  A few years ago we mounted a very successful Pro/Am production of Shakespeare's Henry V at Birmingham Library Theatre.  See LINKS for photos.

5th October, 2008

Dave Walsh Creative of Birmingham finishes Maverick's first ever professionally designed logos!

The original logo was a mix of work by Robb Williams, Nick Hennegan and John Slater.  The new logos reflects the three directions Maverick is to take - touring theatre, participation by adults (The Academy) and participation by young people (The Youth Academy.)

20 September, 2008.  The Academy starts, but because of a fault with our mailing system, not many people know about it!  (You do, because you're reading this!) In spite of this, there are some very clever aritstic young people showing an interest, and Ed is very pleased.  Watch this space!

7th September, 2008.  Nick appears on BBC Radio WM to talk about the new Youth Theatre Academy.

4th September 2008.  A new attraction for the Academy - a puppeteer!

31 August 2008.  The Youth Academy is looking good.  Kevin Grant knows a pupeteer which will add yet another dimension for our young people to experience. Another Kevin, from the massive international company JVC, says he will gladly give up his time for nothing to help us. I can't help but think that if all corporates were as good as JVC and Kevin O'Malley, the world would be a truly wonderful place.

5 August, 2008.  Debbie and Nick meet with actor Ed Morris to discuss this Autumn's activities, the new Maverick Academy for young people and adults.  Details to follow, but it will all kick off in September.

25 July, 2008. 2 FREE TICKETS TO RSC.  See the sell out show 'Hamlet' starring David Tennant (Dr Who) and Patrick Stewart (Star Trek) tonight (Fri 25th) @ 7.15pm.  Email tickets@mavericktheatre.co.uk . It's our way of saying thanks for your support.

24 July 2008.  We add to the strength of the Maverick board with the addition of Kevin Grant, a local businessman from Moseley, Billesley regular, good chap and someone, purely co-incidentally, that Nick Hennegan knew when they were boys!  Kevins business degree and experience of running a company will be a great asset to us.

26 June 2008.  First part of funding arrives.  Big sighs all round.

12 June 2008.  See below!  Very frustrating!

5th May 2008.  STILL waiting to hear about funding!

16th May 2008.  Still putting our funding plans together and waiting to hear what is happening in the current credit crunch.  Colin Bennett, writer of Hancock, sends a moving piece about the play which will be on this site next week. We start talking about set design and build with the original designer. Nick H has been talking to tour bookers. 

8 May 2008.  A.R.T give us a loan!  Not quite what we wanted, but enough to start planning the future.  Nick Hennegan looks at numerous options, but we are to apply for a grant from the Arts Council to allow us to tour PALS.  Deborah gets her thinking cap on!

23 April 2008.  HAPPY ST GEORGES DAY.  AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE!  Last week Nick H presented his plans for Maverick Theatre to the Aston Reinvestment Trust in Birmngham for funding. We will probably hear today.  If they say yes we shall push on with some ambitious theatrical plans.  If they say no realistically, we shall have to think again.  Watch this space!

10th April 08.                        Maverick Theatre and Nick Hennegan have secured the rights to the brilliantly funny HANCOCKS FINEST HOUR by Colin Bennett.  A good lad was our Tone and a good lad is our Colin.  Those of a certain age may remember Colin on tv as the grumpy caretaker in Take Hart.

Above:  The Tony Hancock statue in Birmingham City Centre

8 April 2008.  We are all holding our breath to see if we will be able to attract a business development loan.

27 March 08.  The Henry tour has now finished and it's been a great success and a great learning curve for us all.  Actor Ed Morris has kindly agreed to write a short account of the tour for our blog.  Nick has been putting the finishing touches to our Business Plan and cashflow forecasts and we are to present to a lender next week.  Fingers crossed!  If you would like Henry V - Lion of England to visit your school or college later in the year, please e-mail us.

29 Feb 08.  Thoughts are turning to a schools tour of Henry V - Lion of England and Mavericks next production.  Although much depends on finance - Nick and Clive are still looking at figures with accountant John.

20 February 2008.  Deborah and Nick meet Clive, a business consultant, at the Institute of Directors in Birmingham city centre to discuss the figures for their latest Business Plan.

Sunday 10 February 2008.  The Henry V - Lion of Enland team set sail today.  Not for France, but for Belfast and a week of performances.  I met the creative team behind Hancocks Finest Hour - director Chris Hayes and writer Colin Bennett - at the National Theatre in London on Friday.  Or at least in the National coffee bar...! 

30/1/08 Henry V - Lion of England performances at the mac, Birmingham, in the presence of the Lord Mayor are a great success and a good start to the Spring tour.

Lord Mayor of Birmingham agrees to attend mac performance of Henry V - Lion of England.  Being loyal brummies, we're all dellighted!

The full Spring tour dates are now on this site.  Click here for details or click Tour/Tickets on the left.

Hi all,

Seasons greetings!

It’s been an interesting year – but 2008 is the Year of The Maverick!
Join us on Friday 25th or Saturday 26th January, 2008 for the 15th Anniversary performance of  

Henry V – Lion of England, by, er… me, 

at the mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, at 8pm.

 

Tickets available now from 0121-440 3838.

Online at:  http://www.macarts.co.uk/?page=event.html&id=2701

 
This acclaimed one-man show is where Maverick all started.  Although we’re in the big theatre at the mac this time!  You are the first to know and it might be worth booking quickly as it’s sure to be a sell out. (I hope, anyway…)  The production then goes on tour.  It could be called an international tour as it’s going to Ireland, Wales and Scotland, too.

Also, on Friday 25th we are having a special pre-show, Gala VIP Season Launch Party, sponsored by John James and hopefully, with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and many local celebrities.  

Although this is an invitation only affair, 6 people who have booked tickets will be placed in a hat and invited to the party, then I’ll buy ‘em a pint (or whatever they want) after the show.

As with all competitions, no purchase necessary – if you want to be included in the draw send your name and address to Maverick at 32 Highbury Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7QN.

Then next year, the return of PALS by, er… me again, AND…


 Hancocks Finest Hour by Colin Bennett.

An hilarious and moving play about Brum’s best loved comedian.

Starring Paul Henry (remember Benny from Crossroads?)

Watch this space!


And don’t forget the Shakespeare shop for those last minute presents and collectors items  www.theshakespeareshop.com It’s still new but we shall be adding gifts all the time.
 

Please feel free to forward this to as many people as you can.  And call if you could help distribute leaflets or posters.  Thanks.


If you have any queries, please feel free to mail or call me.

 
Have a wonderful time and I hope to see you in the New Year at the mac.
 

Best wishes,

Nick
 

Nick Hennegan

Artistic Director/Producer/Teaboy

Maverick Theatre Company

 

26 Nov, 2007.  I've uploaded the short Brighton video to my Blog.  Hopefully it'll be on here soon. When I've sussed out the technology! I attended the ITC AGM and conference at the National Theatre in London on Friday.  An interesting day. Deborah is working on a new business plan for us. Watch this space!  Tickets now on sale for the mac perfromance in January.

12 November, 2007. Maverick finish touring for the year and announce 2008 as a special fifteenth birthday celebration year.  Also coming soon, a behind the scenes video from Brighton Pavilion Theatre.

Maverick has teamed up with easyfundraising.org.uk who provide a free service where you can raise funds for Maverick and also save money when you shop online.

12 October, 2007.  Back from Scotland, the latest leg of the Henry tour.  We add a new CD to The Shakespeare Shop - the Purple Electric Violin Concerto.  If you've seen a production over the last few years, you will probably have heard this as 'house' music - the music playing before the production starts. So many people have asked about it - and where they can buy it from - we tracked down some copies.

5 October, 2007.  We have our first AGM. Debs and I at a coffee bar in New Street Birmingham.  Glamorous.

21 September 2007.  Henry V - Lion of England has begun it's national tour this week with a preview performance at Hall Green Little Theatre in Birmingham and its first tour date at the Leighton Buzzard Theatre in Bucks.

Next month we are at St. Andrews in Scotland and at the Elgiva Theatre in Chesham.  See Tour Dates for more details and our Journal for reaction from Director Nick Hennegan.

18th September, 2007

Maverick becomes a non-profit distributing Company Limited by Guarantee today.

Henry V – Lion of England, the play by me and, er, William Shakespeare,  is the play that started Maverick in 1994. It’s about to start our first national tour and there’s an EXCLUSIVE chance for you to see it first! If you are new to Shakespeare, this is a great place to start!  If you know Henry V, you’ll marvel as one man fights the Battle of Agincourt!  And it only lasts about 75 minuets, so there’s plenty of time for the bar! And if you’re a regular supporter of Maverick, I’d just like to say IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK!  
Special PREVIEW PERFORMANCE before National Tour  ONE NIGHT ONLY! Tuesday 18th September, 2007at 8pm.  Hall Green Little Theatre  Pemberley Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, B27 7RY Tickets £10 (concs available)
Tickets (0121) 707 1874. www.hglt.org.uk   If you want to a map of the venue, go to www.multimap.co.uk and enter the Postcode B27 7RY   I hope you can make it and see the brilliant Ed Morris.  (If you’re a Billesley Pub regular, you’ll know Ed as Jon Morris, from PALS, Up ‘n’ Under and Bouncers, but there’s already a Jon Morris in Equity – so Ed it is!)   Please tell your friends (it’s a bit of a fundraiser, too) and we shall have a cheeky beer or two afterwards!  

10 August.  There is to be a 'secret' 1 off preview performance of Henry V - Lion of England in Birmingham, with a cast and crew meet afterwards.  It will be on Tuesday 18th September at 8pm - the venue to be confirmed!  It won't be advertised widely, but tickets can be reserved through the website, we think.

26 July 2007.  Rehearsals have now started for Henry, and we have an almost full production team.  Although there is still room for 2 interns.

25 July 2007.  Want to know what Nick Hennegan gets up to every day when producing Maverick's shows?  Angela Meredith interviewed him.  And the result is here.
 

15 July 2007. Maverick Theatre Billesley Pub regular Edward Morris has been cast to play all 12 parts in Henry V - Lion of England.  Edward appeared in a number of classic Maverick shows, most noticeably  Up 'n' Under 1 and 2, Bouncers and PALS. (See our Photo Album.)

We're still looking for Stage Management and rehearsals with Nick Hennegan directing are due to start soon. Nick would like to thank everyone who applied - there were some very strong applications.

12/7/07 Plans are being made for a 'secret' Birmingham preview of Henry V - Lion of England before the September tour.  Watch this space!  And read a history of Maverick's own John Slater on the Arts Hub website  here

9/7/07.  Maverick in the Press.  If you are in Birmingham, see this Wednesday's edition of the Birmingham Post.  John Slim looks at Maverick's roots in his theatre colum.

8/7/07.  We May Have Our King! Subject to contract, as they say, we may have found our Actor for the forthcoming tour of Henry V - Lion of England.  And it will be a very welcome choice for Maverick regulars.  We should know more in the next week.

25 June.  Check out the eagerly awaited, some might say controversial, beautiful new version of Shakespeare's Complete Works from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Buy it from Maverick for the same price as in the shops and help us to fund future productions!

Go to the shop HERE.

23 June.  2007/2008 Henry V - Lion of England team now recruiting.  Actors, technicians and interns.  See Jobs for details.

10 June.  HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT OUR TOUR IN BIRMINGHAM... There is some debate about where we should present Henry V - Lion of England, in Birmingham.  It premeired at the mac in 1992.  So maybe we should go there.  Or maybe a bigger theatre for a night and make a real party out of it.  Or because our roots are in pub theatre, maybe we should present the show in a pub - maybe in Birmingham City Centre, or even at our old home, the Billesley Pub.  What do you think? HAVE YOUR SAY - we'd really appreciate the feedback. Vote HERE

4 June 2007.  Extract from The British Theatre Guide Newsletter. We thought this might of interest to those who support small scale arts AND sports organisations. 

THINKING AGAIN?
Ofcom has postponed announcing the arrangements for the auction of
the analogue frequencies which will be freed up by the switch-over to
digital television because they have been surprised by the number of
responses to the consultation.

The BBC has re-thought the way of choosing the "Joseph" choir because
of concerns about cheating and the technical failures of the voting
procedures on the website.

They are both responding to pressure from the public. Does this mean
that the government might re-think the funding of the Olympics from
arts money because of the pressure from the public, the arts sector
and the House of Lords?

Unlikely, I'm afraid. Both Ofcom and the BBC are at arms-length from
the government and so don't feel the need that politicians have to
defend what is shown to be indefensible. They can admit to being
wrong without feeling that it somehow damages them. If only
governments would take the same attitude, they would garner a lot
more respect from the public but it will never happen. But we have
to keep trying so please, sign the e-petition if you haven't already
- to join the 20,000+ who have already signed, go to
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/lotteryolympics/ - and write to your MP.

31/5/07.  Maverick may have it's first ever Administrator.  Watch this space!

18/5/07  The Henry V - Lion of England tour brochure has gone out and we are starting to get interest from venues all over the UK.  Check back here for details of venues in your area!

16/5/07 Our first Shakespeare product arrived today.  A lovely young persons version of the Henry V story. See products later next week.

14/5/07.  We've started buying Shakespeare related products for our website.  See under products.

See under the heading Journal for our interactive web log - blog -  on this site. And you can also keep up with the latest personal news and developments at Nick Hennegan's Maverick Theatre Blog Thingy!