Company Name: The People Show
Founders: Jeff Nuttall with Mark Long, John Darling, Laura Gilbert and Sid Palmer
Established: 1966
Reason: Jeff Nuttall (artist, writer, poet) invited fellow residents of the Abbey Arts Centre to work with him in creating ‘happenings’ initially for a London Free School benefit concert and then in a series of performances at Better Books basement (92-94 Charing Cross Road), the Edinburgh Fringe and the Drury Lane Arts Lab.
Current Status: Still in operation – People Show
Area of Work: Experimental. The People Show’s work is difficult to categorise and the label ‘experimental’ is rejected by founder member Mark Long. None-the-less the term ‘experimental theatre’ had currency at the time that the company was formed and especially on the Arts Lab ‘circuit’ in the early 70s
Policy: ‘People Show are committed to making multi-disciplinary, multi-media live theatre that is directly informed by the personalities and skills of the individuals working within the company at any given time. Our non-autocratic ethos is still as relevant today as it was at the inception of the company in 1966, and we strive to maintain a balance of creative input between the longer-standing members of the company and new artists. This is a crucial part of the process of generating and exploiting new material created through inter-disciplinary collisions and tensions. We have a commitment to creating theatre in its widest sense, embracing emergent technologies whilst remaining sensitive to the human scale.’ The People Show website (2014)
Structure: The core of the company has tended to be 5-7 people, with no artistic director and everyone taking on performing roles at some point. With regards to decision making, Mark Long ‘detests the label “communal” which has always been applied to the People Show and prefers instead the approach of non-consensus. This he calls the “Fascist of the Day” method, where the strongest voice wins out. “Communal” suggests the lowest common denominator ….. I much prefer working with people who have a definite idea of what they want to be doing.’ (The Independent, 1996). Some members have had independent careers whilst maintaining long standing affiliations with the company. Ex-members have often ‘guested’ on shows and mentors have been brought in to develop particular skills.
Based: A London based touring company that travelled extensively throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, America and Australia. From about 1980, The People Show had rehearsal premises in the East End of London. Recently, as a response to changes in Arts Council funding, the company have given up these premises in order to maintain their independence.
Funding: Subsidised by the Arts Council initially in the form of individual visual artists’ bursaries and later as a theatre company. Significant funding has come from work commissioned for European arts centres, theatres and festivals.
Performance venues including: Better Books, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Bristol Arts Centre, The Warm Up Café Edinburgh, Drury Lane Arts Lab, New Arts Lab (Robert Street), Royal Court Theatre, Luton Arts Lab, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff, York Arts Centre, Oval House, ICA Theatre, Jackson’s Lane, Birmingham Arts Lab, The Cockpit, Edinburgh Fringe, Open Space Theatre , Warehouse, Bush Theatre, Galway Festival, Albany Centre (Bristol) The Leadmill (Sheffield), Riverside Studios (Coleraine, Northern Ireland), Roundhouse, Gardner Centre (Brighton), Bradford University, Nottingham Playhouse, Everyman Theatre Liverpool, Stables Theatre Manchester, Galbenkian Studio Theatre Newcastle; The Crucible Sheffield, Dartington College, European venues: Zagreb, Poland, Mickery Theatre Amsterdam (and venues in Holland), Ghent (and venues in Belgium), Copenhagen, Germany and Paris. La MaMa, New York and American, Canadian, Australian and Venezualia tours.
Audiences: Initially the company were associated with the ‘alternative’ scene and the challenging end of avant-garde theatre. As The People Show evolved to include popular music forms, acrobatics, parody and verbal humour their work became widely accessible for example in The People Cabaret Show and Whistle Stop.
Company work and process: This summary of the company’s work and process covers the period 1966-1988
Jeff Nuttall and Better Books
Jeff Nuttall created the company to stage ‘happenings’ in 1966, when an ‘underground’ scene in London was being established. Nuttall was a poet, sculptor and musician and early performances drew upon these elements. The Destruction in Art Symposium (DIAS) led by Gustav Metzger, took place in September 1966 in various London venues including Better Books basement – where Nuttall had previously exhibited ‘installations’. DIAS brought together radical international artists such as John Lathan, Yoko Ono and the Viennese Actionists. The confrontational aspects of early People Show performances can be seen to have been influenced by this context. The success of these events led to regular performances at Better Books from January 1967. Along with Jeff Nuttall – Mark Long, John ‘Dod’ Darling, Laura Gilbert and Sid Palmer were the founder members and the company’s name was taken from one of these early shows ‘It was the People Show because that’s how it started when we finally got into the Better Books basement – as an exhibition of people. We presented ourselves as sculptures. …’ (Jeff Nuttall, 1979).
Initially their performances used ‘scripts’ devised by Nuttall – there were no characters, setting or narrative as such but there were ‘structures with actions, costumes and props…and with huge sections where it would say “cast improvise” ‘ (Mark Long, 2014). Nuttall saw The People Show as being akin to a jazz band ‘…. there was a chorus, people stepped forward to take solos, people stepped forward to take duets’. After about four shows, ‘Nuttall-devised’ shows were alternated with ‘company-devised’ shows. Nuttall’s desire to be ‘shocking for its own sake’ (Mark Long, 2014) contributed to their notoriety and the Better Books shows were often sold out.
Edinburgh and The Arts Lab
In the summer of 1967 they reprised a number of the Better Books shows at a venue being managed by Roland Miller – the ‘Warm-up’ Café at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. When Jim Haynes’s Drury Lane Arts Lab theatre opened in October 1967 it became their regular London venue. With a tentative arts lab ‘circuit’ starting to be established beyond London, The People Show began a long term commitment to touring . Their confrontational approach was exemplified by their opening show at the Drury Lane Arts Lab, The Cage Show, that ‘was notorious for putting the audience in cages [made from bedsteads] – one night an audience member broke out wielding an axe’ (Mark Long, 2014).
In the following summer, the company (now with Muriel England) returned to Edinburgh for a successful run at the Traverse Theatre. Roland Miller joined the company as administrator and performer. Conflict between Nuttall and Palmer came to a head over Railings in the Park which played at Edinburgh and the Arts Lab (in October) prior to Palmer leaving. Mark Long, Laura Gilbert and Roland Miller had now committed to full-time performance work and this ‘streamlined’ grouping went on the road, touring colleges, universities, art schools and jazz clubs. They travelled light and often made shows around things that they found on arrival and sets were built when they got to a venue. These venues were rudimentary spaces and out of necessity the shows had to adapt to the performance environment – this ‘site specific’ approach is still pertinent to their work today.
Soundtracks, Structure and Characterisation
Following the show Changes – Jeff Nuttall moved on to other projects. The Drury Lane Arts Lab closed in 1969 and when the London New Arts Lab opened a few months later Roland Miller briefly ran the theatre. The People Show had a residency there throughout January. Mark Long explains how their work at this time differed from the happenings ‘because [the shows] had a dynamic – a start, a middle and an end’. John Darling had now re-joined them and created the production soundtracks which were now essential structuring devices – providing shape whilst allowing for improvisation. The company ‘…. are not “actors” in the traditional sense – they are people who have explored improvisations in an audience environment so thoroughly that they have the confidence to throw out the “acting” which shelters behind someone else’s lines, someone else’s character. They have the guts to be themselves in front of others…Their “characterisations” are imaginative projections of their own obsessions: and what they present is not “a play”, it’s a show, a display, an exhibition, an entertainment’ (Time Out, 1970).
Regrouping
Around the time of the Royal Court Theatre’s festival of fringe theatre ‘Come Together’ in October 1970, Roland Miller and John Darling left the company. Mike Figgis who had been providing musical accompaniment, now took over Darling’s role as creator of the shows’ soundtracks and in Kurt Schmidt he became ‘an assured performer in the People Show tradition’. Jose Nava whose ‘influence [had previously] been painterly, sculptural…has now developed a truly sinister quality in his performances’ (Time Out, 1971) and also became a key figure in the new grouping.
When the company had access to more sophisticated theatre spaces their work often became tightly structured. For example Glass at New Arts Lab and the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in 1971, was exclusively a montage of static images with precisely timed lighting and sound cues.
Laura Gilbert was, for a number of years, the only regular female performer and devisor in an otherwise male company. According to Mark Long (2014) she had ‘her own People Show audience “cult” following. Her boyfriend, Derek Wilson – a potter and painter – had a huge influence on set ideas.’ The People Show had a surprising degree of stability with regards to personnel, for example Mike Figgis, Jose Nava and Laura Gilbert stayed with the company for about ten years each. However by the late seventies Mark Long and George Kahn (musician and performer) were the only long standing members. Kahn maintained an independent career as an actor and musician as did Chahine Yavroyan (musician, performer and lighting design) who had joined in the late seventies. Emil Wolk, who had previously worked with Pip Simmons and Freehold also stayed with The People Show for about ten years.
New Directions
This new core company, crucially augmented with a more transient but highly significant number of female performers (Natasha Morgan, Joy Lemoine and Didi Hopkins for example) sent The People Show’s work in various new trajectories. Music, and especially jazz, had played an important part in the company’s creative toolkit from the earliest days. In 1970 for example a free form jazz group ‘The People Band’ provided musical accompaniment and shared venues. In 1978-9 Billie Holiday and The People Cabaret Show both brought this element to the fore and successfully toured internationally.
Europe
As a result of European governments being more generous in funding the arts than the Arts Council, The People Show extensively toured Europe including Poland, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, France and Holland. Some commissions abroad allowed the realisation of more ambitious projects and this subsidised their UK work. For example in 1979 a commission from the Theatre of Nations, Hamburg enabled a four and a half week preparation period – two and a half weeks building the set and two weeks working on the show. The set was built on two levels with a working lift operating between the two levels. Mark Long explains how ‘Everybody builds. Everybody is part of the building [process] in some sense or other….as you build the show, as you build the set, just knocking in nails, putting in screws, ideas start to occur’ (Mark Long, 1982). The Hamburg Show was a very visual show using a Mike Figgis soundtrack with precise cues for performers and lighting operators. Whilst improvisation was an essential part of the creation of a show it was no longer evident in the performance. ‘…We don’t improvise in shows very often but we have a lot of discussion. We will always meet before a show, every day, and in the early process of a show that will be early in the morning… A lot of changes will happen to the show before the next night, and they will be fixed before we actually go on to do it.’ (Mark Long, 1982). The Hamburg Show was brought to the ICA Theatre London but ‘the problem with a big set is that it will only fit into certain spaces…it is necessary for us to have a touring piece at certain times of the year.’ With The Dentist for example ‘We knew it was always going to have to be props. I think then an idea came up for the Dentist – just the visual idea of the dental equipment… The idea of a waiting room which would involve the entire audience [also] came quite early.’ (Mark Long 1982)
Vaudeville and Whistle Stop
Playing down the influence of ‘highbrow’ avant-garde practitioners on their work, Mark Long has stressed the important influence of vaudeville. Similar to The People Show, vaudeville was ‘surrealistic, rebellious, visual, spectacular, naughty and used live music’ (Mark Long, 2014). Johnny Hutch (1913-2006), who had had a lifetime in vaudeville, was brought in as a mentor to the company and developed acrobatic and tumbling routines in the eighties. These elaborate routines and the introduction of more text became characteristic of their 1980’s work. This reached a particular peak in 1987 with Whistle Stop that played in the Bush Theatre and toured extensively. The piece used an elaborate set representing the ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’. Jeff Nuttall returned to the company in an acting role and the singer-songwriter Charlie Dore played the main female role. Although uniquely a People Show, Whistle Stop is more akin to ‘theatre’ than most of their other shows.
Reviews:
‘No one knows what to expect when they walk through the door – it might be a poet musing out loud, a mad guy trying to sell you something you didn’t know was for sale, an invasion by employees of the Shanghai Harbour Board, a melancholic chick haunting her own nakedness – or? The only ego-defence against other unknown egos is no defence at all. This, and here I stick my neck out, is probably the message of The People [Show]’ Phil Parsons, International Times, Issue 18, August 1967
‘The trio of brilliant young actors are experts at subtly bringing the audience into total involvement.’ Stage and Television Today, 5th Dec 1968
‘Truly subversive and probably very good – it just so happens I couldn’t stand them.’ Allen Wright, The Scotsman (quoted in The Traverse Story, 1988)
‘Created in 1966, the People Show has returned to its lawless collective roots. This is not to say it has dated. Far from it – it has captured that elusive energy which propels free-flowing ideas into the public domain.’ Mark Waddell, The Scotsman, May 1997.
Productions 1966-1988:
| PRODUCTION NAME | VENUES | DATES |
|---|---|---|
| 'Happenings' – for London Free School Notting Hill Benefit concert with Mike Westbrook group and also Pink Floyd concerts Cast: Mark Long, Sid Palmer, John ‘Dod’ Darling, Laura Gilbert, Jeff Nuttall | All Saints Church Hall, Powis Gardens, West London | Autumn 1966 |
| The People Show Cast: John Darling, Sid Palmer, Mark Long, Jeff Nuttall and Laura Gilbert | Better Books (92 Charing Cross Road) [Jan 1967 it was filmed by Granada Television (It’s So Far Out It’s Straight Down - broadcast March 1967)] Warm-Up Café, Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) Cardiff Inter-College Arts Festival | Dec 1966 (ref. Mark Long) and January 1967 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) February 1st -3rd 1968 (Cardiff) |
| No.2 Monster Sale aka ‘The People will present The People Show Massive Sale – Everybody Reduced and So On Until the Bomb’ Cast: John Darling, Sid Palmer, Mark Long, Jeff Nuttall, Laura Gilbert and assistance [with John Latham?] | Better Books Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) | January 23rd - 24th 1967 (BB) and 6th-7th February 1967 (BB) 6th - 7th March 1967 as Everybody Reduced (BB) 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) |
| Strawberry Jam Cast: Mark Long, Sid Palmer, Laura Gilbert, John ‘Dod’ Darling Music: Mel Davis Trio (ref. JN 1979) | Better Books (ref.JN, 1979) | Jan.1967? (ref. JN, 1979) |
| No.3 Examination Devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast: Mark Long, Sid Palmer, John Darling, Laura Gilbert, Jeff Nuttall Music: The People Band (Mel Davis Trio) Traverse cast: as above but with Muriel England and not Jeff Nuttall | Better Books , The Starting Gate at Wood Green, Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) Traverse Theatre Drury Lane Arts Lab | 20th -21st February 1967 (BB) 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) 13th February 1968 (Traverse) 9th -20th April 1968 (Arts Lab) |
| No.4 The Cage Cast: Mark Long, Sid Palmer, John Darling, Laura Gilbert, Jeff Nuttall | Better Books Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) | 1967 (ref.ML, 2014) 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) |
| No.5 (?) The Shadow Show (with Lotte Reiniger) Cast: Sid Palmer, Laura Gilbert, Jeff Nuttall, Mark Long, John Darling | Better Books 1967 Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) | 20 - 21st March 1967 (BB) 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) |
| No.6 Theatre in Fact Cast: Sid Palmer, Laura Gilbert, Jeff Nuttall, Mark Long, John Darling | Better Books Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) | 1967 (BB) 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) |
| No.7 Action Man Cast: Sid Palmer, Laura Gilbert, Jeff Nuttall, Mark Long, John Darling | Better Books Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) | 1967 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) |
| No.8 Evidence Devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast: John Darling, Sid Palmer, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long With Muriel England and Roland Miller (Traverse) | Better Books UFO Club Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) Traverse Theatre | 1st -2nd May 1967 (BB) 19th May 1967 (UFO Club) “first appearance outside Better Books” PP 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) 27th August 1968 (Traverse) |
| No.9 Mother Cast included: Mark Long, John ‘Dod’ Darling, Sid Palmer and Laura Gilbert | Better Books, UFO Club Theatre Royal Stratford East Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) | 15th and 16th May 1967 (BB) 26th May 1967 (UFO) 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) |
| No.10 A Nice Quiet Night Cast included: Laura Gilbert, Sid Palmer, John Darling and Mark Long | Better Books Bristol Arts Centre Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) Drury Lane Arts Lab (Shows No.10 & No.11) | 5th-6th June 1967 (BB) 2-4th June 1967 (Bristol) 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) 7th-10th Nov and 16th -18th Nov 1967 Arts Lab |
| No.11 Sheet / Something Else Cast (Traverse): John Darling, Mark Long, Muriel England, Sid Palmer Music: The People Band | Better Books Warm-Up Café, St. Mary’s Hall Edinburgh (2x different shows each day unsure which) Drury Lane Arts Lab (Shows No.10 & No.11) Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh | Something Else 19th -20th June1967 (BB) 31st Aug - 4th Sept 1967 (Warm Up Café) 7th -10th Nov & 16th-18th Nov 1967 (title: Something Else) 14th February 1968 (Traverse) |
| No.12 Environment | Better Books | 1st -2nd July 1967? (unnamed show) |
| No.13 Golden Slumbers Cast: Sid Palmer, Mark Long, John Darling, Laura Gilbert and Muriel England | Better Books Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh? | 31st July- 2nd Aug 1967 (3 days) (JN, 1979 gives date as Summer 1967 but not in Traverse Theatre archive) |
| No.14 The Cage Show Cast: Sid Palmer, Mark Long, John Darling, Laura Gilbert and Muriel England | Drury Lane Arts Lab | 5th-8th October 1967 |
| No.15 Magic Circle Devised by Roland Turner | 1967 | |
| No.16 Boxing | Drury Lane Arts Lab Keele University | 1968 |
| No.17 The Cultural Re-Orientation of the Working Class Devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast included: Roland Miller, Sid Palmer, Muriel England, Mark Long, Derek Baker, Jeff Nuttall, John Darling and Bryan Williams | Cardiff Inter-College Arts Festival Drury Lane Arts Lab Stirling University | 1st -3rd Feb 1968 (Cardiff) and then on tour 29th February 1968 (Arts Lab) |
| No.18 The Tosher Show | Drury Lane Arts Lab Middle Earth | 1968 31st May 1968 (Middle Earth) |
| No.19 Railings in the Park (Traverse Theatre archive lists this as Show 20) Devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast: John Darling, Muriel England, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Roland Miller, Sid Palmer | Drury Lane Arts Lab Traverse Theatre Edinburgh Drury Lane Arts Lab | 18th June – 7 July 1968 (Arts Lab) 20th August 1968 (Traverse) 25th Sept–13th Oct 1968 (Arts Lab) 15th -23rd Nov 1968 (Arts Lab) |
| No.20 These Foolish Things (Traverse Theatre archive lists this as Show 19) Devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast (Traverse): John Darling, Muriel England, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Roland Miller, Sid Palmer | Traverse Theatre Edinburgh Drury Lane Arts Lab Trent Park College | 30th August 1968 (Traverse) 1-13 Oct 1968 (Arts Lab) |
| No.21 Shop, Mrs Butterworth Devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast: John Darling, Muriel England, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Roland Miller, Sid Palmer | Traverse Theatre Edinburgh Drury Lane Arts Lab | 24th August 1968 (Traverse) 25th Sept – 13th Oct then 15th -23rd Nov (Arts Lab) |
| No.22 The Beach Ball Show Devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast: Mark Long, Laura Gilbert and Roland Miller | Royal Court Theatre, Brighton Combination, and touring including: Portsmouth School of Architecture, Redhill Arts Lab, Falmouth Art College, Sherbourne Teacher Training College, Birmingham Arts Lab, Leeds Art College, The Mickery Theatre, Amsterdam | On tour 1968-1969 1969 (Royal Court) |
| No. 23 Tennis Devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast: Laura Gilbert, Mark Long and Roland Miller (Traverse) | Brighton Combination, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, and touring including Wyvern Theatre, Close Theatre, Glasgow; Architectural Association (London), Everyman Theatre Liverpool, Stables Theatre (Manchester), Bradford University, Ronnie Scott’s, Leeds University, Bingley College, St. Ives, Guilford Arts Lab, Leicester College and the Mickery Amsterdam | 5th December 1968 (Brighton) 5th Feb 1969 (Traverse) |
| Christian Aid World Hunger Demonstration | Street theatre - photograph in the Observer newspaper | 1969 |
| No.24 Walter Devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast: Laura Gilbert, Mark Long and Roland Miller (Traverse) | Traverse Theatre Edinburgh and touring including Brighton Combination, Portsmouth School of Art, Bradford University, Vanguard (Sheffield), Canterbury University, York Arts Centre and the ICA Theatre (London) | 4th Feb 1969 (Traverse) and touring Jan – July 1969 |
| No.25 Scrap Heap Cast included: Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Roland Miller | Bradford Polytechnic | (Feb or July?) 1969 |
| No.26 A Changes Cast included: Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Roland Miller. | Studio (Oval House) and ICA Theatre and Bingley College | 7th-9th April 1969 (Oval) (May – December) 1969 |
| No.26 B Screens Cast: Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Roland Miller | Leeds University, Loughborough College | November 1969 |
| No.26 C Platforms Cast: Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Roland Miller | Sydney Webb Training College (London) | November 1969 |
| The People Show (could be No.35 Bix Beiderbecke ?) | Royal Court Theatre Upstairs then on tour: Tent Theatre, Haringey Arts Centre, Zagreb International Festival of Student Theatre then Amsterdam | 16th August 1969 then 6th September 1969 (Tent Theatre) Review from Stage and Television Today (Royal Court, 6th September) |
| No.27 Video Environments | Einhoven University, Holland | 1969 ? |
| No.28 Christmas Show | York Arts Centre | December 1969 |
| No.29 People Eaters Cast: Roland Miller, Jose Nava, Mark Long, John Darling and Laura Gilbert | London New Arts Lab | January 1970 |
| No.30 Scottish TV | February 1970 | |
| No.31 Glass (Traverse archive lists this as No.33) Cast: Laura Gilbert, John Darling Lighting: Mark Long | Traverse Theatre London New Arts Lab, Stables, Theatre 140 (Brussels) | 5th May 1970 (Traverse) 1970/71? |
| No.32 Butter Butler Cast: Laura Gilbert, John Darling and Mark Long | Traverse Theatre, Stables Arts Centre, New Arts Lab and Ghent | 8th May 1970 (Traverse) |
| No.33 Stretcher / Gunman /Sacks / Phone Box | Royal Court Theatre ‘Come Together’ Festival | October 1970 |
| No.34 Porridge Cast: Mike Figgis, John Darling, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long | New Arts Lab, Cockpit Theatre, Mickery, Odin Teatret (Denmark), Newcastle Gulbenkian Theatre | January 1970-April 1971 |
| No.35 Bix Beiderbecke Cast: Mark Long, Laura Gilbert and Mike Figgis | Royal Court, Leeds Art College; Cockpit; Odin; Mickery; Ghent; Gulbenkian (Newcastle) also see 1969 entry | 1970 |
| No.36 Kurt Schmidt Cast: Mike Figgis, Mark Long, Jose Nava, Laura Gilbert and Stephen Rea | ‘Nine Mays in May’ mini-festival at Oval House, Bristol Arts Centre, HOT (The Hague), ABC Theatre (Putney), Questors Theatre (Hillingdon) | May 1971 |
| No.37 Football | Fiol Teatret Copenhagen | April 1971 |
| No.38 Toto’s Club | Toto’s Club, Kensington High Street - may have been a lunchtime show | June 1971 |
| No.39 The Sand Show Cast: Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long and Jose Nava (Traverse) | Traverse Theatre and Open Space London (three week run) and La Mama (New York) | August 1971 (Open Space) and 2nd Nov 1971(Traverse) |
| No.40 Ghent Landing Show Cast included: Jose Nava and Mark Long | ‘site specific’ at Ghent | October 1971 |
| No.41 Douglas Bader | Ghent | October 1971 |
| No.42 The Flying Man Cast: Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Jose Nava and Odette Oliver(?) | Oval Christmas Show | Jan 1972 |
| No.43 Basingstoke | Basingstoke | 1972 |
| No.44 A The Flying Show part 1 Cast: Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long and Jose Nava | Swindon and Swansea | Feb-Mar 1972 |
| No.44 B The Charlie Parker Show aka The Flying Show part 2 Cast: Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long and Jose Nava Sound: Mike Figgis Lighting : Steve Whitson | Mickery Traverse Theatre, Oval House, Newcastle; La MaMa, New York and other American venues | 30th May 1972 (Traverse) |
| No.45 Isabelle the Prostitute Cast included: Jose Nava | Birmingham University and Glasgow | June-July 1972 |
| No. 46 Paris Show Cast: Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Jose Nava and Derek Wilson (Traverse) Set design: Derek Wilson Music: Mike Figgis | Traverse Theatre and Theatre Mechanique (Paris) | 29th Aug -3rd Sept 1972 (Traverse) |
| No.47 No Blonde is an Island Cast: Jose Nava, Mark Long, Mike Figgis and Laura Gilbert | Oval House (upstairs) | Sept 1972 |
| No.48 Jose's Pigs/ Cattle Show Cast: Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long , Jose Nava and Derek Wilson (Traverse) | Traverse Theatre, Royal Court Theatre (upstairs); Oval House; Dartington College | 2nd Jan 1973 (Traverse) 1973 |
| Christ Knows How Many (numbered No.49 Jeff Nuttall, 1979) Cast: Jose Nava, Terry Day, Mark Long and Laura Gilbert Music (opening night only) Jeff Nuttall and Ian Hinchliffe | Oval House | 1972 ? (ref. JN, 1979) |
| No.49 Oh the Birds, a People Show (Trra!)(numbered No.51 Jeff Nuttall, 1979) \devised by Jeff Nuttall and the company Cast: Laura Gilbert, Derek Wilson, Mark Long, Jose Nava, Mike Figgis | Oval House; Twickenham | Spring 1973 (ref. JN, 1979) |
| No.50 The Cowboy Cast included : Laura Gilbert, Derek Wilson and Mark Long | Cardiff; Oval House, Mahlerzaal (Hamburg), Yugoslavia, Gulbenkian Theatre (Newcastle) , Academy de Kunst (Berlin), Yvonne Arnuad (Guildford) and USA tour | Mar-Oct 1973 |
| No.51 Guinness Show (also numbered No.53) Cast included : Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Terry Day, Jose Nava and Mark Long | Hampstead Theatre Club; Manchester, Oval House, La Mama (New York), Firehouse Theatre (San Francisco), Contemporania Festival (Rome) | 27th July 1973 (Hampstead) then tour June – Dec. 1973 |
| No.52 Oklahoma Cast: Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Jose Nava and Derek Wilson (Traverse) | Traverse Theatre, Theatre Project (Baltimore), Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), Simon Frazer University (Michigan), Vancouver Art Gallery, Open Space (Victoria B.C.), Olympia Evergreen State (Canada), Portland Centre for the Visual Arts (Oregon), Colby College (Maine), Contemporania, The Mickery | 28th August 1973 (Traverse) then Sept - Dec 1973 |
| No.53 Gardner Show | Gardner Centre, Brighton | Jan 1974 |
| No.54 Seaside(Traverse archive lists this as No.55) Cast: Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Jose Nava and Derek Wilson (Traverse) | Birmingham Arts Lab, Birmingham Rep. (No.54 B) Dartington, Traverse Theatre, Hampstead Theatre Club | 19th March 1974 (Traverse) 18th April 1974 (Hampstead) |
| No. 55 The Seaside Show Company: Mike Figgis, Laura Gilbert, Mark Long, Jose Nava, Derek wilson | Phoenix Theatre (Leicester), Gulbenkian (Newcastle) Traverse (Edinburgh) | March – May 1974 19 March 1974 (Traverse) |
| No.56 History of the World Part 1,2 & 3 | Part 1.Oval House; Crucible Part 2. Oval Upstairs; Venezuela tour Part 3. Kings Head Theatre (London) | May – June 1974 July - Aug 1974 August – Sept 1974 |
| No.57 Waste of People’s Time | Holland tour | Sept - Nov 1974 |
| No. 58 The Bee / Crash Show | Birmingham Arts Lab, South England tour, Oval House, Chapter Arts Centre (Cardiff), Mickery (upstairs), Hampstead | Nov 1974 – April 1975 |
| No.59 Jeff Nuttall Show – could this be Christ Knows How Many numbered as No. 49 by Jeff Nuttall, see above? | January 1975 | |
| No.60 The Boxes Show | The Mickery, Amsterdam | March 1975 |
| No.61 The Clocks Show A | Bracknell Arts Centre, Oval House; Nottingham | June 1975 |
| No.61 The Clocks Show B | Southampton Art Gallery | July 1975 |
| No.62 Radio Plays | Serpentine Gallery | August 1975 |
| No.63 Coal Show | Oval House, Birmingham Arts Lab; Roundhouse | Oct – Dec 1975 |
| No.64 The Ship Show | Dingwells, Camden Town | November 1975 |
| No.65 10th Anniversary | Oval House | Jan-Feb 1976 |
| No.66 The Boxer | Warehouse (London), Mickery (upstairs), Holland tour, Brussels, Antwerp | March – April 1976 |
| No.67 The Talent Contest / The Arab and The Electrician | The Factory (London); ICA Theatre | July – Aug 1976 |
| No.68 The Betting Shop Cast included: Mike Figgis, Day (?), Mark Long, Jose Nava and George Khan | Warehouse, Gulbenkian Theatre (Newcastle), Colchester | Sept - Oct1976 |
| No. 69 A Luton Pub Cast included: Natasha Morgan | Luton | Oct 1976 |
| No.69 B Glass Chandelier | Sigma Theatre (Bordeaux), Oval House; The Drill Hall, Switzerland | Nov – Dec 1976 |
| No.70 Tennessee Williams | Brighton Festival, Amsterdam, Bath, Nancy, Poland, Paris, Oval House, De Lantaren (Rotterdam), Luton | Jan – Dec 1977 |
| No.71 Emperor’s New Clothes Cast included: Emil Wolk | Brighton Festival; Berne (Switzerland), Oval Festival, Birmingham Arts Lab | June – July 1977 |
| No.72 Stan Band Cast included: Natasha Morgan, Emil Wolk | East Midlands tour, Lille Festival, Oval House and Antwerp | Oct - Nov 1977 |
| No.73 The Tower Show Cast included: Natasha Morgan, Joy Lemoine, Didi [Hopkins], Tony Jackson, Emil Wolk | Jacksons Lane; Luton; Oval House; Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff; Shaffy (Amsterdam); Haarlem; Nijmejken (Holland) and ICA Theatre | Feb – June 1978 |
| No.74 Billie Holiday (1st version) | Bath | March – April 1978 |
| No.75 A People Cabaret Show and mk2 (see 1981 for other People Show Cabaret) Cast: Mark Long, Mike Figgis, Joy Lemoine, Natasha Morgan, Jose Nava, George Khan and Emil Wolk | Melkweg and Shaffy (Amsterdam) and Mk 2 Holland tour | May- June 1978 July 1978 |
| No.76 London Underground | London Underground | May 1978 |
| No. 77 Billie Holiday part two Cast: Dawn Archibold, Mike Figgis, George Khan, Mark Long, Natasha Morgan, Emil Wolk | Traverse Theatre Denmark tour, Oval House, Jackson’s Lane, Liege (Belgium), Tournai (Belgium), Theatre 140, Tubize (Belgium), Frankfurt, Triple Action Theatre (Mansfield), Old Library Theatre (Hemel Hempstead), Luton | 25th July 1978 (Traverse) July 1978 – Feb 1979 |
| No.78 Chapter | Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff | 1979 |
| No. 79 The Hamburg Show Cast: Dawn Archibold, Mark Long, George Khan, Emil Wolk, Natasha Morgan, Joy Lemoine, Jess Walters, Chahine Yavroyan (and “with John Ashford” at ICA). Tape and Music by Mike Figgis | Theatre of Nations, Hamburg also ICA Theatre | April 1979 |
| No.80 The Airport Show Cast: Dawn Archibold, Mike Figgis, George Khan, Mark Long, Natasha Morgan, Emil Wolk | 1979 | |
| No.81 | Oval House, Brighton Contemporary Arts | 1979 |
| No. 82 Jim’s Gym Cast included: Jose Nava, Mike Figgis and Emil Wolk | Bush Theatre | 20th Sept – 4th Oct 1979 |
| No.83 St. Andrews | 1979 | |
| No.84 The Bridge Cast included: Mark Long, Emil Wolk, Linda Hoylerobed (?), George Khan | Royal Court Theatre, Sheffield Crucible, Oxford Playhouse and ‘Festival of Fools’ Holland (where the set burnt down prior to performance) | 10th February 1980 (Royal Court) |
| No.85 The Dentist Cast included : Shane (?), Mark Long and Emil Wolk | 1980 | |
| No.86 Japanese | 1981 | |
| People Cabaret Show Cast: Mark Long, Chahine Yavroyan, Emil Wolk, George Kahn, Liam Stack | Kings Head Theatre Royal Court Theatre Australian tour | 4th Sept 1981 14th December 1981 |
| No.87 Spaghetti Cast: Caroline Hutchinson, George Khan, Mark Long, Emil Wolk, Chahine Yavroyan Routines: Johnny Hutch | ICA Theatre | 1982 |
| No.88 The George Khan Show Cast included : George Khan, Mark Long, Emil Wolk, Chahine Yavroyan | 1983 | |
| Starwashed Cast: George Khan, Mark Long, Emil Wolk, Chahine Yavroyan | Channel 4 short directed by Christopher Monger | Filmed in 1983 |
| No.89 Checkpoint | 1984 | |
| Midsummer Night’s Dream | 1984 | |
| No.90 The Pit | The Zap Club, Brighton | 1985 |
| Macbeth | 1985 | |
| Polverigi | Polverigi Festival, Italy | 1985 |
| No.91 A Romance Cast included: Colette Walker, Chahine Yavroyan, Jeremy Swift, George Khan and Mark Long | Almeida Theatre | May 1986 |
| 20th Anniversary Show | 1986 | |
| The Unofficial Heavyweight Championship of the World aka The Boxing Show? Cast included: Liam Stack, Johnny McKenna and Jose Nava | Watermans Arts Centre, Brentford | 13th August 1987 |
| Italian Cabaret Cast included: Liam Stack | Montedison, Italy | 8-10 September 1987 |
| No. 92 Whistle Stop Cast included: Jeff Nuttall, Alan Hill, Emil Wolk, Charlie Dore, Chahine Yavroyan, Mark Long, Liam Stack | Bush Theatre, then Boulevard Theatre (after Bush Theatre fire 2nd June 1987) then tour including: Galway Festival, Albany Centre (Bristol) The Leadmill (Sheffield), Riverside Studios (Coleraine, Northern Ireland), Gardner Centre (Brighton) | 1987 |
| Whistle Stop (documentary Directed by Margy Kinmouth) | Thames Television | 1987 |
| No.93 Marooned Cast included: George Khan and Jeff Nuttall | Kings Head Theatre | 21st May 1988 |
Interviewee reference: Mark Long was interviewed by Unfinished Histories 2014. If you would like to know more about this interview please contact us.
Existing archival material: Archive material held by The People Show. For their website and other links see below. The Jeff Nuttall Papers are kept by the John Rylands library, University of Manchester.
Bibliography: devising performance – a critical history. Deirdre Heddon and Jane Milling (Palgrave,2006)
Dreams and Deconstructions – Alternative Theatre in Britain. Sandy Craig, editor (Amber Lane Press,1980)
Performance Art Memoirs. Volume 1 Jeff Nuttall (John Calder,1979)
Performance Art Scripts. Volume 2 Jeff Nuttall (John Calder,1979)
Interview with Mark Long Peter Hulton (Dartington Theatre Papers, 1982)
Traverse Theatre Story. Joyce MacMillan and John Carnegie (Methuen,1988)
The People Show by John O’Mahony in The Independent (17 January 1996)
Links:
People Show website
People Show vimeo page
The People Show You Tube
Acknowledgements: This page was written by David Cleall.