Director and Co-founder of Soapbox Children’s Theatre
Matt co-founded Soapbox Theatre as a innovative, improvising touring community theatre group living and working together which was linked to East Community Action Ltd. They championed local issues especially homelessness with a play called One for the Road. Local writers had their plays performed at lunchtime sessions at the local arts centre ‘Stage One’. The company then began to specialise in children’s theatre in 1979 becoming a cooperative. Matt was brilliant at attracting funding from The Arts Councils of Newham, Greater London and Great Britain for a good number of years. Plays such The Rainbow Warrior and The Good The Bad and The Banana toured schools, parks, community venues and theatres. Many actors, writers and designers passed through the company’s doors going on to have successful careers in theatre, television, comedy circuits, film and writing children’s books. Matt died on Tuesday 17th September 2013.