Well, we made it.

2020 has been a tumultuous and difficult year, filled with more Zoom conversations than I can count. Oh, and a whole lot of wine.

Despite the constant uncertainty of our industry (that is a whole other post and I’m going to keep it light here), RJG Productions did manage a few exciting things during 2020. Here are a few favourites:

In March, we got to celebrate the success of ‘A Hundred Words for Snow’ at Trafalgar Studios in 2019, with Gemma Barnett (Rory) winning Best Female Performer at the Offie Awards! It was an evening of celebration for the whole of the theatre industry and felt like the perfect way to round up one of our favourite shows to date.

At the beginning of lockdown, we collaborated with over 50 performers, theatremakers and producers to produce ‘All the Web’s a Stage’, a 24-hour online event to raise money for those in the arts struggling financially due to the pandemic. It is extraordinary what can be created in such a short amount of time when a whole team of people pulls together, and this is something we are incredibly proud to be part of.

Before the pandemic, we arranged a research and development period on a very exciting new comedy, pitched to us by a director I’ve been longing to work with since we first met. Like many things, the project was derailed by the nationwide lockdown, and we were left to work on what we could over Zoom. Eventually, in August, we were able to get over 15 artists in a room for the first stage of R&D, leading to a shiny new script, some wonderful collaborators and a whole lot of laughter. We hope to be sharing news about ‘FANNY!’ very soon.

We also did a bit of revisiting during 2020, reconnecting with artists we want to work with again and rethinking shows that need to have another life. This led to more development periods, endless brainstorming sessions, and research into how we can improve accessibility and inclusivity in the arts. We were lucky enough that the forced space and time of the pandemic, in some ways, gave us the opportunity to step back and revaluate what we want to be working on. 2021 is going to see a number of new projects for RJG Productions and with them a whole host of talented creatives who will be essential to the future of this industry.

Thank you to all our collaborators, friends and colleagues, as well as Arts Council England, for fighting, and helping us fight, for the survival of the theatre industry.

As the vaccine begins to be rolled out worldwide, I am trying to remain optimistic. Even if we are faced with many more months of restrictions and change, to me it feels like there is an end in sight. Planning for big projects no longer feels like unrealistic optimism but an opportunity to get something inspiring back on its feet, to help heal and detach from the recent pain and struggle.

It would, however, be remiss to think that our industry will return in the same form as pre-pandemic. Not everyone will have been able to weather the storm and we will have lost far too many aspiring, emerging and established theatremakers to the uncertainty of the pandemic. I have no doubt that we will feel the impact of such loss.

It is my hope, that when we are finally able to return, we do so with as much drive, passion and kindness as I have witnessed amongst colleagues and friends in my few years as a producer. I hope that we are able to break down some of the old-school barriers and strive for a more inclusive industry that celebrates and enables anyone who wants to create work to do so.

For now, we must continue to support each other, to encourage creativity and resilience, and to fight for our industry as a viable part of society that deserves the respect and support of this country.

And so, farewell 2020. Bring on the new year.

As ever, if you are interested in one of our projects, something new, or just want a chat/ some support, then do get in touch: hello@rjgproductions.co.uk