Wendy Ellis tells Sarah Hardy why she believes Norwich Theatre is leading the way nationally
Wendy Ellis, by her own admission, has a big job. The brief is really quite astonishing because, as creative programmes director, she is in charge of everything from booking in the shows at three venues (the Theatre Royal, Norwich Playhouse and Stage 2), to overseeing digital events as well as educational and community activities.
She is passionate that they are each just as important as the others – whether it is negotiating a leading West End show such as Les Miserables to come to the Theatre Royal for an extended run, or thinking about unusual exercise classes such as the Friday morning adult ballet classes at Stage 2, a learning and participation centre next to the theatre.
‘I’m also interested in taking productions to new venues, say our parks – it’s our Theatre Beyond programme – and I am always looking at artist development and the origination of new work,’ she says.
She explains that, as a charity, the theatre has to measure the ‘impact’ each project has, and that this is just as important as any financial success. ‘I’m acutely aware of the role the theatre has to play in the community. That it should be at the centre, reflecting every aspect of what people are interested in.’
What she is interested in and, in turn, thinks her audiences will be interested in, is ‘good story telling’. She says: ‘Whether it is dance, opera, musical theatre; happy, sad, challenging or educational, it has to say something – have a story of interest to other people – and be of good quality, of course.’
She is always looking for new shows or ideas to try, perhaps visiting the Edinburgh Festival to see what is up and coming. ‘Yes, I know I am incredibly lucky and it is a very enjoyable part of my role. I genuinely love going to the theatre and I always have. It has that dual aspect – that it is real but still fiction. It is an individual experience but you are sharing it with others. It is very special.’
Wendy oversees a team of 12 full time employees and also uses various freelancers when required. She spends her time working on both future activities, perhaps lining up a show for as far away as 2026, as well as more immediate tasks, say building partnerships with local businesses and communities such as schools and charities. ‘I work with other venues, too, such as the RSC,’ she adds.
Wendy, in her early 50s, has been at the Norwich Theatre for six years, joining as learning and participation manager, becoming learning and participation director and then, she explains: ‘As many of us discovered, our jobs have changed because of the pandemic. I became creative programmes director, bringing all the various strands together.’
She is reassuring in saying that the popular shows such as the whodunnits and big musicals will continue to be booked in at the Theatre Royal, plus the popular comedy nights at Norwich Playhouse. ‘But they will be interspersed with new pieces – new names,’ she says. ‘We want to introduce people to new things and that is such a joy: to know that nothing is impossible!’
She is looking forward to a Suffolk-based company called Gecko which is bringing its production, Kin, to the Theatre Royal next year, explaining: ‘It is a very different piece; it is physical theatre and it is the first time they have visited us. I’m really proud that we have them coming to Norwich.’
Indeed Wendy is immensely proud of all the theatre is trying to do, to establish itself as a cultural hub, saying: ‘It is doing a phenomenal job, really leading the way as to how theatres should be.’
Wendy has worked in several different fields over the course of her career including as a teacher and a youth worker, and even taught abseiling in France. ‘But drama and the Arts have been a constant thread,’ she says. ‘I have a passion for creatively and like to make sure that people have a voice, that their opinions count.’
She is also very appreciative of the support given to the Norwich Theatre by its various audiences, especially post-pandemic.’ We have enjoyed really loyal support,’ she says. ‘We are indebted to people who have continued to attend shows.’
Her love affair with theatre began as a young girl when she first appeared on stage at primary school in Drayton, near Norwich. ‘I was Charlie in Charlie and Chocolate Factory, and I just remember the magic and the pleasure of being in a show with others – of us all working together.’
Wendy lives in Norwich and enjoys the great outdoors when not working. ‘I love to be by water, that’s how I unwind, how I download,’ she says. ‘It could be visiting the coast, or walking by a river – we are lucky to have such a varied landscape here in Norfolk.’
Now Wendy is looking forward to this year’s pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, which starts next month and has been written by and also stars Richard Gauntlett as Dame Trott. ‘I’m producing it and it is great fun. It is the one time of the year, when the whole theatre works together on the same thing. It just takes us over for a couple of months and we become like a family,’ she says. ‘It brings a bit of sparkle and joy to people’s lives, and we know that people return year after year, that it is a big part of their Christmas celebrations.’
Tickets for Jack and the Beanstalk are now on sale. For these and all other shows and activities, visit www.norwichtheatre.org
