An interview with James Weisz from Emporium, Brighton

James Weisz is the Artistic Director of the city’s newest independent theatre and talks to Jill Woolf, managing director of Chimera Communications about how his love of the arts came about and led to the biggest challenge of his life (so far!). Along with Venue Manager, Gary Blair, Emporium has brought a breath of fresh air to the previously empty Methodist Church premises in London Road, Brighton.

JILL: Hi James, it’s an absolute pleasure to be at Emporium today. I first came here to see the amazing performance of “Into the Woods” the evening before the Chamber’s Summit. It really was spectacular.

JAMES: It certainly was memorable! That must have been the hottest evening we’ve experienced in the theatre so far, so well done for surviving! We were very excited to put on that show and the feedback was great.

JILL: When did your love of the theatre begin and how did it first manifest itself?

JAMES: My father works in film as a sculptor so whenever possible, he would take me to see the film sets and as a young boy that was really exciting. I was first cast as Tiny Tim in a performance at St Peter’s Church when I was six. I became passionate about performing and I wrote little plays and shows for family and friends. I went to the theatre as often as I could and my mother took me to all sorts of events in London like big scale musicals like Oliver and Jesus Christ Superstar. I wanted to know how shows like those were put together. I was rather shy in my teens. I went to Sixth Form College and was cast in some external professional shows, although I didn’t get the balance between studying and performing quite right! Very quickly I realised I wanted to put shows on rather than be in them. I found a play and asked my family and friends for £1 each towards the production. I collected £500 and put the play on at the Marlborough. I definitely refer producing and directing although I still act occasionally.

JILL: How did you and Gary meet, and was Emporium an instant idea or did it germinate over time?

JAMES: I was looking for a stage manager in 2012 for a show I was producing for the Brighton Festival. I met Gary and we hit it off instantly. We have the same mindset and goals. Gary quickly went from stage manager to set designer. We did a show together in London and the opportunity for a little theatre came up. We saw the venue in Brighton and we turned to each other and said: What if? Could we make a new theatre work? So we drafted a business plan together. The original venue didn’t come off but just before Christmas 2012, we came to Emporium. We walked in and it was just perfect, although there was quite a bit to do to bring it up to the requisite standards. In 2006 the building stopped being a church and squatters moved in. It was then empty for a year or so. Actually, the squatters looked after the building quite well but it still needed plenty of renovation.

JILL: Is it panning out as you expected?

JAMES: Well, it’s completely unknown territory. I’ve booked plays and theatres before but it was quite scary at the time we opened, as London Road was completely dead. We were the only new business on the street for ages and we wondered if people would come in – there were so many imponderables.

It’s been a long slog but we’re getting there. I’ve had to learn about staffing, stocking the shelves, maintenance and I do about 80% of the marketing. Gary has plenty of experience in terms of managing the cafe. We have a good mix of skills and we’re both committed to making arts good business.

We get no funding from local or national government or arts organisations. The money has come from personal piggy banks and we rely on income from the cafe. Now we have ten staff in the cafe, so we’re very happy with the way it’s all going. We also have invaluable help and support from Gary's partner Chris, who has had many years of experience in theatre, cafès, fundraising, bar-bistro's, life coaching and dentistry!

At the moment, it’s not just a theatre. We have all sorts of groups use the cafe – scouts, knitting circles, language groups, freelancers holding meeting over our excellent coffee and cakes. The theatre is also used by musical groups rehearsing or putting on their own shows. This really is becoming a community hub as well as a centre for the arts.

We have a close relationship with City College and some of the students rehearse and perform here. Also other colleges and schools, to whom we give talks and tours.

JILL: What has been the most satisfying part of the project to date?

JAMES: Definitely bringing traditional panto back to Brighton, with the original music and scripts. We put on Cinders and our next show will be Sleeping Beauty at Christmas.

JILL: What else are you planning to do?

JAMES: Forge further relationships with like-minded theatre companies by sharing ideas and shows. Also build on what we’re doing here. Personally, I’d like to develop new writing. We’re very pleased to be showing The Gift of the Gab here soon. It’s directed by Matt Lipsey, the BAFTA and Emmy winning director of Little Britain, Psychoville and Jekyll. That shows the level of professionalism we’re attracting at Emporium. We have just over 100 seats and for £15, people get top class, professional, high standard performances and productions without having to go to London. There might not be a Hollywood star and this is a small place, but the shows are worth watching and are definitely of high quality.

JILL: Have you been surprised by the public’s reactions to the theatre?

JAMES: At first, they didn’t realise there was a theatre here; they just thought it was a cafe. Now it’s well used, especially as we’re only six minutes from the train station. One other thing people don’t realise is that we have a meeting room upstairs so that can be used by companies for meetings as well. There were a few people who felt it was wrong for the church to be used as a cafe and theatre, as it had been a place of worship. But in a way, we’re doing something a little similar in that we’re bringing people together and using the venue for the community. Others wondered if there was a need for yet another entertainment venue in the city. But we don’t put on comedy or live music. There was a specific gap in the market for what we offer and we work really hard at doing what we do well.

JILL: If there was one thing you could do for the theatre today, what would it be?

JAMES: If I had £100,000 today, I’d buy some really, really good seats for the theatre and make sure that every seat in the cafe was perfect. At the moment, let’s just say they’re ‘ok’. There’s a difference between charm and danger! But I’d love to be able to get new lighting equipment too. Gary and I work up to 100 hours per week, so maybe some time off would be good!

JILL: Tell me something people don’t know about both you and Gary.

JAMES: Hmm, well I used to play the trumpet and do ballet (not at the same time). Gary owns a fez and threatens to get it out on special occasions! I don’t think I’d better say any more as he’s not here...

JILL: Presuming you do have some rare ‘down’ time, what do you like to do?

JAMES: I love walking and I really like air shows. I enjoyed the Shoreham Air Show recently. I like to go to the cinema when I can although I’d love to go more. And I’m a coffee snob.

JILL: What else would Chamber members like to know about Emporium so they can make use of these extraordinary facilities?

JAMES: We’ve got free Wi-Fi and our meeting room upstairs can hold about 20 people for training sessions or meetings. We’re open from 9am till 11pm and we serve alcohol from 10am (not necessarily for meetings!). We’ve held body language workshops here and Wired Sussex held an event here too. We’d like to put on more networking and business events. Oh, and all the food in the cafe is locally produced. We’re very keen to support the Open Market and food producers in the area.

JILL: It’s been a pleasure, James. And I see what you mean about the coffee; it’s delicious. Thanks for your time and for giving us an insight into your world of drama and delights.

You can see more about Emporium including all upcoming shows on www.emporiumbrighton.com

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk