The Soho Poly: Inspiring Future Generations is an oral history and community outreach project, sponsored by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Through engaging with the work and practices of key figures from the Soho Poly’s past, it aims to help point towards a more diverse and inclusive theatre in the future. The project has two core elements: an oral history project and an education resources pack with an accompanying mobile app, aimed at GCSE and sixth-form students.
Soho Poly oral histories
In order to capture at-risk histories of the original Soho Poly (1972–1990), the project team conducted interviews with key practitioners from the period. The result is a vibrant and revealing snapshot of an extraordinary theatre. You can listen to excerpts from the interviews below. Full interviews and transcripts will soon be made available on application to the University of Westminster.
For this strand of the project, we also arranged oral history training for 30 Westminster students under the guidance of the British Library Oral History Department and worked with the charity Open Age to deliver memoir writing workshops to members.
Listen to the oral history interviews
Fred Proud
The Soho Poly’s first artistic director, 1972-1975, and founder of the Soho Theatre Company, 1968
'I wanted to attract people into the theatre to see something extraordinary who have never been to the theatre before.'
Listen to Fred's interview
Hanif Kureishi
Writer of The King and Me and Tomorrow Today, the Soho Poly, 1980-1981
'I really feel that if I became a writer, it’s because they gave me opportunities to see my work produced for the first time.'
Image credit: Kier Kureishi
Ann Mitchell
Director of Sus by Barrie Keeffe, Soho Poly, 1979
'This was a home where we could begin to make a difference, where we could make theatre that had meaning.'
Jamal Ali
Writer of Dark Nights, Light Nights, Soho Poly, 1976
'So in a way I was always a community politician, so to speak, although I detest politics.'
Harriet Walter
Actor in Three More Sleepless Nights by Caryl Churchill, Soho Poly, 1980
'[on lunchtime theatre] Are you buying your theatre experience by the yard or are you buying into the quality of the play?'
Image credit: Sim Canetty-Clarke
Phil Davis
Actor in Gotcha by Barrie Keeffe, Soho Poly, 1976
'[on performing in Gotcha] "It does matter? It’s not just a job?”, and I said, “Yes... it really does matter to me.”'
Angie Hill
Former stage manager, Soho Poly
'Everything had to be tailored to within the limitations of what we had.'
Sue Dunderdale
Former artistic director of the Soho Poly
'The work was our lives. It was simply that.'
Simon Callow
Actor in The Soul of the White Ant by Snoo Wilson, 1976, Soho Poly
'There was a sense of things happening, it was a very happening place.'
Janet Amsden
Actor in Cocks and Hens by Ian Taylor, 1975, and writer of Peril at St Agatha’s, 1978, Soho Poly
'There was not one place to match the Soho Poly.'
Image credit: Steve Lawton
Brian Stirner
Former Soho Poly associate director
'A space that’s difficult is also potentially very creative.'
Nobby Clark
Celebrated theatre and performance photographer who photographed many plays at the Soho Poly
'My advice? Go for it.'
Educational resources
Education pack
This Key Stage 4 education pack is aimed at students and teachers of English Literature and Drama or Theatre Studies, but is also of interest to a wider audience.
Walking tour app (coming later in 2023)
Complementing the education pack, Animating Westminster’s Radical Past is a smartphone-guided walking tour that will take participants to key spaces from the post-war alternative theatre movement, either virtually or in real life.
Our supporters
Soho Poly theatre is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Further information
If you would like further information about the project, please contact the Artistic Directors of the Soho Poly:
Matt Morrison – [email protected]
Guy Osborn – [email protected]