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THM/372 - Paines Plough Theatre Company Archive
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Paines Plough Theatre Company Archive

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This material is held atV&A Department of Theatre and Performance
Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372
Dates of Creation1975-2008
Name of CreatorPaines Plough
Language of Material English French German
Physical Description 638 files

Scope and Content

This archive contains administrative records relating to the running of Paines Plough; production records relating to plays produced by the theatre company; literary records containing prompt scripts, drafts of scripts, scripts submitted to Paines Plough, correspondence, and readers reports; photographs of Paines Plough productions and people associated with the company; press and marketing records containing press cuttings and marketing information; film and sound recordings of Paines Plough productions; and education and workshop materials which were used by the company.

Administrative / Biographical History

Paines Plough was set up in 1974 by writer David Pownall and director John Adams, the company took its name from the pub they were sitting in (The Plough) and the beer they were drinking (Paines bitter). One of the many touring companies established in the 1970s, Paines Plough is now one of the most enduring. The company specialise in developing and producing plays by contemporary writers at all stages of their career, and as a result, have worked with many of Britain's most significant contemporary writers including Gregory Burke, Moira Buffini, Pam Gems, David Greig, Sarah Kane, Terry Johnson, Mark Ravenhill, Philip Ridley and Enda Walsh. Another key feature of the company's work is active collaboration with other theatre organisations. The company has produced a large number of innovative commissioning and showcasing projects such as, Wild Lunch (script-in-hand lunchtime readings), Later (playwright-curated readings of recent work/work-in-progress), and Come to Where I'm From (commissioning playwrights to return to and write about their home times).

Arrangement

The original order has been maintained as far as possible. Where the original order has been disturbed in order to aid researchers this has been indicated. The archive has been divided into 7 series:

  • THM/372/1 Papers relating to the running of Paines Plough Theatre Company
  • THM/372/2 Production records
  • THM/372/3 Literary records
  • THM/372/4 Photographs
  • THM/372/5 Press and marketing records
  • THM/372/6 Film and Sound recordings
  • THM/372/7 Education and Workshop projects

Conditions Governing Access

This archive is available for consultation in the V&A Department of Theatre & Performance's Reading Room, which is located at Blythe House, 23 Blythe Rd, Olympia, London, W14 0QX. The Reading Room is open Tuesday to Fridays between 10.15 am and 4.30 pm, access to it is by appointment only. To request an appointment please email tmenquiries@vam.ac.uk or telephone 020 7942 2698.

Additionally access to some of these files may be restricted. These are identified at file level.

Conditions Governing Use

Archive material may not be photocopied. Arrangements can be made to photograph material in the search room using non-flash photography.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Paines Plough, Feb 2010.

Custodial History

This archive was held in the offices of Paines Plough until its transfer to the V&A Department of Theatre & Performance.

Related Material

See also the core collections of the V&A Theatre and Performance Department. Material relating to Paines Plough may be found in several collections, including the biographical, productions, company and photographs files.

The following archive collections hold material relating to Paines Plough and new writing theatre:

  • THM/271-Roundhouse and Open Space theatre companies: records
  • THM/273-English Stage Company (Royal Court Theatre) Archive
  • THM/317-Tricycle Theatre Archive
  • THM/322-Sphinx Theatre Company Archive
  • Arts Council of Great Britain Archive

Please ask the Department of Theatre & Performance enquiry team for further details.

Subjects

Theatrical companies--Great Britain.
Theater--Great Britain--History--20th century.
Theater management--Great Britain.

Cataloguing Info

TitlePaines Plough Theatre Company Archive
CreationCreated by Carys Lewis using the cheshire for archives ead creation tool 2011-01-10
Revisions

Papers relating to the running of Paines Plough Theatre Company

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1
Dates of Creation1979-2007
Physical Description 17 files

Scope and Content

This series contains material produced in the day to day running of Paines Plough Theatre Company, such as: reports; business plans and proposals; fundraising attempts; correspondence, and papers documenting the history of the company.

Reports produced by Paines Plough

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/1
Dates of Creation1983-2006
Physical Description 4 files

Scope and Content

Material found here includes reports relating to the running of Paines Plough, and reports in response to funding proposals.

Report produced by Paines Plough responding to question posed by the Arts Council of “How would companies be affected by a 25% cut in their grants or by a 25% increase?”

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/1/1
Dates of Creation1983
Physical Description 1 folder

Scope and Content

Parts of the report are annotated.

Paines Plough Appraisal Report, produced by the Arts Council Appraisal Team

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/1/2
Dates of CreationMay 1994
Physical Description 1 folder

Paines Plough Appraisal Report, produced by the Arts Council Appraisal Team

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/1/3
Dates of CreationSept 2001
Physical Description 1 folder

Paines Plough Limited Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2006

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/1/4
Dates of CreationNov 2006
Physical Description 1 folder

Business plans and proposals produced by Paines Plough

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/2
Dates of Creation1988-2007
Physical Description 4 files

Scope and Content

Material found here includes plans and proposals relating to the development of Paines Plough and its future aims.

Proposal for Paines Plough process work with writers in the East Midlands

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/2/1
Dates of Creation1988
Physical Description 1 folder

Paines Plough The Writers' Company Business Plan 1989-1992

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/2/2
Dates of CreationNov 1989
Physical Description 1 folder

Paines Plough aims, objectives, prospects 1993-1996

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/2/3
Dates of CreationMar 1993
Physical Description 1 folder

Paines Plough actual programme of activities and future plans

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/2/4
Dates of Creation 2005-2007
Physical Description 1 folder

Fundraising attempts for Paines Plough

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/3
Dates of Creation1988-2004
Physical Description 2 files

Scope and Content

Material found here is related to attempts at generating sponsorship and fundraising to support the activities of Paines Plough.

Sponsorship “shopping list” 1988/89

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/3/1
Dates of CreationApr 1988
Physical Description 1 folder

Fundraising attempts for This Other England season

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/3/2
Dates of Creation2004
Physical Description 1 folder

Company Correspondence

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/4
Dates of Creation1983-1984
Physical Description 1 file

Scope and Content

The correspondence held here is that which reflects the running of the company and its aims on a day to day basis.

Correspondence between Elizabeth Jones and the Sunday Times regarding an article about touring theatre

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/4/1
Dates of CreationNov 1983-Feb 1984
Physical Description 1 folder

Papers relating to the history of Paines Plough

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/5
Dates of Creationc. 1979-2004
Physical Description 6 files

Scope and Content

This material contains information on the history of Paines Plough, including papers which document information on the productions it has staged.

Information file on productions staged by Paines Plough

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/5/1
Dates of Creationc. 1979-2001
Physical Description 1 folder

Loose papers summing up Paines Plough productions and responses to them in the press

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/5/2
Dates of Creation1986-2002
Physical Description 1 folder

Press release detailing increase in funding to Paines Plough from the Arts Council

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/5/3
Dates of Creationc. 1988
Physical Description 1 folder

New sites for new theatre/new writing information sheet

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/5/4
Dates of CreationOct 1993
Physical Description 1 folder

Paines Plough press quotes

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/5/5
Dates of Creationc. 1994
Physical Description 1 folder

Annotated draft of document detailing the history and activities of Paines Plough

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/1/5/6
Dates of Creation c. 2004
Physical Description 1 folder

Production records

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2
Dates of Creation1976-2006
Physical Description 74 Files

Scope and Content

This series consists of production files, which detail the staging of productions, information on unproduced plays, rehearsed readings files, stage and lighting plans, costume designs, and Paines Plough occasional papers.

Conditions Governing Access

Some of the files in this section are closed under the Data Protection Act, 1998, for 81 years as they contain personal information. Where this occurs it is indicated at file level.

Production files and contracts

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1
Dates of Creation1976-2006
Physical Description 59 Files

Scope and Content

The material held here variesfrom file to file but usually comprises of: contracts; show reports; rehearsal reports; prop lists; correspondence with venues and people involved in the staging and production of the play; and material relating to the technical staging of the play. The dates in the title field for the production files listed here are the running dates for each play.

Arrangement

This series is arranged in chronological order. The date in the title field refers to when the play was first performed.

Conditions Governing Access

Some of these files are partially closed under the Data Protection Act, 1998. The closures are specified at file level.

Music to Murder By, by David Pownall, May 1976

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/1
Dates of Creationc. May 1976
Physical Description 1 folder

Scope and Content

Contains music sheets.

Motorcar, by David Pownall, Aug 1978

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/2
Dates of CreationJan 1977
Physical Description 1 folder

Jubilee Too, by Stephen Jeffreys, Jan 1980

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/3
Dates of Creationc. 1979
Physical Description 1 folder

Breach of the Peace, by Marcella Evaristi, Gerard Mannix Flynn, Dusty Hughes, Tunde Ikoli, Heathcote Williams, Sept-Nov 1982

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/4
Dates of CreationMay 1982-Jan 1983
Physical Description 2 folders

Conditions Governing Access

Part of this file is closed under the Data Protection Act 1998 until 01/01/2064.

Red Saturday, by Martin Allen, Jan-Mar 1983

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/5
Dates of CreationSept 1983-Dec 1983
Physical Description 2 folders

Conditions Governing Access

Part of this file is closed under the Data Protection Act 1998 until 01/01/2064.

Welcome Home, by Tony Marchant, Jan-Mar 1983

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/6
Dates of CreationJuly 1982-Dec 1983
Physical Description 2 folders

Conditions Governing Access

Part of this file is closed under the Data Protection Act 1998 until 01/01/2064.

Mr Hyde, by Alan Drury, Jan-Feb 1984

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/7
Dates of CreationJune 1983-May 1984
Physical Description 2 folders

Conditions Governing Access

Part of this file is closed under the Data Protection Act 1998 until 01/01/2065.

Key to the World, by Doug Lucie, Nov-Dec 1984

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/8
Dates of Creationc. 1984
Physical Description 1 folder

Songs for Stray Cats and Other Living Creatures, by Donna Franceschild, Sept-Dec 1985

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/9
Dates of Creation1985
Physical Description 2 folders

Conditions Governing Access

Part of this file is closed under the Data Protection Act 1998 until 01/01/2066.

Joy Riders, by Christina Reid, Feb 1986

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/10
Dates of CreationFeb 1986-May 1986
Physical Description 2 folders

Conditions Governing Access

Part of this file is closed under the Data Protection Act 1998 until 01/01/2066.

Thatcher's Women, by Kay Adshead, March-May 1987

Reference Number(s)GB 71 THM/372/2/1/11
Dates of CreationJan 1986-July 1987
Physical Description 1 folder
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