Now in its 18th year the annual classic thriller season at the Theatre Royal has become a popular institution in the Notts theatre calendar. Veteran producer Colin McIntyre, repertory legend and producer of the last two Theatre Royal pantos, is the man behind the four play rep programme, LeftLion caught up with the murder mystery mastermind in rehearsals...

The Classic Thriller Season has developed a bit of a cult following in Nottingham, what’s your take on this?

It is getting a bit like Rocky Horror at times.. Someone came up in the bar after the show a few years ago and they said “Oh you’re back then?” I said “Yes!” and they said “do you know this your fifteenth?” and she had all the programmes! Has it been that long? frightening.

I have noticed a few people dressed up in the last couple of years, with trilbies and period attire amongst the audience, have there been any memorable sights?

When we did Dracula they came all accoutred, the Goths, and we didn’t do a truly ‘authentic’ production of it, I think some of the Goth purists were a bit disappointed, we kept to the story and they loved it.

What inspired you originally to do a season of back to back thrillers?
It was an offer. They’d tried them here and I was approached by the managing director, at the time I was doing something similar in Glasgow and Inverness, Bradford and Halifax and all of that, and when he asked if I would come and do six weeks I said yes I’d like to.

Doing thrillers year after year must make it difficult trying to choose what to do?

Well we do scrape the ideas barrel a bit, but then you have classics like Ghost Train, I’ve done that here three times and people seem to like it and it works and kids love it as well, you know a ‘spiffing yarn’. People know the basic story and keep coming back.

Tell us about the first play of the season, what can we expect?

Our opening play Ghost Train was written by Arnold Ridley who, when I was just starting out, was in the same company, I was a young bad actor and er, he directed it. I had just come out of the army and that was more frightening than any sergeant major, because he would say “You know dear boy..” just two steps there and “No No No No No. Do it again.” I was a jelly by the time he’d finished with me, that was really lucky. Ghost Train is a marvellous ‘classic’ play, it was written at that time when the formula had your leading man, leading lady, your comedy relief and character relief and all that.

Do you have a favourite amongst the four shows?

Yes I do. Actually. It’s the only one I’m directing, I don’t direct a lot now, because it’s the one funnily enough that I know how ‘should’ be done. Gaslight was written at a time when all the repertory companies, and there were hundreds of them in the country, would have it on their bill. So, I know all what we call ‘the business’ in it. It was also written at a time when there was a lot of variety about, when all these repertory people, myself included, went on to do variety, in fact I played the Hippodrome here in Nottingham once as a variety act! You HAD to sing and dance and you HAD to speak ‘properly’ to get a job, I’m actually Scottish believe it or not! (Colin has a proper English accent).

Will the shows be very much in period style?

Well they are, Ghost Train is twenties then Gaslight is Victoriana and both Durbridge’s A Touch of Danger and House Guest are set in the seventies / early eighties. Otherwise you’ve got silly lines, best be dressed for the language.

What do you like about Nottingham?

I love the theatre, I mean I really love the theatre, it’s a lovely building and the staff are brilliant, always so very nice. Then from the theatre you walk out and down and it’s so clean and spacious. We enjoy coming really, it’s a beautiful theatre and Nottingham’s a great city.

The 2007 Classic Thriller Season runs from 13th August to 8th September:

The Ghost Train by Arnold Ridley 13 Aug - 18 Aug
A Touch of Danger by Francis Durbridge 20 Aug - 25 Aug
Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton 27 Aug - 1 Sept
House Guest  by Francis Durbridge 3 Sept - 8th Sept

Theatre Royal
 
 

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