Big changes are planned for Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre as it approaches its 65th anniversary, with a youthful new leadership team creating a vision for a modern, exciting venue that stages modern, exciting productions. Laura Elliot and Corey Campbell give What’s On a flavour of what to expect...  

“We want to be a home for world-class transformative, entertaining theatre, which means an exciting mixture of cutting-edge contemporary work, new takes on classic plays, and today’s best musical theatre such as SIX. It’s bringing the best of the best to Coventry and putting on stories - either produced by us or received by us from elsewhere - that are truly distinctive, exciting, momentum building and which bring that moment where you go ‘I just saw something extraordinary’... and that stays with you for weeks.”

Laura Elliot, CEO of Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre, is on a roll, and her enthusiasm for the task of revitalising and re-energising the city centre venue is palpable. Since taking over the role at the turn of the year, she’s been working alongside Creative Director Corey Campbell - promoted to his new role at the same time - to hone and develop a new vision for the theatre. That new vision encompasses everything from the quality of the work that appears on its main house and B2 stages, to the food served in its revamped restaurant, to the way the venue engages and interacts with the local community.

“We want to be more inclusive and welcoming than anything - that’s our big drive,” she explains. “It’s also being part of that hype where Coventry and the Belgrade is a really exciting place to be.”
“We’re here to entertain, we’re here to inspire, we’re here to move, we’re here to challenge, and audiences can pick and choose what they want from that. We want to bring everyone on this journey of the Belgrade being the place to see high-quality work.”

The autumn season is already showing signs of that ambition, featuring high-profile shows such as Bugsy Malone, Six, The Rocky Horror Show and Beautiful - The Carole King Musical. A ‘big reveal’ announcement about the spring 2023 season is due to take place later this month. A drip-feed of teasers has already begun, with revelations about exciting contemporary new work such as Family Tree - written by Mojisola Adebayo - and Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead, from one of the UK’s most acclaimed theatre companies, Complicité. The Belgrade has even booked alternative comedian Stewart Lee for two nights in January, as the venue rejoins the comedy circuit.

All of which suggests a definite sense of moving away from the Belgrade’s typical old-school theatrical fare. Laura and Corey, though, see it purely as raising the bar in terms of quality. But aren’t they taking the risk that they may alienate some of their traditional (older) audience, many of whom are reliably longstanding subscribers?

“No, because what we’re bringing them is better!” exclaims Laura. “I think sometimes really dangerous assumptions can be made about what audiences want. What we’re aiming for is a consistency of quality that will mean we are a trusted and accessible venue for really cutting-edge theatre and brilliant high-quality, joyous musicals as well.”

“We’re bringing them high-quality work. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to programme something which that audience may like, or feature so-and-so off the telly - in fact, there will be star names in our new season. That’s part of what we’re trying to do - bring a bit of stardom to Coventry, keep the light on Coventry - but with a consistency of quality that will build a sense of pride in people in their local theatre. This theatre belongs to the people of Coventry and the wide region, and they deserve the best of the best!”

Corey, who has been working at the theatre since being made a co-artistic director in 2019, is adamant that the Belgrade audience will embrace what he regards as evolution rather than revolution. 
“When we talk about how we’re going to bring our audiences on a journey, for me that journey has already started,” he says. “I’ve seen those audiences that you’re talking about, and I’ve managed to build my own relationships with them - whether it’s from turning up to a Tina Turner (tribute act) night, hosting first-night drinks, or putting on pieces of work like Fighting Irish.

“We’ve been getting new audiences and also encouraging our existing audiences to come and see the kind of work that we’re going to be putting on, to show them it’s not about being a risk-taker, it’s about being a lover of work, a lover of art and a lover of stories. I think that still exists, and now it’s bigger, it’s better and it’s bolder, and we’re not excluding anybody from that.

“That’s what’s important to the vision for me and Laura - come and enjoy a journey, a story. No show is just a show; it’s an event. There’s going to be a beginning, a middle and an end to your night, in just the same way as there will be a beginning, middle and end to the productions themselves.”

The notion of treating a trip to the theatre as an ‘event’ is something the duo hope the venue’s refurbished Nineteen 58 restaurant & bar (named after the year the theatre was built) can contribute to. In time, they hope Nineteen 58 can become a destination in its own right. A recent pop-up dining event featuring local chef Sarah Jenkins is something they’d like to repeat in the future.

“We’re really excited to be championing local chefs and cooks,” says Laura. “Corey and I view food as a massive part of the experience of going to the theatre - or any event. It’s that nourishment factor; you’re nourished by a show and you’re nourished by the food and you’re nourished by the whole event. 

“We’re really excited by the potential of our new café-bar, and our ambition is to have it as a restaurant space. We want to curate it in the way we would curate a show, with local chefs and local people who are really passionate about good food.”

The ‘local’ angle is crucially important to the ambitious duo. Not only do they want to play a part in ensuring Coventry retains the profile and feelgood factor generated by its year as the UK’s City of Culture, they also want to provide a platform for local talent - particularly those under-represented in the past - and to “keep shining a light” on local stories.
With all of that in mind, a five-week talent-development season gets under way in the B2 theatre space next month.

“We’re handing the Belgrade over to local artists to explore and experiment and try new things,” says Laura. “That’s a marker for the future and an investment for the future.”

“We’re just making sure we stay supporting local writers, local devisers and local creators,” adds Corey, who admits he already has his eye on a couple of talented local theatre makers. “Making things better alongside, and with, the communities of Coventry is the important thing for us. It’s not running off and leaving people behind; it’s making sure we’re all on a journey to a better place.” 

Steve Adams

Check out the theatre’s new season at belgrade.co.uk