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by Avis Fenner
 You may not have clocked it yet, but down in
Dalston there's a new venture underway in the shape of the Arcola Theatre. Before it
opened, at the beginning of the year, some might have been a little sceptical about how a
small army of volunteers would transform a spacious but derelict clothing factory into a
viable theatrical venue. Eight months on, with two substantial studios, a cafe/bar, and
foyer- cum-art space, the Arcola theatre is definitely a site with great potential. Many
of its productions, particularly those in this summer's 'Vintage Shakespeare' season, have
received glowing reviews and got bums on seats. How has this been achieved in such a short
space of time? In addition to the volunteers, quite a lot of it is down to the energy and
optimism of artistic director, Mehmet Ergen.
Bom and bred in Istanbul, Mehmet studied drama and came to London in his early twenties
thinking he would 'do some acting here' but laughingly recounts 'I forgot that I couldn't
speak English.' Undaunted he took drama classes. This facilitated his skill in English and
gave him 'the courage to start dealing with actors and directors'. Before long he was
encouraged to set up a theatre company, No Wall Theatre, and was directing plays for
fringe and pub venues. 'Everything always turned into a production as soon as I was
involved', he says, and it was a pub theatre production of a Kurt Weill opera that led to
the establishment of the Southwark Playhouse in 1993. Of this formative period, he
remembers: 'I worked very hard and directed over fifty plays in so many different levels,
operas, musicals, serious European plays, Shakespeare, American repertoire.' Running a
small theatre on a very tight budget, however, led to divisions within the management.
Mehmet felt artistic quality was being compromised for financial reasons -that a little
bit of 'risk taking' was in order and, after five and half years, he left.
 By this time he was back in Dalston, teaching play writing and
directing in community centres. He knew the area needed a good repertory theatre, noticed
the closure of many local factories, and started looking at potential spaces. 'I wasn't
looking for something as big as this' he says with as this' he says with raised eyebrow
and smile. Once the lease was secured he, and friends, set about rejuvenating it. The
furniture, props and costumes have come from wherever they can be found. The chairs, for
example, were a typical bit of good fortune. Mehmet was in Upper St and passed a bankrupt
Indian restaurant with chairs stacked outside and a sign saying "free for a good
home".
The theatre is run with three full-time and a slew of part-time workers. Everybody, from
front of house to actors, directors, and technicians, works for free. The cafe/bar and box
office receipts not only have to cover the rent but all the other bills - a tough target.
There's a high hope that some core funding will be secured in the next year. Mehmet
believes people have supported the theatre because of the production possibilities the
space offers and the quality of work. He feels 'We are very lucky in this country to have
such a strong theatre industry and are never short of good actors and designers and
directors,'
The theatre has a strong commitment to both Turkish and Afro-Caribbean communities in the
plays they put on and courses they run. Mehmet says the Turkish community is 'quite laid
back ...there's a lot of fun, a lot of chatting' and this is evident in his own calm
manner. Unexpectedly, he's not twitching with the nervous energy of a man juggling at
least nine balls in the air. He has a quiet, measured way of speaking and an easy laugh.
He feels that to be the 'best', theatres need to be 'ambitious' but at the same time
remain conscious of their location. 'This is Dalston/Stoke Newington borders', he says,
'and that border is very distinct. You have a very erudite middle- to upper-middle-class
Stoke Newington audience that will expect you to do classics ...and you have Dalston, full
of refugees, with nearly 80 languages being spoken. Plus it needs a black theatre
initiative.' In the Arcola he wants variety and divides the repertoire into these
categories: new contemporary plays, old and new classics, entertainment that fits with the
local culture such as children's plays, musicals, comedies, and lastly that the theatre
should be 'open to anyone coming with anything'.
 Rightly proud of what they
have achieved at the Arcola so far Mehmet says 'This is one of the most deprived areas in
London and we have really brought a huge lifeblood into it. We are holding on to it by
saying we are the biggest opportunity for everyone in Hackney, in North London, as a
performance arts space.' With an assured calm he adds, 'We will get money and if we don't,
well, we will have to find ways of raising it.'
The Arcola's current season, New in Town, features four new plays: to 29
September the award winning Hannah & Hanna by John Retallack, 16 October to 10
November Ghosts in the Cottonwoods by Adam Rapp, 13 November to 9
December Jitterbug by Bonnie Greer and 3 Jan to 2 February the specially
commissioned Crime and Punishment in Dalston by David Farr. Special
performances include the Travelling Jewish Theatre production of Reconciled in The
Book of Secrets by Laura Simms on Sunday 18 November and Half Moon Young People's
Theatre production of When Snow Falls by Cris Elwell at 11 am on 3 and 4
December. Beginning in October there will a Turkish play every Sunday matinee and there
are new photographic exhibitions every month.
Arcola Theatre, 27 Arcola Street, London EB 2DJ. Tel: 020 75031646 (box office) 020 7503
1645 (admin) www.arcolatheatre.com
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