Catfoot Theatre Company

David Longford – the biographical bit

I have been working as a professional actor, writer, director, workshop leader and producer since 1995, but my path into professional theatre, like many I suppose, is not a typical one.

Born in Birmingham, I grew up in Chase Terrace in Staffordshire. A non-descript, harmless place located halfway between Cannock and Lichfield. I’m sure it has many, but the only claim to fame that I can recall for Chase Terrace is that in the early 80s pop group King played at the Leisure Centre when they were number one with ‘Love and Pride’. We were all proud that day.

Having discovered acting at school, as well as doing the local am dram groups and youth theatres (‘Romeo & Juliet’ set in a bus shelter to the tunes of Frankie Goes to Hollywood!), at the age of 18 I tried to get into drama school with no discernible success.

Following a year out, productively spent with my best mate Dale signing on, playing snooker and watching Countdown, I ended up in Reading reading American Studies.

In my first term I was deconstructing ‘On the Road’ and ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’. At the end I had completed a dissertation on Bob Dylan. Somewhere in the middle I spent a whole semester at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. A great course, but not one that necessarily prepared you for an immediate vocation.

Despite wanting to watch Countdown, I found work teaching English to overseas students and working with young offenders in County Durham. This led me to Nottingham and to working as a Residential Social Worker in a children’s home and then as a Team Leader for a housing charity working with ex-offenders and the homeless.

But the drama and the acting was always there. I had done bits whilst a student and still hankered for a thesp-type job.

In the early 90s I successfully auditioned for the Nottinghamshire Next Stage in Acting Course. Linked with RADA and based on the Poor School model of drama training, I spent two years working with and being trained by top arts professionals. Most notably Geoff Bullen, freelance director and RADA tutor.

In 1995, aged 29, I got my first professional job in Alan Bennett’s ‘Enjoy’ at Nottingham Playhouse, directed by Jeremy Sams and starring James Bolam and Anne Reid. I had one line (“that bugger looks dead to me”) but that was enough for me to get my Equity card and give up the day job.

So a jobbing actor I became, with the majority of my work in TIE, most notably for Language Alive! and Catalyst. I really enjoyed this work, however having now directed one or two small profit-share shows in the East Midlands, I began to realise that I was far happier and more creative directing and producing, rather than acting.

Oh, and around this time, I discovered I was going to be a father.

1998 saw me gainfully employed as the Education Officer at the Mansfield Palace Theatre. A role that enabled me to produce and direct many workshops and shows, but also provide a regular monthly wage for the Longford household.

In 2001 I became the Education Manager at the Royal Centre Nottingham. A brand new post that enabled me to create new and exciting professional and community work for the Theatre Royal and the Royal Concert Hall.

Over the past eight years, this has included directing several productions at the Royal Centre and elsewhere. These include ‘The Hundred and One Dalmatians’ ‘The Canterbury Tales’, ‘Oliver Twist’, ‘Revolting Rhymes’ and ‘Robin of Sherwood’. I have been able to work with such internationally recognised companies such as the RSC, Kneehigh, Northern Ballet Theatre, Opera North and the Halle. The other highlights include spending an afternoon in the Broadway Cafe with David Soul and ‘looking after’ John Cooper Clarke for an evening.

I have also continued my freelance career. In 2003 I was Artistic Director of the Lichfield Mysteries, directing four plays in the cycle, including a cast of 200 for ‘Doomsday’ in Lichfield Cathedral. I have also directed for site-specific specialists Hanby & Barrett.

In 2008 I became a Freelance Performance Reviewer for the National Council for Drama Training, a role for which I am regularly sent to the major drama schools to assess students in their final year productions.

And so all of this will hopefully ferment and brew to become Catfoot Theatre – an amalgamation of all my experience, merging with my strong desire to create my own unique theatre company and accompanying work. A company with a homely ethos and a devotion to propinquity (crackin’ word – look it up).

This could be fun.

For a more detailed breakdown of my work and experience please download my CV.

Photograph courtesy of Jane Williams