IdeasTap member Libby Brodie is Development Assistant at The Old Vic. She’s also working on her first production job - Dream of the Dog, a play by Craig Higginson at Trafalgar Studios, London. With a West End Transfer and rave reviews flooding in thick and fast, we talked to Libby about what it feels like to strike gold on your first job and the things that make a great producer…

I met the director Katie McAleese through working on La Cage Aux Folles at The Playhouse Theatre. She had been offered a slot at the Finborough for their 30-year anniversary, and she asked me to come on board as her producer. We have just transferred to Trafalgar Studios, which is very exciting.

We looked at loads of scripts but Dream of The Dog just seemed right. It’s a play about political change in South Africa, which felt very topical even before all the recent news.

I have been incredibly lucky that my first big production job had such amazing people attached to it; Craig Higginson is a very talented writer and to work with Janet Suzman was amazing. Being transferred to The West End is unbelievable.

When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to cut your teeth on something familiar but don’t go for the safe option, it’s important to capture people’s imagination. As a producer you must remember you’ve got to connect with an audience, it shouldn’t be a vanity project.

It’s been a steep learning curve. Finding money is one of the biggest hurdles, particularly if you’re unknown. Through launching my company - Meeting Point Productions - I was experienced in organising fundraisers and parties. Fundraising is a massive part of the job.

I work with The Old Vic and they were incredibly helpful with things like pointing me in the right direction for funding and giving me tips on how to write letters. When the reviews came out the interest became greater.

As a producer, it’s worth remembering that the role is very hands on. There’s an unfair stereotype in the industry, that the producer is this fat cat raking in the money. That couldn’t be further from the truth, especially when you’re starting out.
You’re basically a facilitator. You’ve got your director, you’ve got the script and the cast that hopefully you’ve had some hand in recruiting, so your job is to make it all come together.

You’ve got to be there for the cast and the crew and everyone involved 24/7 to make sure it runs smoothly and that everyone’s happy. It’s not just about pushing numbers; it’s actually about working with people.

Also – keep an address book! Contacts are so important. One of the things I’ve learned is that pretty much anything can be achieved with charm and pure bloody mindedness.

I’ve been sent quite a few scripts and I’d love to work with Katie McAleese again. In the meantime, I’ll be getting on with my day job at The Old Vic.

Get tickets for the production here>>