London based theatre company Go People are creating a new wave in entertainment.

Since the company formed in late 2013, they have made having a group of actors come to one’s home to perform solely for a host and their guests an utterly unique reality. They offer the full theatre experience… without having to leave the house!!

The idea of Private Theatre stemmed from a fortuitous meeting with one of the company’s investors, in which she suggested in an throwaway voice that perhaps the company could stage a play in her living room one day. Founding members Lucy Eaton, Melanie Heslop and Freddie Hutchins then set out to find the perfect living room to guinea-pig the idea in. Then on a balmy July day last year, the idea finally came to fruition when they performed a preview of their upcoming public show Win/Lose/Draw in a stunning Covent Garden based flat, for friends and family. The idea was a roaring success, featured in The Independent, and it has continued to grow ever since. Go People state, “We aim to recapture the fun and excitement, energy and surprise that private, live theatre can add to any occasion. Shakespeare’s works are full of examples of royalty hiring players to come into their homes to perform, and we simply offer a return to this extravagant tradition.”!

They always work to create something truly magical and memorable, tailored to each individual host and home; a variety of modern plays and old favourites are available to choose from, but they are willing to rehearse something completely new if the host required it. The layout of the evening is entirely up for discussion as well. “In some venues the guests theme their entire evening around the play,” Eaton recalls. “We performed a Noel Coward piece at one home and everybody came dressed in 1920s gear.  They had a lavish dinner spread across the evening, with our performance providing the
pre-pudding entertainment.” At other venues, hosts offer canapés and drinks before but the play takes up the main portion of the evening. As Go People’s website states, “we can perform in any space you choose – from a spectacular garden to a cosy living room, every seat is top price quality – no more restricted views or struggling to hear every line!”!

They are a company that specialise in intimate theatre, and even their public shows benefit from a “fly-on-the-wall” feeling for audience members. Last Christmas they produced the UK premiere of American cult-hit Almost, Maine to sell-out audiences at the Park Theatre in London, and they are currently touring John Vanbrugh’s restoration comedy The Provoked Wife around site-specific venues in the capital, such as The Ivy Club and Home House. Go People’s patron Niamh Cusack describes why theatre on a smaller scale is the most exciting: “I like seeing the looks in their eyes… the sweat, the snot, the tears, the whole lot… to witness it this close-up as a theatregoer is thrilling.”!

Prices start at £2000. For more information visit www.wearegopeople.com

Lucy Eaton
Founding Director
lucy@wearegopeople.com