Headlong (group)

Headlong is a British theatre company noted for reworking plays of the past and commissioning new work. It was previously called Anvil Productions and then the Oxford Stage Company. It has produced plays at theatres in London and across the UK with leading directors including Rupert Goold, Dominic Dromgoole and Sean Holmes.

History

Headlong dates back to 1974 when Anvil Productions was formed as Oxford Playhouse’s theatre company. Its founders were Gordon McDougall and co-director Nicolas Kent, who were later joined by Richard Williams. [1] It later changed its name to the Oxford Stage Company but no longer has any links with the Oxford Playhouse, which was closed from 1987 to 1991.

The Oxford Stage Company moved to London in 2002 but retained its name until 2006. That same year, theatre director Rupert Goold took over from Dominic Dromgoole as artistic director. Goold explained the need for a name change in The Stage newspaper: “It was a decision informed by confusion about our identity as audiences frequently thought we were either a student company or based at the Oxford Playhouse (our mail was often sent there).”[2]

Headlong’s board includes leading actors, directors and writers and in 2009 was made up of Samuel Adamson, Donald Fathers, Sarah Hunt, Paterson Joseph, Joanna Kennedy (chair), Christopher Luscombe, Caroline Maude, Sarah Preece, Wendy Spon and Colin Tweedy.[3]

Productions

Since 2003, its productions around the UK have included:

External links

Headlong’s website