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THEATRE’S FIERY CHAMPION
17.11.2011 / AI Profile / 0 Comments
Edward Snape, producer and impresario
The theatre producer and impresario Edward Snape is not yet one of the great names of West End theatre, alongside Cameron Mackintosh, Thelma Holt and Nica Burns, but his influence is proving to be at least as profound. Apolitical, he is guiding practice back to the advantage of theatregoers by battling behind the scenes on their behalf over ticket pricing, and of theatre investors on tax breaks. He has made a speciality of children's theatre, is the chief executive of the producers Fiery Angels and he is behind Fiery Dragons.
The Fiery Dragon was a children's book character, created by E Nesbit, who gave every impression of ferocity but who, in the end, only wanted to be loved. The 21st century embodiment might be seen as the opposite: amiable and welcoming to all outward appearances, but with a ravenous hunger for success at its heart.
Fiery Dragons emerged earlier this year as a new West End producer, or rather a group of businessmen who had decided that the rather cosy world of theatre angels - the investors in theatre who put their money into productions with hope of success rather than expectation and who nearly always happily lose their investments - no longer fitted the modern model of the theatre business. It was, at first a triumvirate of the opera producer Raymond Gubbay, the businessman Luke Johnson, who describes himself as "a serial entrepreneur", and Edward Snape.
Its philosophy was that instead of leaving the angels to the wiles of predatory impresarios, they could now join a club led by three wise men who know the market and the product, and who would give them the tax-break advan- tages the government was expanding on as well as investing wisely. It was an immediate success in attracting investment, and its first production, The Ladykillers, has just opened in Liverpool with a West End run starting on December 7.
The name of the co-operative owes much to the TV programme Dragons' Den in which a panel of millionaire entrepreneurs cross-examine proposals and invest real money if presentations are successful.
"Dragons' Den is a great programme because it's real; they're really are making decisions" Snape says. "What's fascinating is that most of people looking for money aren't just looking for money - they want advice in distribution and marketing and so on.
"I think the Arts Council have got to change and do what the BBC do, have a commercial arm to what is public funding. If the BBC thinks we need to commercially exploit its programmes, I don't see why ACE wouldn't do something similar. They could be reaching to potential philanthropists on behalf of the arts organisations they subsidise, giving a lead."
Despite the chiming of their titles, the two organisations are quite separate: Fiery Angel is an independent production company that stunned the West End with the success of its, some thought, impertinent adaptation of John Buchan's The 39 Steps, and its run has just celebrated five years with no signs of flagging. Their next venture is likely to be a comic adaptation of Ben Hur. Fiery Dragons is an investment enterprise which might invest in the Fiery Angel productions on behalf of investors or not, depend- ing on the potential as the Dragons see it.
Snape, at 45 the youngest of the triumvirate, was the progenitor of the Dragons, and the creator ten years ago of Fiery Angel, of whose name he is less sure of the origin. It has references to the amateur dabblers in theatre investment, and might even have something to do with the Prokoviev opera. He and his wife and business partner, Marilyn Eardley, are an enthusiastic opera goers.
At the age of 27 he started his own West End ticketing agency, Groupline, and in 2000 became director of the Arts Theatre, "The Fringe in the West End", with its reputation for classy children's theatre. To labour the metaphor, it turned into a baptism by fire and the angel was a phoenix. "It had been a very good start, we had a five year lease and the first thee years were pretty good, but then it
became a battle with the landlords. "It makes you very angry. Most landlords want to
receive rent and see tenants thrive, I threw everything I had into that building, but I realised too late that they had an absolute agenda for it to fail, they wanted to redevelop."
He had an ambitious scheme that would have involved the Photographers Gallery which was then next door, but it failed and the gallery took another option and it opens its new premises near Oxford Street in the new year. New competition for the Arts arose with the Trafalgar Studios, and the fabric of his building began to give out for lack of investment. "It was just very dispirit- ing".
In the meantime he had seen The 39 Steps at West Yorkshire Playhouse and started Fiery Angel to get investment to put it into at the Arts. Instead, it was remodelled for The Tricycle, and in 2006 it opened at the Criterion.
"Suddenly, freed of the Arts, I found myself with a bit of success" he says. Fiery Angel saw an opportunity with children's productions, all commercially successful and profitable - he is the founder of the Children's Touring Partnership which had its first tour, with Goodnight Mr Tom, this year. Investors were enthusiastic, and he used the Enterprise Investment Scheme to get them the best options, and terms of the EIS were substantially improved in the last Budget.
The EIS was a catalyst for the Dragons, he says. "It's an interesting position, because the Treasury, the Department of Culture and the Arts Council are all talking and it's not surprising that in this climate of the government making cuts they should be asking where private investors can step in.
"But I was at pains to say, 'Beware of EIS, it's not the answer for theatre'". With the EIS, investors paying tax at 50% can now claim 30% a year, up from 20%, back on investments of up to £500,000, but it's not made for the quick thrill of theatre investment angels are looking for. "It's long term, a scheme has to trade for three years before it can take any money out, so it's great for manufacturing but not for production companies that need a quick turnover.
"What the theatre angel likes to do is put up, say, £2,500 and enjoy the thrill of the race. What a good producer does is to make them feel as close to the race track as they possibly can. The EIS is a different feel: it's a board, it's a company, but it's not betting on a horse."
What he is pressing for through the Arts Council, and through the Society of London Theatre, of which he is a board member, is for theatre producers to be accorded the kind of tax breaks UK film producers get, which has just been increased. "It's a shame that film has enjoyed all this extraordinary help in terms of tax incentives, and there is nothing for theatre that has been such a huge success story."
The West End has prospered from subsidy with transfers from the National Theatre and Royal Court in particular having done spectacularly well this year, but there has been little public investment in musical theatre. "And look where we are with that, all jukebox nonsense and tat. But if we can't rely on public funding, and we understand the reasons why, there need to be relief on tax.
"If you're lucky enough to earn £50-£100,000 a year and give £2,000 as investment in a show, I think you should be able to offset it against income tax, as you can in the US. Here, there's only relief on capital gains and it's very complicated". He and one or two other producers have written directly to the Treasury, via the Arts Council, to make the point. They are still waiting for a reply.
The regions suffer from a shaky touring regime, Snape believes, with theatre management hitting productions with extra costs and "outrageous" ticket commissions. Touring has become a very marginal business as a result. "It's a minefield and is far the Arts Council has been inept, but I'm beginning to see theatres getting a grasp of it". ACE, however, has been a good partner with the Children's Touring Partnership, which puts the National Theatre assisted Swallows and Amazons on tour next year. "They've responded to a need".
And then there is ticketing, and he steps carefully through what he says is an "insane" issue. "People are very confused about ticketing. Certain theatre producers understand there are general ticketing agents out there who could, if allowed proper free market, do it for less, but there are backroom deals done and there is no free market". He refers to "administration" charges as "free money" for theatre proprietors. "The customer should be looked after and shouldn't be being charged what they are, and producers who are taking the risk should have a choice as to who provides the ticketing service". He thinks there's a 50-50 chance of winning his point.
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