Sydenham Spontaneous Productions launches second fundraiser

Spontaneous Productions, a theatre company that performs outdoors, had plans to perform George Orwell’s 1984 and Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through The Looking Glass during the summer holidays this year.

Spontaneous Productions was close to bankruptcy in August 2023, but a fundraiser launched by director Jonathan Kauffman saved the theatre company.

Jonathan told the News Shopper: “After a very successful autumn and early New Year, we’ve hit the buffers once again.

“Despite fabulous feedback from audiences - some of the best we've ever had - we can only assume the cost-of-living crisis is hitting harder than ever, as ticket sales have been 30 per cent down on our target.”

The theatre company’s performance of Hansel and Gretel, performed during weekends in March this year, was not as successful as they anticipated.

Jonathan explained: “With the Hansel and Gretel show, I had losses of about £2,000.

“We were between 300 and 400 tickets short of their break-even target, where the total costs are equal to the total revenue.”

Spontaneous Productions’ more successful shows sell around 1,500 tickets, but just around 1,000 were sold for this one.

Since ticket sales for Hansel and Gretel were far less than needed, the company has been forced to postpone its performance of 1984.

Jonathan has once again launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to let the company perform Alice Through The Looking Glass in late May and early June, which would be performed in Home Park.

The target is £3,000, and, as of April 23, £1,060 has been donated after the launch on March 28.

Jonathan has tried to get sponsorship from local businesses but has been repeatedly rejected.

Jonathan said: “We’ve been trying to local businesses for sponsorship, but increasingly, businesses tell me they can’t support us like they used to.

“So we’ve been trying some big players, big corporate companies, and what we’ve been told is that we’re not a registered charity, and they can’t support us.”

Despite this, Spontaneous Productions is a Community Interest Company which means it focuses on serving the community, and profits generated are used to make Sydenham a more vibrant place.

Jonathan said: “Community Interest Companies are very common now and there are lots of them around.

“But I don’t think the businesses we want to sponsor us have heard of them as an entity, which is a frustration.”

As well as appealing to businesses and the community for help, the company has some ideas, including temporarily reviving Hansel and Gretel for one day in a pay-what-you-can system.

Jonathan said the other plan is a “slim possibility where we’re trying to get the rights to the books of Roald Dahl".

He explained: “Several years ago, I did a reading from Roald Dahl books, and we did a show called Dear Mr Dahl.

“And we might try to do that again if we can get the rights.

“The final plan is to do a play reading of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde at the end of May.”

Jonathan explained that the rehearsed reading would be with a group of actors performing script-in-hand and would not be a fully staged production with costumes and scenery.

This would also be another pay-what-you-can to support the company.

Spontaneous Productions has partnered with Blue Mountain Theatre Company and Jonathan will collaborate with founding member Lavern Archer.

For Refugee Week, from June 17 to June 23, the companies will stage a show that they’re calling Home From Home, a story told by refugees and their experience of making their home in London from overseas.

Working with real refugees, the collaboration hopes to be able to raise funds to allow Spontaneous Productions to carry on their intended summer performances.

The show is expected to be performed at the Sydenham Centre on June 21.

Jonathan added: “Now, with people’s support. we aim to launch a fantastic programme of outdoor theatre this summer in Home Park.

“With your donations, we'll be able to create two amazing original shows.”