Philip Hedley at Stratford East

Informed by his own words and enhanced by contributions of people he worked with, this is the story of how Philip Hedley CBE came to run Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Royal Stratford East, save it from closure and develop a repertoire, which - amongst other things - led to the development of Black and Asian theatre in the UK. Philip Hedley was one of the most persuasive and relentless campaigners for proper and regular funding for the arts. Theatre critic Michael Billington describes him as being "the shop-steward of British theatre, always agitating, not just for Stratford East, but for a better deal for playhouses and artists throughout the land".Hedley was an inveterate writer, unafraid to criticise the hand that fed him and which fed his peers, through letters and articles. Working within one of the most racially diverse boroughs of the country - Newham in East London - Hedley created work that connected with the local community. He championed the importance of colour-blind casting - a radical idea at the time - and, through visionary and varied artistic programming, forged a unique identity for a theatre that many artists to this day call their home.Over the course of his time in theatre, Hedley religiously chronicled his experiences, though his death in 2024 meant that he never finished this book-to-be. His many collaborators, friends and admirers came to the rescue, however, and this book is a result of their combined efforts. Most of the words are Hedley's - others are retrospective interviews with him; some are re-edited material by Hedley, such as his introductions to playscripts, interviews with journalists or his letters to the press. Then there are the contributions from some of the many actors, writers and directors and theatre people he worked with at the Theatre Royal.