Little Earthquake

We are always unearthing unusual facts about moments and movements in history; figures from the distant and recent past; truths which are stranger than fiction. When we find them, that’s when we go to work with our team of collaborators, weaving these facts into curious stories which invite our audiences to scupper their expectations and escape the ordinary…

Little Earthquake is a Walsall-based theatre company which was founded in 2005 by Creative Director Gareth Nicholls and Executive Director Philip Holyman.

To date, the company has toured across the country presenting six original productions and events:

Between August 2010 and April 2011, Gareth and Philip travelled to Melbourne for an eight-month sabbatical, meeting and working with some amazing Australian theatre-makers.

In Spring 2011, the company returned to the UK with a programme of regional and national touring and new commissions, including an early work-in-progress showing of The Year Is Twenty-One.

The company is currently developing its first family show and a new small-scale piece for urban and rural touring networks, as well as preparing to tour It’s Only A Paper Moon in Spring 2014.

Philip Holyman – co-Director

Philip is organisation personified. He’s a master of spreadsheets and schedules, matched by a calm creativity. He keeps us all in check and on budget, and will be your first point of contact if you get in touch. He’s also often the main writer behind our productions. Step into one of our rehearsals and you’ll spot Philip straightaway: he’s the one tapping on his laptop, transforming the chaos into beautifully crafted narratives.

Follow Philip on Twitter: @philipholyman

Gareth Nicholls – co-Director

Gareth is the creative force behind our productions and often leads from the front as a performer. He’s always on the hunt for those elusive facts that could make great theatre, and then guides the production’s collaborators towards a shared vision. At first he encourages chaos and anarchy, plastering the rehearsal room with research notes and half-formed ideas, but then sets about the delicate task of weaving it all together to tell curious stories in creative ways.

Follow Gareth on Twitter: @gareth_nicholls

I am an actor / writer / musician / film maker / designer / tight-rope walker. Can I collaborate with Little Earthquake?

Currently our productions are created with a small regular team of collaborators, but we’re always keen to hear from artists who we could work with in the future.

Why don’t you start by contacting us and telling us a bit about yourself? If you have any work that we can come and see, please give us as much notice as possible and we’ll do our best to come along.

Or maybe you could come to one of our New Collaborator Workshops? They’re a chance for you to meet us, and for us to meet you, and to spend a day playing together. Keep an eye on our Events page for details of forthcoming workshops.

Can you help me with my essay / dissertation / thesis?

We’re honored that you’d ask! We’ll do our best to help if we can. Contact us with details about what you need to know and we’ll see what we can do.

Can I come and watch you rehearse?

Thanks for your interest in coming along to observe Little Earthquake in rehearsal. Unfortunately, we don’t allow anyone to observe rehearsals except for those directly involved in the creation of the production. If you have any questions about our process, we’d be more than happy to answer them for you. You can contact us here.

I want to set up my own theatre company. Do you have any advice?

Good for you! We’ll still learning ourselves, but we do have some war stories that might help you avoid some of the mistakes we made. We also have a great support network around us so we can introduce you to them too! Why not get in touch and tell us more about your plans?

Can you give me the contact details for one of your collaborators?

Unfortunately we can’t give you any contact details directly, but if you get in touch with us, we’ll make sure to pass your message on.