MAVERICK THE STORY OF THE KING'S HEAD: THE FIRST PUB THEATRE IN MODERN ENGLAND\n\nSYNOPSIS\n\nDan Crawford emigrated from Hackensack New Jersey to England in 1969. He walked into The King's Head, which hadn't been decorated since the 1930s and was very rundown and entirely deserted. But it had a back room (used for cock fighting in the 17th century and illegally for prize fighting in the 20th). A perfect space for a theatre. And so, with a small loan from his Mother, Edna, he applied to buy the lease. The brewery said "Well, nobody else wants it - may as well give it to you on a punt".\n\nWithin a few months, the King's Head Theatre was born! It was 1970; The King's Head was the first pub theatre in England since pre-Shakespearean times. The first play - an absurdist comedy - didn't do very well. But the second: John Fowle's The Collector, was a hit! The King's Head went on to enjoy many successes - championing a richly eclectic programme of new writing, musicals and classic revivals, and launching the careers of dozens of household names. The constant stream of work that the King's Head produced provided essential fodder for the West End - with on average one show transferring every year.\n\nIn 1984, Stephanie arrived with a little girl in her arms. Dan and Stephanie married, and Stephanie went on to work alongside Dan. Stephanie was a passionate advocate for the King's Head, rallying the theatrical community to its aid dozens of times when the wolf was at the door. Despite a legacy of incredible work In the early 90s, the King's Head's annual grant was taken away, despite a tremendous outpouring of support from the public and theatrical community. It was a tiny grant compared to those given to other off West End theatres, but it allowed us to be a full time producing house with an artistic vision. Without it - we were forced to become mostly a theatre for hire. It was an event that broke Dan's heart.\n\nAfter Dan's death in 2006, Stephanie battled on and managed to raise the funds to buy the building form the brewery, safeguarding the theatre's future in perpetuity before moving to be with her daughter in New Zealand, leaving behind a lifetime of passionate commitment, hard work - and the greatest love story of her life.\n\nThis film chronicles the journey of those years, using new material and interviews from 2020 alongside excerpts from an earlier film: A Maverick In London (2006) Directed by Jason Figgis and Stephanie Sinclaire, Produced by Stephanie Sinclaire and Stash Kirkbride, Presented by Stash Kirkbride. Screened on Sky Arts and Channel Four, UK. Featuring Dan Crawford, Alan Rickman, Tom Stoppard, Joanna Lumley, Rupert Graves, Antony Sher, Steven Berkoff, Janie Dee and many more.
