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The Long Overdue Theatre Company

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     The Long Overdue Theatre Company was set up in 1996 by Allen J Watts and Eddie Nias. Since 2002 they have also worked closely with the latest member of the team, Euan Manson. Together they have produced innovative and energetic shows which tour across the UK and Eire taking in venues ranging in size from 250 up to 1000 seats. Each show has its own original pre-recorded underscore which supports and augments the action on stage, rising and falling in sync with the character’s passions.

     Their productions are also highly technical. In addition to music, they use mask work, projections and interactive DVD characters to infuse their productions with a sense of magic and spectacle, creating a cinematic style. It is this modern style, full of ‘sound and fury’, which helps to bridge the gap between film and theatre, drawing a younger, often inexperienced audience into the world of Shakespeare and giving them an unforgettable experience.

     Long Overdue feel that all too often companies dismiss the technically demanding aspects of live performance as too difficult to achieve on tour. This company always puts the ‘what’ before the ‘how’. Virtually anything is possible if you put your mind to it, especially if you've got an old wind screen wiper motor, a glue gun and a bucket of sand.

     Whenever possible they also give students work experience, showing them everything to do with a professional touring Theatre Company, from everyday chores to actual performances, as well as trying to give them the experience of being a touring actor.

	Euan Manson (Company Manager)		Eddie Nias (Producer)
Euan joined the company in 2002 a few months after graduating from The Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in South London and liked it so much he seems to have moved in. Hired initially as an actor, playing the part of Banquo, Euan quickly fell into the role of Allen's unofficial on-tour P.A. Then, in 2003, following the birth of Allen's son Thomas, Euan became the company's Tour Manager dealing with the day-to-day problems of touring life. This includes finding places to eat, checking everyone has a bed to sleep in (and is in it on their own), liaising with venue staff and above all making sure all the cast and crew are happy. His newly acquired responsibilities coincided with playing Romeo in Long Overdue's modern production of R&J. While he enjoyed the challenge of taking a leading role both on and off the stage, the experience was exhausting and taught him a valuable lesson. It meant that when, in 2005, Euan found himself with the opportunity to take over from Allen as Company Manager he was not tempted to cast himself as the lead in Long Overdue's up-dated version of Macbeth. Well, I say not tempted… he was too short for the part. Macbeth shouldn't have to stand on a box to see the approaching English forces.		Eddie didn't really do anything until the age of 14 when he got his first guitar. After this he didn't really do much either, BUT did learn how to play, write and construct music. Through school and college Eddie trained in engineering, where he learned all about construction and design, as well as gaining useful skills such as welding, fabrication and instrumentation. After leaving fulltime education he worked as an electrician for a few years, all the while performing in as many productions as possible. Being a bit lazy and not really being one for a 'proper job' he joined the All Electric Puppet Theatre. After much hard work in various casual backstage jobs Eddie felt ready to work on Long Overdue's projects. The college years are also now paying off, as Long Overdue's sets are always big, elaborate, and really rather clever, all of which would not be possible without the prior training. Lastly, Eddie's other main job within Long Overdue is the Music. Each show has it's own music score which is carefully woven into the fabric of the production. Many, many hours are spent in his home studio creating the final music. Hours that he'd like to say are tranquil and stress free…unfortunately they are usually bad tempered, fraught affairs, usually accompanied by much swearing.
As Company Manager Euan also takes on the role of Artistic Director, a job he has eased into gently over the last 2 years. He began to feel his way through the role by rehearsing in some new cast members for R&J, concentrating solely on the actor's performances. The start of 2006 saw him completely re-direct Long Overdue's Macbeth, taking it in a darker and more cinematic direction than before. Finally, Euan and Eddie are also writing a musical for kids set in space, which is due for its premiere in 2009.