Mike Shepherd
In the beginning was the medieval Cornish miracle play – theatre presented as physically entertaining, socially provocative commentary on universal truths and Cornish controversies. Then, came Foot’s Barn – a revival of travelling theatre, a rejection of proscenium theatre, of formality – a celebration of the pit! In the 1960s the Footie’s were as much part of counter-culture as Sergeant Pepper, UmmaGumma, Edgar Broughton at Piran Round,or the Folk Cottage at Mitchell!
We should never consider Cornwall to be inward looking or bashful – when it has a product it goes round the world in search of custom. When Foot’s Barn left, having inspired many people to explore creative theatre and having re-established the outdoors as Cornwall’s favourite auditorium, there arose‘Kneehigh Theatre’ – led by Mike Shepherd.
Having found little success in breaking through the London audition circuit Mike brought his drive, creativity, new thinking and conviction home to Cornwall. He was a St Austell boy who was expelled from school and determined to make his mark.
Newly returned to Truro after a life of rock and roll in Penzance and on the road, I staked a Giro on the first Truro appearance of Kneehigh Theatre at the WI Hall in Old Bridge Street – I lost my shirt and my Giro but I gained many firm and inspiring friends in and around Kneehigh. That was in 1979. Since then Kneehigh has become a highly-regarded international Company and Mike Shepherd has, in his determined modesty and tenacious creativity, been there throughout.
Kneehigh has inspired kids in Cornish schools (until the National Curriculum destroyed the opportunity), produced a huge number of shows, big and small, initiated, revived and reformed community celebrations, inspired a generation of new theatre workers and suppliers, built The Asylum, a tented theatre, and developed a Worldwide audience. Mike told me recently: ‘We were never a commune, none of that hippy stuff – we were always ambitious. That’s the most Cornish thing about Kneehigh’.
Their first show was at Mevagissey School on the playing field. They erected a tent, pasted posters and got on – not realising that bureaucracy required a Performance Licence. The show required Mike to exit and enter the tent frequently. Each time he gained the open air he ran into but escaped from PC Burstow, who was intending to apprehend the culprit for failing to obtain a performance licence. The chase continued throughout the show. Sometimes Mike re-entered the tent to catch a cue, and sometimes to evade capture. As the applause of the capacity audience roared he was marched away in handcuffs ahead of the indefatigable PC Burstow to face the dreadful consequences of his wrongdoing!
I have known Mike for nearly forty years. He is still a young man, still taking risks, still mentoring, inspiring, educating, acting, managing and exploring the potential of his own creativity – he is a serious man who understands through his career-so-far the power of laughter and the potency of tears – a man for whom the human condition is a canvas and an adventure.
On the wall at The Barns at Gorran – without doubt Kneehigh Headquarters – one wall is covered in important words – words which motivate and benchmark Kneehigh, words by which the pool of talent measures itself, word which encapsulate not simply the character, motivation and achievements of Mike Shepherd, but also, with wonderful perception and insight, characterise the spirit of Cornwall – SpyrysKernow –
GENEROSITY – WONDER – PLAY – IRREVERENCE – JOY- FLEXIBILITY – BRAVERY – ANARCHY – NAUGHTINESS………………
Ladies and Gentlemen – if he’d been an eighteenth century Cornish Bishop he’d have spent a week or two in an English jail for his principles – Mike Shepherd of St Austell, Gorran, Planet Earth, Kneehigh and Kernow.