David Johnson
Some of this blog has been taken from the tribute I did when I learned of David's passing (if it looks familiar). But I had already added him to my Top Influences prior to him passing so still wanted to give him his own blog post in this collection. I would have preferred him to be alive to read it, which is another reason I am trying to get through all these, because we only usually give recognition to the impact someone had on your life at their funeral. I think it's much better they get the chance to hear it/read it while they are still around. Sorry, you didn't get to read yours David.
My cousin Danny Carnegie was a member of Oldham Theatre Workshop and my Aunty Jean (his sister) would take me to see his shows. Every time I watched them I would come away on a complete high and wish I could go, but I just didn't have the confidence. The two shows I remember most were Tom & Huck and Bugsy Malone. After coming out of watching Bugsy I asked if I could join and soon after had my first class and had to make my way to Higginshaw School on Shaw Road for about 6pm on the bus. The first time I went I was with Danny and as soon as I walked in I immediately felt out of my depth. The class hadn't even started but just how confident everyone was, chatting in the stairwells, singing and dancing all over the place, I just knew I didn't have the balls to go into the main room and be outgoing etc. I think I left and got the next bus home, much to the surprise of my mum and dad, that I was back so soon.
The next time I decided to go back was some years later and I was in my teens, which was probably quite late compared to others who had joined at about 7 or 8 years old. Your induction always started off with a 6-8 week course where you did a lot of improvisations based on different subjects and the best of these would be worked on and developed into longer sketches that would then be put into a production at the end of the 6-8 weeks. Parents & Friends would be invited along to watch the show and it would be a good way for David to see which new members showed potential.
Years later I was roped into directing some. of these sessions when Danny needed a second person to run different age groups during the Oldham Wakes break.
Anyone who knew of the town of Oldham would almost certainly have heard of Oldham Theatre Workshop. It was somewhere those budding actors aged 8 years up could learn their craft. Unlike most drama schools OTW was FREE for members and so opened up opportunities to those who may otherwise not have been able to afford to take advantage of such training. I say training, you were literally drilled through dance routines, stage blocking, and learning your lines until David's vision was achieved.
The process usually began with a cattle call where the masses were asked to perform certain tasks, be it a dance routine, sing a specific song or read for a certain part. You were then given a coloured sticky dot on your T-shirt which had some meaning you were unaware of. The various coloured dots were then split into groups. If you were lucky you got a role in the next production, if you were not as you got to play a chorus role as one of the many faces in the group numbers. These were usually split into Chorus A,B and C. This not only meant that child actors didn't have to perform each night, but also quite cleverly meant that there were about 500 chorus members who would all sell tickets to Granny, Grandad and Aunty's and Uncles see them 'Perform'.
Many people got their first TV experience as a result of being a part of OTW because you were kind of automatically signed up to Laine Management, if you didn't have an agent. Then if any TV parts came up that you might be suitable for David would audition all the potential members who fit the character profile and the short-list would be sent for the audition. That was always the good thing about OTW it was a great leveler. You could never get too big for your boots because you could be filming Childrens Ward one week and then back in the chorus in a show the week after. Equally when we had an OTW reunion some years ago, lots of people turned up that had gone on to have successful TV careers, but all the ego's were left at the door because once we were together we were all just 'from workshop' and it was like we were back in the 'good old days' and exchanging funny stories and shared memories.
My biggest regret about my time at OTW is that I didn't join when I was younger, as by the time I started going I was at that age where I had the embarrassment factor and worried about what people thought. A lot of the longer-standing members, joined when they were a lot younger and so had a lot more confidence by the time they hit their early teens.
David Johnson founded Oldham Theatre Workshop in 1968 and during his time as Director, produced many of today's successful actors. No matter how old you were, the minute you stepped through those doors, he treated you like a professional actor out in the real world. He made no exceptions for youth and thought nothing of scolding a 9-year-old for arriving 3 minutes late, the same as he would a 20-year-old for fluffing a line.
Everybody was held to the exact same high standard. As much as you hated the public humiliation at the time, you never made the same mistake twice. Within the industry, OTW had a reputation for producing actors who were professional, punctual and always knew their lines. If ever there were two actors in the running for a part I'm sure that coming from OTW would give someone the edge over their counterpart with comparable acting ability. The discipline David instilled in members would set them up with life skills that they could take with them into adulthood. If I would ever go for a job interview, having been a member of OTW was always something that was thought very highly of and brought up during the interview.
It really hit home to me many years after I left Theatre Workshop, just how David's discipline had been instilled in me. I met someone on a night out and got chatting and they were a member of an adult Am Dram group. He mentioned they were doing a panto and their Dame had dropped out with just 6 weeks to go. I explained I could step in if they were stuck, which he was happy to accept. He dropped me off a script the next day and said two days later they would be running through Act 1. I turned up for rehearsals two days later and waited for things to start. People were casually wandering in at various times long after we had meant to begin. 'David wouldn't have this', I thought to myself. Anyway, we started rehearsals and I sat my script down on my chair and went up on stage to have the scene blocked. "Where's your script?" said the director, "It's on my chair" I said, "Well don't you need it?" he asked? I looked around and everybody on stage was holding their script (they had been rehearsing for about 12 weeks). "I thought we doing the whole of Act 1 tonight
, So I've learned it? ". He looked shocked?
I just presumed after rehearsing for so long everybody would be off-book as that was the first thing David insisted on. You can't gesticulate or move about properly while still looking down at your script. Needless to say, I told them at the end of a shambolic rehearsal that this "wasn't for me". I think when you have been held to such high standards by David for so long, it's hard to slip into a slapdash work ethic.
A lot of great actors were previous members of Oldham Theatre Workshop who have since gone on to have successful careers in the industry.
David was renowned for his cutting one-liners that he would scream across the rehearsal room at anybody stepping out of line during rehearsals.
Some of the classics I remember were:-
"You in the blue dungarees you're masking !! "- This was the 70 % of the cast costume was blue dungarees lol.
"If your hair's in the way, BURN IT OFF ! "- Not a fashion tip I would suggest lol.
"If they're in the way KICK THEM, They'll soon move!" - Violence should never be the answer lol.
"If I'm not worth 10 pence, DON'T BOTHER COMING!" - This was in the days of phone booths and payphones that cost 10p to make a phonecall, (to let David know you'd be late).
"Girl with the hair - OUT !!" - Every Girl with hair froze and avoided catching his eye in case he meant you lol.
And if you were ever brave enough to apologise for botching a line it usually went like this...
You: Sorry David......
David: "SO AM I !!!"
David was unapologetically himself and didn't care if parents thought he was the devil incarnate, he had a show to put on and if your precious little darling couldn't hack it then they were free to go home, cry and not come back lol.
I always loved how he could command a noisy rehearsal room to complete slience without saying a word. He didn't need to shout for everyone to be quiet, he would simply hold his hands in the prayer position under his chin at the front of the room. People would eventually notice he was in the room and nudge each other to shut up. Once you could hear a pin drop he would simply say "THANK YOU" (with a sharp nod of his head and bouffant hair would follow a millisecond after). David was revered in the industry and anybody who ever met him always remembered their encounter and usually had a funny tale to tell.
David was on the New Year's Honours list in 2019 for his Youth Theatre Work. I'm glad he got the recognition while he was still alive as so often people only get the recognition after they have passed.
I know for a fact that David had a huge impact on my life and how I turned out. Even from the fact that I made lifelong friends during my time at Oldham Theatre Workshop. Some of whom I see on a regular basis and others we just keep in touch with now and then via social media, but I still consider them friends just the same.
David, you were a Legend and will be sadly missed. I salute you (whilst chewing gum ;-) )
You never know, some of us ex ex-workshop folk might get together and write David Johnson The Musical lol ;-)
Below are just some of the people from Oldham Theatre Workshop during David's time there (there are thousands more).
If you have any memories you'd like to share please add them in the comments below.
Who else is on my List?