A message from Tom written in 2006 – The Concept
During the short amount of time I’ve been on the circuit working I have found that there is no proffessional equivalent of a gym for working actors writers and directors to come and workshop their new ideas and see their work on it’s feet and in development as a work in progress towards it being shown publicly.
I was offered a residency at The 503 which is the old Latchmere pub theatre since we did Brett. C.Leonard’s Roger and Vanessa ( Robert Delamere, Linda Park) and we gave the money to UNICEF, the idea was to put on a play in no time at all and also work on our other projects at the same time, Hence Shotgun theatre like a shotgun wedding…we have a baby we should get married we had a play we had to get it on…. trying to offer the same night out that some places would charge for for a ticket simply because, we can. and we love it and we’d do it anyway. Giving back to the audience. Plus it was an exciting challenge. Robert was opening at the Almeida the same night with Whistling Psyche I was shooting Colditz and straight off of Festen and Linda was on a brief hiatus during seasons, we flew out the writer from the LABrynth as his new play Guinea pig solo had just opened at the Public, we were all busy but we just jammed the work together. It was a workshop vibe, for the love of the work. That’s it, that’s also why we didn’t charge for tickets, because we were letting an audience into a workshop, gym like atmosphere and it took the pressure off the idea of failng or performing. It was messy but it was a success infact we jammed the place full…But it’s full of heart and love.. genuinly we love the craft..which is what it’s all about for me, yeah I’d love to get paid hell yeah I’m still hustlin but..If I had a quid for every respectable and successful pro that I know that is broke we’d be hooked up…
It’s not everyday that you get offered a space. So I accepted a residency…Thinking about the possibilities outside the box of not neccessarily forming a company but more a splinter cell group of talented and like minded proffessionals and students and artists at all levels of the training and getting them together in a safe place where they can feed off eachother inspire eachother.. maybe eventually write for eachother in house or whatever no pressure just to feel like there is a space where we can grow and develop..no ego just honesty love and truth. a team not a company.. the nature of this squad being that there should be no pressure no committment just talent and immediate response to the material that walks in the door. 
This is the underground joint where you come down with what ever you want..you got your script, a script you’ve maybe considering an audition piece whatever… I want the 503 to be able to provide you with a space… so you can feel safe and free to come and test it before we go out there and do it on the day..
This is why I think it works best on a word of mouth and invite only basis.
On films/ movies/ t.v I have found that the nature of the work is so dependant on being shot as quick as possible in the bag and banked that there isn’t enough time for me to prepare as much as I would like from audition process to set. We live in a money making industry and opportunities fly by if I’m not on my game. It frustrates me sometimes that I’m my own meter for qualityt hat there is nowhere to go, without the pressure of joining a club theatre company or paying for a teacher and join a class just a place to go where I can drop in and just skate around my new characters , grow and develop without any pressure, and no strings attatchedmeans that unless I have the financial privelage of greenlting a movie passion projects are hard to get off the ground at all and any development of lower title characters are mixed with the financial implications of making movies and t.v etc doesn’t allow many actors the opportunity to to do serious development of character before shooting. Unlike a theatre rehearsal. Often I am left to do this work alone which is fine but it would be great to have a space and a place to go where I could fine tune and bounce my character of other artists to further develop the work to a level closer to that which I would like to be by tbhe time the cameras role. This is the space i wish to offer the artist. That’s all… tbcontinued
I will let you know more as this grows I don’t want to be a boss I think this place and squad can run itself if we are all or one working at times so as there can never be one person soley responsible for keeping the spot open, but I think it wpuld be tragic to be offered this opportunity to spring board new writers train and develop and with the opportunity to perform as well I would like to give back to my community in the best way I know how, by keeping it alive and helpin it to grow and prosper happily. It’s all about the work. I want it to be like an artists drop in centre/ coffee shop/gym vibe no fear no ego just good hard clean fun…the boundaries are limitless…
By invite only to keep it safe.
This website will allow us the op to keep all squad members posted asd to what days the spot will be open at 503 this is all early days stay posted xxx tommy
Blue on Blue
by Chips Hardy
Directed by Tom Hardy, starring Gideon Turner, Danielle Urbas and Simon Rhodes
U.K premiere and Theatrical debut 
7th-11th of November 2006
Tuesday – Thursday at 8pm
Friday – 5pm & 8pm
Saturday – 2.30pm & 8pm
Produced by The Shotgun Theatre Company in association with Theatre503
Once a week, auxiliary home help Marta comes round to clean up Moss’s flat. In an unwitting departure from standard procedure, she also gives him a massage and a bath. Carver, his nephew who shares his council flat, has troubles enough of his own.
Painfully funny, Blue on Blue examines the subtleties and vagaries of co-dependency
BLUE ON BLUE is Shotgun’s premiere production at Theatre503. And a stage debut by writer Chips Hardy.
My first play Blue On Blue took a hard arsed look at compulsion and co-dependency but was first and foremost a darkly funny play about people. And was heavily male. - Chips Hardy
All Tickets: £10 for shows at 8pm.
Friday @ 5pm and Saturday @ 2.30pm all tickets: £5
13 February – 17 February 2007
TWO STORM WOOD by Edward Bennett-Coles – World Premiere.
Following the sell out run of BLUE ON BLUE by Chips Hardy, Tom Hardy’s Shotgun Theatre premieres Edward Bennett-Coles’ controversial new play TWO STORM WOOD at the Theatre 503.
TWO STORM WOOD
by
Edward Bennett-Coles
“…and then Joe said what I hadn’t been able to say. Just said it. And I thought maybe it was that simple, just say sorry Shaun, and they’ll all love you again, but I couldn’t, I couldn’t say it …and I went on thinking, believing for years…believing that I wasn’t redeemable.”
When Verity gives her boyfriend a simple gift, an act of love and generosity, she has no idea of the devastating wounds she is re-opening and the catastrophic effects that it will have. Edward Bennett-Coles’ chilling afterthought on redemption takes us on a grim journey to define the word closure.
All tickets £10
Tuesday – Saturday at 8pm
Due to the sell out success of Shotgun Theatre’s last production at Theatre 503 it is advisable to book as soon possible.
