In 1995, and coinciding with the founding of The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor, the book The Red Cabbage Cafe by Jonathan Treitel was adapted for the stage by Penelope Dimond of the company, with original music by Martina Schwarz. Directed by Gary Merry it was first staged on a shoestring budget by a company of 30 for two nights on the 12th and 13th of April 1996 at the Candid Arts Trust in London. It told the story of Humphrey Veil an engineer in 1920’s Soviet Moscow, and his relationship with Sophia Bellechasse against a backdrop of Stalin’s rise to power. The production was free to the general public, who were also given free soup and vodka – establishing a New Factory tradition of both feeding, and not charging the audience.

The 14th, 15th, and 16th of November 1997 saw the second and largest staging of The Red Cabbage Cafe by The New Factory at the Atlantis Gallery in Brick Lane, London. The New Factory were the first to use this space for theatre performance, and played to more than a thousand people over 3 nights. The production was again directed by Gary Merry.

Sunday March 21st 1999 saw a ‘one night only’ staging of The Red Cabbage Cafe at The Roundhouse in London, at a time when the building was almost derelict. It was directed by Gary Merry.

March 1999 – The Roundhouse – London
November 1997 – The Atlantis Gallery – London
April 1996 – Candid Arts Gallery – London