In other words, you have to create your ‘theatre company’.

If, for example, you are producing a one-person show, then this need be only a very small company – you plus the actor, a director and a technician. The four of you are ‘the company’. Of course, if you plan to direct, and intend to run the sound and light desk during the performances, then the company is reduced to just two people – you and your actor!

However you choose to proceed, the smaller your first production, the easier it will be to manage properly. If you are desperate to put on that comedy with a cast of twenty actors and a stage management team of six technicians...don’t! Save it for your next production (ideally, after you have made a huge success of the first!)

Some (or all) of your company may be made up of the people who helped you devise and develop your idea and script, which will further simplify matters. If, however, you are looking for new people, then you will have to start running auditions and having meetings.

If you have limited experience, then this is the time to find your director – ideally, someone with more experience than you! You want to find someone who knows about casting, rehearsing and, of course, directing. In short, you need to collaborate with someone who will ‘problem-solve’ most of the performance-related activity for your production.

You may wonder why such a person would wish to collaborate with you?

The answer is simple - a director craves an environment in which he or she can get on with directing. He or she does not want to be bothered with all the other tasks -bookings, publicity, ticket sales, etc -  that surround a show. If - as producer - you offer to take care of all of that, he or she will be willing to go into partnership with you and get on with staging the piece.