Mike Jempson is a journalist and local activist and was the Chair of Half Moon Theatre in the late 1970s. He is the Director of the journalism ethics charity MediaWise and is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism at the University of West of England.
Read Mike’s in-depth article on Wilton’s Music Hall becoming a possible venue for Half Moon Theatre:
WILTON’S FOR THE EAST END: The untold story
I was the lay chair of the Half Moon Theatre Company in Stepney in the mid-1970s when its growing popularity meant larger premises were needed….
Journalist and local activist, Mike Jempson, talks about the historical context of the time Half Moon Theatre operated in Alie Street in the late 1970s. He reflects on the changing demographic of the communities who lived in the area and the impact of the commercial development of Tower Hamlets at the time, especially with the establishment of the London Docklands Development Corporation.
Mike Jempson, talks about the production Get Off My Back, which was staged at Half Moon Theatre in Alie Street in the late 1970s. He talks about the end of one of the performances, when local people came into the theatre to tell everyone that Warehouse C on the Wapping waterfront was on fire. He reflects upon the fact that rapid changes in the area of Tower Hamlets were being mirrored on stage at Half Moon Theatre.
Mike Jempson, talks about Pam Brighton, Artistic Director of the Half Moon Theatre in Alie Street in the late 1970s. Interviewed by Chris Elwell.
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