Roland Muldoon

He left school in 1956 and worked in various jobs, ranging from city clerk to labourer, Brixham fish sorter to chainman on the new Victoria line.

CAST took Trials of Horatio Muggins and Mr Oligarchy's Circus to the Nancy Festival in 1969 they played student and factory occupations s. In 1970, the group split.

In 1976, CAST won an annual Arts Council Grant and they began a ten-year period of writing two plays a year; the most toured being The Return of Sam The Man M.P, a comic tragedy of the decline of the Labour Party.

In 1981, CAST set down a marker for the emerging comedy scene with its Sedition 81, a cabaret which executed the Monarchy, leading trade unionist amongst others, Roland gave a joint to the audience as a rebate from the state anticipating the arts cuts that the Tories planned in 1982, CAST created the New Variety circuit in London promoting a new wave of alternative comedy.

Notably through the pivotal national comedy and new variety competition The Hackney Empire New Act of the Year (NATY) Roland went on to co-star in the US movie Bucharest Express.

In this comically sharp account, Muldoon tells you everything you ever wanted to know about how to run a multicultural popular theatre in the face of pressure from the establishment, funders and the local council.