When the rebuilt Brockley Jack pub opened in 1898, it had a large function room at the rear of the building. The room has been used variously as a dance hall, a snooker room and a music venue, and by the 1980s, as nothing much at all. A small group of local actors, David Kincaid, Peter Rocca and Michael Bottle, hit upon the idea of staging dramatic productions in this back room. So, in 1993, the first of these ventures took place: 'An evening with Chekhov', featuring two one-handers, 'On the harmfulness of tobacco' and 'Swan Song'. David and Michael starred and Peter directed.