Background
The company has a background in film that goes back over 30 years. A.G. Longhurst (Tony), left drama school and decided to write a play entitled: Long Live the King (left). At the time he was working with his cousin in Stoke and they were liaising back and forth about art work for the poster.
Everything was being discussed from London via Stoke and this became the name of the theatre company. The company soon took up residency at a pub theatre in Bounds Green North London, The Springfield Park Tavern.
For the next few years, the company produced various plays and collaborated with the theatre and other companies to produce over 30 plays not only at the Springfield but other venues across London.
It was during these early productions that long term collaborations were made with many of the people connected with Longhurst and Putt Productions today.
By the end of 1993, LVS ended their connections with the Springfield Park Tavern but continued to produce theatre productions, including the following:
- Macbeth – Lyric Hammersmith.
- No Place left for Heroes – The Union, Waterloo.
- Turpin – The Old Red Lion, Islington.
Also during this time, the company decided to produce several short films, including: The Sub Kinsella (which was part of the production at the Union), First Date and Lucky – directed by A. G. Longhurst and staring James Osborne.
1997 — Today
In 1997. Tony began writing a play entitled ‘Babysitters’ about an escaped convict that has broken out of prison by his old colleagues. The play had been first devised when two plays that had been previously produced and written by A. G. Longhurst – Robin Hood Was A Hero and Villain – both were successful and it was hoped that this would take a more in depth look at the characters that lived in this world.
Babysitters was originally to be a stage play, but then the interest led the play to be made into a film. As the screenplay was developed but nothing more came of the idea, it was decided to have a trial staging of the play at The Brookside Theatre in Romford.
Robert Putt was brought on board and after the trial run Robert and Tony decided to rewrite the play but not the screenplay. This was the beginning of Longhurst and Putt Productions.
They decided to put a promo video together to help raise funds. Using two of the characters from the play Lucas and Albert, the promo video was put together by Darren S Cook who had worked with Tony previously, Robert and James Osborne. This shoot went very well and it was Darren that suggested that these two characters could make a stand alone film.
Longhurst and Putt Productions Ltd was born and Lucas and Albert became their first feature film.
Since then, Robert has left the company but not before he joined with Tony and other members of the cast to accept the Best Feature Film Award at The 2021 National Film Awards.
It is hoped that this success will be the start of more to come.
Lucas And Albert: Best Feature Film Award at The 2021 National Film Awards
Previous stage productions and short films
- Long Live the King: Springfield, Mandela Theatre, The Fox
- Robin Hood was a Hero: Springfield
- The Owl and the Pussy Cat: Springfield
- His Brothers Keeper: Springfield
- Killing of Sister George: Springfield
- Alfie: Springfield, The Birds Nest
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Springfield
- Macbeth: The Hen and Chickens, Lyric Studio Hammersmith
- Turpin: The Old Red Lion
- No Place left for heroes: The Union
- Babysitters: The Brookside
- The Sub
- Kinsella
- Gerry
- First Date