Organisers of a revolutionary new project to help a theatre company and a city's theatre work together are hoping the scheme will benefit both groups, as well as attracting new audiences. Steve Pratt reports.

Perhaps it's just as well that Marcus Romer is a theatre director and not a mathematician, as he believes that two and two can make five. What he means is that two theatre companies pooling their resources can add up to something that has benefits for both parties.

Pilot Theatre Company, which he's led for the past eight years, has gone into partnership with York Theatre Royal thanks to funding from Stage Exchange, a programme jointly managed by Audiences Yorkshire and Yorkshire Arts.

Cut through press release jargon, which talks of "overall vision" and "enriched relationships", and you can recognise a scheme that will make a lot of difference to what audiences will see, not just in locally but around the country as Pilot carries the banner for Yorkshire on tour.

"Because Pilot is a touring company, by sharing we'll be taking the name of York Theatre Royal around the country for seven months. The theatre couldn't afford to tour on that level," says Romer.

If this Pilot scheme is successful, it could become the model for similar programmes in other parts of the country.

Pooling resources, finances and workloads means Pilot can present a wider range of work on a larger scale and tour longer. The company, which is celebrating its 21st birthday, retains its Castleford base as well as opening offices in York. Romer himself has moved to the city, to cut down of his travelling and because he wants to be part of the community in which he's working.

The advantage for the Theatre Royal is the possibility of welcoming the new, younger audiences that Pilot, with productions such as Lord Of The Flies and Rumblefish, has been successful in attracting.

"We're all doing the same thing in theatre. We want to make as many people as possible come and see shows. Rather than do things on our own, there's a spirit of co-operation and collaboration," explains Romer.

Pilot and the Theatre Royal have had a working relationship for the past four years, dating back to Romer's much-admired stage adaptation of William Golding's Lord Of The Flies.

"We know where they're coming from and what sort of work to expect, so it dovetails quite easily," he says. "Pilot has evolved. You have to move on and be flexible, look for new areas and new work.

"The Theatre Royal, and theatres nationally, are generally not engaging as much as we need to with young people. That's where we come in, to attract the next generation of theatregoers. It's our duty to get out and shake things up a bit. We're looking for young people and new audiences for whom theatre might not be the first choice.

"We have a website and many people engage with us and share ideas, whether they've seen our work in Dorset or Newcastle. We need to connect more and communicate more. That's what theatre is about."

As part of the scheme, Romer will be directing a main house production at the Theatre Royal and the venue's artistic director Damian Cruden will helm a Pilot production.

The first show also sees the North-South divide bridged as the revival of Bolton writer Jim Cartwright's play Road is being staged in association with the Lyric Hammersmith. The production will play at that London theatre for three weeks as well as undertaking a tour - dubbed "the no sleep until Jersey" tour - extending into March next year.

Road sees the audience taken on a night-time tour of an everyday road by the slightly-intoxicated Scullery. Residents in bedroom and kitchen, in lounge and on street corner, tell their stories.

As usual, Pilot's style takes in original music, projected DVD images and live surveillance cameras with special footage created in the local area of each venue.

The 1986 play by Cartwright, who also wrote Little Voice, has been adapted for modern audiences. Romer believes this approach is vital. "Theatre should not be set in stone or be behind glass like a museum piece," he says.

"Every venue will have a set of images and titles specific to the locale of that place. The road is round the corner from wherever we are, from where the audience is sitting.

"We didn't want audiences to feel the setting was far away and had no meaning for them. They will recognise there are people like that in every single town."

* Road continues at York Theatre Royal until September 28. Tickets (01904) 623568.