W: A Return to Oz | remembering the Warehouse after years of forgetting

W: A Return to Oz is a documentary about the Warehouse in Plymouth, and how it signified an age. Director Daniel Howard-Baker tells us about the film and how Plymouth is a barometer for the whole country

What was your experience of the Warehouse in Plymouth, and why did you decide to make the documentary, W: A Return to Oz, about it?

None particularly before I started making the documentary. My only relationship I had with the building were memories as a kid leaving Toys r Us car park, driving past the Warehouse via a side alley. I remember looking at the building (2005 to 2008ish) and seeing old flyers from previous raves and was curious what was inside. That curiosity laid dormant until just over

A year ago where I wanted to make a documentary about Plymouth’s former nightlife and the Warehouse was a top contender to explore. The Warehouse building had four separate clubs which represented the different styles of clubbing at the time. One was a rock alternative room, a chill out room, a cheesy chart pop room and the rave auditorium. It had something for everyone and so in exploring this former building and club we explore all the UK and world clubs that once were too.

What was research, where did it lead you, and how did you uncover the stories of The Warehouse?

Initially, I did an open call on various Plymouth-Nightclub-Throwback Facebook groups in April 2024 asking for volunteers to interview and possibly use any archive assets they may possess from the time. This led me to various interviews and referrals to key people who made the Warehouse what it was. Many of them were kind enough for me to use their personal archive in the documentary. In terms of the story and contents, I only had a vague idea of the subjects of discussion. Leaving the interviewees to tell their stories almost unprompted, I gathered the best and most interesting things of what was said and constructed the beginning middle and end from them. It took a while, but it meant I was able to source the best of the best I had available – whether that be spoken word or VHS archive. 

How important is it to revisit buildings, movements and stories of the past to gauge the culture of now?

Buildings can easily be at the mercy of the elements and entropy if not attended to. The same can be said for movements and stories if they’re left astray – they’re forgotten. There was a sense of relief amongst the interviewees when I chatted to them. A relief of, finally this is story is now being told after years of forgetting! I think in discussing the youth today and what they have in store, it is interesting to explore previous movements and generations if we are to contextualise today and in the youth’s continuous desire to revile against the machine.

Music is a key to creating the right atmosphere in the film. What are the challenges of getting that right?

I often edit myself into corners, editing to specific tracks in mind, as opposed to doing the editing first and finding a track to go with it later. Often the music is established before any of the edit is done, so if there was time to get it wrong, it was before any of the editing started. I can’t provide an in dept answer over what makes a good track and a bad track for a film, it’s purely instinctive.

“There was a sense of relief amongst the interviewees when I chatted to them. A relief of, finally this is story is now being told after years of forgetting!”

There’s a real interest in this film in Plymouth and the South West, what will be the resonance beyond, and to the wider world?

In some respects, exploring this club we explore every club that has existed for the lost youth. In exploring Plymouth, we explore the rest of the world in its decline, development and renewal. Plymouth is a city with everything great and terrible about Britain, often appearing simultaneously on articles online as one of the best and worst place to live in the UK. It’s a contradicting city overall, and therefore representative of the UK at large in all its glory and disaster.

One interviewee, Andy Howard, put it best: “If it works in Plymouth it’ll nail everything, because Plymouth was a test bed. It happened and it became a beast that went out of control.” If you were lucky growing up as a teenager or young adult, you had a youth space where you could truly be yourself with your coevals and in this film we explore one of the biggest in the UK: the Warehouse. We explore the finite nature of such spaces and give folk across the country a longing for them again. Maybe inspiring them to make or sustain their own spaces for the next lot of lost souls.

During the research and making of the film, what has surprised you, been a revelation or made you smile?

Just the pure genuine joy the club had for people and the quality of a dance and music given to them, not having an equal experience since. Being able to interview former ravers and see the flashbacks of pure euphoria in their eyes was incredible. Also, the fact that the most sold drink at the bars were bottles of water. For better or worse drinking went down, but people still went up… and higher. Very dehydrating work!

When and where can we expect to see W : A Return to Oz?

We are currently submitting to film festivals across the UK and will start hearing back from them over the coming months. We are also in talks with Plymouth Arts Cinema to premiere it in October, our first planned public screening. Once confirmed, we will put tickets on sale hopefully in the coming weeks. We may have additional screenings at the Everyman (Plymouth) and across the South West in Totnes, Exeter, Bristol, Falmouth, Penzance and Torquay. Crowdfunding is still ongoing and still accepting donations on our Indiegogo page. Watch this space!

Thank you!

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