Managed Approach – Riverside Studios

Holbeck, Leeds made headlines in 2014 after the local government launched a trial initiative to decriminalise and regulate the sex work industry. The scheme, known as the “managed approach”, ultimately lasted until 2020, and Jules Coyle’s play of the same name explores the programme’s impact on the women and girls living in the area at the time, including those working within the initiative.

A semi-verbatim piece, Mangaged Approach threads the stories and experiences of a number of sex workers (played in turn by Áine McNamara and H Sneyd) through a central storyline about 18-year-old Abbie (Coyle) and her mother Kate (Eanna Ferguson), with the managed approach stirring up new tensions between the pair as they debate whether or not the scheme is truly protecting women.

It’s immensely thought-provoking and also educational, especially when the script recalls the horrors that faced the area when The Yorkshire Ripper was on the loose. The way Coyle brings together the different generations of women and how their traumas are all interconnected is powerful; it doesn’t try to answer the morally sticky question of whether or not legalised sex work is empowering or harmful to women, nor does it need to. Through her interviews with the women and girls involved, Coyle manages to highlight the nuances of the issue, and the light and shadows that come with regulated sex work. McNamara and Sneyd do a beautiful job of relaying these stories, and Director Lily Ellis keeps these moments visually simple yet deeply arresting.

Sound is key in Managed Approach, with the use of a pre-recorded interviewer playing a central role, but the volume throughout was a bit too loud, feeling distracting rather than confronting. Some of the sound effects used when Kate and Abbie were telling stories of their past also felt unnecessary — the actors are skilled storytellers, and their vocal choices are enough to distinguish between the different characters without any extra flourishes.

The relationship between Abbie and Kate is touching and relatable, but sometimes the characters veer slightly too far towards stereotypes; Abbie disdain for her mother’s overprotectiveness can become overly petulant, while Kate occasionally feels a bit too much like a cartoon of an “embarrassing” British mum. Their scenes shine brightest when we’re able to see the similarities between them and the deep rooted connection they share — despite their vastly differing views on the managed approach.

Whether or not you were already familiar with the trial in Holbeck, Managed Approach is well worth a watch. Honest, human, and unafraid to pose difficult questions, Open Aire Theatre has created an affecting portrait of what it means to be a woman in a world of seemingly endless dangers.

Managed Approach plays at Riverside Studios until 25th April. Tickets are available at: https://riversidestudios.co.uk

Reviewer: Olivia Cox

Reviewed: 17th April 2026

North West End UK Rating: