Leeds Playhouse Archives - Page 10 of 11

Join Leeds Playhouse’s Young Leaders Project

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Join Leeds Playhouse’s Young Leaders Project

Leeds Playhouse’s Young Leaders are looking for six new people to join their free course supporting 18- to 25-year-olds to become the next generation of arts facilitators. Six aspiring arts professionals are already working in partnership with Chapel FM, DAZL, Geraldine Connor Foundation, Mind the Gap and Leeds Libraries & Studio 12 to develop their creative community practice. The course will help those selected to: • Develop leadership skills • Support and manage a team • Make events happen The course runs from February to December 2021, and to apply complete the online form, or send a video or audio file (no longer than 5 minutes) by 10am on 29th January. Photography by Anthony Robling The Playhouse team is interested in hearing from people ...

A Christmas Carol – Leeds Playhouse At Home

22Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Christmas Carol – Leeds Playhouse At Home

The Playhouse’s annual festive spectacular was just one of hundreds of productions forced to switch online just before curtain was about to go up and as good as this recorded version is it will always lack the yuletide magic of gathering in a shared space. This is a reworking of a production that began at Hull Truck Theatre, going on to be a big hit last year when the theatre’s ensemble brought it to life in the pop-up theatre used when the Playhouse was refurbed. The Playhouse’s associate director Amy Leach cleverly invokes the legend that every theatre has a ghost, but she deploys a team of them as they emerge from their offstage pods. They have gathered round the traditional ghost light that burns when a theatre is dark, and once they discover a puppet of Tiny Tim they decide to d...

Leeds Playhouse launch digital performances of A Christmas Carol

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Leeds Playhouse launch digital performances of A Christmas Carol

As West Yorkshire stays under Tier 3 restrictions the team at Leeds Playhouse have been forced to offer A Christmas Carol as a digital screening. They’re now unable to welcome people into its Quarry Theatre to enjoy their annual festive spectacular, so they’ve teamed up with Yorkshire based company Pilot Theatre to film the production, which they were already planning to show for free in care homes, schools and hospitals across Leeds. Now tickets priced from £10 for the first Playhouse At Home event are also being made available to the general public for five special online performances from 21st – 23rd December, giving audiences wherever they are a chance to safely see this adaptation of the Dickens classic by Deborah McAndrew. “Our vivid retelling of one of the best-loved stori...

Production image released for A Christmas Carol at Leeds Playhouse

11Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Production image released for A Christmas Carol at Leeds Playhouse

New production images released today show the company of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, bringing to life Charles Dickens’ spine-tingling festive story. From ghost lights centre stage, the spirits emerge to share with miser Ebenezer Scrooge the true meaning of this festive time of year. It’s Christmas Eve in Victorian Leeds, but the cold-hearted Scrooge hasn’t shared an ounce of festive cheer. As the cold night draws in, four ghostly spirits take Ebenezer on a magical journey through his past, his present and his future, hoping to show him the error of his ways. With Christmas spirit, fun, music and magic at its heart, this timeless Charles Dickens tale is brought vividly to life. Adapted by award-winning, West Yorkshire born playwright Deborah McAndrew, A CHRISTMAS CAROL is directed by Leeds Pla...

Keeping A Christmas Carol safe at Leeds Playhouse

16Nov

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Keeping A Christmas Carol safe at Leeds Playhouse

It’s tough enough directing a big festive show but for Leeds Playhouse’s associate director Amy Leach she also needs to keep the cast and crew safe as they rehearse A Christmas Carol during a national lockdown. They are working in their own bubble where they regularly sanitise their hands, have daily temperature checks and the rehearsal room is fogged clean every weekend. This revival of Deborah McAndrew’s version of the Dickens classic began life at Hull Truck Theatre before becoming a hit in the Playhouse’s pop up theatre they used when the main stages closed for a multi-million refurb. And the need to perform safely has forced the creatives to offer their socially distanced audience a really different show when it opens on December 3 in the Quarry Theatre. “Myself and Hayley Gr...

Wrongsemble returns with innovative COVID-safe Christmas show for all the family

4Nov

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Wrongsemble returns with innovative COVID-safe Christmas show for all the family

Family favourite theatre company Wrongsemble return this Christmas with HUMBUG: a COVID-safe family show that promises to delight and unite all ages. This innovative digital production will allow families to enjoy seven filmed episodes of this exciting story throughout December, accompanied by an interactive HUMBUG ‘Fact File’ filled with 13 artefacts sent directly to their homes. HUMBUG takes place deep beneath the city, where a secret world full of wonder awaits; a place where wizards bake endless gingerbread, goblins bottle festive cheer, and there’s a whole department devoted to detangling fairy-lights! This is the Ministry of Make Believe… But recently, strange things have been happening at the Ministry. From nose-less snowmen, to exploding baubles, and a forest of bald Christma...

Casting announced for A Christmas Carol at Leeds Playhouse

31Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Casting announced for A Christmas Carol at Leeds Playhouse

Leeds Playhouse have announced the cast for their festive show A Christmas Carol which was a hit in the pop-up theatre created when they closed down for a multi-million pound refurbishment. This time audiences in the Quarry Theatre will be transported back to a traditional Victorian theatre where spectral performers have been patiently waiting for a chance to share a familiar adventure. Jack Lord, last seen at the Playhouse in Oliver Twist, will lead the cast as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who finds redemption after a night from hell. He’ll be joined by Stephen Collins and Nadia Nadarajah playing Bob and Mrs Cratchit. The cast also includes some familiar faces from the Leeds Playhouse Pop-Up theatre ensemble, including Dan Parr as Young Scrooge and Fred, Tessa Parr who played Ham...

27Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Leeds Playhouse’s James Brining talks about staging work in a pandemic

Leeds Playhouse was one of the first big regional theatres to reopen their doors after lockdown offering some short works in partnership with Opera North and now they’re back with a more expansive winter season. The team used that short Connecting Voice season to test their safety measures which included temperature checks and rigorous social distancing in the spaces. The fact it was both safe and pretty much sold out made Playhouse Artistic Director James Brining even more determined to offer a bigger winter season to resume playing an active role in the city’s life during this pandemic. “Ultimately the way I feel is we get public money, and are here to give people in the city for lots of different reasons a focus, and some way of connecting and exploring the human predicament,” say...

Tamsin Greig joins the stars performing Talking Heads in Yorkshire

18Oct

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NEWS

Tamsin Greig joins the stars performing Talking Heads in Yorkshire

Tamsin Greig is the latest big name to perform one of Alan Bennett’s classic Talking Heads monologues in Leeds and Sheffield. Tamsin will perform the dark Nights in the Gardens of Spain, directed by Marianne Elliott, joining Imelda Staunton and Maxine Peake who also be performing their monologies at Leeds Playhouse and Sheffield Crucible. “I’m thrilled to be invited to perform Alan Bennett’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain at Sheffield Crucible and Leeds Playhouse after a very happy run at the Bridge Theatre,” says Tamsin Greig. Photographer: Zac Nicholson “It’s wonderful to be able to support and enjoy regional theatres especially during these extraordinary times for live performance venues. And how fantastic to perform these Bennett words in their region of origin.” In line...

Leeds Playhouse is back with a new season and free ticket offer for NHS workers

17Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Leeds Playhouse is back with a new season and free ticket offer for NHS workers

Working with COVID-19 safety guidelines Leeds Playhouse have launched their Autumn/Winter season and are giving away 1000 free tickets to NHS workers for the revival of their critically acclaimed seasonal show A Christmas Carol. This time round playwright Deborah McAndrew’s adaptation of the Dickens festive classic is upgraded to the flagship Quarry Theatre after recreating a warts and all Victorian England during their 2028 Pop-Up Season in 2018. Once again directed by Playhouse Associate Director Amy Leach it runs from 3rd December – 9th January and it will sell out. Another returning work is poet and playwright Zodwa Nyoni’s Nine Lives which debuted at the theatre in 2014. Presented by Leeds Studio this timely and intimate single hander combines humour and humanity in a deep...