The Playhouse became the World’s first Theatre of Sanctuary. The History of Rock is a celebration of rock music through the decades; a jaw dropping night transporting you through the golden ages of rock! A thrilling programme of participatory activity that opens up possibilities for people regardless of their age, circumstances or background and an innovative creative crucible for thrilling, reflective, resonant work that speaks to our city. First Floor was established as a designated space for young people at St Peter’s building, after 3 years of fundraising £750,000 to convert the building. World première of The Wedding Feast by Arnold Wesker and Paul Schofield as Prospero in The Tempest. On June 23, following one of the busiest years in its history the Playhouse closes it doors with Talking Heads in the Courtyard and Searching For The Heart Of Leeds in the Quarry. A typical recent season (Autumn-Winter 2007) included: Casanova by Carol Ann Duffy and Told By An Idiot, with Lyric Hammersmith; a stage adaptation of Don Quixote; Brief Encounter with Kneehigh Theatre and Birmingham Repertory Theatre; Rough Crossings adapted by Caryl Phillips from Simon Schama's book; Salonika, first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1982. Carnival Messiah was written and directed by Geraldine Connor. [1][2] It has two auditoria and hosts a wide range of productions and engages in outreach work in the local community. The Servant of Two Masters, starring Toby Jones was the first production to transfer internationally (to Italy) as part of the Goldoni Centenary celebrations. Tribal Lands Statement Western Washington University’s main campus is situated on the ancestral homelands of the Coast Salish Peoples, who have lived in the Salish Sea basin, all throughout the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades watershed from time immemorial. Ian Brown succeeded Jude Kelly as Artistic Director in 2002 and brought with him a commitment to continue the vital and established role that the Playhouse was playing in the community. Donate. Quarry Hill,
The newly refurbished Leeds Playhouse offers a fantastic space and atmosphere to portray Dickens’s dark tale of the injustices and hypocrisies of his … Wind in the Willows, adapted by Alan Bennett was directed by Ian Brown. Tucked away up a little side street in the centre of Leeds lives a real gem - a building which stands as a testament to the longevity of the arts: The City Varieties. ... ‘Beware of imitations: Theatre and the subversion of imperial identity’ in Elsner and Masters (eds.) £1m grant from West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council, soon to be disbanded, was given on condition that the new building was named West Yorkshire Playhouse. A committee was formed to start campaigning for a new permanent repertory theatre. West Yorkshire Playhouse returns to its roots, and relaunches as Leeds Playhouse. For specific departments, please visit the Our Staff page. LS2 7UP, Leeds Playhouse,
Leeds Playhouse ended 2019 with the completion of their £15.8 million refurbishment project, which saw the opening of the incredible city-facing entrance and 100-seater Bramall Rock Void, but 2020 is already shaping up to be just as exciting. The committee sought to address the absence of a professional producing theatre within the large conurbation of West Yorkshire. The Arts Council deemed the newly opened and newly named, West Yorkshire Playhouse to have “a fully conceived and implemented policy of imaginative, vivid and progressive work on stage, inextricably related to and complementing a practical commitment to ensuring that theatre is a vital part of community it serves.”, From the beginning it was clear that the new West Yorkshire Playhouse was going to be more than just a performing space. The first performance on held on 16 September 1970 with Sir Tony Robinson appearing as Simon in Simon Says. Artistic Director Jude Kelly (1989 – 2002) directed the first play Wild Oats by John O’Keefe, with Reece Dinsdale taking the lead role. Featuring the music of artists such as Led Zeppelin, Cream, Guns n Roses, AC/DC, Queen and many more. Tom Courtenay wrote and starred in Pretending to be Me, directed by Ian Brown. Arts Council Stage 2 application Redevelopment moves into stage 3 of the application. [7] The theatre's first artistic director was Jude Kelly (1990â2002). Behind the Scenes at The Claire: A sneak peek behind the curtain of our beloved theatre. Although Leeds-born, James arrived via Richmond and Dundee (being described as a “Scottish theatre sensation” by The Telegraph at the time of his appointment). 545 4890 17 | Company No. Leeds Playhouse were keen to increase the seating capacity in the Courtyard by introducing a shallower rake of fixed stalls seating and working with venue consultants Charcoalblue a new arrangement was developed to provide an extra three rows of seating, not dissimilar to the Dorfman Theatre at the National. Despite some opposition from the local council on the grounds that Leeds already had a theatre (the Grand Theatre), a public appeal was launched to raise funds at a mass meeting in Leeds Town Hall on 5 May 1968. Discover things to do in Utah with NowPlayingUtah.com, a comprehensive arts and events calendar for the state of Utah. At nearly 30 years old, many Leeds natives will have some memory of the building with many more to come. Taking almost £1m, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe became the highest-grossing Playhouse show so far. A partnership was formed with Szechuan People’s Theatre, China. Ian Brown joined at Artistic Director (till 2012). [4], The building underwent a £16.8 million redevelopment in 2019: creating a new foyer, improving access throughout the building, moving the front of the building to face the city [5] and creating the Bramall Rock Void studio space (130 seats).[6]. Before he hit the big time with Soft Cell, Marc Almond used to work behind the bar. The Beatification of Area Boy featured Nigerian actors and musicians, which went on to tour internationally (USA, Australia, Geneva Festival). A theatre at the heart of the city since 1970. Leeds Playhouse is on Quarry Hill, opposite the bus station in the centre of Leeds and is easily accessible by car or public transport. The idea of creating a Leeds Playhouse dates from 1964, when a campaign was started for a permanent home for … Uplifting our neighbors and surrounding communities by presenting captivating live performances. In the first six years of operation the Playhouse produced 93 of its own productions (27 or which were world or British premieres) encompassing classics and contemporary British and European drama, modern theatre from around the world and had implemented a vigorous new writing policy. The origins of Leeds Playhouse lie in the Leeds Playgoers' Society, founded in 1907 as an off-shoot of the Leeds Arts Club, to stage contemporary drama by writers such as Shaw, Ibsen and Chekov, and hold lectures and discussions on contemporary drama. Leeds is also a city with a wide variety of entertainment, arts, culture and history, as well as having a thriving university. The primary objective stated in the initial business plan was “to change significantly the nature and extent of repertory programming by enlarging the repertoire to provide a centre for international as well as national work and to create a significant producing theatre with a fully integrated community programme acting as a resource for the City and region.”. Jude Kelly’s King Lear starred Warren Smith and transferred to the Hackney Empire. The new season at Leeds Playhouse promises a stellar programme of dramas, musicals and comedies to see in 2020. Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute. Successful application to Arts Council England for a grant for the redevelopment, and Architects Page\Park were appointed. We are Leeds Playhouse: an artistic beacon for the North, one of the region’s largest producing theatres and a registered charity (255460)