Leeds Playhouse’s New Season
Spring/Summer 2020
Feature by Dawn Smallwood
The Spring/Summer 2020 season follows the first full one at the newly refurbished Playhouse after its successful return in September. As expected the Playhouse has an exciting and varied full season across the refurbished Quarry and Courtyard Theatres and also the new Bramall Rock Void studio.
The season starts with David Greig’s Dr Korczak’s Example (25th Jan to 15th Feb), which is going to be held at the Bramall Rock Void studio. The play is set around the Polish Educator and Children’s author whose influences brought the creation of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. The first production in the Courtyard Theatre is a joint production with imitating the dog, Night of the Living DeadTM – Remix (24th Jan to 5th Feb).
Leeds Playhouse takes pride in supporting accessibility and inclusivity for one and all. They will lead delivering Annual Ramps on the Moon production of Bryony Lavery’s Oliver Twist (25th Feb to 21st Mar). Under the direction of Amy Leach this new production will be performed by D/deaf, disabled and non-disabled actors. This show can be creatively enjoyed with BSL, captioning and audio description and will premier first in Leeds before embarking on a National Tour.
Some of the forthcoming highlights are Frances Poet’s Maggie May (31 Mar to 18 Apr), originally commissioned over a year as part of the Playhouse’s Every Third Minute, and explores positive works about people living with dementia. Alongside Maggie May there is Monsoon Wedding (22 Jun to 11 Jul), based on the multi award winning film, and adapted on the stage as a musical. Directed by Sabrina Dhawan and Arpita Mukherjee, Monsoon Wedding gives an insight in the India Culture.
Brad Birch’s Missing People (12th to 21st Mar), a collaboration between the Playhouse and Kani Public Arts Center in Japan and will be world premiered in Japan first before coming to Leeds. This production will be performed in both Japanese and English and is jointly directed by Mark Rosenblatt and Nobuhiro Nishikawa.
The Playhouse is working in partnership with Tiata Fahodzi and bringing Seeds (21st to 29th Feb) which tells the story of two mothers united in grief. Activism is featured in Tess Seddon’s Say Yes to Tess (26th Mar to 4th Apr), a musical set to Harry Blake’s songs.
Partnership collaboration continues between the Playhouse and Opera North with bringing A Little Night Music which is set to Stephen Sondheim’s music and lyrics and based on Hugh Wheeler’s book. This production will feature Opera North’s orchestra and its choir. The Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse will be presenting Pam Gems’ Piaf (27th May to 13th Jun), directed by Adam Penford, will star Jenna Russell who will play Edith Piaf.
Leeds Playhouse always welcomes visiting productions including Kneehigh’s Ubu! A Singalong Satire (4th to 5th Feb); Isobel McArthur’s Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) (25th to 29th Feb); Phoenix Dance Theatre’s Black Waters (12th to 15th Feb), a production that is receiving its world premiere and explores hope and freed amid the fusion of contemporary and Indian Kathak dances; Gecko and Mind The Gap’s A Little Space; the ever popular Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Returns (31 Mar to 4th Apr) making its return visit; Northern Broadside’s Quality Street (21st to 25th Apr), a typical northern story about romance, deception and reinvention; Red Ladder Theatre’s Smile Club (5th to 7th Mar) and The Not So Ugly Sisters (in collaboration and a community tour is planned). There is the UK Premiere of Amsterdam (5th to 9th May) which is about a heavily pregnant violinist living in the city who had to face her past by a missive in 1944.
There are also more visiting productions which are in the line up; Jamal Gerald’s Idol (22nd to 23rd May), The Glee Club (19th to 23rd May), Sh!t Theatre Drink Rum with Expats (4th to 6th Jun), Dan Bye and Boff Walley’s These Hills Are Ours (26th to 27th Jun) and H.G. Wells’s science fiction novel and Orson Welles’ classic radio play, The Wars of the Worlds. Additionally, That Damned Woman will be performed (24th to 28th Mar).
Furnace is reputedly known for supporting and developing new productions and also up and coming artists. The following production that has benefited from the celebration of new work is A Girl in School Uniform (Walks Into A Bar) (12th to 14th Mar). Freedom Project (12th to 13th June), supported by Theatre of Sanctuary (a creative platform for asylum seekers and refugees) will present the project which will explore what freedom means to young accompanied refugees and asylum seekers in both Leeds and London. The successful Leeds Playhouse Youth Programme will be presenting Be the Example, Be the Voice (16th to 21st Mar) following their last successful production, Influences. Their new production will explore solidarity with regards to standing up for one’s beliefs.
There will also be some children’s theatre which includes Raymond Briggs’ The Bear (18th to 22nd Feb), In the Night Garden…Live (15th to 16th Apr) and Mike Kenny and Tutti Fruitti’s Sweet Dreams (16th May), Holes (7th to 11th Apr) and Carol Ann Duffy’s The Lost Happy Endings (27th to 28th Mar).
The Leeds Playhouse inclusively invites everyone to its theatre and experience as always another exciting and diverse season of productions which will appeal to many and no doubt address what matters here and everywhere.