National Theatre’s nationwide tour of The LeftBehinds to visit schools across Sunderland to inspire creativity in local students
Young people across Sunderland will have the opportunity to watch a new theatre production in their school hall as the National Theatre brings a nationwide school touring production of The LeftBehinds directly into local schools from 20-24 January.
In partnership with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire, the tour will visit Sunderland College, Oxclose Academy, Southmoor Academy and others. These schools will also host young people from over ten other local school, college and home education settings to watch the production.
Co-created by Bristol playwright Ross Willis and director Ned Bennett, The LeftBehinds is a new production set in a post-apocalyptic future. The LeftBehinds must race across a desolate wasteland in a high-octane quest to rebuild an android, unlock its power and save the planet. This new production gives students in Sunderland access to a genre-pushing theatrical experience in their school hall. In addition to seeing the show in their school hall, pupils will take part in an interactive workshop exploring the technical elements to produce the show and teachers will receive accompanying education resources.
Part of the Theatre Nation Partnerships programme, the tour will be seen by 10,000 young people, visiting secondary school halls in 11 areas from 13 January – 28 March 2025. In partnership with local theatres, the production will also tour to schools across Outer East London and South Essex, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, North Devon, Wakefield, Doncaster, Greater Manchester, Leicester and Peterborough.
The Theatre Nation Partnerships network combines local expertise with nationally delivered activity, creating more opportunities for local communities and schools to engage with cultural and creative experiences. Other activity delivered in Sunderland through this network in partnership with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire includes the upcoming new production Public Record that will celebrate the people and music of Sunderland as part of the National Theatre’s Public Acts programme. Schools in this area are also taking part in Speak Up, a secondary schools programme that encourages young people to explore issues that are important to them and think, see and bring about change by creating artistic responses.
Co-creators Ned Bennett and Ross Willis said “We are thrilled to be collaborating again on this new incarnation of The LeftBehinds. From its beginnings at LAMDA to its development with the NT, this production has continually evolved, and we’re delighted to now share it with young people. We couldn’t be more excited that the National Theatre is bringing this production directly into school halls across the country.”
Sarah Marsden, Creative Learning Producer at Sunderland Empire said: “Working in partnership with The National Theatre gives us the ability to provide young people in the region access to high-quality, inspirational theatrical productions which schools and students may not ordinarily be able to afford. For many young people, the National Theatre schools tour is the first time they have experienced a professional production, and the additional interactive workshops and Q&A sessions provided have proven to inspire and lead young people to pursue further immersion in theatre both on stage and behind-the-scenes.”
The LeftBehinds cast includes Ryn Alleyne as Kit KnightShade, Tanaka Mpofu as Bandit, Julian Brett as Shadow, Gabriella Foley as Rot, Francis Nunnery as the Android, Ethan Hughes as Beandigo, Emma Gray as Ducky, and Brandon Kimaryo as swing.
The creative team includes Associate Director Rachel Lemon, Movement Director Jackie Kibuka, Puppetry Designer, Builder and Director Matt Hutchinson, Production Manager Jordan Harris, Set and Costume Designer Georgia Lowe,Lighting Designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, Composer & Sound Designer Giles Thomas, Casting Director Abby Galvin, Associate Designer Jasmine Araujo, Associate Lighting Designer Lucy Adams and Trainee Resident Director Rrita Pula.
Reaching a record number of young people last year, the National Theatre’s Learning & National Partnerships Department aims to inspire young people nationwide, widen access to creative experiences in schools and boost skills to support the next generation of theatre-makers.
For more information about Theatre Nation Partnerships and the schools tour, visit the NT Website.