stage@leedsTheatre | D

ance | Installation

Spring 2014

INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SERIES 2014

For more information contact:Jessica Ward - Concert AdministratorTel: 0113 343 2584email: concerts@leeds.ac.ukor see the Concerts website at concerts.leeds.ac.uk

2014 HIGHLIGHTSFriday 14 February - The Brodsky Quartet

Saturday 22 February - Red PriestSaturday 8 March - Serious Cabaret

Sunday 13 April - The Hallé Soloists and Sofya GulyakSaturday 10 May - Distractfold

concerts.leeds.ac.uk

Welcome to stage@leeds2014 looks like it’s going to be another year of evolution and change for us. Our Foyer bar is now fully licensed and we will be open for snacks and refreshments during all Stage One and Alec Clegg Studio show nights. The Foyer is our newest venue providing an intimate and somewhat impromptu space for solo musical artists, poets, playwrights and performers of all types to test their work. The Foyer will be the home to a new

initiative ‘The Menu’, full details of how you can get involved can be found on the opposite page.

stage@leeds is very excited to announce the first production by the stage@leedscompany, our newly formed theatre company. The company meets regularly every Wednesday afternoon and is open to all University of Leeds students. The company specialises in ensemble theatre and their first show is the brilliant and moving ‘The Laramie Project’ which will be performed in Stage One in February.

We have a full and exciting line up of professional and student work taking place across our venues including the premiere of ‘Americana’ by Cameron Mackintosh Award winners The Hungry Bitches, A triple bill from Balbir Singh Dance Company, new writing from stage@leeds YEP artists BackBreak Theatre and the return of The Little Leeds Fringe Festival. It’s our usual packed season but with more opportunities for you to become involved than ever before, so if you are an artist, an audience member or both, we’d love to see you.

Steve AnsellArtistic Director, Theatre and Production Managerstage@leedsvenues

What’s on The Menu?‘The Menu’ is a new initiative that’s open to all artists providing an opportunity to test work at various stages of development in front of an audience in the new performance space in the stage@leeds bar area.

A menu event might be the chance to perform a full set of acoustic music or to read the first draft of a play. It might be an opportunity to test a comedy set or discuss a great work of literature. The content will be driven by you.

Menu events are free for audiences and there are no fees or charges for artists.

Menu events will take place before and/or after theatrical performances in our theatres and can be booked up to one month in advance.

At the end of each week we will post a list (or menu) in the theatre and on the web saying what will be on the following week.

If you would like to be on ‘The Menu’ please contact stage@leeds.

Thur 06 Feb7.30pm

Stage One£12.00 (£9.00)

Balbir Singh Dance Company

Triple Bill

Drawing on Contemporary and Kathak (Classical North Indian) dance, choreographer Balbir Singh presents work that challenges dancers

mentally, physically and technically, taking the audience on a journey into what dance can be.

Play of Percentages A quartet of female dancers paint a spectrum scale between two styles of

dance. Decreasing Infinity

(Guardian Pick of the Week, Edinburgh Festival Fringe) two different forms of dance mirror and influence each other until neither style of

dance exists but creates something new…Trespass #2

Six dancers explore notions of trespass: psychologically, physically, musically through an invasion into each other’s territory.

Thur 13 - Sat 15 Feb7.30pm

Stage One£10.00 (£7.50)

stage@leedscompany

The LaramieProject

By Moisés Kaufman & the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project

“An amazing piece of theatre” (New York Post)

On Oct 7, 1998 a young gay man was discovered bound to a fence in the hills outside Laramie, Wyoming, savagely beaten and left to die in an act of

brutality that shocked America. Matthew Shepard’s death became a symbol of intolerance but for the people of Laramie the event was deeply personal and it

is their voices we hear in this stunningly effective piece of verbatim theatre.

Moving, funny, sad and deeply affecting, ‘The Laramie Project’ is the first production by the stage@leedscompany.

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd.

Wed 19 - Sat 22 Feb7.30pm

Stage One£10.00 (£7.50)

The Hungry Bitches

Americana

Cameron Macktintosh Award winners The Hungry Bitches return to stage@leeds with the premiere of their new production ‘Americana’

‘Americana’ tells the love story of David, a rebellious stoner punk, and Brody, an all American football player. In an act of protest the pair decide to run for Prom Kings together with the help of their friends. The show becomes a teenage battle for love and

freedom against the odds of right wing republicans, small minded homophobes and bible-bashing bigots. However, when the

teenagers are pushed over the edge, in a country where deadly firearms are all too easy to get hold of, how far will they go in their

fight for freedom?

Tue 11 March7.30pm

Stage One£12.00 (£9.00)

Altered Skin

Power Games

Deepak is a wealthy banker whose life is spiralling out of control. Follow Deepak in a reality game show that allows you to influence the outcomes of

his story by voting LIVE on the night!

Blending character-driven physical theatre with contemporary and South Asian dance, this stunning new work by Altered Skin explores the forces that shape

our destiny.

Gambling and drinking are not all they are cracked up to be!

An all American nightmare...

Photography by Simon Richardson

Fri 14 March7.00pm

Workshop Theatre£10.00 (£6.00)

Robert is married to Emma. Robert & Jerry are best friends.

Emma and Jerry are having an affair...

Converse Theatre

Betrayalby Harold Pinterr

Harold Pinter’s astonishing masterpiece of love and deception is told in reverse, beginning at the end and ending at the beginning. This is a powerful and intimate

performance by Converse Theatre, a professional company working a cast of 4 experienced amateur actors who will be swapping roles during the tour. The

production includes specially composed music and there will be a chance to chat to the cast and crew after the performance.

Wed 09 - Thur 10 April7.30pm

Stage One£12.00 (£9.00)

It’s a nursery where we force cylinders into square holes and

cubes into round ones while our parents and proctors aren’t looking.

Does it work? Depends on the day.- François Caradec

Oliver Bray

The Elision of Scaff

Scaff struggles to come to terms with his life, he is preoccupied, distracted and perpetually in a state of astonishment…his task is made more difficult by the fact

that there are three of everything, including him.

This new work by Oliver Bray is inspired by the literary constraints of the French writing group OuLiPo (Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle, or Workshop of Potential

Literature). The performance has been generated through the indiscriminate and unapologetic application of constraint after constraint after constraint after

constraint…..etc.

Wed 04 June7.30pm

Stage One£12.00 (£9.00)

CONCERTTHEATRE in association with Trestle

The Rite of Spring/Romeo

and Juliet

‘The Rite of Spring/Romeo and Juliet’ is a radical interpretation of Stravinsky’s ballet and orchestral concert work. Conceived by CONCERTTHEATRE, the production uses commedia half masks and piano to create a music-centred

physical theatre piece through the re-telling of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy.

Tue 13 May8.00pm

Workshop Theatre£10.00 (£8.00)

United Artists

For Their Own Good

Can the way we kill animals tell us anything about how we deal with our own demise? With unflinching honesty and an eerily detached workmanship, two

knackermen investigate the pitfalls of being high up the evolutionary chain.

Combining puppetry, new writing and documentary material, Fringe First 2013 award winner, ‘For Their Own Good’ tells a moving and darkly comic tale about

the only certainty in life: death and how it has become removed from us as a process.

Photography by Paul Blakemore

BackBreak Theatre

Lapse

Wed 29 - Thur 30 Jan 7.30pm

Alec Clegg£8.50 (£6.50)

Same old facesSame old voices

Same old interestsSame people?

Little Leeds

March 2014

COMEDYMUSICART

THEATREIMPROVISATION

@LLeedsFringe

BOX OFFICE: stage@leeds0113 343 8730

www.stage.leeds.ac.uk

ARTCOMEDY

THEATR

E

CISUMART

THEATR

E

THEATRE

17th - 23rd March 2014

fringe

THE UNIVERSITY

OF LEEDS

CAMPUS

LITTLE LEEDS FRINGE RETURNS!This exciting event is designed to be aplatform for any member of the Universityof Leeds to perform or exhibit their creativework. In the true nature of a Fringe Festival,anything goes! Join us in the stage@leeds buildingand Leeds University Union for a week oforiginal performances.

SEARCH ‘LITTLE LEEDS FRINGE’ ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION

Five childhood friends are back together after a three year stint at their respective universities. The company that brought you ‘Two Gents’, the

first play ever to be performed at Canal Mills, are back with a brand new, fast paced, darkly comic, energetic piece of writing, exploring the fragility of

friendship, the process of growing up and the true depth of personality.

The first piece of completely new writing from BackBreak Theatre.

Little Leeds

LUU Spoken Word Society Presents:

Bring Your OwnMammals

History RepeatingI Dance Therefore I Am

An Evening of Folk

The Vinegar Tomcatsplus Guests

Playing with Power

fringeLittle Leeds

March 2014

Playing with Power

Wed 26 - Thur 27 Feb7.30pm

stage@leeds£8.50 (£6.50)

Open Theatre

Hedda Gablerby Henrik Ibsen adapted by Brian Friel

Brian Friel’s adaptation of Ibsen’s masterpiece, ‘Hedda Gabler’, explores a small circle of friends trapped in the midst of the bourgeois in late 19th

century Europe. A synthesis of realist drama and minimalist aesthetics produces a powerful, original and critical response to this iconic text.

Monday 17th March 12-2pm DifferNet Hidden cafe5-6pm Dumb Waiter Alec Clegg Studio5-5.30pm Eliza Behind Liberty Dock Residences6.45-7.15pm The Songsmiths stage@leeds Foyer7.30pm onwards Tealights vs Comedy Society Stage One

Tuesday 18th March 12-2pm DifferNet Old Bar 12.30pm-2pm History Repeating Workshop: Dance Studio I Dance Therefore I Am 6-8pm Spoken Word Society Presents: Terrace Bring Your Own Mammals7-8pm Dumb Waiter Alec Clegg Studio

Wednesday 19th March2-3pm Blood Royal Alec Clegg Studio3.30-4pm Playing with Power Alec Clegg Studio5-5.30pm Eliza Behind Liberty Dock Residences7.30-8.30pm Jam Jars Alec Clegg Studio

Thursday 20th March5-6pm Motherland Alec Clegg Studio8.15-9pm Benosheikt Terrace

Friday 21st March1-1.30pm History Repeating Performance Alec Clegg Studio I Dance Therefore I Am5-6pm Somewhere with Susan Sontag stage@leeds Foyer5-5.30pm Eliza Behind Liberty Dock Residences7.30-9pm Lemons Alec Clegg Studio

Saturday 22nd March6.30-7pm Breakfast Radio Alec Clegg Studio8-10pm Street Dance Presents: Stage One The DanceAid Charity Show

Sunday 23rd March7-10pm An Evening of Folk: Old Bar Vinegar Tomcats plus Guests

Theatre Music Dance Live Art Comedy Off Campus PerformanceFilm

‘Red’ and ‘Phenomenon’ PaintingsAll Week17th-23rd March stage@leeds Foyer

Thur 06 - Sat 08 March 7.30pm

Stage One£8.50 (£6.50)

LUU Open Theatre

But Then There Was Ella

by Jess Macdonald

How far would you go to be with the one you love?

Written and directed by MA Writing for Performance and Publication student Jess Macdonald, ‘But Then There Was Ella’ is a psychological drama

exploring the steps a young woman takes in order to have the ‘perfect family life.’

Tue 04 - Thur 06 March 7.30pm

Banham Theatre£8.50 (£6.50)

LUU Theatre Group

Tedtopia

Warning: may contain nationalism.

Edward, a rude aristocrat, wakes to discover his home occupied by squatters in the wake of the apocalypse. What follows is a ludicrous farce involving love,

political whimsy, thrilling economic reform, and conga inspired policy making, as the unlikely survivors forge a new nation.

LUU Theatre Group

The Penelopiad

by Margaret Atwood

Thur 27 - Sat 29 March 7.30pm

Stage One£8.50 (£6.50)

Tue 11 - Thur 13 March7.30pm

Banham Theatre£8.50 (£6.50)

LUU Theatre Group

The Duchess of Malfi

by John Webster

“Like diamonds, we are cut with our own dust.”

Torture, murder, madness, revenge and jealousy combine in

Webster’s ‘The Duchess of Malfi‘, in a tale that begins as an account of love,

but swiftly falls into a tragedy that tears a family apart.

A twist on the classic Greek tale of the Odyssey, Margaret Atwood’s ‘The

Penelopiad’ recounts the story of Penelope, wife of Odysseus, as she

awaits his return from the Trojan War. Twelve young maids are recruited

to help her in fending off unwanted suitors, but tragedy awaits and as fate intervenes, Penelope’s plans unravel.

Reflecting on her story from the underworld of Hades, Penelope must

take responsibility for her actions in the power struggles and unfortunate

events that emerge.

LUU Theatre Group

The Roverby Aphra Behn

It’s Carnival time in Naples. When two sisters collide with four guys just looking for a good time, what could possibly go wrong?

This re-imagining of Aphra Behn’s classic comedy explores and deconstructs modern lad culture against the backdrop of the pulsing urban nightclub scene.

Wed 30 April - Sat 03 May 7.30pm

Alec Clegg Studio£8.50 (£6.50)

Thur 08 - Sat 10 May 7.30pm

Stage One£9.00 (£7.00)

Dionysus, the god of wine and theatre, takes terrible revenge on a city for defying his will leading his followers in rebellion against its authoritarian, patriarchal

rule. Dionysus brings revolution and freedom but also blurs the lines between pleasure, intoxication, madness and violence as the social order crumbles.

This new adaptation of Euripides’ quintessential Greek tragedy reimagines the chorus of ‘The Bacchae’ as the centre of this universal story about human

obsessions and the pursuit of ecstasy to its gruesome and devastating conclusion.

PCI Production

The Bacchae“He is life’s liberating force.

He is release of limbs and communion through dance.He is laughter, and music in flutes.

He is repose from all cares - he is sleep!When his blood bursts from the grape and flows across tables laid in his honour to fuse with our blood, he gently, gradually,

wraps us in shadows of ivy-cool sleep.”(Euripides, The Bacchae)

PCI Production

Subtext & Rain

Thu 22 - Sat 24 May7.30pm

Stage One£9.00 (£7.00)

PCI Production

Fare Well

Fri 30 May7.30pm

Stage One£9.00 (£7.00)

‘Subtext and Rain’ is

a devised contemporary performance by final year students in

the School of Performance and Cultural

Industries. The performance interrogates

notions of ‘inside’ and

‘outside’ in terms of theatrical

imagery, language and philosophy in

a world where characters only

communicate their

relationships’ through

metaphor and subtext.

So long.

‘Fare Well’ is a showcase of final year choreographic work from students on the BA (Hons) Dance

programme in the School of Performance and Cultural Industries.

Join us to celebrate the achievements of these students and to wish them Fare Well’.

stage@leedsvenuesKEY

A = Alec Clegg Studio (located in the stage@leeds Building)B = Banham Theatre (located at the main entrance to the Michael Sadler Building)C = Clothworkers Centenary Concert HallG = Great HallP = Parkinson CourtS = Stage One (located in the stage@leeds Building)W = Workshop Theatre

stage@leeds

Woodhouse Lane

C

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

G

P

AS

B

W

The PAD (Professional Artist Development) programme provides professional theatre and dance makers with a rehearsal space, technical support, mentoring and management advice within a relaxed and creative environment. The programme runs during the summer and Easter breaks. Interested artists and companies should contact Steve Ansell (s.ansell@leeds.ac.uk)

stage@leedsProfessionalArtistDevelopment

YEP (Young Entrepreneurs’ Programme) provides professional support and mentoring to students interested in a career as theatre makers together with the opportunity to produce work for performance at stage@leeds. YEP companies and company members have gone on to win critical acclaim and awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the National Student Drama Festival. If you would like to be considered for the YEP programme or would like more information please contact Steve Ansell (s.ansell@leeds.ac.uk)

stage@leedsYoungEntrepreneursProgramme

creative opportunities

booking stage@leedsPutting on your work at

stage@leedsstage@leeds programmes two seasons of work each year, Sept - Dec and Jan - June. We programme at least three months in advance and all the work is curated by the Artistic Director and the theatre’s creative team. We are always looking for exciting and dynamic new work so let us know via email about what you are up to. Please include links to any reviews, images, video of your work for evaluation.

Hiring our spaces stage@leeds can be hired for conferences and community performances. Availability is limited and will usually be during the summer or Easter breaks. If you would like further information about hiring one of our spaces please contact Events Administrator, Alice Clarke (a.j.clarke@leeds.ac.uk)

Date Production Time Price VenueJanuary29-30 Lapse (BackBreak Theatre) 7.30pm £8.50 (£6.50) A

February06 Triple Bill (Balbir Singh Dance Company) 7.30pm £12.00 (£9.00) S13 - 15 The Laramie Project (stage@leedscompany) 7.30pm £10.00 (£7.50) S19 - 22 Americana (The Hungry Bitches) 7.30pm £10.00 (£7.50) S26 - 27 Hedda Gabler (Open Theatre) 7.30pm £8.50 (£6.50) S

March04 - 06 Tedtopia (LUU TG) 7.30pm £8.50 (£6.50) B 06 - 08 But Then There Was Ella (Open Theatre) 7.30pm £8.50 (£6.50) S11 Power Games (Altered Skin) 7.30pm £12.00 (£9.00) S11 - 13 The Duchess of Malfi (LUU TG) 7.30pm £8.50 (£6.50) B 14 Betrayal (Converse Theatre) 7.00pm £10.00 (£6.00) W17 - 22 Little Leeds Fringe*27 - 29 The Penelopiad (LUU TG) 7.30pm £8.50 (£6.50) S April09 - 10 The Elision of Scaff (Oliver Bray) 7.30pm £10.00 (£7.50) S30 The Rover (LUU TG) 7.30pm £8.50 (£6.50) A

May01 - 03 The Rover (LUU TG) 7.30pm £8.50 (£6.50) A08 - 10 The Bacchae (PCI Production) 7.30pm £9.00 (£7.00) S13 For Their Own Good (United Artists) 8.00pm £10.00 (£8.00) W22 - 24 Subtext & Rain (PCI Production) 7.30pm £9.00 (£7.00) S30 Fare Well (PCI Production) 7.30pm £9.00 (£7.00) S

June04 Rite of Spring/Romeo and Juliet (Concert) 7.30pm £12.00 (£9.00) S

Venue Key: A = Alec Clegg Studio B = Banham Theatre S = Stage One W = Workshop Theatre

* Little Leeds Fringe takes place in multiple venues. See website for locations and ticket prices.

stage@leedsUniversity of LeedsLS2 9JT

Box Office: 0113 343 8730 Online: www.stage.leeds.ac.uk