Leeds Playhouse
Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1990 in the Quarry Hill area of the city as the West Yorkshire Playhouse, successor to the original Leeds Playhouse, and was rebranded in June 2018 to revert to the title "Leeds Playhouse".[1][2] It has two auditoria and a studio space, hosts a wide range of productions, and engages in outreach work in the local community.
Address
Playhouse Square,
Quarry Hill,
Leeds
LS2 7UP
West Yorkshire
England
Leeds Theatre Trust Ltd (Registered charity 255460)
Quarry Theatre 750
Courtyard Theatre 350
March 1990
Productions[edit]
According to the Leeds Playhouse website it has established a reputation both nationally and internationally as one of Britain's most exciting producing theatres, winning awards for everything from its productions to its customer service, and it is "the largest regional repertory theatre in the UK outside London and Stratford".[8] The theatre's first artistic director was Jude Kelly (1990–2002). Her successor was Ian Brown who ran the theatre until passing the baton to James Brining[9] in the autumn of 2012.
Productions cover a wide range from classic drama to modern European theatre and children's shows. There is an emphasis on new writing, especially from the north of England. There are many coproductions with other regional theatres, some of which go on to tour or transfer to London theatres. Visiting companies include Northern Broadsides, Kneehigh Theatre and Peepolykus.
The theatre was home to the original version of the musical Spend Spend Spend, the story of the life of Viv Nicholson, the 1961 famous Pools winner and author of the book of the same name. The original, starring Rosemary Ashe appeared at the Playhouse before it went on to West End success starring Barbara Dickson.
A typical season includes four or five major productions which run for three or four weeks, and a number of one-week or shorter runs which may be by visiting companies. 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. There were 6 plays with shorter runs, a visiting production by Northern Ballet Theatre, and two Christmas shows, one for small children and a revived co-production with Birmingham Repertory Company of Adrian Mitchell's dramatisation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Tony Harrison's satyr play The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus was performed at the theatre in 1998. The playhouse has a strong record of supporting new writers, like Zodwa Nyoni, whose first play Boi Boi Is Dead they commissioned.[10]
Financial support[edit]
The theatre receives funding from Arts Council England (£1,500,000) and Leeds City Council (£670,000). It also encourages corporate sponsorship. The theatre is a member of the European Theatre Convention.[11]