Behind the Scene is a new series from Bradford Producing Hub that allows Bradford's performance makers to observe rehearsals and R&D processes.
Expressions of interest by
Wednesday 18 December 2024 at 11 PM
Next in our Behind the Scene series is a 3-day observation placement with Leeds Playhouse during rehearsals of their new adaptation of George Orwell’s, Animal Farm.
To mark the fable’s 80th anniversary, Director Amy Leach and Designer Hayley Grindle introduce a fresh interpretation to the stage that explores the erosion of ideals and the seductive allure of greed. Adapted by Tatty Hennessy, this chilling and thought-provoking story of treachery and rebellion provides a timely reminder of the perils of unchecked power.
Placement dates:
- Friday 10 January 2025
- Friday 17 January 2025
- Friday 31 January 2025
Placement times:
10 AM – 6 PM
Placement locations:
Leeds Playhouse
Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS8 2JB
Director, Amy Leach specialises in creating inclusive work, working with deaf, disabled and non-disabled artists and often working in BSL and English. This interpretation of Animal Farm is being developed to contain creative audio descriptions, which will be available at all performances through headsets.
This placement is a brilliant opportunity for performance-makers to witness work with accessibility embedded in its creation. The company includes deaf artists so BSL interpreters will be present in the rehearsal room and the script will be displayed on a screen.
About the show
“All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.”
When a group of exploited animals rebel against their human farmer-tyrant and take control of the land that they live on, they hope to create a world where they can be equal, happier and free. As power shifts and a new leader emerges, they soon face the age-old question: is the grass truly greener on the other side?
In the year George Orwell’s political fable marks its 80th anniversary, Director Amy Leach and Designer Hayley Grindle introduce a fresh interpretation to the stage that explores the erosion of ideals and the seductive allure of greed. Adapted by Tatty Hennessy, this chilling and thought-provoking story of treachery and rebellion provides a timely reminder of the perils of unchecked power.
All performances will have Creative Audio Description.
A Leeds Playhouse and Stratford East co-production in association with Nottingham Playhouse.
The successful participants will join Leeds Playhouse on the following dates:
- Friday 10 January 2025
- Friday 17 January 2025
- Friday 31 January 2025
Rehearsal hours are 10 AM until 6 PM each day.
The rehearsal room has level access from the street and has an accessible bathroom nearby. The venue also has a changing places toilet. The company includes deaf artists so BSL interpreters will be present in the rehearsal room and the script will be displayed on a screen. There is a quiet space available.
For this Behind the Scene opportunity, we’re thrilled to be offering two placements to shadow rehearsals.
To make the registration simple and the selection process fair, we will be allocating the two places through a ballot.
How the ballot process works:
- You enter the ballot via a simple form hosted on the individual placement page
- After the deadline, we enter all eligible registrations into a ballot
- We select a participant through a random selection process
- We inform all applicants of the outcome the week following the closing date
We will pay everyone a bursary of £75 per day to participate in this placement, a total of £225 for the 3 days.
We will also reimburse any travel costs so please keep your receipts. For placements outside of Bradford, we can pre-book trains in advance on your behalf.
If you require financial support towards access costs, we will send you a form to detail these requirements on your offer of a place. Access costs might include childcare or other caring costs, interpretation costs such as BSL or other language support, access worker costs, or other access costs.
If you have an access rider, you’re welcome to send this to us when you apply – you can email this to hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk.
Animal Farm is a fable about a group of farm animals who have been neglected, oppressed and enslaved by their farmer, Mr Jones. Inspired by the vision of an idyllic and egalitarian future that comes to Old Major, a pig, in his dying dream, the animals stage an uprising, taking over the farm and planning to run it in a way that “all animals are equal”. Despite a positive start, over time, the pigs slowly assume power, running the farm as a dictatorship and becoming indistinguishable from the human farmers.
The story resonates with our current world and asks big questions about whether true, positive change is possible. Tatty developed this adaptation of the play with the contributions of young people at the National Youth Theatre in 2022, incorporating what resonated with them during a backdrop of protest and pandemic.
During the process, we’ll work hard to create a safe and inclusive space to explore the themes of the play as a team. But of note, and worth understanding before joining rehearsals, are:
- This story contains challenging themes and language including explorations of societal neglect, slavery, animal cruelty, class, inequality, protest, fake news and manipulation, democracy and power.
- The play contains violence, guns, and some animals are brutally killed. There will be the presence of (fake) blood in the production.
- Two of the characters are mothers whose children/eggs have been taken from them and this is explored in the play.
If you need support with completing the form, or you need to submit your expression of interest another way, please drop us an email at hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk
About Amy Leach
Amy grew up in Darwen, Lancashire and attended the youth theatre at the Bolton Octagon Theatre. On graduating from University, Amy co-founded the award winning theatre company for young people, en masse, with playwright and composer Oliver Birch. en masse toured nationally and internationally between 2003 & 2011. For en masse, Amy directed and produced UK tours of Spaceship ’87, The Echo Chamber (Fringe First Winner 2003), The Ignatius Trail (Fringe First Winner 2004), The Shelter, The Iceberg and We All Fall Down, as well as directing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in co-production with the Dukes Theatre, Lancaster.
Her directing credits include Lord of the Flies, Macbeth, Don’t You Know It’s Going To Be Alright, There Are No Beginnings, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Road, Talking Heads, Queen of Chapeltown, Romeo & Juliet, Kes & The Night Before Christmas for Leeds Playhouse (formerly West Yorkshire Playhouse); Oliver Twist for Leeds Playhouse and Ramps on the Moon which can currently be viewed on NT at Home; A Christmas Carol for Hull Truck and Hull City of Culture; The Borrowers for the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff; Wonderman for NTW, WMC & Gagglebabble; Little Sure Shot for West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Egg Bath, Theatre Iolo and Mac Belfast; The Caucasian Chalk Circle for The Unicorn, London; The Life and Times of Mitchell and Kenyon for Dukes Theatre, Lancaster and Oldham Coliseum; Wanted! Robin Hood and Arabian Nights (MTA Winner for Best Ensemble 2012) for the Library Theatre Company at The Lowry; Sabbat, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Peter Pan and My Mother Said I Never Should for The Dukes; Dracula, Peter Pan, Wilde Tales, Oliver Twist, The Animated Tales of Shakespeare and The Grimm Brothers’ Circus for Theatre Royal Bath/the egg; and Dr Korczak’s Example for the Royal Exchange in Manchester (MEN Award Winner for Best Studio Production 2008).
Amy is Deputy Artistic Director of Leeds Playhouse. She is a passionate advocate for and champion of creatively accessible theatre.
