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Join us at Leeds Theatre Festival
Hot on the heels of our Wrongsemble partnership, we have another exciting collaboration to shout about…
We are joining forces with our dynamic neighbours and specialist industry educators, Leeds Conservatoire to pool resources and expertise, thereby providing more opportunities for local actors, writers and directors.
As part of the Conservatoire’s MA Theatre Festival we have:
- rehearsed readings of original works from some fantastic new northern writers, performed by Leeds Conservatoire undergraduates and graduates
- a scratch night featuring extracts created by playwrights from our recent writers’ workshops
- an evening celebrating all the actors, directors and writers from our 2025 workshops, collaborating on brand new shared pieces showcasing their newly honed skills.
As well as these performances, join us in the Conservatoire’s stunning Rooftop Bar to toast this new partnership. Details below.
Working together is a brilliant way to open doors for some absolutely cracking emerging northern voices, whilst introducing us to a whole new group of talented artists. And trust us, you’re going to want to catch these creatives now!
All the events are at Room 219, Leeds Conservatoire, 3 Quarry Hill, LS2 7PD:
Wednesday 16th July at 12:45pm – Rehearsed Reading: Dirty Angel by Mae Milburn
Dirty Angel is a play about Rotha Lintorn Orman, the political activist and World War I veteran who se up Britain’s first fascist organisation the British Fascists. It’s a love story. Part drama, part poem, part rave, this show explores the sticky boundaries between queer shame, class hatred and fascism. It asks when is love not enough to save us? Based on a true story.
The writer would like to make the audience aware that this show contains: antisemitism, violence, drug use, sex.
Thursday 17th July at 12:45pm – Rehearsed Reading: Close Enough to Touch by Henry Roberts
A funny and intimate, queer, one-person play exploring sexuality, shame and… toilets. He’s lost in life. He doesn’t have a job, be doesn’t have a direction… but he does have a secret. He spends his days cruising men’s toilets, finding secret pleasure with strangers. But over the course of the play, his secrets start to catch up on him, his shame builds, and the people around him start to pay the price…
Friday 18th July at 12:45pm – Rehearsed Reading: Gogh Angel by Tina Firthlock
Gogh Angel is a scratch and sniff musical comedy about failed artist Heather, a middle aged hoarder trapped by emotional attachment and chronic procrastination, who lives with the ever-enabling, mischievous and manipulative Housten, determined to grow the hoard at any cost.
Saturday 19th July at 12:45pm – Rehearsed Reading: Bring Me The Head Of Dr Vohra by Sammy Ali
Bring me The Head Of Dr Vohra follows misanthropic medial student Nadeem Vohra on his quest to graduate whilst soaking up as much attention as humanly possible. It’s a dark comedy with a beating heart – a heart uncovered as we learn that our hero’s cartoonish adventures stand in stark contrast to his not-so-funny history of childhood abuse. The show explores the impairment of children piloting adult bodies, how thin skin can come from wear over time, and how both exhaustion and hope can be found in repairing others. Fleabag meets This is Going to Hurt.

Saturday 19th July at 5:00pm – Red Ladder X Leeds Conservatoire Scratch Performances
Watch our 10-minute scratch performances by writers from Red Ladder’s emerging writers programme, performed by actors from Leeds Conservatoire.
That Time We Got High, by Stephanie Reynolds
Tough Flowers (working title), by Declan Kelly
Paul and Agatha Across the World, by Leslie Ann Po
When Will the Pressure Cooker Whistle, by Gareth Rhodes
Tickets for this event are FREE RSVP here
Saturday 19th July at 6:00pm – Red Ladder X Leeds Conservatoire Drinks Reception & Networking
Join us for drinks and canapes in The Rooftop Bar, Leeds Conservatoire at our evening reception and networking event where we will formally announce our exciting new partnership.
Tickets for this event are FREE RSVP here

Thursday 24th July at 6pmRed Ladder’s 2025 Writing/Directing/Acting showcase
An evening celebrating all the actors, directors and writers from our recent workshops, sharing their collaborative works and honed skills.
The bar will be open from 5:30pm and there will be a short interval.
Tickets FREE and available HERE
We really hope to see you at one of more of these events.