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“My songs are story-driven, and my music is a blend of genres – it’s a kind of Frankenstein pop or theatrical pop!” – Bay Bryan
Bay Bryan is a Manchester-based singer-songwriter and multidisciplinary artist who grew up in Colorado in the US. His work is a blend of music and theatre and his debut solo album, The Meadow, came out in 2023. Bay co-composed the music for A Town Called Christmas and is Associate Musical Director. He has recently launched a Crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to fund the recording of his sophomore concept album, BAYARD. Here he talks about the inspiration behind his music and why he now calls the North of England home…
Can you tell us a bit about your concept album BAYARD? In a way it follows on from my first album, The Meadow (2023), carrying a similar theme of escapism. BAYARD continues on from that only this fantasy space is a forest enchanted by the spirit of a medieval horse, called Bayard, that legend has it could speak to humans and possessed extraordinary abilities.
There’s also another trickster character, part human and part fairy, in the forest and this is the backdrop to the stories and songs on the album. It’s what I call a kaleidoscopic collection of songs and the idea is the listener goes on this wonky ride through the woods where they stumble upon this cabaret tent with Bayard and their band of musicians inside. There are a lot of themes running through it – radical playfulness, inter-connectivity, gender, identity and the roles we expect people to play, digesting reality through a fantastical distortion.
What was the inspiration behind this album? It was about exploring ideas of who we are, and who we want to be. Also, Bayard is the name I was born with and I wanted to explore that, which led me to this medieval horse called ‘Bayard’, who was captured by Charlemagne but escaped into the forest never to be seen again. There was something about this folk tale that struck me as a beautiful symbol – in the human world we risk losing magic when we seek to make ourselves separate from it, and I like the idea of the woods being this secret refuge with something beautiful to offer us.
Also, when I was a child, I used to tell people I was an alien, which I think came out of a deep desire to be something more than myself – more than human. What I’ve found doing drag (because I’m also a drag artist), is that this costume or persona you adopt allows you to be something bigger and ultimately express your own authenticity.
Bay Bryan with his bandmates credit Lian Furness
How would you describe your music? I think both of these albums are more than just a collection of songs, I want them to be an immersive experience. They have a theatrical element. I’d say my songs are story-driven and my music is a blend of genres – it’s a kind of Frankenstein pop or theatrical pop.
Where did your passion for music come from? I was lucky that I grew up surrounded by music. We had an upright piano in our living room and I’ve always written songs by ear. My mum describes a moment when I was about two where I went over to the piano and replayed the Microsoft Windows opening screen tune, which certainly surprised them! I had piano lessons from the age of about five and I also did the classical guitar for a few years. I would sit for hours at the piano and put together chord progressions and later I started to write songs. I was also in the choir from a young age, so music was just a constant in my life.
How did you end up going from the Rocky Mountains to living in Manchester? I went to drama school in Glasgow where I studied musical theatre performance for three years. I met my partner there and when I graduated I moved to New York because of visa rules. We maintained our long-distance relationship and then decided to get married so I moved to the UK – I proposed to my boyfriend in Leeds. I put on a solo show at Interplay Theatre and at the end of it I proposed to him! And we’ve been living together in Manchester since 2017.
Is it harder to get heard as a musician today? You can get your music heard but to sustain a career is a huge challenge in the music industry today. It’s an attention market and everyone is trying their darndest to be heard, and some people are much better at it than others. Is this inherently a problem? I think in many ways it is, but everyone would have a different answer to that. Having had the luck of experiencing a bit of a buzz with my last record, I know how quickly attention can suddenly come your way and how quickly it can evaporate. One could argue that it’s easier than ever to put music out today, but for me I would rather find and attract the folks that resonate with what I love to make – and I reckon there are some reading this that might!
Bay Bryan (credit Liam Maxwell)
Tell us your three desert island albums?
Nick Drake – Pink Moon
Anais Mitchell – Young Man in America
Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
What do you hope to achieve with BAYARD? My overall vision goes beyond the studio record and into an immersive gig-cabaret experience that brings people together, and the first step that needs to happen is the record. So the plan is to go into the studio in Wales.
At this moment with the growth of AI and the crazy political landscape we have in the world I feel it’s my duty as a musician to create something more than just a collection of songs. I want to create a meaningful experience that stays with people and I’d love to go on tour with my live band and perform both of these albums together in unconventional spaces.
Click here to support Bay’s Crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, which runs until December 11 2025
Main image: Bay Bryan (credit Jay Fisher)
“You can’t live a full life without the arts…Even if you go and see something and you don’t like it, at least you’ve experienced it.” Roo Arwen – actor, singer, musician.
Originally from Yorkshire, Roo Arwen, 22, is a Manchester-based actor, singer, and musician, and a recent graduate of The Arden School of Theatre. Roo is making her professional theatre debut with the festive double bill A Proper Merry Christmess (Red Ladder) and A Town Called Christmas (Wrongsemble)
Can you tell us a bit about your story and why you wanted to become an actor?
I grew up in Pudsey with my mum and my nan. We lived in quite a run-down part of the town and there wasn’t much to do when I was little. But when I got a bit older my mum started taking me to the pantomime at the Alhambra in Bradford. Billy Pearce was always in it and I think the first one I saw was Aladdin when I was four years old and I remember being completely blown away. It was like magic. That’s where it started really. When I found out that you could do it as a job I couldn’t believe it, because I thought you needed some kind of special powers to be an actor. So once I realised that I might be able to do this, I knew it’s what I wanted to do.
Did you go to drama classes as a youngster?
I never went to any paid-for acting classes because we couldn’t afford that, but I went to a few charity-run drama clubs and I was always in the school plays. My first ever role was as Santa, funnily enough. There’s a picture of me somewhere when I was about five where I’m wearing a little Santa costume. When I was 14, I joined the Futurist Theatre Productions which didn’t charge you, and for someone like me who couldn’t fund being creative that made a big difference. In 2021, after finishing sixth form, I took a gap year and did a foundation course at The Arden School of Theatre in Manchester. At that point I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go down the musical theatre route, or study something different altogether, but after doing that course I fell in love with acting and went on to do the acting degree there.
What’s it been like working with Red Ladder and did you know about them beforehand?
I only graduated recently so to be working with Red Ladder is just amazing. I knew about Red Ladder and Wrongsemble and I’d heard great things from everyone about them. And now I’m here it’s like everything I imagined it would be, but also nothing like I imagined. It’s a lot of hard work doing two shows so the hours are long, which is to be expected, but I really feel like I’m on the right path and I know I’ve made the right choice.
At the same time, it’s easy when you’re just starting out to think the industry is a bit scary, but it isn’t what I’ve experienced. It’s been really welcoming and collaborative and I feel I’ve developed a nice bond with the directors.
How important are theatre companies like Red Ladder and Wrongsemble for young actors, writers and directors?
They’re so important. Hiring young actors, especially those who’ve come straight from higher education, allows them to take their first steps in the industry. So many talented young actors can get overlooked, so having an opportunity like this feels amazing. I was talking to Seeta Wrightson [co-writer of A Proper Merry Christmess] the other day. This is her debut as a playwright, and you can see how much it means to her. So for Cheryl to have that faith in her, and me, is huge. A lot of the focus in theatre is on London which is why it’s so important that we have theatre companies like Red Ladder and Wrongsemble that are prepared to give people opportunities and tell northern, working-class stories. I’m thrilled that my theatre debut is in Leeds.
Charles Doherty & Roo Arwen
Why does theatre still matter in today’s world with so much other entertainment on offer?
It’s so important that we have this creative outlet because it brings people together. And it’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Theatre is my lifeline! It’s especially important for me, as someone who has struggled through adversity – it’s got me through these tough spots. To be in the same room as someone whose persona may resonate with you even a little bit is an unexplainable feeling.
You can’t live a full life without the arts. I’m always telling people to go and see something at the theatre. Even if you go and see something and you don’t like it, at least you’ve experienced it.
What about your future plans. Are you happy on the stage, or would you like to branch out into TV and films?
My heart will always be with the theatre – I’m a theatre girl till I die! It’s what I grew up on, it’s the most accessible and it makes the most sense to me. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to do TV or film, of course, I’d love to do both. If I can perform and tell a story then I’m happy.
Rehearsal images from A Town Called Christmas and A Proper Merry Christmess by Lian Furness. Both shows on tour Nov and Dec 2025. Tickets available now.
MEET THE CHRISTMESS/MAS CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
Maryam Ali – Rani in A Proper Merry Christmess & Clementine in A Town Called Christmas
credit Sophie Giddens
Maryam is an actor and theatre maker based in Teesside. She trained at Manchester School of Theatre and spent several years teaching in primary and SEN education before returning to theatre last year. She is currently developing her first full length play which has been commissioned for an R&D with ARC Stockton.
Theatre credits include: Titus Andronicus (Theatre Space NE), Wolf! (Kitchen Zoo/Northern Stage), Partition Play (Live Theatre, rehearsed reading), Home from Home (Novo Theatre, R&D), Dear Rachel Corrie (Alphabetti, response writing programme), Julius Caesar (Theatre Space NE), The Interview (Live Theatre, rehearsed reading), Hamlet (HER productions)
Roo Arwen – Red in A Proper Merry Christmess & Glitch in A Town Called Christmas
credit James Melia
Roo is a Manchester-based actor, singer, and musician, and a recent graduate of The Arden School of Theatre, marking this production as her first professional theatre debut. Originally from Yorkshire, she has cultivated a deep-rooted passion for performance from an early age, with a particular focus on music and storytelling through song. Throughout her training and beyond, Roo has developed a versatile skill set spanning stage and screen acting, vocal performance, and live musicianship. As a singer-songwriter, she has spent much of her time performing original material at venues and events across the North of England, building a reputation for her distinctive voice and heartfelt compositions. Roo continues to pursue her artistic career with dedication, bringing energy, sincerity, and a strong sense of ensemble to every project she undertakes.
Charles Doherty – Michael in A Proper Merry Christmess & Tim in A Town Called Christmas
credit Charles Dohery Photography
Raised in Australia, Charles Doherty is a Northern-based UK actor and singer working across stage, screen, opera, and musical theatre. He trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and was honoured with a Young Australian of the Year Award for the Arts.
Recent screen credits include The Pentaverate, Citadel, After The Hunt, Jay Kelly, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams, The Toys That Built America, Rewilding, and a range of award-winning short films. He is also one of the faces of Hilltop Honey.
Charles was an artist with Opera Australia for many years before moving on to international musical theatre tours, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, and Oliver!. UK roles include Bustopher Jones (Cats), Gomez Addams (The Addams Family), and Satan/Warm-Up Guy (Jerry Springer the Opera). He received a NODA award for his performance as King Arthur in Spamalot. He is represented by Mary Liz Management.
Kathryn Hanke – (The voice of) Katherine the garden centre manager in A Proper Merry Christmess
credit Kathryn Hanke
Kathryn is a Leeds based actor and former sketch comedian. After 9 years touring the comedy circuit, she became a professional actor in 2013.
Theatre credits include: Molly’s Marvellous Moustache (Fidget Theatre) Aidy The Awesome (UK tour/The Gramophones), Residue (Speakup Theatre) The Wizard of Oz (Paperback Theatre) Mother of the Revolution (Archipelago Arts) Batty! (Lady Moss) and Mutton (Brave Words, 2025).
Recent TV credits include: The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin S1 (Apple TV, 2024) and Halloween special (Apple TV, 2025)
Joanne Bernard – Movement Director – A Proper Merry Christmess
credit Joanne Bernard
Joanne is an alumni of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Her performance career started with Kokuma Dance Theatre Company, which opened up opportunities to work and perform with national and international African and Caribbean artist.
Joanne has worked extensively as Movement Director for Tutti Frutti Productions. As a Rehearsal Director Joanne has worked with artist and choreographers, as an Artistic Consultant and mentor. Company’s include Tavaziva Dance, Gerrard Martin Dance, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Sharon Watson, Verve 24, ME Dance, Alethia Antonia, and Uchenna on their production of Our Mighty Groove which opened the new Sadler’s Wells East Theatre. Joanne was also the Artistic Consultant for Northern Colour an NPO funded project at NSCD for artist of the global majority, and Rehearsal Director for Company of Others production, Grief Floats which takes place at King Edward’s Bay, Tynemouth in the North Sea. Joanne has recently returned from 3 weeks in Brazil as Rehearsal Director for Dandyism, by Patrick Ziza.
Tom Blackband – Lighting and Sound Designer and Technical Manager
credit Tom Blackband
Tom started his professional career working with bands in and around North London and then touring Europe with Chris Barber’s Jazz and Blues Band and Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen. He moved north and became Technical Manager at City Varieties Music Hall before continuing his freelance career and working for various production and theatre companies including Production Light and Sound, Red Ladder Theatre Company, Firefly, Phoenix Dance, Wrongsemble, and Theatre By The Lake. He is looking forward to spending Christmas with Red Ladder and WrongSemble.
Bay Bryan – Composer & Associate Musical Director – A Town Called Christmas
credit Michael Shelford
Bay Bryan is a composer, singer/songwriter and performer originally from the Rockies of Colorado. Now based in Manchester, Bay’s work is primarily in the UK. Recent composer/MD theatre credits include The Uncrackable Case (Lawrence Batley Theatre and Front Room Productions), The Wizard Of Oz (The Dukes), Three Little Vikings (Wrongsemble).
In 2023 Bay released The Meadow, an alt-folk/pop concept album. It enjoyed a few spins on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, as well as Worldwide FM. The release also led to a few exciting live shows including Jazz Cafe, Manchester International Festival, HOMOBLOC, Live at Leeds and more. With formal training in musical theatre from the RCS in Glasgow, Bay also continues to act, with recent credits: The Gifting (Leeds 2023 & Slung Low) and Napoleon (Apple TV+). Sometimes Bay’s drag alter ego Queen Bayard tries to steal the limelight. www.baybryan.co.uk ; instagram @baybryanmusic
Leon Fleming – writer – A Proper Merry Christmess
credit Leon Fleming
Leon is a originally from Castleford, now based in Leeds. He is currently under commission to Leeds Playhouse, and is also Co-Artistic Director of 5Pound5 Theatre.
His writing credits include: Mucky Titus (1623 Theatre Company,) Masc for Masc (5Pound5 Theatre video,) Going Outside (Bradford Fringe/Heifer Productions, live broadcast,) Chechnya Plays (5Pound5 Theatre, Theatre Deli Camberwell/Kings Head Islington,) Kicked in the Shitter (5Pound5 Theatre with Theatre in the Mill, Hope Theatre Islington/Theatre in the Mill Bradford,) Sid (5Pound5 Theatre, UK tour/West End,) The Boy Next Door (Jersey Arts Trust/BBC Radio Jersey,) Monkeys in Toy Town (New Mercury Theatre, Crescent Theatre Birmingham.)
Leon is winner of the Channel Islands Radio Drama Competition 2010, and three-time winner of the Jersey Arts Trust New Plays Project 2010, 2011, 2012. He was also co-creator of Plays Rough; a monthly platform for new theatre writing
Eija Gibson – Stage & Company Manager
credit Fay Summerfield
Eija Gibson is a Leeds-based Stage Manager and theatre-maker originally from Southampton. She trained in Acting at Leeds Conservatoire (2020–2023) and now works across the North in a range of creative and production roles.
Eija’s recent credits include: Stage Manager for Red Ladder’s We’re Not Going Back (2024), Associate Director on Tinsel (Wrongsemble, 2024), Assistant Director on POV: We’re in Love Actually (Darkhorse 2025) and Director of The Lost Property Library (Wrongsemble 2025). She regularly facilitates with Darkhorse’s Young Company and supports youth work at Leeds Playhouse.
As a queer, working-class artist, Eija is passionate about inclusive, local theatre and advocating for disabled and underrepresented voices.
Antony Jones – Costume and Set Designer
credit Wrongsemble
Antony Jones is a Yorkshire-based designer and set builder. He has been a core member of Wrongsemble for the past decade, and is driven by creating work which is ecologically conscious and sustainable. Antony trained in Fine Art at Lincoln University, with a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Leeds Beckett. Recent credits include: Three Little Vikings (Wrongsemble), Bring It Back (Bradford Arts Centre), Tinsel (Wrongsemble), Breadcrumbs (Wrongsemble), and The Not So Ugly Sisters (Wrongsemble / Red Ladder / Leeds Playhouse).
Chris Lloyd – Executive Producer
credit Lian Furness
A Red Ladder employee of over 10 years, Chris is still in constant awe of the talent he has to work with at the company. Lloydy stumbled across Red Ladder after stints at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Rosehill Theatre in Cumbria, three years in the south of Spain and ten years in London at Theatre Royal Stratford East and The Shaw Theatre in Euston.
Never happier than when sitting in his parlour counting his pennies Chris occasionally emerges, blinking, into the theatrical spotlight for opening nights, launches, free lunches and end of tour thrashes.
Cheryl Martin – Director – A Proper Merry Christmess
credit Lian Furness
Cheryl became Artistic Director of Red Ladder Theatre Company in January 2024. Alongside her writing and directing, Cheryl has supported writers and practitioners at Contact Theatre, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh and Oldham Coliseum, and worked with Community Arts Northwest on a series of community plays. In 2015 she co-founded LGBTQ+ Global-Majority performance arts company Black Gold Arts. In addition to being an Edinburgh Fringe Total Theatre assessor and judge, Cheryl was also Co-Artistic Director of Manchester’s grassroots Global-Majority-led publisher and writer development company Commonword and is Co-Director of Manchester Pride’s Candlelight Vigil. A Proper Merry Christmess is her second production for Red Ladder following Sanctuary in 2024.
Lillie-Rose McCormick – Assistant Stage Manager
credit Lian Furness
Lillie-Rose McCormick is a final year student at University Centre Leeds studying Production Arts (technical theatre and stage management). She is working with Red Ladder as assistant stage manager on its show A Proper Merry Christmess and Wrongsemble’s A Town Called Christmas
Claire O’Connor – Composer – A Town Called Christmas
credit Emily Goldie
Claire O’Connor is a creative from Leeds. She trained at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. As an actor she has worked for many local and national theatre companies. She co-composed ‘A Town Called Christmas’ and has MD’d previous productions. She is absolutely thrilled that the show is getting another outing. For wrongsemble she has been lucky enough to also co-compose ‘The Three Little Viking’s’ and ‘The Not So Ugly Sisters’. She has recently toured in Red Ladder’s production of ‘We’re Not Going Back’ and will be performing in ‘Mutton’ that is currently on the Red Ladder Social Circuit. Claire has a long standing relationship with both Red Ladder & Wrongsemble and is thrilled that they’ve paired up to tour this special piece!
Claire’s Musical Directing & Composition credits include:The Wizard of Oz (The Dukes Lancaster) The Odyssey (NT/Cast) The Not So Ugly Sisters/A Town Called Christmas/Hansel & Gretel/The Three Little Vikings(Wrongsemble); A Christmas Carol/A Midsummer Nights Dream/Outlaws/Murder at the coliseum/The Uncrackable Case(Front Room Productions); Harold & Maude (Interplay); Connected (Red Ladder Theatre) Hidden Histories (Mind the gap); Robyn Hood/Pirate Bonnie (Fidget Theatre) The Good Book (Slung Low) Mutton (Brave Words); Where is love/Down’t Allotment (Bloomin’ Buds)
Elvi Piper – Writer & Director – A Town Called Christmas
credit Tarek Slater
Elvi is a Yorkshire-based theatre director. She trained at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama and Insitut del Teatre, Barcelona, and is the founding Artistic Director of award-winning family theatre company Wrongsemble.
Recent theatre credits as Director include: ‘The Wizard of Oz’ by Daniel Bye (The Dukes, Williamson Park Show), ‘Hush Hush’ by Lucie Raine (Mikron), ‘We’re Not Going Back’ by Boff Whalley (Red Ladder Theatre Company), ‘Three Little Vikings’ by Bethan Woollvin (Wrongsemble), ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Storyhouse, 2023), Romeo and Juliet (Storyhouse, 2022), The Coup Coup Club book by Paul Jenkins, music/lyrics by Darren Clark, concept by Amy Draper (Leeds Conservatoire/Slung Low).
Richard Priestley – Director & Choreographer – A Town Called Christmas
credit Lian Furness
Richard Priestley (he/him) is a Northern Irish-born director, choreographer and facilitator based in Manchester. He specialises in movement and ensemble-led theatre, creating bold, energetic, and inclusive work for audiences of all ages. With over 15 years of experience across professional, educational and community settings, Richard has worked extensively with companies including Wrongsemble, The Dukes, Red Ladder, Storyhouse and The British Library. His directing and choreography credits include Breadcrumbs (2025), Three Little Vikings (2025), The Wizard of Oz (2025) and Romeo & Juliet (2023). Alongside his theatre-making, Richard leads creative workshops through organisations such as Proper Job Theatre Company and The Lowry, using drama and movement to build confidence, communication, and creativity in participants from all walks of life. He is thrilled to be Co-Director and Choreographer for A Town Called Christmas and to be partnering with Red Ladder and Wrongsemble to bring festive magic to audiences across the country.
Seeta Wrightson – Writer – A Proper Merry Christmess
credit Andy Hollingworth
Seeta Wrightson is a Bradford born, Leeds based, writer, stand-up comedian and voice actor. She was commissioned by Redladder after taking part in the playwriting workshops in 2024. Seeta reached the 2021 semi-finals of BBC New Comedy Awards in 2021, is running her solo show “It’ll be all Wrightson on the night, son” at comedy festivals around the UK, and she has been selected for the BBC Comedy sponsored 2025 Female Pilot Club initiative for her sitcom script “BD5 Girls”. Seeta has also taken part in several writers rooms for TV comedy sitcoms. In 2024, she supported comedian Kiri Pritchard-McClean on several of her “Peacock” tour dates and voice acted several characters in the Bradford City of Culture BBC play “Bilal and Ted’s Bradfordian Adventure”.
A Proper Merry Christmas is Seeta’s playwriting debut.
Kathleen Yore – Puppet Maker & Trainer – A Town Called Christmas
credit Odd Doll
Kathleen is a Yorkshire based puppet / mask maker and director. Graduating with distinction from Bretton Hall. Previous making and directing credits include: All ‘Odd Doll Puppetry’ shows, Hansel and Gretel (Cast in Doncaster) Mutton (Brave words) Hansel and Gretel, Tinsel, Three Little Vikings, A Town Called Christmas (Wrongsemble), Rapunzel (Ballet Lorrent) The Hidden Garden (Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah) Jack and the Beanstalk (City Varieties) Squid and the Sea (Tatwood Puppets) Masque of Might (Opera North)
Performance credits include: Ava (Nikki Davis) Wrong un, and Mother Courage (Red Ladder) Utopias (Aber Dabai, Denmark) Northern Dreaming (Leeds 23) Grandads Tales (Pickled Image) Christmas in Leeds Market (Alive and Kicking) Submercycle, Bees, Moths at work, Action painting (Pif Paf) Pirate Bonnie (Fidget). For fifteen years, Kathleen has also worked as a hospital clown doctor for northern children’s hospital units under the name ‘Dr Nic Nac’ for ‘Theodora Children’s Charity’, specialising in improvisation and play with families in order to relieve anxiety and to remind people of the joy of life.
“One thing I hadn’t realised beforehand was just how much stage managers actually do!” student Lillie-Rose McCormick on her current placement with Red Ladder & Wrongsemble
Lillie-Rose McCormick is a final year student at University Centre Leeds studying Production Arts (technical theatre and stage management). She is working with Red Ladder as assistant stage manager on its show A Proper Merry Christmess and Wrongsemble’s A Town Called Christmas
How did you end up working with Red Ladder and can you tell us a bit about your role?
As part of my course we need to do industry placements and one of my teachers said there was a place available at Red Ladder so I went and had a chat with them. I hadn’t really done much stage management work before so I was keen to find out more and luckily they agreed to take me on.
It’s been really interesting and made me think on my feet in a way that maybe I haven’t had to do before. The other day I was asked to buy some props for the show which might not seem like a big thing, but it was nice to be trusted to do this.
One thing I hadn’t realised beforehand was just how much stage managers actually do! They help with the sets and props, and they oversee the entire show from a logistics point of view, which you don’t appreciate until you’re doing it yourself.
Where does your interest in theatre come from?
I grew up in Norwich and my nan used to take me and my brother to the theatre every Christmas to see the panto, and I just loved it. There was something magical about it that totally fascinated me. I also did quite a bit of dancing when I was younger and I was lucky enough to be taken to watch the ballet.
Originally, I wanted to do acting at GCSE but unfortunately covid hit and my anxiety levels really went up. When I went back I got lower grades than I was hoping which made me rethink whether I should do drama at A Level. So me and my dad looked at the different options because I still wanted to do something linked to theatre, but I wasn’t sure I had the confidence to be on the stage. We thought that production arts might be better for me because I’d still be in the industry. I would just be backstage rather than on it.
What have you learned about how a show like this is put together?
It’s amazing how quickly everything happens. You start off with a rehearsal room and a script and in a few weeks the actors know all their lines, you have a set and everyone knows what they’re doing. I’ve also learned about the importance of lighting and sound and how they can make a big difference to the look and feel of a show.
L-R Lillie-Rose with Stage Manager, Eija Gibson in rehearsals for the Christmas tour
What’s it been like being part of the Red Ladder team?
It’s been incredible working in a professional environment and seeing how everyone works together. Learning on the job like this is so important because you pick up new skills and you think about things in a different way.
Why is it important that young people get opportunities in theatre?
Young people need opportunities within theatre because it feels like the younger generations are constantly talked down to and told they don’t have enough life experience. It’s quite difficult to get a job anywhere at the moment as a young person. So a job like this, as well as giving you experience, can help you make connections. Hopefully if you do well and make a good impression it means you might get another opportunity in the future.
I think there’s a general feeling, especially after covid, that young people can’t do things. But actually we can do the same things as everyone else, we just need the opportunity to show it. You might think that because you’re younger you’ll get hired because you’re cheaper to employ, but that’s not how it seems to work. I’ve heard stories where people have been turned down for jobs simply because they aren’t in work, which just seems crazy to me. So it’s incredibly important for young people to be given a chance.
Does theatre still matter in today’s entertainment world with all the streaming channels and social media platforms?
Yes, because it’s inspirational. You can make a play about anything. It can be a happy subject or a serious one, and to be able to turn that into a story that connects with an audience is just amazing.
You have authentic reactions to what you’re portraying, and you don’t have the canned laughter you get on some TV shows. If you’ve written a play, or directed a show, you get to see the audience’s reaction and whether they like it or not. With TV you only get to see the viewing figures, you don’t get to see how many people enjoyed it. But in theatre you do – you get to see people’s faces.
Both images taken during rehearsals for A Town Called Christmas and A Proper Merry Christmess by Lian Furness
With the yuletide season fast approaching we asked the writers, cast and director of our new festive show, A Proper Merry Christmess, ‘what does Christmas mean to you?’
Maryam Ali, actor
For me, Christmas is about spending time with my family in a little place called Stokesley, not far from Middlesbrough. That’s where I grew up and because we don’t get to see each other so often as we’re busy working, it’s nice to know we’re going to have that time together. It’s funny because in A Proper Merry Christmess Rani (my character) is asked if she celebrates Christmas as she’s South Asian. She says her family does, they just “do it a bit differently”. This really struck a chord with me as my family is Muslim, my dad’s Pakistani and my mum’s English, but we still join in with the Christmas traditions. It’s that one day in the year when the whole family, including aunties and uncles, all get together.
Roo Arwen, actor
I grew up in a very working-class estate in Pudsey. We had a small flat there and my mum and I always got quite stressed by the concept of Christmas. But we made it our own because it was just me, my mum and my nana when I was growing up. We made it a fun day. We had a tradition of watching Shrek every Christmas and we still do that now. We just made it feel like a special day where we got cosy and watched films and ate lots of junk food. Now, my boyfriend joins us and his family too. So it’s grown a bit from that little trio, which is nice. It’s just about appreciating what you’ve got and showing people that you love them. That’s the joy of Christmas for me. It’s not about superficial, material things.
Charles Doherty, actor
To me, in the UK Christmas is a time for people to come together, particularly during the coldest darkest time of the year, but it also shines a light on loneliness and inequality. This is why I produced the carols by candlelight event during my time in Ireland – a free annual musical and comedy event for the whole community, which raised thousands for motor neuron research through donations. So that’s what Christmas means to me.
Leon Fleming, writer
My dad was a coal miner and my uncle was a coal miner, so we were a coal mining family and one of my earliest Christmas memories goes back to the Miners’ Strike in 1984, when I was six years old. Normally, on Boxing Day we always had a big party where all the family came to our house, but that year we couldn’t because we had no money. The presents we got that year mostly came from other people kindly donating them and instead of a party at ours, we went to my cousin’s auntie and uncle’s house in Wakefield. So I just remember it feeling very different. These days I spend Christmas at my mum’s house. It’s just the two of us. We do a little buffet on Christmas Eve and then we spend Christmas Day making loads of lovely foods and eating too much. It’s nice and quiet – just how we like it.
Cheryl Martin, director
For the past few years I’ve been going home for Christmas to Chesapeake Beach in Maryland, in the US, where my mother and sister live. It’s a really small seaside town that used to be a popular resort back in the day. When you go there at Christmas it looks like something out of a movie. You can’t move for Christmas decorations – they’re big and they are everywhere. You’ve got big candy canes, there’s a big Christmas tree down by the boardwalk and even a fishing penguin! So it’s full-on Christmas. There’s a lot more decorations there than here in England.
When me and my sisters were little we’d get taken to the big department stores in Washington DC and they all had these huge Christmas animatronic displays and competed with each other to see who had the best window. When I go to DC now we visit all the museums and head up and down the malls, and the family goes to my sister’s house on Christmas Day. So for me, it’s family that makes Christmas special.
Seeta Wrightson, writer
I usually host Christmas which can make it a bit stressful in the run up to it. Everyone comes over to mine in Leeds. There’s my two sisters, their other halves, my mum and dad, me and my other half. And every other year we have my stepson. That’s nine people in a three-bedroom house, so there’s a lot of cushions on the floor and sleeping bags. It’s part of the fun though! Christmas Eve is actually bigger for us than Christmas Day itself, but not for any particular reason. We started a tradition of a cheese and pate night on Christmas Eve, so there’s one couple on the cheese run, one couple on pate and another couple on bread – though whoever has to do the cheese run is a bit stressed because it’s so close to Christmas! It’s nice for us all to actually catch up at Christmas and be silly again, like when we were kids. We’re all super busy so it’s rare we get that much time together. On Christmas Eve, we usually eat, drink and play lots of board games and then Christmas Day tends to be a little slower because we’re all a bit hungover!
All images taken during rehearsals for A Town Called Christmas and A Proper Merry Christmess by Lian Furness, apart from Leon’s (credit Leon) and Seeta’s (credit Andy Hollingworth)
The rise and fall of Mary Bateman – aka ‘the Yorkshire Witch’ – with MUTTON writer and Brave Words’ artistic director Chris Singleton
MUTTON is a new dark comedy from Leeds-based theatre company Brave Words, exploring the life and times of Mary Bateman, aka the Yorkshire Witch, and how the desperation of ordinary folk in the early 1800s has parallels with our world today. MUTTON is written by Chris Singleton, artistic director of Brave Words. Here, Chris explains the inspiration behind the play, which comes to Hawksworth Village Hall, Leeds, on Nov 19, and St John’s Parish Hall, Staincross, Barnsley, on Nov 28…
Where did the idea for MUTTON come from?
I was writer in residence at Leeds Central Library in 2019 and started doing some digging into the wrongdoing and mischief that had occurred in Leeds over the centuries and that’s when I came across Mary Bateman’s story. I immediately thought it would make a cracking play in a kind of League of Gentlemen-esque, Fleabag kind of style, where the female lead talks directly to the audience. I started writing a play in 2023 and two years later we got some funding to make it.
Who was Mary Bateman and what do we know about her?
Mary was a woman living in poverty, like a lot of people, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She grew up in North Yorkshire and got a bit of a reputation as a thief and wrongdoer from a very early age. By the time she was five, she was described as ‘knavish’ and ‘vicious’ and this reputation followed her around. She moved to Leeds and continued her career of crime, probably as a way to survive but also as a compulsion. Amongst her crimes – and this is where the title of the play comes from – she intercepted a butcher’s boy on his delivery round and demanded a leg of lamb saying the Lord wanted it and snatched it from him and took it home for her tea.
MUTTON
How did Mary become known as the Yorkshire Witch?
She was a fortune teller and sold charms under a multitude of aliases, but her biggest con was what became known as the ‘Prophet hen of Leeds.’ She wrote ‘Christ is coming’ on a load of eggs using either vinegar or acid, hilariously misspelling Christ, writing it without the ‘h’. There are various accounts, but it seems she convinced some people that her hen was laying these holy eggs and charged people a penny a go to see them. She became a bit of a local celebrity through her ‘holy hen’ and prophesying the end of the world. However, she became increasingly malicious and started poisoning people to keep them under her control, convincing them they needed her healing skills. Mary eventually poisoned the wrong person and was caught. She was imprisoned in York and later hanged in front of what was believed to be a record crowd of between 5,000 and 10,000 people. It was reported that some had walked all the way from Leeds to see the hanging, either because they had been her victims or wanted to see if the Yorkshire Witch had one final spell that would help her escape the gallows, which, of course, she didn’t.
Why did you want to tell her story on stage?
Back in the early 1800s a lot of people were living in poverty, the Industrial Revolution was underway and there was fear of new technology in the mills and factories and people were desperate for anything that might make their lives a little bit better. That’s why Mary was successful, people wanted to believe in something. As I was writing the play I kept thinking about the similarities with today. People are struggling, they’re worried about new technology in the form of AI and being conned by false prophets who claim they have the answers.
Also, Mary herself was a woman who grew up with no agency over her life and took agency by pretending to have magic powers, and we wanted to explore the idea of a woman living in what was a very patriarchal society. We’re not trying to say she wasn’t a villain, because she was, but I wanted to explore the reasons that might lead someone to do the audacious things she did.
Can you talk a bit about the play itself?
The play opens on the gallows moments before Mary is hanged and it ends on the gallows. In between is Mary telling a version of her story to the audience, alongside a collection of characters she conned during her life. It’s framed around the idea of who tells our stories and it also raises questions about can we trust the people who tell them?
MUTTON rehearsal credit Ant Robling
Why are we still interested in witchcraft and prophecies?
In the early 1800s, witchcraft wasn’t anywhere near as prevalent as it had been a couple of centuries earlier, but people were still fascinated by it and I don’t think that fascination has ever gone away. People are still interested in stories about magic and witchcraft.
How is Mary’s story relevant to a modern audience?
The idea of Mary claiming to be able to make people’s lives better when doing it for selfish reasons is something that chimes with our world today. Mary was a charismatic person who was able to convince people of things. She was a grifter, who was running from one con to the next, who would jump on a bandwagon if she thought it would benefit her. You only have to look at the world of politics to see this is still happening today.
What do you hope audiences take away from watching MUTTON?
We’re in a world now where so many high-profile voices are competing for people’s attention and some of those are doing it for selfish reasons. I hope the play makes people who come to see it think about why we believe in certain things and certain people, and not others. The play revolves around three main characters – Mary, Old Nan, who taught her about witchcraft, and Winnie, who Mary attempts to teach to be a witch – so as well as telling Mary’s story we’re also exploring the passing of experiences between generations, and whether you can stand up for what you believe in when somebody is trying to make you believe in something else.
To book tickets visit: Red Ladder Theatre Company or go to Mutton — BRAVE WORDS
“Art is a human right and we should all have the opportunity to be creative.” – Coralie Datta
“I have people who come to my sewing group each week and for some of them that’s the one time when they push themselves to get out of the house because their mental health is not good enough to sustain them going out all the time. But knowing they can come to this class and be safe and feel welcomed is really important to them” – Coralie Datta
Growing up in Hackney, in London, during the 90s, I feel like I had a culturally privileged upbringing in that there were lots of arts-related things happening all around us. Looking back, it feels like something of a heyday and as a child I was fortunate to be surrounded by community arts – I remember my whole family was involved in a community opera.
So the idea of being creative was always there for me from an early age, though my mum’s view was ‘you’re not going to make loads of money from doing that’. But it didn’t stop me pursuing it as a career.
I studied photography at university in Hereford, and went on to set up Coralie Datta Photography, which I still run today. And after moving to Leeds I did a masters degree in curation.
For the past four years I’ve been working for Space2 – an arts and social change charity based in east Leeds. I work across a wide range of community projects including Common Threads, which teaches people to sew across east Leeds, and I help run a photography project that encourages men to take pictures about their mental health.
I’ve also been heavily involved in a heritage project looking at the history of Gipton’s Old Fire Station (where Space2 is based) which has led me to producing my first stage production, Trailblazing – a new play inspired by the real-life stories of female firefighters from Yorkshire, spanning from the Second World War to the present day.
Trailbazing credit Coralie Datta
It follows the stories of three different women who reminisce about their experiences, from air raids and car accidents to farm fires, hosing down elephants, and even delivering old fire engines to Ukraine. It’s a one woman show that’s just done an initial tour and will head out again for a bigger tour in January.
The is the second project that Space2 has worked on about Leeds fire heritage and it started two years ago. The project works on uncovering women’s stories in the fire service. As part of the funding, I knew there was going to be a one women theatre show so from the start of the project I began thinking about what stories of women firefighters we could use. I then passed my thoughts over to a scriptwriter who then turned these ideas into an incredible script, something I could never have done. I really enjoyed this collaboration, and it continued with the director, set designer and performer.
I’ve learned that theatre can be such a powerful way of telling stories. I knew that already because I’ve seen a lot of theatre, but actually producing a story for the stage and seeing how someone else tells that story has been really illuminating.
Jane Morland in Trailbazing credit Coralie Datta
It’s also a reminder of why the arts matter. I think sometimes they’re seen as for someone else, or not a space for everyone. But for me, art is a human right and we should all have the opportunity to be creative.
I’ve seen firsthand the difference this can make. I have people who come to my sewing group each week, and for some of them that’s the one time when they push themselves to get out of the house because their mental health is not good enough to sustain them going out all the time. But knowing they can come to this class and be safe and feel welcomed is really important to them.
It’s hard these days to make a sustainable living from the arts, but being able to share stories and offer safe spaces for people to be creative is so important.
Coralie Datta is a community development worker at Space 2, an award-winning arts and social change charity based in east Leeds, where she runs community sewing groups and just produced her first theatre production, Trailblazing, which tells the story of our female firefighters from the Second World War to the present day. Coralie has a background in photography and curation – she runs Coralie Datta Photography – and is a Red Ladder trustee.
“Despite the funding challenges that exist today in the creative world, there are still a heck of a lot of opportunities and resources in the North.” – Richard D Rhodes
I was five years old when I told my parents I was going to be a writer. They, being sensible Bradford parents, said ‘don’t be daft’ and suggested I got a ‘proper’ job. So I did. After leaving school, a stint in Leeds Polytechnic’s Law School and finishing my degree with the Open University after being inspired by Educating Rita, I spent 15 years working in personal finance, finishing as a bank manager in London. Then, under initiatives sponsored by New Labour in the early noughties, I moved into primary education, benefitting from new routes into teaching which meant you didn’t have to go back to university or college, and instead you could learn on the job.
So, I switched careers and trained as a primary school teacher, working my way up to Head Teacher over the next 20-odd years. It was rewarding and enjoyable but, when the pandemic struck, I found myself buried under 70 hour weeks. When life returned to normal, these working hours remained much the same, at which point I felt I had done my bit and started thinking about how I could fulfil my childhood dream of being a writer.
Over the years I’d done school productions, writing bits and pieces for kids, but I hadn’t really dedicated any real time to ‘proper’ writing, so I decided to bite the bullet and took early retirement. I was living in Buckinghamshire at the time. So I sold up and moved back North, meaning I could be free from mortgage slavery and where my actuarily sliced pension might just be enough to get by on. That was two-and-a-half years ago. I must admit that, when I left the South-East, I thought I’d be consigning myself to a world of little writers’ groups in the local library – not that they are to be sniffed at, great work goes on in them – and that would be the extent of the opportunities in the North, but when I arrived up here I discovered so much more.
Richard with the ‘Think Again’ writers, a tour of 4 new short plays, including Intersection (other writers Louise Record, Neville Judson & Gareth Rhodes)
Within a couple of months, I became involved with Freedom Studios in Bradford. This led to me getting mentored by Paines Plough through their Tour the Writer scheme, which helped me get a screenwriting mentorship via the Bradford Script Hub, run by New Writing North and The Unit in Keighley, funded by Channel 4. This, in turn, got me onto a Screen Yorkshire development programme as a screenwriter.
All of this showed me that, despite the funding challenges that exist today in the creative world, there are still a heck of a lot of opportunities and resources in the North.
When I lived in the South, everything was very London-centric whereas, up here in West Yorkshire, there are all sorts of theatre companies and arts practitioners working together, supporting one another.
Rehearsals for Intersection (written and directed by Richard D Rhodes)
Alongside the mentorships and writing, I wanted to produce and direct plays: that’s when I got involved with Studio Productions at Bingley Little Theatre. The mentorships helped me realise, pretty quickly, that there was a local need to channel routes into production for new writing. I suggested ITCH, a programme to support new writing and creativity, through Studio Productions. Along the way, my new connections with northern creatives have resulted in some unexpected opportunities, including being a reader for Ann Hamilton’s ‘We Will Sing’, an installation for Bradford 2025 at Salts Mill.
ITCH has now produced several scratch nights, our next being in January; each provides writers with quality R&D feedback, our trick being to get audiences invested in responding to QR-coded surveys. Typically, our Scratch Nights sellout and roughly half of the 80-capacity crowd gives feedback, which is fabulous. Our support for northern script writers (regardless of whether their focus is writing for the stage, screen, audio or beyond) extends to providing regular Lab meetings, in-person and online, which have included input from BBC Writers, amongst others. Supporting new writing and emerging creatives is a passion of mine, as I know it is for Cheryl Martin at Red Ladder. Investing in the future is so important.
Part of what we’re planning for 2026/27 is to focus on developing new, longer pieces of writing and take them into production, possibly on tour if things go well. And even though Bingley Little Theatre operates as an amateur concern, we’re hoping to pay writers for the performance rights of material that goes into production, which would be the same if we bought in pieces to produce. It’s all about helping writers to hone their craft, to create more opportunities and celebrate it as paid, therefore, professional work. Something for the CV if nothing else.
I’ve been back in Yorkshire for less than three years and I have felt welcomed as part of the wider theatrical and creative scene here. I’ve seen some of my own work produced on stage and have been able to help others get a foot on the ladder. Perhaps most importantly, I’ve discovered a friendly arts community that isn’t self-aggrandising but is all about ensuring we have a local theatrical ecosystem that’s not only surviving but thriving.
Richard is a former head teacher, school governor and bank manager. In 2023, having taken early retirement from education, he moved back to West Yorkshire to pursue his childhood dream of being a writer. He has been mentored by Paines Plough as a playwright and by Channel 4, New Writing North & Screen Yorkshire as a screenwriter. He has had work performed at or produced by Leeds Playhouse, Rise & Howl, Lost Fox Productions, Freedom Studios and Bingley Little Theatre, where he chairs Studio Productions and produces the ITCH programme to foster new writing and creativity. He is on the boards of Script Yorkshire, Red Ladder and Rainbow Home, a charity dedicated to supporting LGBT+ asylum seekers.
Image credits in main text Mark Hillyer
“If we want to see young people thriving in the arts then we need to create more opportunities for them” – Tyler Pickles
I think I was always destined to have a career in the performing arts. As the son of a dance teacher who runs her own dance school I often ended up in her classes. So, for me, dancing and performing was ingrained in me from an early age and I’ve never really seen myself doing anything else.
Whenever I’ve seen someone getting paid to be a dancer or an actor, I’ve always thought ‘that looks like success to me, because you’re doing something that to other people might be a hobby and you’ve made it your job.’ As I’ve grown older I kind of see us as politicians in costume. We’re professional storytellers and it’s something we’ve been doing since the Stone Age with cave paintings, and for me it’s just awesome to be able to turn that storytelling into a profession.
But getting into that profession has arguably never been harder than it is now. Graduates struggling to find work is something we see up and down the country, and if we want to see young people thriving in the arts then we need to give them the chance to show what they can do and create more opportunities.
As a working-class lad from Leeds who’s benefited from people opening doors for me, I know how important this is. When I went to Leeds Conservatoire, I was among the first cohort of their new drama school. On the back of this I got my first professional acting credit with Tutti Frutti, and it’s the same with Dreamers, where Channel 4 did an open casting call. There’s a pattern there of doors being opened, and I wanted to do something similar with Rebel Roots Theatre.
When I founded Rebel Roots Theatre in 2024, the idea was to have a grassroots theatre company dedicated to creating opportunities for working class people, as well as graduates and unrepresented talent, that also supported local communities by going to unconventional theatre spaces. For our first show, Family First (which has just finished its first tour), we went to Leeds Conservatoire and were able to give one of the students, Scarlett Bennett, her first professional credit, which was just brilliant.
Family First – credit Kennady Faye Photography
I wanted to set up a theatre company like this for years and you reach the point where you think to yourself ‘right, I’m going to take the plunge and just do it.’ It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’ve had so much support and encouragement from other theatre companies in the city like Red Ladder, Wrongsemble and Tutti Frutti, which has helped me get a lot further a lot quicker than if I just sat and googled everything.
When you do something new it can feel a bit scary and yes, failure is always a possibility, but at the end of the day everything you do is a learning curve and that’s how you grow. I remember when Dreamers first came up, I wasn’t going to audition for it because ‘I thought Channel 4 aren’t going to hire me’, but a friend pushed me into it and thank goodness he did.
I’ve been very lucky in my career so far, but I believe more needs to be done to create opportunities for young people, especially those from working class backgrounds. I used to work with a woman in a supermarket and she told me that her granddaughter had been told not to go into the performing arts because it would never lead anywhere. She said, ‘but I’ve seen you in Dreamers, so we’ve encouraged her to go for it.’
I think so many young people are being pushed away from the arts because their families are worried there’s no career in it, which is such a shame. I really want to see it get the funding and support it deserves, because it’s not just about the art and putting on a show, it brings communities together. I’ve seen it myself. My mum’s dance school uses a little hall in Pudsey, and I was able to bring my show there and I got to see a completely different side to the town. We had people in who I’d never met before, which shows how theatre can bring people together.
I really hope Rebel Roots can show working class families, students and graduates that there are opportunities out there, and that you can follow your dreams. One of the ricochet effects has already been that people thinking about setting up their own company have come to us and I’ve been able to connect them to other organisations. My hope now is that we can offer a pathway for young creatives and that five or six projects down the line we’re seen as a place that gives people a chance. If that happens it would be beyond amazing.
Tyler Pickles, 23, is an actor, theatre maker and producer from Pudsey, near Leeds, and a Red Ladder trustee. In 2024 he founded Rebel Roots Theatre Company to help amplify working-class voices, support local spaces, and create work for graduates and unrepresented talent. He graduated from Leeds Conservatoire in 2023 and starred in the Channel 4 series Dreamers.
Main image: Tyler Pickles – credit Ruth Crafer
“I initially thought it was just another migrant story” – theatre writer/performer Margot Przymierska on her latest play, Monument
Margot Przymierska is a Polish-born performer, writer and creative producer now living in the UK. She brings Monument, a powerful theatrical piece that explores the cyclical nature of power, ideology, and human displacement, to West Yorkshire.
Can you tell us about Monument?
The show consists of two separate stories. The first is set in 1948 in communist-era Czechoslovakia and is inspired by a true story. It involves a Soviet apparatchik (a member of a Communist Party) who organises a competition to design the largest Stalin monument in the world, and follows the story of the monument’s construction, brief existence and eventual destruction.
The second revolves around Bogdan, a Polish construction worker who migrates to the UK in the 2000s, chronicling his journey from labourer to successful businessman, set against a backdrop of an increasingly fractious Europe.
I initially thought it was just another migrant story but then I realised from talking to people that a lot of Polish migrants are doing really well in Britain now, they are no longer the underdogs. If anything they’re part of the new middle class.
What made you want to tell these stories?
I come from Poland and being eastern European I try to reflect this culture through my work and what it’s like being a migrant.
There’s been a lot of talk in the UK about decolonisation and this got me thinking about Poland and other eastern European countries being colonised by the Soviets. A lot of my values were forged from the background of that experience which my parents lived through and that gets passed on from one generation to another.
“Polish migrants are doing really well in Britain now. They are no longer the underdogs. If anything, they’re part of the new middle class.”
You moved to the UK in 2003. Why did you decide to come here?
I was born in Białystok, a city in eastern Poland, and I came to the UK for a sense of adventure. I was 18 at the time and didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, so it was just an intuitive leap. I had a friend living here and initially I was only planning to stay for 10 days but ended up getting a job and I’ve been living and working here ever since.
Margot in Monument credit Luminous Photography
How did you end up becoming an actor, writer and performer?
I didn’t manage to get into drama school in Poland, but after a few years living in the UK I was accepted by East 15 Acting School in Essex. I thought I would be an actor but I quickly realised I didn’t just want to re-enact other people’s visions.
I started making my own work and in 2011 I set up the Polish Artists in London network, to bring creatives together. As well as producing work for the stage I’ve done all sorts of jobs in order to stay afloat, everything from looking after horses (which I really didn’t like) to doing interpreting work.
I’m now a co-director and lead creative producer of The People Speak, an art collective that runs workshops and helps connect diverse groups through culture and the arts.
Where did your interest in theatre and performing come from?
When I was a child I remember there was this war series about a bunch of guys who drove a tank and they had a dog. It was a bit of a Soviet propaganda show but I really loved it and I used to reenact scenes for my parents. From that point they thought ‘oh, you’re going to be an actor’ and I think that must have stayed in my head.
Margot in Monument credit Luminous Photography.
You grew up in Poland at the tail end of the Cold War. How did growing up in a communist country shape your outlook on the world?
In Poland there was quite an abrupt transformation. Suddenly there was the end of communism and you had the free market. People didn’t really know quite how to deal with this change. I remember watching TV adverts thinking they were amazing. It was often for silly things like Mentos mints but I used to tape them on the VHS and watch them back because they were so different.
Communism brought bad things, but people also had a sense of security and their lives were organised. After it collapsed people started becoming more interested in material things and the shared experience that families had before started to be eroded.
“I like stories that are a bit unusual or champion the underdog.”
What are some of the key recurring themes in your work?
I think freedom of expression and identity, but also the cycle of history and what kind of world we’re inheriting. Margaret Thatcher said ‘there’s no such thing as society’ but what is the alternative? We just become a bunch of individuals. It’s difficult to have a shared collective identity as a nation but I think it’s important to try and move forward as a society. I like talking to people from all walks of life and I like stories that are a bit unusual or champion the underdog.
Margot in Monument credit Luminous Photography
How have attitudes towards migrants changed in the UK?
When I first moved here there was maybe a bit of apprehension and looking down on Polish people. Then it was ‘great, cheap labour’. I remember working in a pub and when they found out where I came from, they would say ‘our cleaner is Polish.’ I think migrants who came here 20 years ago just got on with their lives and many of them have gone on to be successful and become important people in their communities and are contributing to the economy. We got into people’s good books and now you can see the attitude is turning again, which does worry me a bit.
Can theatre and art make a difference?
As an artist I feel it’s my responsibility to make work that provokes some kind of reflection, helps tease out questions and piques curiosity, because you don’t know who needs to see that show, or see that performance. They might see it and go ‘yes, this is how I feel’ and it gives them a space to talk about how they feel or share the moment with others, and that’s why it’s so important.
It’s ok to make theatre that doesn’t necessarily fit in or doesn’t fall into a particular category. This is what I love about Red Ladder. They go out to places where people are but where theatre perhaps isn’t and they create opportunities for people to interact with something different. And I think that’s something we all need.
Main picture: Margot Przymierska performing in 2025. (Credit The People Speak)
