News
Ruth Berkoff – Why We Should All Help Save Red Ladder
I want to Save Red Ladder because they have changed my life.
Definitely.
I have always wanted to act, and I pursued it wholeheartedly as a child. But my confidence and motivation faded away with my teenage years. Mum says that it changed when dad died, but at 13, you don’t have incredible self-awareness, and I never noticed that connection at the time. Anyway, I never even missed acting. (Well, apart from finding myself crying during the curtain call in every single production I saw, regardless of its quality, whether I had enjoyed it at all, or even if it had looked fun to be in. I didn’t care. I was always wishing that I was up there with the rest of them, on that stage, performing. Why was I here in the audience, in the dark? Why why why?????????)
Nope, I didn’t miss acting at all.
Life went on. Uni, travelling, gardening, massage, working with older people, whittling wooden spoons, volunteering, co-operative living. The usual.
Then one of my best friends died unexpectedly in 2010, and for the first time in my life, it hit me that one day I would die.
I had always known this to be true, but only then did I properly internalise it.
I lay in bed, feeling my death hanging over me.
It could come at any time.
When you die, I thought, people don’t talk about the things written on your to-do lists. They talk about the things you actually did. And since ‘performing’ had been on my list for, well, basically ever, I decided that it was time to do something about it.
I enrolled on Red Grit (Red Ladder’s incredible FREE actor training course). For 8 weeks, I played games with a room full of interesting, inspiring people. My confidence as a performer, and even as a person, was low, but on that course, we were all treated as equals. A part of me woke up that had been sleeping since I was 13, and the next year, I got a part in Red Ladder’s play, Promised Land.
Woohoo! It’s happening!!! AAAAGH!!!
On the first night, I was saying to myself, ‘This is RIDICULOUS – members of the public, who I don’t even know, have PAID to watch me! I’m a fraud!! I’m not ready… Red Ladder have made a dreadful mistake trusting me. This is stupid.’
Then I heard the cue, and there was nothing for it but to enter the theatre, where members of the public were waiting for the show.
Waiting for us.
For me.
And of course I knew what to do. After all, we had done a lot of rehearsing.
Being a part of Promised Land was such a privilege.We were a mishmash of professionals, amateurs, beginners, students, and football fans, which might sound like a recipe for disaster, but it was not.
Red Ladder know how to do some sort of magic.
Right from the start, Rod was very clear that this was OUR play, and we were all invited to take responsibility – “There are no small parts.”
Poor Rod – I really took his words to heart, and one night during the run, I sent him an email with my own personal notes, consisting of no less than 7 points for discussion. As if he wasn’t busy enough. As if his notes, and the other directors’ notes weren’t enough. But somehow, he replied.
I LOVED being in that show – a 5 star production, on at the Carriageworks in Leeds, my home town, for over a week.
And through it all, Rod and the other directors had believed in us. Us idiots.
That is a precious gift to give someone.
It has stayed with me.
My journey since Promised Land has involved a year at circus school in Bristol, and two years at the world-renowned theatre school, Ecole Philippe Gaulier, where Philippe, after someone has done some particularly bad acting, says things such as, ‘Alor… Do you kill her? Do you destroy her, physically, put in a bath with chloric acid, piranhas, and the body of (large student) naked on top of her?’. Said with love, of course… At this school you develop your own sense of belief in yourself, somehow. You have to. And I’m not slating the school, by the way. I knew what I had got myself in for. I wanted it. And I got a lot a lot out of it . An unmeasurable amount. But it was good to know, underneath, that once upon a time, I had been in a Red Ladder play, and people had enjoyed it.
In my two years at the theatre school, I have met hundreds of students, but only ONE other person was from Yorkshire, and he was based in London.
The majority of UK students are based in London, and that seems like the logical place to go, but I don’t want to go to London. My heart is in Leeds. There are also plenty of people in Yorkshire who would love to perform in, and watch, good theatre productions.
Red Ladder is one of the things that give me hope about being back in Leeds. They believe in this city, in the people, and in good theatre. There is no other theatre company around quite like them. They are radical, genuine, fun, and bloody good at what they do. Plus, Promised Land has left me with a network of lovely supportive people who care about good theatre and mutual support. We are ‘The Landers’, and we’re everywhere. No really.
Yes, Red Ladder believed in us. They believed in me. And from Red Grit to Promised Land to being back here where I started, a lot has changed.
I am different now.
Or maybe I’m not.
Is it even important?
Who knows.
Maybe these last 3 years have been pure placebo, and my acting ability is exactly the same.
The point is that now I am actually getting on with that item on my to-do list, and I’m pursuing it again wholeheartedly, and that all came from being believed in.
Ruth Berkoff
Red Ladder is desperate to keep the Red Grit Training Programme going. Any support that people can give the company to keep these training courses alive would be gratefully accepted.
Save Red Ladder Wins Award
The Save Red Ladder Campaign has been rewarded with a PR Superstar Award from Local Giving as part of their Grow Your Tenner Awards.
Over 1,200 groups took part in the Grow Your Tenner scheme last year so it is a fantastic achievement for the campaign to have been recognised as the best at press and PR out of all the groups.
Fundraising campaigns rely heavily on how well they spread the word, involve local people and engage the national press and we at Red Ladder have been blown away by what has been achieved so far.
It has made a huge difference to the organisation and all the support shown makes us more determined than ever to do the work that we do.
We are eternally grateful to both Oli Bentley, of Split (who undertake virtually all of Red Ladder’s art design work both for print and web) and Jane Verity, who has recently left as PR Account Manager with Bonner & Hindley to begin a new and exciting path with Artfinder, for their continued hard work and commitment to the Save Red Ladder Campaign.
We all wish Jane the very best but we will, hopefully, continue working with Jane on Red Ladder projects in the years to come.
For further updates keep an eye on what Save Red Ladder is up to here.
Our Friends at the Fringe and Further Afield!
The Edinburgh Fringe is currently in full flow and though we are not performing any of our own work at the festival, plenty of our friends and associates are involved in some fantastic new shows this year. Here’s what we recommend heading over to see if you are up there at the moment or are planning a trip up:
The Paradise Project – How would you design your perfect world? Third Angel’s new play examines that very question in a witty and intelligent way and features Stacey Sampson from We’re Not Going Back.
Blake Remixed – Our next door neighbours Little Mighty along with the West Yorkshire Playhouse present this contemporary take on the poetry of William Blake, mixing his words with the best of UK hip hop featuring rapper Testament in his first theatre show.
Going Viral – Written by and starring Red Ladder board member Dan Bye, Going Viral is a though provoking and contemporary one man show looking at the spread of a new modern day ‘virus’.
Race Cards – An interactive series of performances and interventions examining race and what it means today, produced by friend and colleague Emma Beverley.
Chris Lloyd, Red Ladder producer, also recommends the astonishing Dolls by Czech ensemble Cirk La Putyka and Gecko’s astonishing Institute.
And for something a bit more local why not try and catch the fantastic Lula & the Bebops as they tour Yorkshire and the rest of the country, or watch some fantastic contemporary dance as Phoenix Dance begin touring from September.
Leeds Inspired Award for Red Ladder
Red Ladder are delighted to announce that they have received £13,000 funding from Leeds Inspired for the production of a new community play, Leeds Lads, to commemorate the one hundred years since Leeds citizens fought at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
The play will look at how the families of four Leeds lads from different backgrounds, white working-class, east-European Jewish, Afro-Caribbean and Asian, were affected by the Battle of the Somme, its aftermath and its legacy – and how their stories have intertwined over the past 100 years.
Red Ladder will again be working with Leeds born writer and journalist Anthony Clavane and Nick Stimson, who both worked with us on our previous community project Promised Land. This will give opportunities for local people to participate in a professionally produced piece of theatre performing over ten days at the Carriageworks Theatre in Millennium Square, Leeds.
The production will feature a community cast of up to 40 people with a live band and we are hoping to hold auditions for Leeds Lads across the city in the New Year.
Please keep an eye on our website for further details.
Save Red Ladder is going live!
It’s been a rollercoaster of a year since we lost its funding last July, but we’re in a good place and looking forward to the future.
The team at Save Red Ladder have already raised a remarkable £26,313, but we also have a long road ahead to reach our target of £80,000.
Part of our plan to get there is a new series of live events with independent partner venues across Leeds – the first of which is in partnership with The Black Swan, Call Lane.
Come and join us on Thursday 23 July from 6.30m for a night of live entertainment, including our new show Rabbitskin, live acoustic set and DJ-ing from Fuzzy Jones.
Tickets are £20, and that includes a three course meal from the Black Swan’s menu championing locally sourced and ethically farmed Yorkshire Pub Food, the show, a £5 donation to Save Red Ladder and the chance to hang out with us after the show (priceless?!).
Don’t want to come, but want to help us out? Donate £5 to Save Red Ladder here.
Want to come, but don’t have £20 spare? The ticket price is just for those who want to eat. If you want to come see the show and have a drink, its donations on the door.
Want to host the next Save Red Ladder Live event? We’re all ears!
Avaes Mohammad in the Guardian
‘I wrote my first poem, for performance, after the Oldham riots in 2001. I was in Manchester being a student, completing my bachelor’s degree in chemistry, and in May I came home from a club one night, late, off my head, and turned on Newsnight to see a man in a suit explaining how there was a serious issue with young Asian men in the north. That was a real huge shock to me. In my somewhat inebriated state, I remember thinking: “There is nobody on that panel speaking for Asian youth, so these men could get away with saying anything.”
Later that summer, I returned to Manchester to start my PhD, 9/11 happened and the whole world, including my whole world, changed. Suddenly everyone wanted to know about Islam. Friends started to question my religion and where I was brought up. Before that, I was just a student like everyone else. I started writing poetry, performing poetry, looking back, as a means of trying to stay sane within myself, with all the lies around me…’
For the full article please click here.
For tickets and further information about Avaes’ upcoming show Hurling Rubble with Red Ladder click here.
Hear from We’re Not Going Back’s cast, writer and musicians in a special ‘behind the scenes’ showing
On 7th March we’re thrilled to bring special ‘behind the scenes’ showings of We’re Not Going Back to the stages of the Headingley Literature Festival and Unity Works, Wakefield. This is a chance for audiences to hear more about the production and chat to the cast and crew. These showings are not full performances but are instead an opportunity to hear the play’s cast, writer and musicians gather to perform extracts, sing songs and discuss the impact of the strike, the play and its audiences up and down the country.
Interspersed with music extracts from We’re Not Going Back, the cast and writer will discuss how the play was conceived and written, the Orgreave truth and justice campaign, how Red Ladder take theatre to non-theatre audiences, plus a load more.
For times and a full list of venues and dates click here
Leeds Rhinos Competition
As part of our association with the Leeds Rhinos we have organised a competition for Rhinos members to be able to meet and greet some of the players ahead of the performance of We’re Not Going Back on Thursday the 19th of February at the City Varieties. All you have to do is answer the following question:
Who did the Rhinos beat in the 2014 Challenge Cup Final?
Please give your answers to leanne.flynn@leedsrugby.com for your chance to win!
We also have discounted tickets available for all Leeds Rhinos members to all our shows at the City Varieties:
Leeds Rhinos Members
Discounted rate of £10 for all performances
Can book online, over the phone and in person by using the code ‘RHINO’
Leeds Rhinos Junior Members
£5 tickets for all performances
Can book online, over the phone and in person by using the code ‘YOUNGRHINO’
Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here, in person at Leeds City Varieties or over the phone to the City Varieties Box Office on 0113 243 0808.
Win a family ticket to Nicobobinus!
Enter our competition to win a family ticket at the venue of your choice to see Red Ladder and Dumbwise’s adventurous family musical adaptation of Terry Jones’ much loved children’s tale about the boy ‘who could do anything’ of which one critic has said:
‘Out-rightly one of the most magical pieces of theatre I’ve seen as both a child and an adult. A dazzling Christmas show that will have each and every member of the family utterly dumbstruck with amazement.’
All you need to do is answer one question:
Who is Nicobobinus’ Best Friend?
Email your answer to chriso@redladder.co.uk together with which venue you would like your family ticket for or alternatively tweet your answer to @RedLadderTheatr using #NICOCOMP again stating which venue you would like your family ticket for.
For a full list of the tour dates click here.
Competition closes at 4pm on Friday 13 February 2015.
Casting Call for Hurling Rubble
Red Ladder are currently auditioning for the below roles for Hurling Rubble, two new plays tackling extremism within the British Asian and white working class communities.
Dean: Dean Walsh. White. 40s. Old-school football hooligan with Manchester United, Dean has always wanted to be somebody significant. King or Knave not possible and Bishop not of interest, Dean’s a warrior, a knight in denim. Football hooliganism was everything for him but its demise has left him without a purpose. He’s old enough and wise enough to know better than to expect anything from England. [Ideal Casting:Mark Rylance/Christopher Ecclestone]
Skef: Real name is Seth Walsh. White. 18 -21 yrs. Born in a Lancashire town. A Lost Boy who’s resentful of his father’s neglect and more than anything – more than wealth or career – he just wants the security of a family, his own family. He’s bitter against the neglect in his life.
T: Real name is Taufeeq. Pakistani. 18 – 21 yrs. He’s tall with boyish good looks. A Lost Boy at heart, all he’s ever wanted was attention from his father. His life is a tug of war between his need to find his own path and being moulded into his mother’s path. He represents the poverty of opportunity suffered by our young asians.
Mrs Malik: Real name is Tubassum Sheikh Malik. Pakistani. Early 50s. She’s a bitter woman governed by her sense of innate entitlement. Her main drive in life since her father died has been to honour her him. She feels entitled to the honour of the community. She’s a tough work-horse.
Gerbil: Real Name is Mary Hawthornthwaite. White. 16 – 18 yrs. Gerbil is today’s England, open and as comfortable in an Asian home eating pilau as she is listening to reggae music during a carnival. Not knowing her own father, she’s a shape-shifter.
Major: Real Name is Mehjabin. Pakistani. 16 – 18yrs. She is sassy, believing in God though not in Muslims, she has an ability to see through people. Major is an untameable, independent freespirit.
Mary Brennan: White 52 years old. Chatty, warm, ‘salt of the earth’ Londoner woman who lives for her family. Born and raised around Kilburn, she genuinely loves meeting new people and raising new conversations. Finding people interesting, London is perfect for her favourite past-time.
CASTING FOR THIS HAS FINISHED.
Recent News
- “It isn’t an exercise in virtue signalling, it’s a hardworking and realistically focused theatre group.” – Q&A with comedian, actor & performer, Phill Jupitus
- “I realised that being in the theatre was a bit like being in a band.” – Q&A with writer and Red Ladder ‘ally’, Alice Nutter
- Rugby star & change-maker, Jamie Jones-Buchanan MBE on why he loved being a Red Ladder trustee
- Why Red Ladder is crucial to a thriving theatre ecology in Leeds By Leah Francis
- ‘My first year with Red Ladder has been uplifting and inspiring – and this is just the beginning’ – Cheryl Martin
News Archive
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- October 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- May 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- August 2021
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- May 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- August 2019
- July 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- October 2018
- July 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- September 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- February 2016
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- April 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- July 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- November 2013
- September 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- November 2012
- September 2012