@winyeemichelle
In case this is at all unclear - I’m being deadly serious here, supporting people with your money is basically the best thing you can do in this capitalist hellscape we call home 👍🏻
Choosing a new Artistic Director & Interim Exec Director aren't responsibilities we took lightly.
We met some brill candidates & we're now delighted to introduce:
💥 Rio Matchett as AD
💥 Clare Robertson as Interim ED
Find out why we're so excited:
Big week for Rio!! (A reminder that ten years ago I was
@edfringe
having directed, sound designed and SM’d a show playing to 3 people a day and I was so stressed my period stopped and we thought I was pregnant, father undetermined. KEEP GOING!!!)
Not sure how to soft launch this, so… today I passed my Viva with (very 😏) minors. Many thanks are due, and I’m still a bit in disbelief but… Mags and Jane, this one was for you 💪🏻
My friends clubbed together for my 30th and bought me this original issue of The Little Review. In the 5 years I’ve been doing my PhD, I’ve never held or even seen an original, physical copy. I can’t cope 🥲
Shout out
@LivUniLibrary
who just saved me £105.91 on a book I can neither afford nor complete my PhD without, by ordering it from the USA and then posting it onto me so I don’t even have to come into the library. Bloody hell I love libraries.
Listen, we cannot all be Jo. Statistically, we cannot all be Jo. Some of us are Amys, and that’s ok! Some of us are Megs, or Beths, and that’s ok too! Normalise not being Jo! That being said, I am Jo.
Very cute of the Stage to interview me as an early birthday present 😏😏😏 Forever an absolute die hard stan for
@LeedsPlayhouse
and everything it stands for ✌🏻
"I try to be a gate opener, not a gatekeeper" – producer and dramaturg
@riomatchett
tells us about her producing role for
@LeedsPlayhouse
’s artist-development scheme Furnace and her passion for accessibility in the arts
Devastating news from ALRA. Any students or staff with roots in Yorkshire, give us an email @ rio.matchett
@leedsplayhouse
.org.uk, let’s have a coffee and see what we can do to help x
One time, I was having a particularly loud panic attack in my back yard. My female neighbour (who I had never previously spoken to) banged on the door until she was let in, demanded my then boyfriend left the space, and asked me if he was the problem. He wasn’t, but (1/2)
"That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary. There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction. There wasn't even an enemy you could put your finger on."
- Margaret Atwood
Absolutely LOVING the student solidarity for
@ULivUCU2
today.
@LivUni
is insulting our intelligence by trying to divide and conquer students and lecturers - good luck with that hun.
I think these 0 marks have been purposefully used to create a divide between lecturers and students, in order to escape blame and accountability for the university. This is failing to work. Students are in solidarity with lecturers and
@ULivUCU2
.
@LivUni
you are to blame.
Not to be a pick me girl but the nurse just said I’ve had the most painful surgery they do on this ward and I’ve recovered faster than anyone she’s ever known. So yeah, I’d say my god complex is going pretty strong.
Polite reminder that, as an adult, you can simply buy yourself an Easter egg, and eat it before Easter Sunday. Jesus doesn’t care he told me it’s fine.
RIGHT. I’m going to be at the Fringe from 14-20 Aug. What should I see?
Interested in
-Work made by artists from Yorkshire
-Integrated/creative access
-Studio scale work which speaks to a Leeds audience
-Comedy/other which could play 1 or 2 nights in a large space
Tag away!
Deliberately inflammatory headline, article behind a paywall.
Events happen for strategic & select audiences all the time. Grow up.
They’re doing 1 performance for a Black audience out of 28 open ones. If other people turn up to that 1/28, they won’t actually turn them away.
A very gorgeous first day of teaching on the MA Dramaturgy
@LeedsMusicDrama
@LeedsPlayhouse
. We’re still not sure of the answer to this question though…
So excited to be launching this amazing opportunity in the name of such an incredible person. Thank you so much to everyone who’s made it possible. Writers - watch this space!
Yorkshire writers are being invited to apply for a paid, year-long fellowship to become the next Kay Mellor Fellow - set up in memory of the iconic writer.
Applications window will open in July.
Read more >>
Utterly overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness today. It feels important to acknowledge that the world is on fire, and we have to keep fighting for those bearing the brunt of the horrors, horrors born of a system folks like me continue to benefit from. (1/2)
I’ve made it to 8:32pm without making a joke about the fact that the common denominator for the last two winners of Most Welcoming Theatre at the UK Theatre Awards is me. So, you know, you’re all welcome for this selfless act of self diminution.
No money to feed children? Seems to me we can make a great saving by stopping the £125 a week food expenses allowances for MPs on £80k plus! Sign the petition here 👇🏻
Today I woke late, wrote, read, ate spaghetti, went for a run, and now I’m watching low budget horror films, drinking wine and doing my nails. Prioritising pleasure, being a grown up is great.
Huge thank you to all the wonderful actors who shared their time with us
@LeedsPlayhouse
for open auditions this week. We’ve been beaming from ear to ear all week at the level of local talent!
Had my last session with the Class of 23 MA Dramaturgs
@LeedsDrama
@LeedsPlayhouse
today 🥲 it’s been an absolute privilege to spend a year exploring story with these brilliant humans. Yes I did make them pose for this picture like a proud mother.
I feel this most of the time, but I have felt PARTICULARLY grateful for how brilliant my job is this week. I’ve been at the Playhouse about 3.5 years, and so I’m really starting to see the first crop of shows which were in their infancy when I started coming to fruition.
Right then. I’ll be at
@edfringe
from the 7-12th August. What should I see? Drop your shows and recommandations below please ☺️ Priority given to artists and companies from Yorkshire, OBVS!
.
@LeedsPlayhouse
is launching an MA in dramaturgy as part of a three-year partnership with Leeds Conservatoire (
@LeedsMusicDrama
), as the theatre reveals its autumn/winter season
Today I submitted my thesis corrections. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that no one reads your thesis after you sit the viva, so I wanted to take a moment to make my own acknowledgements public. [1/?]
It’s time! I’m going to be at
@edfringe
from 5-10 Aug. What should I see?
Interested in
-Work made by artists from Yorkshire
-Integrated/creative access
-Studio scale work which speaks to a Leeds audience
-Diverse family work
-Shit hot new writing
Tag away!
#edfringe
It’s been a big year. Through Furnace alone, we’ve worked with 1401 artists, fed back on over 100 scripts, held 18 paid training placements, given away 174 days of free rehearsal space, developed dozens of new shows, and much more. I bloody love you all 💪🏻
Thank you for being part of
#LeedsPlayhouse
over the past year
You make us who we are & this valued support of our people, partners & participants is so vital in continuing to create amazing things together.
You can watch our exciting retelling here:
Yorkshire writer Kirsty Taylor (
@kirstybratfud
) announced as the next recipient of the Kay Mellor Fellowship. She will work with Leeds Playhouse,
@RollemProdCo
,
@bbcwritersroom
&
@LeedsCC_News
.
In her words she is "Buzzing" and so are all of us to work with you Kirsty!
This an extremely smug and unlikable tweet but I’m in bed listening to Will blowing up balloons in the lounge for my birthday cos he thinks it’s a surprise and it’s the most goddam sweet thing I’ve ever known in my life
Well guys, it finally happened. Went to chop some veg for tonight’s dinner, walked clean into the background of my partner’s NHS conference call wearing only a bra. Happy New Year!
Soz to be earnest on main but I am SO proud of the
@LeedsMusicDrama
@LeedsPlayhouse
MA Dramaturgy students. Marking their second practice essays, and the care, passion & rigour that’s gone into them all is off the charts. Just wanted t acknowledge that our students are brilliant.
I like to think I’m a pretty compromising person, but one thing I will NOT compromise on is a gin in a tin
@StoryhouseLive
Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre. Yes, it’s 4:30pm. Yes, it’s a kids’ show and I think we’re the only ones here without kids.
Soz to be earnest on main but after a few days of annual leave, I will NEVER get over the privilege of being able to come back to this job. A new week, a new R&D with a new (to me!) company. New ideas. Good shit.
Been plotting away on this one - I’m super excited to share the inaugural Yorkshire Disabled Creatives network will be
@LeedsPlayhouse
on Sept 3rd. Run in partnership with
@crucibletheatre
and
@BarnsleyCivic
, there will be guest speakers, time to socialise, and pizza ☺️
Just thinking about how we perceive pink and red as two separate colours even though pink is just light red and if we’d given light blue and dark blue different names like they did in Russia we would also think they were two different colours wow language u crazy
Sending loads of love to
@LeedsPlayhouse
and all the team at
@LeedsPride
today 🎉 Pride is a protest like theatre is a protest, and we want the Playhouse to be a place of safety and joy for everyone, 365 days a year (No LGB without the T ✌🏻)
Cheers
@queermodernism
! Once again you’ve been a bloody privilege to be a part of. Mysteriously, M&S was all out of mojito, so a g&t will have to suffice. This one’s for you Dianne!
Today was one of those silly brilliant days when
@LeedsPlayhouse
was OVERFLOWING with artists. Alongside four performances today, and auditions for the next year’s shows, we had:
-
@charlie_swin
and
@ThisDuffy
working on a new project in one room
Given that we’re all having an Arctic Monkeys renaissance, it’s maybe worth re-acknowledging that my name IS Rio, I was 15 and living in Sheffield when I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor came out, and that is my villain origin story.
Last night I had a dream that I was the most popular girl in school, and that I achieved it by putting ten babybels in my mouth at the same time. Everyone was cheering.
OK actually - does anyone know of an NPO that’s had 3 shows across 3 spaces with integrated BSL running at the same time before this? Is that what’s happened here? Fucking love my job man (obvs can’t claim credit but delighted to be adjacent to this awesomeness)
DING DING DING MY BABY IS LIVE! Join us for a week of work-in-progress, script in hand readings and workshops, by artists and for artists in West Yorkshire 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
It’s time to book your tickets for Furnace Festival 2022. 🎉
🔥 New work
🔥 New artists
🔥 New partnerships
Join us for a week of engaging, experimental, interactive performances, workshops, conversations and social events.
7-12 Nov
Book now >>
The winner of this year's Most Welcoming Theatre Award sponsored by
@TheatreTokens
is
@LeedsPlayhouse
for their inviting, engaging, accessible and inclusive creative environment + being the first Theatre of Sanctuary for refugees + people seeking asylum
#UKTAwards
It’s very important that you all know I just fixed a dent in my car ALL BY MYSELF with a kettle of hot water and a wooden spoon. If anyone needs me, I’ll be basking in the glow of my own power.
I truly believe that if anything can save us, it’s art and community (which instigates actual systemic change!!), and I promise to keep fighting for that. I’m very grateful for this moment of joy, because it’s the joy that helps us keep fighting. Thank you. (2/2)
A second glorious afternoon
@LeedsDrama
, this time to see the graduating actor musician showcase. The talent was incredible, but so was the palpable care for each other so evident in this cohort. Bravo x
Continuing my sweep of the
@edfringe
brochure looking for accessible shows. There are SO FEW which are BSL interpreted, audio described, or captioned, let alone all the above. (1/1)
So excited to be giving my first 'real lecture' tomorrow for
@LivUniEnglish
on Feminist Theatre and Performance. Huge thanks to
@lizzienunnery
for so generously sharing her thoughts with me, and to the work of
@gemmabodinetz
and
@goldarosh
who feature amongst many other greats!
Super proud to be kicking off 2019 with my review of Lola Ridge’s early work published in Poetry Review - ‘In you unimagined circuits/in you uncoiled/passion electric’ 🔥
@PoetrySociety
Hey you! Are you taking a show to
@edfringe
?? Allow me to recommend my brilliant friend
@LauraGoldini
, who will be up there for the month as a BSL interpreter. We all know how bleak the access offering has historically been at the fringe - let’s get it done 💪🏻
No hot takes from me for the hot take machine today. I’m spending the day day in
@StoryhouseLive
, surrounded by children playing, older people chatting, students working & mums breast feeding. I’m reading scripts and eating cake. Today & every day, we look after each other.
.
@LeedsPlayhouse
is to launch an internship programme that will create new employment opportunities for blind and partially sighted people.
Find out more 👇
Inaugural meeting of the
@SameenaHX1
fan club
@HullTruck
for the second press night of Christmas (my true love gave to me: a BSL integrated Christmas Carol) 🎄🎄🎄
We've written image descriptions to help blind and partially sighted people decide which thirst trap is their favourite.
See the alt text for more 👀 and tell us - which one do you choose?
Ok let’s be honest I’m sharing this photo mainly because my hair looks fantastic, but also to say yes I am extremely privileged to be in Paris drinking wine even with the rain it’s frikkin glorious
Whilst we’re all crying at the John Lewis advert which is actually GREAT this year, here’s something. Because I am cheesy af, every week I keep a list in the notes section of my phone of the small things I’m grateful for that week. I’d hard encourage it. Here’s the most recent: