CURIOUS MONKEY In association with NORTHERN STAGE
Leaving
By Paddy Campbell
Newcastle Northern Stage
Thursday 23rd February - Saturday 4th March 2017
Director Amy Golding
Designer Katherina Radeva
Composition Sound Design Roma Yagnik
SPRING TOUR 2017
Leaving home for the first time…
Is a step into the dark.
A whole new life.
If you’re leaving the care system, the reality hits even harder.
Caroline’s dad was an alcoholic. She shared a caravan with three adults and five kids. Keira didn’t go to school. She was constantly in trouble. Tom was physically and mentally abused. Simon was moved from pillar to post. And Sadeed. Sadeed was 15 when he arrived from Afghanistan to seek asylum. He had mental health problems.
All had their own issues and all had chaotic lives before they entered the care system. All struggled to begin with but eventually each found some kind of temporary stability within it. Then, at the age of eighteen … there’s the door. Each is put out into the wild with little or no support.
Leaving is a new work by Paddy Campbell. Shot through with anger, uncertainty, fear, humour and hope, the play draws upon the words of young people who have gone through the care system. It is performed by an ensemble cast and created by an award winning team who push the boundaries of verbatim theatre, giving a voice to those experiencing and working within the system, from staff in children’s homes to MPs and policy makers to the young people themselves.
Paddy Campbell’s inspiration for Leaving came from his own experiences as a key worker at a North East children’s home. Shining a light on the lives of young people leaving care and the issues they face, the work is formed from interviews with those in the system and those leaving it, staff from local authorities, children’s homes, social workers, MPs and Ofsted.
The cast for Leaving comprises Jackie Lye, Rosie Stancliffe, Matt Howdon, Kate Okello and Luke Maddison.
Paddy Campbell is a Northern Irish writer based in Newcastle upon Tyne. His first full-length play, Wet House premiered at Live Theatre in September 2013 as part of their 40th birthday celebrations, directed by Max Roberts. Following the success of the run, Live Theatre revived the production in September 2014 before embarking on a short tour to Hull Truck and Soho Theatre. Paddy’s second play Day of The Flymo premiered at Live Theatre in April 2015 and returned in November 2015 following a sell-out run in Newcastle. Paddy's short plays include The Great Unwashed (Live/National Theatre), The Nest (Live/Nabokov), The Walloper (Arundel Theatre Trail), Flowerpet (GIFT Festival) and My New Favourite Place a children's play for Curious Monkey. He is a past graduate of Channel 4’s screenwriting course and in 2015, he was selected to take part in Creative England’s iWrite Scheme. Paddy is currently writing his first feature for Element Pictures and is also working on new plays for the National Theatre and Live Theatre.
Amy Goldingfounded Curious Monkey in 2011. She has recently written and performed preggers which toured the UK in 2016. Her directing credits for the company include Beats North by Luke Barnes and Ishy Din, Mamela, Bunker Blues, Imagine for Holocaust Memorial Day and Live Witness for Live Theatre’s 40th birthday. She worked at Live Theatre (2006 – 2012) where her directing credits included: Here Come The Girls, Playing With My Heart, DNA, Girls on the Verge, Boys on the Edge, Blackout and First Draft. Amy graduated from Northumbria University with a BA(Hons) in Drama and has worked as a drama worker, theatre maker and director for the last 13 years. She has also worked with a number of other companies including Open Clasp, Them Wifies, Nabokov, The Sage Gateshead. Amy Golding was the Paul Hamlyn Clore Cultural Leadership Fellow 2014, completing a secondment at the Young Vic Theatre working on the Regional Theatres Young Directors Scheme, and is now a qualified coach
Curious Monkey is an international award winning theatre company founded by artistic director Amy Golding. Their work is inspired by both their local community and further afield. With a commitment to those whose stories are rarely told, Curious Monkey collaborates with a team of award winning artists to shape these stories into fresh, direct theatre. Their artistic programme gives a voice to under-represented people, raising awareness of the issues that they face to take it to audiences who are often young and new to the theatre.. Working with specialist partners, they use theatre to engage with influencers and decision makers to help create positive changes in the world. Past work includes preggers, Walker Talk, Mamela, Beats North and a series of work for Holocaust Memorial Day
Tour Details & Tickets:
NORTHERN STAGE
THU 23 FEBRUARY - SAT 4 MARCH 8pm
Tickets: £15.50 / £13.50 concessions
Box office 0191 230 5151
THE EGG -THEATRE ROYAL BATH
MON 13 MARCH 7pm
Tickets: £8.50 / £7.50 children
Box Office: 01225 823409
THE BIKE SHED THEATRE EXETER
WED 15 MARCH - SAT 18 MARCH 7.30pm
Tickets: £12 / £10 concessions
Box Office: 01392 434169
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