Pride in northern identity explored in new play following family's struggles to keep pub afloat
It tells a story that sadly is familiar to publicans up and down the country – a family struggling to keep their watering hole afloat in challenging times.
That’s the premise of a new play written by two Leeds Conservatoire graduates, which will tour around Yorkshire this September.
Family First blends song, dance and stories of old and has been created by Danté Thomas and Tyler Pickles, founding members of Rebel Roots Theatre Company. The pair star in the show alongside students and fresh graduates.
The play first began as an idea four years ago but the style and characters were very different. Deciding that scripts feel most authentic when connected to a writer’s own experience, the pair chose to reshape their idea and integrate their personal experiences, as a block writer and a writer of Irish descent, into the storyline.
For Danté, it is important that audiences feel this personalised aspect when they watch the show.
He says: “Everybody has a story to share. Even the people that say they don’t, you give it a second and then there’s this one thing. We hope people can see themselves in this story.”
The duo hope the play will help diversify the performing arts industry by redefining both who acts in theatre and where it is performed.
Alongside theatres such as Seven Arts in Chapel Allerton, Family First will be on in in pubs and community venues across the county such as the Cardigan Arms in Kirkstall and St Joseph’s Parish Hall in Pudsey.
The creators chose these venues so that they can support smaller businesses and make the play more accessible for local audiences.
Tyler says: “Local venues are always a different vibe. They’re a lot more casual and it’s what I think theatre should be: it should be for people.
“We’re creating this new scene and you don’t know who’s going to walk into the theatre for the first time and suddenly fall in love with it.”
Danté and Tyler wanted to include both their experiences within Family First but they also wanted to ensure that the play still sounded like “one voice”.
Tyler explains “We decided quite early on that if we were just sat there writing scenes and just trying to merge them together it wasn’t going to work well.
“The last thing we wanted was for one of us to have written this beautiful scene and then the continuity to be just completely off.”
As they collaborated, Danté prioritised his attention on structure while Tyler focused on text – and their distinct styles compliment one another.
For both Danté and Tyler it has been “surreal” to see their play brought to life by director Brandon Robinson-Connelly and other members of the cast. Pride in northern and working class identity lies at the heart.
Family First will tour from September 5 to September 27. Tickets are available online via www.rebelrootstheatre.com