Theatre in the North
Creative TouristThis month’s Theatre Guide brings together work concerned with power, belonging and what it means to act together – whether that’s a community, a partnership, or a version of the future worth defending.
Classic texts are approached with intent: Antony and Cleopatra is rebuilt as a battle between community and corporate greed, Waiting for Godot returns as a stark meditation on endurance, and Mozart’s sparkling Così fan tutte arrives as part of English National Opera’s blossoming partnership with Greater Manchester.
New work takes several forms. Aerial theatre piece Collaborator marks the final time Ockham’s Razor’s artistic directors will perform together as a duo, exploring shared history and artistic trust. Stayin’ Alive, Victoria Oxley’s latest play, brings dark comic relief to grief and survival. The Execution of Private Slovik examines obedience and moral choice under pressure. And Company Chameleon’s Obscura uses dance to investigate hidden lives – from private selves to the lived realities of migration and displacement.
That same attention to power, history and lived experience extends to Leeds, where Small Island, Please Do Not Touch and Relay bring Windrush Britain, contested heritage and queer family-making centre-stage.