Gripping Leeds-based thriller launches new Bramall Rock Void season at Leeds Playhouse

Shellshocked, a gripping cat and mouse thriller that will keep audiences guessing until the final explosive scene, launches the Spring/Summer 25 season in the Bramall Rock Void studio theatre at Leeds Playhouse.

Set after the Second World War, it explores the horrors of those who served and the horrors of those who did not. It also investigates loyalty, relationships, and the desire to make great art.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be presenting Shellshocked at Leeds Playhouse,” said Leeds playwright Philip Stokes. “The play is inspired by the city and set in Morley. It’s a very Leeds-centric piece, referencing the area, the dialect, the attitudes, and the uniqueness of two Loiners with very different lives. Watch Mr Lupine and young Wesley battle it out, showing how youth and maturity clashed generations ago. There’s always been a generation gap; the war just widened it.”

Not only is the play set in Leeds, it also has a strong connection with the Playhouse. Actor Lee Bainbridge, who plays Mr Lupine, works at the theatre as its Building Operations and Facilities Manager. Award-winning actor Jack Stokes, who plays Wesley, trained at Leeds City College, which is next door to the Playhouse. He won the Best Solo Performance Award at Edinburgh Fringe in 2022 for Jesus, Jane, Mother & Me.

“The city of Leeds and Leeds Playhouse have always had a special place in my heart,” said Lee. “I have a deep connection and history with the city, and when COVID hit and circumstances meant I had to take a small step away from acting, the Playhouse became my home away from home. It has been a privilege over the past three years to serve as the Building Operations and Facilities Manager, trying to ensure the staff and public have a building that is clean, safe and well maintained.

“The Playhouse is my Elland Road, so I am very excited to be performing in my ‘home ground’ in a play that I am immensely proud of with a great team of Yorkshire folk who are very dear to me. It truly feels like a dream come true that these two important parts of my life are merging to create a very special moment in my life.”

This powerful new play enjoyed a hugely successful sold-out Edinburgh Fringe Festival run, garnering rave reviews in The Scotsman and Theatre Weekly.

Shellshocked plays at Leeds Playhouse until 8 February. Tickets are available here: leedsplayhouse.org.uk.