Interviews with Lizi Patch, learning & engagement staff and cast members available on request

Leeds Actors in Training (LAIT) and Leeds Grand Youth Theatre (LGYT) – two strands of Leeds Heritage Theatres’ Learning & Engagement programme – present their end-of-year productions in June and July.

Lait will present Find a Partner at Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton from Thu 27 – Fri 28 June, while LGYT will return to The Varieties stage from Thu 25 – Sun 28 July with a brand-new revival of the ever-popular horror musical Little Shop of Horrors.

A studio-based vocational programme for young people aged 18-25, LAIT was developed in response to a call from young people interested in an acting career who were looking for high-quality skills development opportunities and an alternative to the traditional (and prohibitively expensive) drama school route.

Run by Lizi Patch, Artistic Director of Young People’s Theatre, the course challenges and develops their performance skills alongside industry-leading professionals who deliver masterclasses in specific skills to provide members with vital tools to navigate a densely populated industry. Previous guest artists include Sam Kenyon (vocal coach and composer), James Lewis-Knight (Artistic Director of Clown Space), Rachel Austin (voice actor), Ben Tagoe (scriptwriter), Megan Parkinson (Games of Thrones, Ackley Bridge), and Dawn Holgate (dancer and choreographer).

Previous LAIT member Natasha Hudson says: “I believe LAIT has been fundamental to me as an actor. It has allowed me to grow not only as an artist but as a person too. It is a safe and magical place where you can push yourself and discover what you are truly capable of. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for LAIT.”

Find a Partner is what happens when you stick Love Island, The Hunger Games, Big Brother and Black Mirror in a heart-shaped blender, pour it out, and let the game commence. Shining a light on our obsession with finding lasting love in a world fixated on instant rewards and rating wars, the play by Miriam Battye (Succession (HBO), Scenes With Girls, (Royal Court), Strategic Love Play (Soho Theatre, Paines Plough, Belgrade Theatre) is hilarious, dark and frighteningly current in equal measures.

LGYT is a thriving, vibrant, inclusive company open to all young people aged 8-18. Led by Lizi Patch, Musical Director Pete Rosser and Choreographer Dawn Holgate, members develop theatre and creative skills as well as vital life skills such as communication, empathy, and confidence while making lasting friendships. Sessions run throughout the year at The Grand to prepare members to put on a public summer performance that showcases the skills they have developed.

Speaking about a previous LGYT production, parent Sarah Powell said: “I love the acting, singing and music but what I love most is the sense of camaraderie and professionalism. It’s such a brilliant group for any young person to experience.”

Previously performed by LGYT in 2019, Little Shop of Horrors is set in 1960s New York and tells the story of Seymour Krelbourne, a hapless orphan who changes the fortunes of Mushnik’s failing flower shop on Skid Row when he finds a strange-looking plant in the market after a sudden eclipse of the sun. But it turns out the sinister succulent who sings for its supper has ambitions of his own, and, before you can say Baby Bio, Seymour is feeding the horticultural horror a string of supporting cast members

Book online for both productions at leedsheritagetheatres.com or call the Box Office on 0113 243 0808.