Pioneering Yorkshire theatre companies join forces for exciting new collaboration

Red Ladder Theatre Company and Silent Uproar – two boundary-pushing theatre companies – are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership, showcasing the North of England’s rich seam of playwriting talent.

Leeds-based Red Ladder and Hull’s Silent Uproar will co-produce two new plays starting with Close Enough to Touch, a powerful, one-person show about sex, heartbreak…and toilets, written by new playwright Henry Roberts, that will tour across the UK this autumn.

Red Ladder, set up in 1968 against a backdrop of civil unrest and anti-war protests, has a rich history of creative collaborations, having previously worked on co-productions with the likes of Leeds Playhouse, Liverpool’s Royal Court and Theatre Direct, in Toronto.

Silent Uproar has built up a reputation for identifying and championing extraordinary talent. Established in 2013, the award-winning organisation has co-produced with Sheffield Theatres, held a residency at the National Theatre, and collaborated with the Royal Opera House. Artists supported by Silent Uproar have gone on to win Olivier Awards, work with the BBC and Channel 4, and receive widespread critical acclaim on Broadway and in the West End.

Red Ladder Theatre Company’s artistic director, Cheryl Martin, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be joining forces with fellow northern upstarts Silent Uproar – two bold, pioneering theatre companies coming together to tell important stories.

“At a time when theatres across the UK are facing pressure from all sides, it’s crucial that theatre companies continue to take risks and champion voices you don’t usually hear in theatre – Northern, working-class, women, Global Majority, LGBTQ+, disabled – which is why this is such an exciting collaboration.

“We believe that good theatre should reflect the world from which it springs and by harnessing our resources it enables us to present new stories, connect with new audiences, and remind people of the potency and joy of live performance.”

Alex Mitchell, Silent Uproar’s artistic director, said: “Theatre, at its core, is strange; and we want to keep it that way. An artform filled with ideas too risky for film and too vivid for the page.

“It’s a meeting point between make believe and ritual. When the lights go down on a room full of strangers, something shifts. Together, audiences suspend their disbelief and allow themselves to be transported somewhere else, without ever leaving their seats.

“However, with rising costs, fewer opportunities and shrinking budgets, continuing can sometimes feel like fighting a losing battle.

“That is why our partnership with Red Ladder means more than an increase in scale and resources, it represents possibility. The chance to open up new opportunities for artists, and to keep making immersive, memorable work driven by bold, vibrant and challenging ideas.

“Overall, it allows us to keep touring theatre that is unapologetically weird, without drifting towards safer, more toothless work. Together, we can be bold and outspoken, using our resources to create more nights out for the communities we serve, particularly at a time when we all deserve a really good night out.”

Close Enough to Touch is about a young man with a secret. He has a girlfriend, he’s looking for work, and he spends his free time cruising in men’s toilets.

Roberts’ one-person show is a funny, intimate and raw look at hidden desires and asks how long we can keep a secret before the world catches up.

Close Enough to Touch will tour nationally in the autumn.

A second, brand new co-production will be announced later this year.

For more information visit Red Ladder Theatre Company and Silent Uproar | Hull.