Annalyn Bhanji (pictured above) has been creating and performing educational theatre in Leeds since… well, she’s not sure if Leeds Theatre in Education Company started in 1970 or 1971, but she’s been there since the very beginning, over 40 years anyway! She could hunt through all the archives in her attic to find out, but she doesn’t have time, because Leeds TIE Company are opening their latest play, TELLING STORIES by Paul Swift, in Leeds this week.
TELLING STORIES is a play about divided families, being bad, and reality TV. It tells the story of a film maker called Caroline, played by Annalyn, her ten year old son, Joe, (Michael Jameson) and the subject of her latest project, a troubled 13 year old boy called Alex (Paul Swift) The play deals with a multitude of inter-related contemporary issues and will tour to all ages from 10 to adult.
Leeds TIE has certainly changed over the years. The company still performs in schools, but it also works with a wide range of adult community groups including family support and therapeutic groups. As well as producing their own theatre the company also enable ordinary people to create theatre themselves, for their own communities. But although the range of work has expanded, the guiding principles that shaped theatre in education still underpin the company’s work today. TIE began with a simple idea… combining the skills of theatre workers and teachers to create theatre that educates, that looks critically at society to increase understanding and empower people to make positive change – surely a fundamental aim that art and education still share. The company are still committed to creating high quality theatre that is accessible and relevant to ordinary (used to be working class) non theatregoing audiences, that is performed to people in their own community spaces, and that enables people to make positive changes to their lives. But enough principles and history, try and catch the latest play if you can. It should give you plenty to think about.
If you would like to find out more about the company and our work in Leeds, there is a preview at the West Yorkshire Playhouse 10th Feb 6.30pm (free)
Register here.
Please email the company for further information. www.leedstie.co.uk @leedstie on twitter
Michael Jameson is an actor/teacher with Leeds TiE (@michaeljameson on twitter)