Love is a complicated business – and so is bringing a debut play to the stage. But writer and performer Alys Williams has successfully navigated both with her new show, The Light House, which brings love, light and hope to Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre on 29 February.
This autobiographical story of falling in love and staying in love when your favourite person doesn’t want to be alive any more is heading out on a national tour after a run at Leeds Playhouse. Leeds’ leading producing theatre has developed a special relationship with Alys and the show over the last two years. The Leeds-based artist first shared her story idea with the theatre’s artistic development team in 2021 and performed a work-in-progress version at its Furnace Festival – an annual week-long celebration of emerging artists and new work – in 2022.
Alys says: “It has been a privilege to bring this show to life with such an extraordinary creative team and I’m so grateful for all the support we’ve had along the way. We’re particularly grateful to Leeds Playhouse, Red Ladder Theatre Company and Arts Council England for their ongoing partnership and belief in the project.”
The Light House is a genuine passion project for Alys – a real-life love story based on her own experiences of falling in love with an old friend and journeying with him through a mental health crisis.
“As a writer, you can’t write everybody’s story but I know our experience wasn’t unusual and I hope it will connect with a lot of people,” she says. “I’ve had some amazing conversations with carers while developing the show and it’s extraordinary how much the frustrations, anxieties and little wins resonate. I’d like to think that we are honouring that experience on stage.
“In the end though, The Light House isn’t about mental health. It’s about love, and hope, and the way human beings hold onto each other when things get tough. It’s about getting through this messy, beautiful thing called life, together.”
Rio Matchett, Furnace Producer at Leeds Playhouse, has been involved in The Light House project from the moment Alys reached out in 2021, supporting on Arts Council Project Grant applications, networking with other local theatre makers, extract sharing events, a full length work-in-progress staging, and building a full scale tour.
“The Light House is a show that has been developed intimately with the Furnace network of creatives and audiences,” she says. “It’s a beautiful play, which brilliantly showcases the talent of artists here in Leeds, making audiences laugh out loud whilst taking us on a moving journey where we ask how far we will really go for the people we love. The Light House is a show that makes me proud of Furnace, and proud of Leeds.”
The Light House is directed by Andrea Heaton, co-artistic director of Leeds-based Fidget Theatre, and produced by Yorkshire-based playwright, producer and theatre maker Rachael Halliwell.
The creative team also includes Movement Director Rod Dixon, Set Designer Emma Williams, Access Consultant Vicky Ackroyd, Wellbeing Consultant Lou Platt and Illustrator Joshua Morgan.
The play, which includes some gentle audience participation, is a warm, witty and thought-provoking theatrical journey in which audiences are invited to join Alys as she dances in the kitchen, sings in the streets and tries to turn the lights back on after an emotional blackout.
The Light House can be seen at the SJT at 7.45pm on Thursday 29 February. Tickets are available from the box office on 01723 370541 and online at www.sjt.uk.com
