The National Theatre kicks off the new year with a new schools touring production, The LeftBehinds. Part of the Theatre Nation Partnerships programme, the tour will be seen by 10,000 young people, visiting secondary school halls in 11 areas across 11 weeks. In partnership with local theatres, the tour runs from 13 January – 28 March 2025.
Co-created by Bristol playwright Ross Willis and director Ned Bennett, The LeftBehinds is a new production set in a post-apocalyptic future. The LeftBehinds must race across a desolate wasteland in a high-octane quest to rebuild an android, unlock its power and save the planet. This new production gives students access to a genre-pushing theatrical experience in their school hall. In addition to seeing the show in their school hall, pupils will take part in an interactive workshop exploring the technical elements to produce the show and teachers will receive accompanying education resources.
Announced today, The LeftBehinds cast includes Ryn Alleyne as Kit Knightshade, Tanaka Mpofu as Bandit, Julian Brett as Shadow, Gabriella Foley as Rot, Francis Nunnery as the Android, Ethan Hughes as Beandigo, Emma Gray as Ducky, and Brandon Kimaryo as swing.
The creative team includes Associate Director Rachel Lemon, Movement Director Jackie Kibuka, Puppetry Designer, Builder and Director Matt Hutchinson, Production Manager Jordan Harris, Set and Costume Designer Georgia Lowe, Lighting Designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, Composer & Sound Designer Giles Thomas, Casting Director Abby Galvin, Associate Designer Jasmine Araujo, Associate Lighting Designer Lucy Adams and Trainee Resident Director Rrita Pula.
The LeftBehinds is a new version of a play Ross and Ned made with Technical, Acting and Directing students at LAMDA in 2022. In partnership with local theatres, the production will be seen by students in schools across Outer East London and South Essex, Sunderland, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, North Devon, Wakefield, Doncaster, Greater Manchester, Leicester and Peterborough.
The Theatre Nation Partnerships network introduces new audiences to theatre in areas which have historically experienced low investment and engagement in cultural activities. The network combines local expertise with nationally delivered activity, creating more opportunities for local communities and schools to engage with cultural and creative experiences. Through Theatre Nation Partnerships, many schools are also taking part in Speak Up, a nationwide schools programme in collaboration with local artists to inspire young people to speak up about issues that are important to them.
The LeftBehinds will also tour into Morley College in North Kensington in its last week, where it will host local schools across Greater London to watch the show together and reach as many students as possible. The National Theatre has been developing its relationship with Morley College as part of a multi-year creative project with people and organisations across North Kensington. As part of this, the National Theatre has worked with Morley College on projects including Space to Create and Writing for Theatre programmes, careers fairs, and community events.
Co-creators Ned Bennett and Ross Willis said “We are thrilled to be collaborating again on this new incarnation of The LeftBehinds. From its beginnings at LAMDA to its development with the NT, this production has continually evolved, and we’re delighted to now share it with young people. We couldn’t be more excited that the National Theatre is bringing this production directly into school halls across the country.”
Emma Hudson, a Performing Arts teacher from Sir Thomas Wharton Academy in Doncaster, said about last year’s secondary school tour of Jekyll & Hyde “The prestige of having The National Theatre in our school was a great honour. The production was slick and exciting. The cast and crew were great with our students and everyone I spoke to really enjoyed watching the production.”
Reaching a record number of young people this year, the National Theatre’s Learning & National Partnerships Department aims to inspire young people nationwide, widen access to creative experiences in schools and boost skills to support the next generation of theatre-makers. Through student conferences, youth theatre programmes, training opportunities and digital learning, the National Theatre is committed to enabling every young person in the UK to experience the NT before they leave school. 89% of secondary schools are signed up for free access to the National Theatre Collection, reaching 1.3 million students across the UK.
Working with theatres nationally, the National Theatre also encourages new ways for young people to access theatre making through programmes like Speak Up, which will engage 140,000 young people in 55 secondary schools between 2022-2025, and Nationwide Young Technicians, which offers young people the chance to develop skills and learn about the variety of backstage and off-stage roles.
For more information about Theatre Nation Partnerships and the schools’ tour, visit the NT Website
