Dash Arts, in association with Leeds Playhouse, will present the world premiere of Our Public House, a bold and heart-stirring new play by award-winning playwright Barney Norris, directed by Josephine Burton.
Opening at Leeds Playhouse from Friday 15 May to Saturday 23 May 2026, with a press night on Thursday 21 May, Our Public House will then tour to Prescot, Coventry, Cornwall and Sheffield.
Set in The Albion, a struggling pub at the heart of a community that has turned its back on politics, Our Public House explores what happens when silenced voices are given the space to speak. The play is a love letter to the public house as a space of democracy and solidarity.
Blending fiery speeches, live music, and the warmth of the pub itself, Our Public House sings with the struggles and resilience of ordinary lives. At its heart lies a single question: when the system has failed you, can you still find power in speaking out?
The production was born out of a three-year journey across the UK, where Dash Arts worked with schools, prisons, youth clubs, deaf communities and wellbeing groups to help people write and deliver over 600 political speeches. These speeches have informed the script and inspired the music.
Told through spoken English, Sign Supported English (SSE), British Sign Language (BSL), creative captioning and music, Our Public House features an ensemble of hearing and deaf actors, alongside community participants. Across the tour, a local ensemble of 48 people will step into the production, ensuring the community is literally part of the story.
Director Josephine Burton said:
“Over the last three years, I’ve listened to hundreds of people from all walks of life stand up and share what matters to them. Their passion, anger, humour, and hope have inspired me and Barney to create Our Public House. Now, staging it with communities at its heart, I want to give those voices a platform and tell a story of who we are – and who we could be – together.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
