Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre is collaborating with two young and innovative theatre companies in what will become an ongoing programme of exciting new creative partnerships.
The long-established theatre will be sharing its skills, experience and expertise with, and learning fresh new skills from, two new Associate Companies: Manchester-based Box of Tricks, and London’s The Faction.
Box of Tricks is a theatre company that champions the next generation of playwrights, producing top quality new plays on local and national stages. Its most recent show, SparkPlug, was seen at the SJT in early April, whileChip Shop Chips was staged in Scarborough’s Market Hall in March 2018.
The Faction is an award-winning ensemble reinventing the classics for the 21st century. Its regular acting company includes Scarborough-born actor and writer Christopher York, whose play Build A Rocket was produced by the SJT last year, winning the Holden Street Theatres Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, which took it Australia’s Adelaide Fringe.
The Associate programme will see the North Yorkshire theatre collaborate with the two companies to create exciting and engaging new shows in Scarborough, around the UK and globally.
The SJT’s Artistic Director, Paul Robinson, says: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Box Of Tricks and The Faction as our new Associate Companies – they’re two of the most exciting national touring companies today. We look forward to working closely with them to develop new pieces and can’t wait to bring their next shows to our audiences.”
Box of Tricks Join Artistic Directors Adam Quayle and Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder say: “We’re thrilled to become an Associate Company at the SJT. An historic theatre with a long-standing commitment to new writing in the North, the SJT is a powerhouse of new plays. This partnership is a game changer and offers us a level of support to take the next step up as a company. We look forward to working together to realise our shared creative ambitions and staging bold new plays in Scarborough and beyond.”
Mark Leipacher and Rachel Valentine Smith, Artistic Directors at The Faction, say: “We’re delighted The Faction is now an Associate Company of the SJT. As an ensemble, innovative collaborations are at the heart of everything The Faction do, and the SJT has always been a pioneer of exciting partnerships. We’re thrilled we’ll be performing in the Round and digitally sharing our international work with SJT audiences.”
