Slung Low And Freedom Studios Team Up To Premiere Six New Short Plays For Radio

Two of Yorkshire's best known theatre companies are set to join forces with an exciting line-up of playwrights for an afternoon of brand-new short plays written for radio and performed in front of a live audience.

For the past 10 years Leeds based Slung Low have been running 15 Minutes Live and this time they will partner with acclaimed Bradford theatre company Freedom Studios, to commission six playwrights to write an original short play, to be recorded in front of a live audience at The Holbeck in Leeds on Saturday 10 July at 2pm.

15 Minutes Live, brings together original plays from some of the most exciting writers in Yorkshire and across the country, with on-stage sound effects, audience participation and live music woven into the performance. The audience will be guided through the riotous afternoon by the event's lively compere.

Alan Lane, Artistic Director of Slung Low said

"It's so exciting to welcome Freedom Studios to the club. And it is particularly thrilling to be working on 6 new plays by fabulous writers as we welcome audiences back inside our theatre. I can't think of a better way of doing that but with these great scripts and our friends Freedom Studios."

Aisha Khan, Co-Artistic Director of Freedom Studios said

"We are thrilled to be back and what a perfect way to start. It feels so fitting to be making 15 Minutes Live, our first co-production with Slung Low as we welcome audiences back to enjoy both the live recording at The Holbeck in Leeds and as audio plays. We are so excited to be showcasing these commissioned short plays, bringing together established and emerging writing talent in what is always a wonderful event."

This year's line-up of writers is Tom Wells, (The Kitchen Sink, Bush Theatre, Me, As A Penguin, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Arcola Theatre and Associate Artist of Hull theatre company, Middle Child); Aina J Khan (London-based journalist, writer, playwright, and International Fellow at the New York Times); Ben Tagoe, (BAFTA nominated writer for Film, Television and Theatre. His writing credits include Coronation Street, ITV, Stan Lee's Lucky Man and In the Long Run which stared Idris Elba. His theatre credits include When We Were Brothers, Freedom Studios); Leeds based actor-musician Claire-Marie Seddon (recently seen in the critically acclaimed Freedom studios production of Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile); Rani Moorthy (writer, performer and artistic director of Manchester based Rasa Productions Ltd) and Ray Sesay (Actor and workshop facilitator).

Playwright Ben Tagoe said:

'I'm really excited about working with Slung Low and Freedom Studios again. Doing the Street Voices course way back in 2009 was the real beginning of my career as a professional writer. And it was great to work with Freedom Studios again on 'When We Were Brothers' in 2018. I'm so pleased that I've been able to maintain such a great relationship with the company for this length of time.'

Playwright and actor Claire-Marie Seddon added:
"It's an incredible opportunity to be given this platform as a new writer. I have recently finished the Intro to Playwriting and the Street Voices 8 course at Freedom Studios and they have been an integral part of building my confidence and technique. It is exciting to experience writing for audio and I am incredibly grateful to have my first commission supported by Slung Low & Freedom Studios. "

All the short plays will be recorded in the afternoon and will be made accessible for free download from Slung Low's website shortly after.

15 Minutes Live takes place on Saturday 10 July at 2pm at The Holbeck in south Leeds. Tickets for the event are free if you book online in advance or Pay What You Decide on the day. For more information and to book tickets visit https://www.slunglow.org/shows/

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