TOO MUCH WORLD At ONCE Comes to HOME Manchester

Set against a backdrop of the climate crisis, the debut from Papatango shortlisted writer Billie Collins is a lyrical coming of age story of growing up queer in rural England. Collins was selected for the 2022 BBC Writersroom Northern Voices cohort and was part of Film Hub North's 2020 Script Lab, and now will be premiering her first play in Manchester before touring. In a poetic story of a boy transformed into a bird, the show touches on themes of family and belonging, and the company have worked with experts to make the tour as sustainable as possible to reflect the climate crisis messages of the play.

Joint Artistic Director of Box of Tricks Adam Quayle said, "Billie first wrote Too Much World at Once aged just 21 on our early-career development programme for North West playwrights, PlayBox. Reading that first draft in one sitting, I knew we were onto something special. The play is at once lyrical, epic, theatrical and heartfelt and speaks to our world today - exploring the climate emergency, young queer identity, family - and I knew I had to direct a production one day. We commissioned the play to be developed through our New Tricks programme and, fast forward nearly three years, we're finally on the cusp of sharing this urgent new play with audiences nationwide. Theatre - and in particular new writing - has taken a hammering over the last few years, so I'm doubly excited to be staging this epic new play."

Billie Collins is a writer from the Wirral, based in Manchester. Her debut play TOO MUCH WORLD AT ONCE will be produced by Box of Tricks at HOME Manchester in March 2023, before going on tour. She also has projects in development with ThickSkin Theatre and Toastie Animation and was selected for the 2022 BBC Writersroom Northern Voices scheme.

Based in Manchester, Box of Tricks is an award-winning theatre company that brings people together to share stories collectively. They stage new plays and connect with communities right across the UK. Celebrating Northern talent, productions are staged in theatres locally and nationally as well as in public spaces - pubs, libraries, village halls - in the heart of local communities. New plays are the lifeblood of theatre and playwrights its beating heart. Box of Tricks offers a home for playwrights to find their voice and tell their story. Their PlayMakers Network is a creative community for Northern playwrights to connect, collaborate and create. They nurture early-career North West playwrights through year-long PlayBox attachments and commission, develop and produce bold new theatre through the New Tricks commissions.

Tour Dates

3 - 11 March HOME, Manchester
2 Tony Wilson Pl, Manchester M15 4FN

Full Price: £12.50, Concessions: £10.50

Times: (Thurs, Sat) 14:15, 19:45

homemcr.org | 0161 200 1500

13 - 15 March Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury
Frankwell Quay, Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8FT

Full price: £16, Concessions: £14

Times: 20:00

theatresevern.co.uk | 01743 281 281

20 March Theatre by the Lake
Lakeside, Lake Rd, Keswick CA12 5DJ

Full price: £32, Concessions: £10

Times: 19:30

theatrebythelake.com | 01768 774 411

21 - 22 March Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
Westborough, Scarborough YO11 1JW

Full price: £20, Concessions: £10

Times: 19:30

sjt.uk.com | 01723 370 541

23 March Epstein Theatre, Liverpool
Hanover house, 85 Hanover St, Liverpool L1 3DZ

Full price: £12.50, Concessions: £

Times: 19:30

epsteintheatre.co.uk | 0344 736 0151

28 March The Arts Centre, Edge Hill University

Edge HIll University, St Helens Rd, Ormskirk L39 4QP

Full price: TBC, Concessions: TBC

Times: TBC

edgehill.ac.uk/artscentre | 01695 584 480

29 March Brewery Arts, Kendal

122A Highgate, Kendal LA9 4HE

Full price: £12.50, Concessions: N/A

Times: 19:30

breweryarts.co.uk | 01539 725 133

30 March - 1 April Northern Stage, Newcastle

Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RH

Full price: £10, Concessions: N/A

Times: 19:30

northernstage.co.uk | 0191 230 5151

5 April The Met, Bury

Market St, Bury BL9 0BW

Full price: £18, Concessions: £16

Times: 19:30

themet.org.uk | 0161 761 2216

6 & 8 April Birmingham Repertory Theatre

6 Centenary Sq, Birmingham B1 2EP

Full price: £15, Concessions: £12

Times: (sat only) 15:00, 20:00

birmingham-rep.co.uk | 0121 236 4455

11 - 12 April Theatr Clwyd, Mold

Raikes Ln, Mold CH7 1YA

Full price: £16, Concessions: £10

Times: (11th) 19:45, (12th) 14:45

theatrclwyd.com | 01352 344 101

14 - 15 April Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds

3 Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 3AD

Full price: TBC, Concessions: TBC

Times: TBC

carriageworkstheatre.co.uk | 0113 376 0318

18 April Mercury Theatre, Colchester

The Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate, Colchester CO1 1PT

Full price: £14, Concessions: N/A

Times: 20:00

mercurytheatre.co.uk | 01206 573 948

19 - 20 April Nonsuch Studios, Nottingham

92 Lower Parliament St, Nottingham NG1 1EH

Full price: £15, Concessions: N/A

Times: 19:30

nonsuchstudios.co.uk | 0115 837 1950

21 - 22 April Hull Truck Theatre

50 Ferensway, Hull HU2 8LB

Full price: £13.50, concessions £11.50

Times: 20:00

hulltruck.co.uk | 01482 323 638

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