Members of York-based theatre company Out of Character have been busy in the rehearsal studio with Outcast, a new play by two Ripon writers.
The innovative ensemble is comprised of artists and performers who have lived experience of mental ill health. Together they are exploring resonant themes of exclusion, survival and power in a piece set amongst a community of lepers living in medieval Ripon.
For RTF it’s an exciting new strand of work supporting the development of new writing and creating paid opportunities for local artists. For audiences at the workshop performance, there’s a chance to get an early look at a brand new play in development and to see some of the artistic process evolving.
Exclusion, survival and power
Written by Andy Croft and Paul Mills, Outcast is set in a little-known period of the Middle Ages amongst a group of lepers living on the margins of society. While rooted in history, its themes feel strikingly relevant today. Andy says ‘Seeing a group of characters who existed only in your head brought to life on stage is quite an experience.’ Having worked with the actors he feels certain they can ‘relate to the situations they find there, to the words and the story’. Artistic Director of Out of Character, Kate Veysey, shared that issues in the play such as community and stigma, ‘resonate greatly with our work as a theatre company where company members access mental health support’ and that they have already had many interesting conversations in rehearsals about links to their life experiences and wider events where there is fear in a community, such as the pandemic.
Writers Paul and Andy are well known for their poetry, publishing and work in the theatre. Paul has published six poetry collections, including Nomad (2021). He is the author of two books on creative writing and has also written two verse dramas, performed at the National Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse. Founder of Smokestack Books, Andy has delivered community writing projects in schools, prisons and other community settings, he’s run poetry festivals (including Ripon Poetry Festival) and from 2004-22 wrote a monthly poetry column in the Morning Star. He has had Writing Residencies at Hartlepool Headland, the Great North Run, the Southwell Poetry Festival and the Combe Down Stone Mines Project.
Director Kate Veysey has been Artistic Director of Out of Character since March 2022. Previously she was Youth Theatre Director at York Theatre Royal for 13 years before becoming a freelance director. She is also Associate Director for Next Door But One CIC, where recent work includes My Mad Mum and She Was Walking Home.
The workshop performance will take place on Sunday 5 July at Ripon Arts Hub with an introductory event by the writers earlier in the afternoon at the historic Leper Chapel, one of the locations that inspired the play itself. Audiences will also have the opportunity to share their thoughts through a post-show discussion, helping to shape the future development of the work.
We’re proud that Outcast marks the beginning of a new commitment to nurturing new writing at Ripon Theatre Festival, exploring local stories and creating professional opportunities for artists across Yorkshire and the North East.
Further Outcast audience information and tickets.
