About Us
Unfolding Theatre makes big-hearted theatre that delights in bringing people together. Community-based creative processes engage surprising combinations of people to generate warm, distinctive theatre, rich in ideas.
Our award-winning productions tour across the UK. Productions include Hold On Let Go, Multiverse Arcade, Putting The Band Back Together, Lands of Glass, Best in the World and Building Palaces.
Unfolding Theatre was founded in 2008 in Newcastle upon Tyne by Artistic Director, Annie Rigby. Since then, we have toured to audiences across the UK and collaborated with top creative thinkers, including young people, artists and community groups.
We are proud that our projects have had a positive, sometimes profound, impact on audiences, artists and those who take part.
Our aims:
• More people are leading happier, more creatively fulfilled lives
• Mainstream theatre better reflects England’s diversity and drives excellence
• People with different life experience are better connected.
“Fantastic experience. Performing was a pipe dream, impossible to happen. Meeting you guys did change my life.”
Who we are
Artistic Director
Annie Rigby
Annie was Resident Director at Northern Stage (2003-08). Productions included On Top of the Town, performed at Noordenzon Festival, Tattercoats, Thumbelina, and The Golden Bird, devised work such as From the Beginning and returning in 2015 to to direct Up & Out Christmas Sprout.
Annie was Northern Rock Foundation Fellow (2007/08) on the Clore Leadership Programme. Her fellowship included secondments to the V&A Museum, Edinburgh Festival Theatre and research into theatre made by non-professional performers. Annie studied English at Downing College, Cambridge University.
Directorial credits include Hold On Let Go, Putting The Band Back Together, Lands of Glass, Best in the World, Building Palaces, Miracle!, Lord of the Flies (Gala Theatre Durham).
Associate Artist: Community
Alex Elliott
Alex is a performer and filmmaker for Unfolding Theatre. He is a deviser and performer in Hold On Let Go, Putting The Band Back Together, solo show Best in the World, What If? and Building Palaces. He also produced visuals for Let Me Tell You.
Alex is Artistic Director of Operating Theatre, creating thought provoking theatre and film on health and social issues. He created Squirrels, a piece about Mental Health and Making for the Light for CANDO; a pioneering treatment for focal epilepsy. He was a founder member of Northern Stage Ensemble (1998-2005), playing major roles in productions including Clockwork Orange, Edmond, Homage To Catalonia and Manifesto for a New City.
He also works with Leeds Playhouse Associate Artist, Alan Lyddiard (Anniversary, The Bus Pass Project).
Company Producer
Michael Barrass
Michael has recently joined Unfolding Theatre as Company Producer. He previously worked at The Cultural Spring, the Creative People and Places Programme for South Tyneside and Sunderland, where he undertook the role of Community Engagement Co-ordinator and more recently Project Co-Director.
Michael is also a freelance producer and project/event manager, having been involved in various festivals and events across the North East over the last few years.
Unfolding Theatre Board
We have a fantastic board of trustees, who support and guide the company's development.
Bex Bowsher (Interim Chair)
Writer & theatre-maker
Tim Bailey
xsite architecture
Mani Kambo
Artist
Stephanie Kyne
Law and Governance
Mark Robinson
Thinking Practice
Kevin Wilson
Communications and Fundraising
Join the Unfolding Theatre Board of Trustees:
We’re currently seeking to fill two roles on our board of trustees:
Chair and Trustee
Trustee
Closing date for expressions of interest: 10am, Monday 8th November 2021
Associate Artist: Digital + Admin & Marketing
Garry Lydon
Garry is a music and film producer working within the creative communities and music industry of the North East.
He is a graduate of Newcastle University’s Creative Arts Practice MA and resident artist of Biscuit Tin Studios with music duo SQUARMS.
Associate Artist: Children & Young People
Luca Rutherford
Luca is a collaborative performer, writer, dramaturg and arts engagement officer. She has worked with companies and artists including Action Transport Theatre, Chris Thorpe, fanSHEN, Maddy Costa, Paula Varjack, RashDash.
Her work is autobiographical without being indulgent or elusive working closely with sound, movement, humour and a sense of playfulness.
She is also an Associate Artist of ARC Stockton Northern Stage, a Third Angel mentee, was runner up for Manchester Royal Exchange Hodgkiss Award 2016, and shortlisted for Best of BE Festival 2017.
Producers (National Touring)
LittleMighty
LittleMighty is an independent production company led by Gloria Lindh and Dick Bonham.
From their home in Leeds they work with remarkable artists from across the UK to make brilliant theatre happen. They collaborate with Unfolding Theatre to help get their work on tour and raise their national profile.
They also collaborate with an exciting portfolio of theatre-makers including Move to Stand (VAULT Festival Pick of the Year) Adam Robinson (★★★★★ Northern Soul) Fidget Theatre (“Utterly enchanting” – Sheffield Star) and Testament (“Suffused with honesty and wit” – ★★★★★ The Stage).
Working with Unfolding Theatre
We are proud to have worked with talented, inspiring and inventive artists and technicians on all of our projects.
Since the company was founded in 2008 we have worked with writers, David Almond, Daniel Bye, Chloe Daykin, Wambui Hardcastle, Carina Rodney, Luca Rutherford and Selina Thompson, actors Jane Arnfield, Michael Blair, Hannah Boyde, Maria Crocker, Alex Elliott, Ruth Johnson, Kat Pierce, Pady O'Connor, Mark Lloyd and Tom Walton, designers and visual artists Lily Arnold, Imogen Cloet, Simon Henderson, Bethan Maddocks and Andrew Stephenson, musicians Tom Bancroft, Ross Millard, Brendan Murphy, Beccy Owen, Fred Phethean, Mariam Rezaei, Paul Smith, Kathryn Tickell, Tin Men & The Telephone and Boff Whalley, sound and AV artists John Alder, Reed Ingram Weir, Nick John Williams and Andy Playford, lighting designer, Kev Tweedy, architect Tim Bailey, dancer Tim Rubidge and production managers, Jill Bennison and Simon Henderson.
We are also proud to have worked with producers, Leyla Asadi and Morag Iles, who helped the company grow from an idea into a palace-building, darts-throwing reality.
Become an Unfolding Theatre Creative Associate:
Unfolding Theatre is seeking two people to join the team as Creative Associates.
Closing date for Expressions of Interest: 10am, Monday 22nd November 2021.
