Interplay Theatre
Lizzy is the Associate Director of Interplay Theatre where she manages the LS12 Creative Programme.
Interplay create immersive environments and work across art forms and across the five senses and tours nationally every year. It is a collaborative company that welcomes everyone and celebrates the community of Armley and wider West Leeds. LS12 Creative is home to all of Interplay Theatre’s participation work at which happens in our venue in Armley, in our area and beyond.
For more information about our upcoming Interplay Theatre projects and performances click "VISIT INTERPLAY THEATRE WEBSITE".
Bolshee
Founded in 2022.
Bolshee is a creative projects company founded by Paula Clark, Lizzy Whynes and Megan Bailey. The Bolshee ideology is to include everyone but in particular to champion women.
We want to work with people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences, and collaborate with artists to produce vibrant multidisciplinary creative projects.
We want people to feel heard, we want people to feel well, feel supported and feel like they belong. We also want to have a really good time!
For more information about our upcoming Bolshee Projects click "VISIT BOLSHEE WEBSITE".
Creative Team
Creative Director - Paula Clark
Associate Director - Lizzy Whynes
Creative Producer - Megan Bailey
Photos by Matty Jopling.
Mother of the Revolution
Performed in 2024 - Created by archipelago arts collective
Mother of the Revolution is a new folk musical celebration of the life of a forgotten Yorkshire legend – industrialist Betty Beecroft; unearthing her untold story and those of the working communities that came after her. This will be a show about what we share with our neighbours, what we learn from our past, what brings us together and tears us apart.
Mother of the Revolution is an archipelago arts collective production in association with Leeds Industrial Museum and Interplay Theatre; supported by Arts Council England, CEG and Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society.
This promenade piece of performance took place at Leeds Industrial Museum.
Original Creative Team
Original concept & directed by Beth Knight
Written by Rosie MacPherson
Music, Lyrics, Sound Design and Musical Direction by Sean Ryan
Access Direction by Kirsty Pennycook
Movement and Associate Direction by Lizzy Whynes
Set and Costume Design by Emma Williams
Video Design by Matt Powell
Associate Producing by Joseph Clowser
Film Making by Pishdaad Modaressi Chahardehi
BSL Consultancy by Adam Bassett and Cherie Gordon
Audio Description Consultancy by Ben Wilson
Production Management by Isabel Potter
Technical Management by Justin Wetherill
Stage Management by Calum Clark
Technical Support by Adam Ryan
Original Cast
Adam Bassett as John Butler / Fergus / Milton
Reece Carter as Kevin / Edmund / Simon / Leroy
Cherie Gordon as Miriam / Mel / Dana Corp. Representative
Kathryn Hanke as Betty Beecroft / Elizabeth Skirrow
Miles Kinsley as Alan / Thomas Butler
Richard Kay as James / George Beecroft / Carter
Claire O’Connor as Folk Troupe / Daphne / Cinema Manager
Emily Snooks as Eva / Folk Troupe
Millie Watson as Folk Troupe
Pandora
Created and Performed in 2016.
Originally created as part of York Theatre Royal’s TakeOver Festival 2016 Pandora is a poignant story of the struggle to find Hope. The piece was as a hybrid between the ancient myth of ‘Pandora’s Box’ and autobiography story of Lizzy's struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The piece is all about around people finding hope in dark situations and people overcoming obstacles in their lives. Whatever they may be.
“Why did you create all this evil and charge me as an unwilling guardian?”
Zeus gave his daughter a box containing all the evil in the world; but she didn’t want it. Tormented by its contents Pandora opens the box, to find she has been made an accomplice in unleashing a world of horrors against her will.
Lizzy Whynes explores her post-traumatic stress disorder and own box of demons through dance theatre. This uplifting hybrid between a raw autobiographical story and ancient myth will show that everyone can find hope in the darkest of places, as hope is the antidote for suffering.
“Thus mankind always has Hope in times of Evil, but Hope has a great deal of catching up to do”.
Original Cast and Creative Team
Original Creative Team
Creator, director & choreographer - Lizzy Whynes
Additional Writing & Dramaturgy - Matt Harper-Hardcastle & Roxanna Klimaszewska
Stage Manager – Luke James
Deputy Stage Manager - Tim Kelly Costume & Set Designer - Gem Greave Lighting & Sound Designer - Mike Redley
Original Cast
Pandora - Fiona Baistow
Zeus - Thomas Barry
Epimetheus - James Knight
Demon 1 - Sophie Bestwick
Demon 2 - Stacey Johnstone.
Photos by Callum McLeod at York Theatre Royal.
Coal in the Garden
Created and performed in 2015.
Three friends live next to an abandoned railway station, full of mysterious odds and ends. Their imaginations run wild as they start to tell stories about these mysterious bric-a-brac…
Coal in the Garden was original created as part of TakeOver 2015 in collaboration with the National Railway Museum. This 30-minuet piece of storytelling was devised in response to the Garden Exhibit of the National Railway Museum and inspired by objects found in the Warehouse exhibit. This heartwarming site-specific piece is all about friendship and growing up.
After the second world war, it's time for evacuee Jane to go home. For the past five years she's played in the garden with Sandra and Mary-Alice, the sisters in her foster family. Now it seems their games are over, and goodbyes are hard. It's their last day in the garden where they've made all their imaginary worlds. They tell each other stories of how they're going to stay together, no matter what anyone says. But for all their tales, the day still wears on, and soon Jane will have to leave for her train. Their stories turn to the future, where they'll go and what they'll do. One day, maybe, they'll see each other again.
Original Cast and Creative Team
Original Creative Team
Directed by Lizzy Whynes
Written by Lizzy Whynes and Rab Ferguson.
Additional Dramaturgy from Ruby Clarke
Original Cast
Jane - Jessica West
Sandra - Amy Fincham
Mary-Alice - Esther Irving
Photos by Callum McLeod at the National Railway Museum.
Running Time: 30 minutes.
The Jabberwocky
Created and Performed in 2014
The tale of a flower who yearned to wander and roam around the wondrous world, to witness the adventures, trials and tribulations that happen along the way. The tale of a flower who wondered what life would be like outside the confines of her garden, refusing to “stick to her roots”. However, beware the dark creatures that live in the woods, which lurk in the dark; sinister, yet misunderstood. “Beware the Jabberwocky!” For it is always watching, always waiting, never commiserating.
A coming-of-age performance with music, rhyme, nonsense, chaos, prevailing enchantment, strawberries and pie.
You are invited into our world, this adult children’s fairytale, to be immersed into the tale of the flower’s adventure and those she meet along the way. Will she defeat the Jabberwocky that haunts her so?
There is a moral to be learnt in this tale, but, to each individual it is unique.
The world is full of hardship and worry. But through hardship and worry there is beauty. This production was inspired by fairytales, Tolkien theory, the ideology of enchantment and was looking at how you can mix autobiography with another story.
Original Cast and Creative Team
Created by Lizzy Whynes
Performed by Lizzy Whynes, Jonathan Curd and Mikhail Lim.
Lighting Designed by Simon Bedwell
Photos by Jen Todman at York St John University.
Running Time: 40 minutes.
