Leeds Arts Centre is a prestigious amateur theatre group which presents a wide variety of plays at the Carriageworks Theatre on Millennium Square in Leeds.
We offer opportunities to all who are interested in becoming involved with any aspect of drama, including acting, directing, stage management, props, design, costumes, lighting, sound, publicity and front of house.
“Only I am escaped alone to tell thee” – Book of Job
Three old friends and a neighbour. A summer of afternoons in the garden, sipping tea and shooting the breeze. They discuss their families, favourite TV shows, dentistry, the magic of mobile phones and particle physics. But something darker is simmering under the tea and biscuits, with premonitions of catastrophe and man-made disaster.
Caryl Churchill defies convention with her characteristic wry humour: Sally, Vi and Lena chat, reveal crippling anxieties and debate the difference between gannets and cormorants, while Mrs J delivers bleak missives from humankind’s downfall.
Sugar anyone?
Whether your interests in theatre lie on-stage or off, or even just in the audience, there are opportunities to get involved with Leeds Arts Centre.
In addition to acting roles, our members carry out all of the backstage tasks in our productions. Alongside the main productions, we also organise regular play readings, workshops and social events – and even stage the occasional ‘green room’ production just for fun.
We’re an open group with no auditions to join, and have members from a wide range of backgrounds. New members are always welcome, and you don’t need any past experience in the theatre. If you would like to meet up with us at one of our activities, contact us!
In March – April 1960 we produced Henry IV, Part One by William Shakespeare. The production, directed by Malcolm Ash, took place in The Civic Theatre. You can find more details – including cast, crew and archive documents – in our archive.
This is just one of the plays that Leeds Arts Centre has staged in our city since the 1940s – memories of many others can also be found in our production archive.
Leeds Arts Centre has an extensive mens’ and womens’ wardrobe, which incudes period and character costumes, suits and evening dress, military uniforms and accessories.
All of these are all available for hire at competitive rates: check our costume hire information if you would like to know more.
The design pictured here was created for Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime in May 2007.
The picture at the top of this page is from Rough Sleepers in October 2019.
Pictures of many of our past productions can be found in our photo gallery.