Red Ladder to hold archive film event

One of the more surprising moves by the Arts Council in the funding arrangements announced in July was the 100% cut in the grant (£160,000) awarded to Leeds-based radical theatre company, Red Ladder. Over the years many groups have instantly foundered in such circumstances, but Red Ladder has been consistently pro-active in its response.

Energetic fund-raising is keeping the company going, though with a total core grant in aid of £5,000 the situation remains precarious. The current production of an adaptation of Terry Jones‘ children’s book, Nicobobinus, opens at the Lost Theatre, Wandsworth, on 11 December, with a tour planned for next year.

There has been big name support for Red Ladder, with the most significant move David Peace‘s decision to donate the stage rights to his book, The Damned United, to Red Ladder – or, rather, to sell them for £3.68, representing the 368 pages of the book!

Now, on Saturday 15 November, at the Void Theatre, Sheffield Hallam University, Red Ladder takes the opportunity to remind us of the company’s long and distinguished history as one of the leading proponents of radical socialist theatre. Founded as long ago as 1968, the company moved from London to Leeds in the following decade and is still based in the city.

The event at the Void Theatre commences at 3.00 pm with a showing of two films revealing the work of Red Ladder in its comparatively early days. Taking Our Time is a 1978 Arena documentary following Red Ladder through the process of making the show of the same name about the 1842 plug riots in the Calder Valley. Fringe Benefits, a BBC film of the following year, features the work of Red Ladder and other political companies of the time, such as Belt and Braces.

Kate Housden worked for the company from 1975 to 1979 and co-ordinated with the BBC on Taking Our Time. In organising this event, she has found almost all the company members from those years, several of whom are expected to attend and join a question and answer session with Kate and Red Ladder artistic director, Rod Dixon.

At a time when supporters are fighting for the future of Red Ladder, it seems appropriate to remind everyone of how important a history the company has – in addition to setting up a reunion to remember!