MaD Theatre Company

Multi-Disciplinary

Theatre & Spoken Word

The theatre company creating original theatre and films, and running performing arts workshops

We formed in 1996 as Moston Active Drama (MaD) and have been creating original plays and films in North Manchester since. In that time we have facilitated Drama provision for thousands of North Mancunians and have produced over a hundred plays/film all celebrating life in North Manchester.

Where do you create and share your work?

We run performing arts / drama workshops in local schools, churches, mosques, community centres and hospitals in Harpurhey, Moston, Blackley, Charlestown, Cheetham Hill, Crumpsall, Gorton, Radcliffe, Whitefield, Partington and Wythenshawe.

What creative project are you most proud of?

In 2009 we created a play called “angels With Manky Faces” featuring people of all ages from North Manchester working with Musician and artists from the Madchester music scene. It was based on a book by Professor Andrew Davies called “The Gangs of Manchester”.

We performed for seven sold out performances at Manchester Library Theatre and began a collaboration with Davies and his wife Professor Selina Todd that is on going today.

Through this collaboration we have produced plays charting the establishment of the Football team FC United (Davies is a huge FC United Fan) working with their supporters in the play “Conceived in a Curry House” (2016).

We worked with Selina Todd who was writed a biography of Salford playwrite Shelagh Delaney in 2017 with an adaptation of one of her play’s “Sweetly Sings The Donkey” at The Lowry in 2017 and then were commisioned through Todd and Oxford University to create the play “It’s The Wrong Way To Tickle Mary” celebrating 100 years since the end of World wat 1 and Votes For Women.

This play was performed at The Lowry, Bury Met and at Oxford University where we have given lectures about our work and Company.

"The humour and swagger of North Mancunians is embedded in all of our work and the fact that our community will make their voices heard no matter what is an inspiration."

Rob

MaD Theatre Company

Do you feel artists in North Manchester are visible and valued across the city?

No. The reason we set up in 1996 was because there was a lack of cultural provision North of the City and though it has improved slightly there is still a huge gap.

Also since the Library Theatre closed in 2010 there has been little or no available performing spaces for North Mancunians in recognised theatres in the City Centre meaning we have to perform at Theatres in Bury, Bolton and Salford instead.

Our performers aspire to perform on professional stages and want their voices heard in such places and the lack of available spaces in the vastly regenerated City Centre highlights the lack of connectivity North Mancunian artists feel with Manchester as an international City.

MaD Theatre Company

Where do you create and share your work?

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A celebration of Harpurhey's vibrant creative scene