A dynamic group of artists and performers, all aged 60+, are bringing a new version of their celebrated show Sinfonia to our Courtyard theatre from 26-27 April.

The Performance Ensemble, a Leeds-based theatre company that recently became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), originally developed the show as part of 1001 Stories, a ground-breaking festival that celebrated age and ageing at the Playhouse as part of LEEDS 2023, the Year of Culture.

Directed by Alan Lyddiard with original music by Nikola Kodjabashia, choreography by Tamara McLorg and design by Michael Vale based on an original design by Neil Murray, the 2024 production features new stories and performers in a more intimate show that will be performed in Leeds, Doncaster and Barrow in the coming months.

Local performers will be sharing tales of activism and politics, love and family in their home city, exploring themes that resonate with all ages, told by the generation that pioneered punk, fronted marches and invented the internet.

Alan Lyddiard, Artistic Director of The Performance Ensemble and director of Sinfonia said: “We’ve been creating high quality performances with people over 60 for years now, giving a voice to generations that have been forgotten or deemed irrelevant. These people have full lives and experiences worth sharing and we are revealing and celebrating them in new, beautiful and emotive ways.”

Being an NPO means The Performance Ensemble benefits from national funding, ensures that everyone has access to the transformative benefits of creativity and culture.

Alan continued: “We want to deliver the message that life doesn’t stop as you get older, that you have so much more to give. In becoming an NPO we have been able to offer 12 new roles in the company to those usually closer to considering retirement; each individual bringing a lifetime of expertise and enthusiasm.”