About
Riding Lights
Riding Lights Theatre Company makes theatre that makes a difference.
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As a charity we have toured to communities across the UK, performing in churches, schools, prisons, theatres, and on the streets for nearly 50 years.
The company, shaped by a Christian ethos, our work is inclusive, accessible and welcoming to all.
A BROAD RANGE OF WORK
Riding Lights has created a wide range of work. Our productions include new writing such as His Last Report (with York Theatre Royal), African Snow (UK tour and West End), classic plays such as The Alchemist (Coventry Belgrade) All’s Well That Ends Well (Friargate Theatre) and The Fire Raisers (The Bridewell).
Alongside this, we make shows that engage directly with social issues, including Cups on a String (a UK tour exploring how mentoring young people can be a catalyst for early intervention),
My Place (examining the impact of fostering and adoption) as well as entertaining childrens’ theatre such as Christmas Inn Trouble and The Selfish Giant which toured to younger audiences all over the country in all kinds of spaces.
We seek to joyfully inspire audiences of every kind to engage with ideas surrounding creativity, faith and social justice.
HELPING OTHERS MAKE THEATRE
Through Riding Lights MAKE we run theatre-making courses, summer schools and creative retreats to support emerging and community artists, as well as resourcing schools and churches with podcasts, films and scripts helping others to make their own theatre which makes a difference.
Our Team
Paul Birch
Artistic Director & Joint CEO
Oliver Brown
Executive Director & Joint CEO
Antony Dunn
Head of Marketing and Communications (Interim)
Hannah Carter-Brown
Marketing Manager
Charis Stead
Producer / Programmer
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Abby Cameron
Administrator
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Rose Batey
Facilities Officer
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Becky Lennon
Development & Fundraising Manager
Bev Wood
Membership & Data Officer
Kelvin Goodspeed
Director: Acting Up!
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Jack Titherley
Touring Stage Manager
Sean Cavanagh
Associate Director​
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Bridget Foreman
Associate Director​
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Emma Perkins
Company Chaplain
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Mike Perkins
Company Chaplain
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Our Team
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Trustee
Directors
Dr Rebecca Benzie
Andrew Bradley
Sean Cavanagh
John Emmett (chairman)
Dr Bridget Foreman
Joseph Harmston
David Lampitt
Sally Maddison
Yvonne Morley-Chisholm
Israel Oyelumade
ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES
Sean Cavanagh
Nigel Forde
Bridget Foreman
Murray Watts
ACTING UP!
Kelvin Goodspeed
Rachel Khosravi
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Volunteers:
Rose Batey
Christie Barnes
Erin Burbridge
Chloe Oldroyd
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Technical Casuals
Niamh Cooper
Ginny Davis
Jade Lican
Ivy Magee
Sam Massie
Archie Moore-Mcarthy
Carys Nicolle
Jinny Wilkin
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Front of House
Casuals
Duty Managers
Helen Clarke-Neale
Levi Kemp
Rachel Khosravi
Laura Castle
Esther Irving
Lizzie Mackriell
Livy Potter
Jacob Ward
Samantha Goddard
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Stewards
Alsina Khosravi
Claire Morley
Marisa Perez
Eve Payton
Sophie Kilmartin
Alice Valletta
Jade Lican
Libby Whitaker
Carys Nicolle
FRIARGATE THEATRE
Friargate Theatre is the home of Riding Lights. The company moved into its first permanent home, in the heart of York, in 1999. It opened to the public in May 2000 with the company’s production of Ben Jonson’s classic satire, The Alchemist.
The building features an almost 100-seat studio theatre on the first floor, a ground-floor rehearsal room which doubles as a 50-seat cafe-style performance space, administration and workshop space, as well as a cafe-bar.
As well as being Riding Lights’ base for creating touring theatre, Friargate’s versatility means it functions as a film studio and small scale cinema space with state-of-the-art projection and sound system. Friargate is available to hire for your event – for more information contact Chloe Oldroyd at hires@rltc.org.