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South Leeds Life | November 2019
16 Art Life
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New Pyramid Jadek: exhibition reveals J hidden art by Hazel Millichamp
Artist Stephen Harvey
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by Helen Robinson
yramid will launch a major new show at The Tetley this month. 'Hidden Art / Hidden Artists' will include photographs of three pieces of art work, never been shown in public before, created by the Arts Club within the walls of Meanwood Park Hospital, prior to its closure. Three of Pyramid's most promising artists – Ria, Liam Hirst and Stephen Harvey - will create new and powerful pieces of work in response to these art works. Pyramid was set up in 1989 within the walls of Meanwood Park Hospital as a weekly, volunteer run arts club for the patients who spent their lives there. When the hospital closed in 1996 the Arts Club became ‘Pyramid of Arts’, a project to keep the patients in touch with each other through arts activity.
Since then the charity has supported over 1,000 people with learning disabilities to discover and explore the arts, and to create high quality art for a wide public. Pyramid artists have exhibited work at every major cultural venue in the city, creating large-scale works for events like Light Night and creating three permanent sculptures at Thwaite Mills, Meanwood Valley Urban Farm, and Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills. Hidden Art / Hidden Artists will open on Thursday 28 November at the Tetley, Hunslet Road, LS10 1JQ and will run until the end of March 2020. Stephen Harvey has been attending Pyramid groups in south Leeds for nearly 20 years. Stephen's artwork is playful, disruptive, and based around constructive criticism and as protest about his lack of independence in the care
adek (Polish for grandfather) by Francesca Joy, opens with Tasha lying on the floor, curled up, in her 94 year old Grandad’s house. The audience had to tip toe around her as they found their seats. Opening the play with Tasha in such a vulnerable position paved the way for where the play would be heading. Grandad is blind and feels his way around the set to find his favourite seat. He dislikes “ventilation” and tells his 28 year old granddaughter off for coming home late. She is living with him after having lived in over 30 homes. The interactions between the old man and Tasha are wonderfully written and performed; the relatives drive each other mad, but also rely on each other in so many ways, practically and emotionally. As the play continues, the bond between the two of them blossoms. Grandad reveals to Tasha his horrific experiences as a young boy during WW2 and the audience becomes aware that Tasha has experienced traumatic experiences of her own. system. For 'Hidden Art / Hidden Artists' Stephen will create textile banners referencing the fact that patients often died within the walls of Meanwood and were cremated there. The banners are covered in bones and say 'JOGGING YOUR MEMORY'. They will be hung from trees along the path around the surviving wall of Meanwood Hospital, which is a popular route for joggers.
Free Playhouse tickets
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s part of South Leeds Life’s ongoing partnership with Leeds Playhouse we are able to offer a free* pair of tickets to a range of shows. *Of course there’s no such thing as a free lunch, so although the tickets are free we do ask for something in return. We rely on our readers to review the plays they see. You can write the review yourself and send it us for publication,
or if you’re not confident to write it yourself, you can chat to one of our reporters who will write up your thoughts into a review. Leeds Playhouse has undergone a major renovation programme this year its autumn programme has been
well received. Unfortunately all our tickets for this season have already been allocated to readers. But make sure you you read next month’s paper when we will preview the spring programme and tell you how to get hold of your free* tickets.
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untangling trauma
I found these sections deeply disturbing but beautifully and artistically portrayed by Francesca Joy. Without words she expresses her pain, anguish and shame. Her body contorting as the audience becomes aware where it is her
grinding against their identities – Tasha wants to get away from how she previously funded her life and Grandad needs to stop being a soldier, afraid and on the defensive. Despite such deeply emotional issues being
Piotr Baumann as Jadek and Francesca Joy as Tasha Photo: Ant Robling Photography own trauma stems from. Tasha is desperate to have her children’s book sold, but feels she is being asked to wash over the realism of her story by London publishers. Grandad struggles with his infirmities and both family members struggle with their pasts. Grandad and Tasha are
portrayed throughout the play, there is much comic relief provided by the interplay between Tasha and her grandfather – this is increased as Alexa is introduced into the home. Polish audience members are invited to share one of Grandad’s jokes at the very
beginning of the performance, which for the rest of the audience is not revealed until the end of play – see if you can spot it. This was such a raw and realistic portrayal of two people from different generations struggling in their own ways and finding ways to help each other through. The fact that the play is based on a true story adds to the poignancy. Tasha and Grandad make their way through, they are able to leave their pasts behind and move forward together. There was some wonderful audience interaction towards the end of this performance that left me feeling touched and so happy for Grandad and for Tasha. Francesca Joy (Tasha) opened the Imagine If theatre company in 2014 and aims to create and show work that is “thought provoking and unashamedly honest.” Judging by Jadek, Francesca and her company have certainly achieved this. Jadek comes to Slung Low at The Holbeck on Sunday 17 November, 5pm. The performance will be Pay As You Feel. Don’t miss out, this play will stay with you for some time.
Launderette rebooted by Christine Braithwaite
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elcoming in the new with the old, the box fresh Playhouse takes us back to the past with My Beautiful Laundrette. The audience took to their seats amongst bubbling sounds reminiscent of the opening of the 1985 film. This was gradually complemented by the “bovver” boys of the cast stomping around the stage (eventually joined by the remaining cast members) prior to the official start. A nice-touch Underground roundel in the corner informs us we’re currently south of the river (Thames) in an industrialised feeling set with washing machine facades seemingly cemented into the backdrop. Much like the era itself, the dullness is punctuated by another 80s icon: neon – in the form of graffiti daubed over the set. And who better to complete this 80s assault on the senses than the Pet Shop Boys who give us some of their classics including West End Girls and also tracks crafted for the play. The story follows the main character Omar (Omar Malik)
going to work for his uncle Nasser’s (Kammy Darweish) garage upon his father’s (Gordon Warnecke) command. For those of us old enough to remember the film, Omar in the film has grown up to play his own father in the play. Nasser likes the cut of his nephew’s jib and puts him in charge of his dead in the water laundrette. Omar encounters a no hoper from school, Johnny (Jonny Fines), who has graduated to crime and fascism. He gives Jonny a job and we see their working and romantic relationship flourish (albeit with the minimal amount of chemistry in this particular production). The same sex romance was ground breaking back in the day but three and a half
decades later lacks the impact thanks to more progressive attitudes. But what enables the play to sidestep any feel of being outdated is the modern day regression in regards to the play’s themes of racial division, the perception of marginalisation on home ground and the wrestling with cultural and personal identity. Stand out performance for me was Salim, Nasser’s lesser favoured apprentice capitalist who brutally intimidates Omar much like Jonny did during their school days. He’s thoroughly unlikeable, but convincingly played with Daniel Day Lewis like commitment by Hareet Deol. I thoroughly enjoyed the reboots of both the play and the Playhouse.