Does British Theatre reflect who YOU are?

Who does theatre privilege? Who does it exclude? How can we do better?

Join us as we talk to actor and creative Becky Bowe, Artistic Director of the Actors Touring Company; Matthew Xia, and actor and disability activist; Mandy Colleran. We discuss middle-class codes, inclusive drama schools and the representation of working-class disabled artists.

We also hear from John and Martha Godber of the John Godber Foundation about creating accessible, successful work in the North, as well as how they support the young theatre-makers of Hull and East Yorkshire

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A new podcast by Northern Broadsides

Hosted by Shabina Aslam & Millie Gaston

Sound Editing by Alex Colley

Produced by Hallam Breen & Jess Rooney 

This series of eights podcasts, recorded in lockdown, embraces the Northern Voice in all its glory, whether we're exploring disability, migration, class, ethnicity, accent, gender or sexuality, The Northern Voice confounds expectations of what it means to be Northern in the world of arts and culture today.

Each episode has a panel discussion hosted by Shabina Aslam, our Creative Engagement Producer, and a one-to-one interview with a Northern artist, led by local actor Millie Gaston.

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Guest Biographies

Becky Bowe

Becky is an actor and creative born and raised in Stockport, Manchester. She trained at the Manchester School of Theatre and graduated in 2019. The following year she was employed by her drama school as a Graduate Research and Development Officer to help pilot a 'Supported Audition Scheme', an access scheme aimed at helping prospective auditionees from underrepresented groups to get into drama school.

Mandy Colleran

Mandy Colleran has been involved in disability arts since the 1980s. She is a member of the comedy trio No Excuses along with Mandy Redvers-Rowe and Ali Briggs. In 1986 Colleran became Joint Development Officer of Arts Integration Merseyside (AIM) with John McGrath, it later became North West Disability Arts Forum (NWDAF). In 1990 Colleran became a director of NWDAF.

Matthew Xia

Matthew Xia is a self-taught theatre director, DJ, composer, broadcaster and journalist with a focus on using theatre as a platform to promote inclusion, activism and social change.

Matthew’s acclaimed productions include: Frankenstein, Wish List, and Into The Woods (Manchester Royal Exchange). In 2019, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the Arts London for his efforts to make theatre universally accessible by working to promote minority groups as theatre leaders, makers and consumers. He is the Artistic Director for the Actor’s Touring Company.

John Godber OBE

John was born the son of a miner in Upton, West Yorkshire. He trained as a teacher of drama at Bretton Hall College. John’s plays are performed across the world. He has the distinction of being one of the most performed writers in the English language. He has won numerous awards for his plays, including a Laurence Olivier Award and seven Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards.

His plays include: Bouncers, Up ‘n’ Under, April in Paris and Teechers. 

Martha Godber

Martha was born and raised in Hull and graduated from LIPA in 2018. Theatre work includes: Seasons in the Sun (Theatre Royal Wakefield), POP (Oldham Coliseum) and I Want That Hair (East Riding Theatre).

Martha recently formed The Godber Theatre Foundation and is passionate about making a difference to the lives of aspiring dramatists in Hull and East Yorkshire.

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