Red Ladder Theatre Company presents
Playing The Joker
Touring from February 2018
Stanningley Rugby Club, Sunday 25th March, 4.00pm
Tickets now on sale £3

In this 50th year since the legendary ‘Watersplash Final’, Red Ladder Theatre Company is touring rugby league play PLAYING THE JOKER to rugby clubs and non-traditional arts spaces across Yorkshire.
Written by award-winning author and former Sunday Mirror journalist Anthony Clavane (Promised Land/Leeds Lads), PLAYING THE JOKER examines the People’s Game through the eyes of its voice - Eddie Waring – who provided the iconic commentary to this landmark moment in rugby league history.
Leeds Rhinos’ forward Jamie Jones-Buchanan plays Doorman Dave in this hour-long comic drama, alongside Matthew Lewney (young Eddie Marlowe) and Michael Forrest (Eddie Waring).
1977 – it’s nine years since the infamous ‘Watersplash Final’ – and the once revered “Uncle Eddie” has withdrawn into the protective walls of the The Queens Hotel. Out front fanatical Rugby League fan Eddie Marlowe, grieving the recent loss of his father, is hellbent on speaking alone with his idol. Will he get that chance?
PLAYING THE JOKER is touring rugby clubs and arts and community spaces across Yorkshire from February as part of Red Ladder Local, which takes relevant new writing by acclaimed national and local writers into non-traditional arts spaces.
The critically acclaimed play had a sell-out run at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in November 2013, followed by a 2014 tour to rugby league clubs throughout the north of England. Now PLAYING THE JOKER is back on the road, with an all new talented cast of three and directed once again by Red Ladder’s Artistic Director Rod Dixon.
For full details and to book tickets visit: www.redladder.co.uk.

Red Ladder Theatre Company
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Red Ladder is one of the UK’s longest-running radical theatre companies, producing new theatre contributing to social change and global justice. Founded in 1968 in London and based in Leeds, Red Ladder creates theatre about and around human struggle; making contemporary work which speak to the politics of the now. In addition to nationally-touring productions and co-productions, Red Ladder’s Northern Social Circuit programme takes new writing into the heart of communities, touring new plays to non-traditional arts spaces through Red Ladder Local and providing professional mentoring to community venues. Recent shows include: THE DAMNED UNITED (national tour 2018 and 2017, world premiere 2016) adapted from David Peace’s novel by Anders Lustgarten; THE SHED CREW written by Kevin Fegan; WRONG ‘UN and THE LIFE AND SOUL (Red Ladder Local); LEEDS LADS (World Premiere community production, 2016), written by Anthony Clavane & Nick Stimson.

In 2014, Red Ladder was subject to a 100% funding cut from ACE and very nearly ceased to exist. This led to the launch of the Save Red Ladder Campaign, set up by a group of independent supporters – which included the donation of The Damned United rights for a nominal sum from David Peace. Off the back of this success, Red Ladder launched its Ladderistas membership scheme, taking the company into its 50th year. http://www.redladder.co.uk/ladderistas/