A showcase of local talent exploring parenthood, non-parenthood and the wonder and diversity of 'family' in between
Production Photos by Russell O'Callaghan
Note from the Founders
Thank you so much to everyone involved in Otherhood at Seven Arts - whether you joined us as one of our talented artists, or supported us as an audience member. It was such a privilege to work with this incredible local talent, and explore moving tales so near & dear to our writers' hearts.
Rise & Howl exists to amplify voices and stories that challenge, connect, and inspire. Otherhood was our way of holding space for the complicated, joyful, painful, and beautiful ways families are made and unmade.
Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us. We are excited to continue creating opportunities for local artists to have a platform to make connections and get their work out in the world. We plan to host more showcases in the future, and your insight will help us make these opportunities even better for audiences and artists alike. There's a button below that will take you to a brief feedback form - we would be so grateful for your input.
We hope you enjoyed Otherhood and this celebration of the unique beauty of familial connections... born or chosen, joyful or messy, and everything in between.
With gratitude,
Paula Boyle & Kate Maddison-Greenwell
Rise & Howl Co Founders
Otherhood | 18 July | 7 Arts, Leeds
Kitchen Sink Drama by Lee Phillips
Directed by Chrissie Poulter
Starring Nikki Ford, Vani Midgley and Gary Skipper
My Baby Ate My Brain
Written and performed by Esta Innes-Limbachia
What the Hell Just Happened? by Rob Place
Directed by Brandon Robinson-Connolloy
Starring Rob Place
Sipping Memories
Written and performed by Esta Innes-Limbachia
INTERVAL
Sins of the Father
Written and performed by Esta Innes-Limbachia
Visiting by Richard D Rhodes
Directed by Rick Hyland
Starring Kate Maddison-Greenwell and Victoria Bandy
Light Lessons
Written and performed by Esta Innes-Limbachia
Afterdrop by Laura Graham
Directed by Jenny Morton
Starring Hetty Steele
Featured Artists
With heartfelt thanks to:
Leeds Playhouse
Dance Studio Leeds
Seven Arts
Ilkley Playhouse
Poet
Esta Innes-Limbachia is a poet who found her love for the artform as a way of dealing with PTSD and post-natal depression. Her poetry explores birth, mental health, the challenges of raising a child in a multicultural family and the questions parenthood can shed on our existing relationships. She has been published in the inaugural Sisterhood anthology, the 2024 York literary Review, Ey Up 3 (an anthology of northern poetry), and can be found performing at open mic events around West Yorkshire. Instagram: @eilpoetry
Writer - Kitchen Sink Drama
Lee started as a writer creating issue-based plays for TiE roadshows. Since then, he has broadened his reach, both for stage and spec scripts for TV. He has an ongoing relationship with local community arts company Codswallop CIC and his work for them includes pieces of community theatre such as 'On Hallowed Ground' which celebrated Guiseley Association Football Club and the role they play in the community, and their annual family Christmas show at Guiseley Theatre. Work is underway for this year’s show which will see our protagonists' journey to the moon!
Director - Kitchen Sink Drama
Chrissie Poulter is a theatre-maker and educator, Yorkshire born, now living in Addingham and retired from formal education settings (Birmingham; Leeds Trinity; Trinity College Dublin). Co-founder of Jubilee Community Arts (Sandwell UK 1970s) and Artslab (Ireland 1990s) her practice centres on guardianship in groupwork, developing individual-in-community celebration and well-being through story-gathering and sharing. A published non-fiction writer, she has also written and directed for theatre & non-theatre settings. Now volunteering her time with Ilkley Playhouse she recently directed Polly Teale’s play Brontë (May 2025). Linking with the Brontë Parsonage, she is working with playwright Nicole Joseph and production company Rise & Howl facilitating script development through actors workshops. Past projects include:
NI (pre–Belfast Agreement) - The Dockward Story; Dockers (Belfast), Enniskillen A Last Resort (Enniskillen & Liverpool), The Quest (9 villages, County Down); Since 2000 she has developed projects between Ireland, Greece, Spain (Catalonia and Navarre), France, UK, Poland and Norway.
Actor - Kitchen Sink Drama
As a single mother of two, Nikki is thrilled to be involved in tonight's production. She mostly acts at Bingley and Ilkley Playhouse and her most enjoyable recent roles include Ruth in The Homecoming, Margaret in Lovesong and Annie in All My Sons.
Actor - Kitchen Sink Drama
Vani has appeared in a number of productions at Ilkley Playhouse, ranging from Wind in the Willows to an all-female Jeeves & Wooster. In the dim and distant past, she also appeared in various university productions at The Old Firehouse Theatre in Oxford.
Actor - Kitchen Sink Drama
Gary did a stand-up course approximately 20 years ago, fell into acting when a stand-up friend of his wrote a short two hander play which they performed at Leeds Carriageworks and has being doing it ever since. He was with Clifford Drama Group for many years until venturing out to other groups further a field. He has most recently played Marlowe in Shakespeare in Love, Jonny in Home I’m Darling and Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest for Harrogate Drama Society. Wayne New in Everybody is Talking About Jamie is his next adventure!
Writer & Actor - What the hell just happened?
Rob Place has been treading the boards in amateur theatre for over 21 years, initially finding their passion in musical theatre. Now Secretary of Menston Thespians, they love the annual pantomime and have proudly produced plays for the group. They're excited to share their latest story with you tonight and hope you enjoy the performance!
Director - What the hell just happened?
Brandon is an early career theatre maker based in West Yorkshire. Having previously trained with the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, he went on to graduate with first class honours from Leeds Conservatoire, having been the first person from his family to attend university. The myriad skills that Brandon brings along with an openness to build and further develop his creative values and toolkit is a testament to his tenacity and passion for the arts.
Writer - Visiting
Richard D Rhodes is a Shipley-based writer and theatre-maker. He has been mentored by Paines Plough as a playwright, is a member of the Bradford Script Hub (which is supported by New Writing North and the Channel 4 Northern Talent Network) and was mentored by Screen Yorkshire as a screenwriter under the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Script Diversity Programme. He has a TV series in development. Freedom Studios and The Leeds Playhouse have showcased his work, and he has also produced material for Leeds Pub Theatre. He devised and continues to produce ITCH, a new writing programme including scratch events, for Studio at Bingley Little Theatre. He sits on the Boards of Script Yorkshire and the Red Ladder Theatre Company and is passionate about new writing and theatre as well as supporting fellow creatives in their journeys.
Director - Visiting
Rick trained at Bretton Hall, earning his Acting degree from the University of Leeds. He spent ten years as Principal of his own theatre school, directing everything from Mean Girls to Cats, with productions staged at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, and even breaking a world record along the way! His production of Brassed Off won Best Director and Best Play at the 2024 Wharfedale Festival of Theatre. He’s delighted to be directing _Visiting_ as part of Otherhood, a poignant, layered piece that fits beautifully within this rich tapestry of plays.
Actor - Visiting
Victoria has been recently seen in Brontë at Ilkley Playhouse. Other Ilkley Playhouse credits include The Cracked Pot and The Revlon Girl. At Bingley Little Theatre, she appeared in The Bedroom Farce and Twelfth Night.
Actor - Visiting
Kate has recently returned to acting and has played Tish in ‘The Incident Room’ at Ilkley Theatre, Sylvie in ‘Sex Cells’ at Bradford Playhouse and Miranda in ‘NSFW’ at Bingley Theatre. Kate has also been in 2 short films in 2024, ‘Come Home’ and ‘100%’. She’s also dabbled a bit in writing, and had her first short play ‘Crimson Control’ performed just a few short weeks ago. Along with Paula Boyle, Kate is the co-founder of Rise & Howl Productions and is very excited to be putting on Otherhood tonight.
Writer - Afterdrop
Laura Graham is a writer and comedian from Leeds. She writes playful pieces that pack a punch about motherhood, menopause and midlife. She also does fanny jokes.She has been shortlisted for Leeds Poetry Festival Competition, featured on BBC Radio York and performed at the Vagina Festival and Funny Women Awards. She is Hammer and Tongue national slam finalist.
"So many moments of genius. I cried with laughter" -Joelle Taylor RSL
Director - Afterdrop
Jenny is a director, actor, creative facilitator & musician from Yorkshire. Studied at the University of Lincoln in English Literature & Drama/Theatre joint honours, specialising in physical theatre. Trained at Wakefield Performance Academy and Northern Ballet Leeds and currently in training with ‘Screen Acting East Yorkshire’. Some theatre performance credits include: ‘Taxi’ - Red Ladder & ’Want’- National Theatre Connections at CAST. Recently played the lead in short film ‘I’m Still Here’ with MyEyesWide productions and last year directed Rise & Howl’s R&D sharing of Present at Mind the Gap. Jenny is delighted to be back collaborating with Rise & Howl at 7Arts for Otherhood.
Actor - Afterdrop
Hetty is Head of Drama at a school in Bradford, and currently studying for a PhD in Shakespearean Studies at KCL. Her acting experience includes multiple productions at Ilkley Playhouse (most recently Mary in ‘Mary Shelley’), Richmond Shakespeare Society, and extra work on ‘Peep Show’!
Script Submission Judge
Linda Green is the bestselling author of twelve novels, which have sold 1.5million copies and been translated into 12 languages. Her previous novels have been selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club and the Richard and Judy Book Club.
Linda, who lives in West Yorkshire, is a former journalist and has written for national newspapers and magazines including The Guardian and The Big Issue in the North.
Linda's new novel, The Woman with All the Answers, tells the story of Michelle Banks, whose Alexa smart speaker goes rogue and reveals she’s actually a real woman, Pauline, a former voice over artist from Halifax, who’s decided to help Michelle through her midlife meltdown. Visit Linda's website to learn more!
Stage Manager
Julie has been involved in theatre for many, many years. First in Holland and now in Yorkshire. She loves the teamwork, camaraderie and adventures that this has brought her.