Taxi, a Red Ladder Theatre Company and mad dogs dance theatre co-production, takes the audience on a thrilling and unforgettable ride through the underbelly of Leeds.
Co-Director Douglas Thorpe‘s original concept is played out through the eyes of Taxi, played by John Rwothomack, who sees the streets of the City in all their visceral glory. He meets many people but doesn’t know them, silently observing the best and worst of humanity, witnessing the milestones and crossroads of his passengers, all the while remaining alone. In order to escape his reality, he fades into a fantasy world of black and white movies. Can anyone save him?
Many of the observations are based on the real life experiences of Douglas Thorpe, once a taxi driver himself. These are combined with Andrea Heaton‘s writing skills and the directing expertise of Rod Dixon.
The ensemble cast, Stefania Pinato, Maya Carroll, John Kendall, John Rwothomack and Gerard Headley, take on a number of different roles within the piece and the city of Leeds is played by a community chorus, who, in turn, portray the myriad of customers that drift in and out of the intimate space of a taxi, throughout a busy shift.
Rod Dixon: “I want us to blow away all expectations with Taxi. Audiences may already have experienced previous Red Ladder work, but I want audiences to be surprised to be given a spectacle they’ll never forget. It’s visceral and people who don’t like dance or theatre will be intrigued by TAXI.” TAXI is Rod’s last production. He’ll be leaving Red Ladder at the end of the year, following a successful and productive 17-year association with the company.
Douglas Thorpe: “The worst thing would be to bring nothing new. We don’t want to replicate what we’ve done before. The arts are about creating something new, different and challenging; and in TAXI, we certainly won’t be repeating ourselves. All the people that I met as a taxi driver and all of the stories that I heard are being retold as part of the narrative, more directly, more overtly, but I am also interested in retelling the stories from those people that you don’t get to hear about. I saw all levels of human spirit when I was a taxi driver. Struggling people who would give their all to others, and the well-endowed showing unbelievable greed!”
Despite a steady flow of some 30 plus people a day, sharing this private and intimate space, the life of a taxi driver can often be a lonely one, as Douglas explains: “I’ve been in a couple of situations where I wanted to escape but couldn’t. A taxi driver has to be a politician, a comedian, to either dodge or diffuse a situation. They have to think on their feet and all the time they are confined in a tiny box on wheels. You have to deal with the situation after someone leaves your car and try not to take it home to my wife. Some taxi drivers only last a couple of years, and I can understand why, as psychologically, the job can really affect you.”
Red Ladder Theatre Company and mad dogs dance theatre bring Andrea Heaton’s script to life, combining theatre and dance to take you on a thrilling ride through Leeds’ noisy streets.
“Leeds. So many people. So many stories. I’m driving and driving and never moving.”
I was there when your son was born…I drove you to your mother’s funeral…I see you at your best and your worst…But you don’t even know my name…I’m just TAXI.
The Old Woollen, Sunnybank Mills, 83 – 85 Town St, Farsley, Leeds
THURS 10 AUG (Preview Tickets) £13 + BOOKING FEE
FRIDAY 11 AUG – SUN 20 AUG (various times) £15 + BOOKING FEE
Performance Guidance suitable for ages of 13+
Captioning is available via The Difference Engine, a tool that enables d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing people to read performance captions on their phone.
For Tickets Book Here
Cover photograph: Co-Director Douglas Thorpe.
