Meaning In The Void

Leeds Arts Centre invites you to find meaning in the void of space, in collaboration with Planetarium Go. Six brand-new pieces of theatre (short plays, poetry, prose) performed live inside the planetarium dome at Millennium Square. Pick your pieces and build your own night, or catch them all across the run.

A Canvas of Stars (curated by Spike Marshall), Anima (Spike Marshall), Borrowed Light (Sophie Clement), Echo (Ben Hopwood), Hope Against Tyranny: 1984 (adapted by Sophie Clement), and Space Man (Theo Devine).

When: 8th, 10th, 12th and 13th September
Where: The Planetarium, Millennium Square, Leeds
Price: £2 a show, discount for multiple bookings

Note: Not every show plays every night, see individual listings or https://www.ticketsource.com/leeds-arts-centre for the full schedule.

Hope Against Tyranny: 1984 contains references to totalitarian control and psychological distress; Echo contains strong language.

INDIVIDUAL LISTINGS

A Canvas of Stars
Ancient myths meet contemporary poetry beneath a projected night sky. Trickster gods, Norse giants and the rabbit in the moon collide with new poetic voices from Leeds, creating fresh constellations of story. Curated by Spike Marshall, with original poetry by Matt Haines, Louise Redfearn, Rosie MacDonald and Nobody Important.
When: 8, 10, 12 & 13 September
Where: The Planetarium, Millennium Square, Leeds
Price: £2

Anima
Humanity has been gone for centuries. Two androids discover an ancient colony ship drifting through the galaxy, and are forced to confront the awe and terror of what it means to be human. Written and directed by Spike Marshall.
When: 8, 10, 12 & 13 September
Where: The Planetarium, Millennium Square, Leeds
Price: £2

Borrowed Light
Under a cosmic sky, two friends find a moment to stop, breathe and be themselves. Drawing on Greek mythology, Borrowed Light explores isolation, identity and the courage to stop dimming your own light. Written and directed by Sophie Clement.
When: 8, 10, 12 & 13 September
Where: The Planetarium, Millennium Square, Leeds
Price: £2

Echo
How do you find peace when your own mind won’t be quiet? One speaker confronts their conflicting inner voices in an immersive journey through chaos, struggle and the search for silence. Written by Ben Hopwood, directed by Marlowe Mitchell. Contains strong language.
When: 10 & 13 September
Where: The Planetarium, Millennium Square, Leeds
Price: £2

Hope Against Tyranny: 1984
Winston Smith discovers that even under the darkest tyranny, hope can survive. Beneath the stars, experience a powerful excerpt from Orwell’s 1984 as Winston encounters the ideas that might give him the courage to resist. Adapted and directed by Sophie Clement. Contains themes of totalitarian control and psychological distress.
When: 8 & 10 September only
Where: The Planetarium, Millennium Square, Leeds
Price: £2

Space Man
Have you been alone so long you start to consider… things? Experience the full extent of human frailty as the line between hope and despair blurs for Oliver on an extraordinary intergalactic journey. With survival at risk, sometimes the only thing left to talk to is a screwdriver. Written by Theo Devine, directed by Imogen O’Connor.
When: 8, 10 & 12 September only
Where: The Planetarium, Millennium Square, Leeds
Price: £2