Stories
Stories from then and now, crafted and craftily told, for theatres, village halls, pubs, tents, fields, and streets.
Creating and shaping stories in order to connect human beings is at the heart of everything Seedbed does.
I trained in acting at RADA and subsequently acted, devised, collaborated, and wrote for theatre in the UK, Europe, and the US. I’ve performed with British companies such as Cheek by Jowl and Shakespeare’s Globe, and I co-ran Yorkshire-based Flying Cloud Theatre, writing and directing new theatre work for our Northern tours.
As a theatre professional, my work has also included teaching and facilitating a variety of groups and individuals. I’ve worked with schools, older people, adults recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, neurodivergent young people, young people living with HIV, learning disabled adults, artists, and businesses. I’ve contributed theatre practices to intercultural dialogue, social justice, and community work.
I’ve always been excited by stories in theatres. Working with story with diverse groups in different contexts, I’ve become increasingly excited by the power of stories outside of the theatre too. That’s why I founded Seedbed, to increase connection through effective storytelling.
Seedbed Stories
Something Found
“They don’t want me to tell Ursula’s story anymore. They think if people know her story, they’ll care more about the caves.”
Traverse the rugged mountain passes of Bohemia, look out for she-bears, sleep under the stars, meet a fearsome huntress, and an unexpected friend, swoop like a falcon, celebrate a birthday, go on the run, experience the allure of a graceful Sicilian city, discover a secret truth, and come home to yourself and what matters to you.
“I found these caves as a child. I found them when I most needed them.”
Something Found is an interactive storytelling experience with live music for young audiences and their carers. Inspired by Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, it’s a chance for your child to listen to a story and to take part in telling it. They’ll be encouraged to dive into their imagination, to use their bodies and voices with intention, to play together, and to reflect on what matters to them, and what makes them happy.
It’s an opportunity for fun, collective creation, and to build confidence, and you don’t need to know anything about The Winter’s Tale to take part!
‘It was a brilliant thing to be part of. Like creating a whole new world in a village hall. The kids loved it. I loved it.’
Songstring
Yarn by Yarn
“Atmospheric, Poignant, Compelling, Timely”, Audience Responses
You have two minutes before leaving home forever. What do you pack? And what do you take that unseen? What songs do you hold in your heart?
Their vibrations carry an essence of where you come from, who you are. They permeate generations and when you find yourself in another time and place, they ignite your heart and carry you home.
A solo performer crafts a painful, beautiful, and rousing tale. Through embodied storytelling that flows between speech and song, Seedbed Theatre unfurls a bastardised heroine’s journey, infused with acappella melodies of the British Isles.
Created by Jennifer Kidd
Musical Direction and Composition by Jon Daffyd Kidd
Premiered as part of the RADA Festival
Dedicated to Cara Thompson, and in memory of Derek Richards
The Disappeared
Belfast. Today.
After decades away, a child, a mother, and a soldier reappear. Where have they been and what can they teach the people of the town?
A new play interrogating what we unconsciously inherit, whether we need to name it in order to let it go, and forgiveness. By Jennifer kidd
The Disappeared, Script Development
Script development days took place at RADA. We explored plot, characterisation and the ghost element through improv, hot seating, movement and discussion. The actors brought the characters to life through their considerable talents.
RADA Graduate Workshop Cast:
Julie – Lucia McAnespie
Bradan – Keith Dunphy
Roiseen – Corinne Martin
Frances – Molly Logan
Carole – Grainne Keenan
Malachy – Donal Gallery
Director, Leandra Ashton
Dramaturg, Lloyd Trott
The Exchange
The Exchange is a collaboration with artists and engagement specialists Ruth Shaw Williams and Alex Brooks on an R&D engagement project.
So far The Exchange has involved multiple creative engagements around mapping the town including personal mapmaking, arts and theatre sessions, and living installations.
The Magical Island
“For the waves tumble in,
And the waves slide out,
On the stoney, sandy shores of my island.
And children if you’ll dwell,
I’ve a magic tale to tell,
‘Bout the things that happened once ‘pon this island…”
A girl is struggling to grow up on an island with her father and adopted brother.
When a ship is wrecked near the shore and survivors make their way onto the island, her world is thrown into a glorious kind of chaos.
A liberal re-telling of The Tempest, from Miranda’s point of view.
