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About Us

About Us

“A theatre company to watch”

The Stage

The PlayMakers

Box of Tricks makes plays. We champion playwrights and empower them to tell the stories they want to tell. Together, we go on a journey to uncover new plays that reflect the world in which we live today. We create heartfelt theatre that resonates, inspires and entertains.

New plays are the lifeblood of theatre and playwrights its beating heart. Box of Tricks nurtures the next generation through our year-long PlayBox attachments for early-career playwrights. We commission, develop and produce bold new theatre from the most exciting voices through our New Tricks commissioning programme.

Box of Tricks brings people together to share stories collectively. Based in Manchester, we engage audiences far and wide. We stage productions in theatres right across the UK and in public spaces – pubs, libraries, village halls – in the heart of local communities.

Our engagement programme goes beyond productions. We provide pathways into the arts, connect with communities, inspire younger generations and develop future talent.

We are the play makers. Every story told. Every voice heard.

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Core Values & Policies

Accessibility

Positive Action

Casting

Privacy Policy

Sustainability

The Team

Adam Quayle

Joint Artistic Director and Co-Founder

Adam trained as a director at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. For Box of Tricks, he has directed Chip Shop Chips (National Tour 2018 and Northern Tour 2016); Plastic Figurines (New Diorama 2016 and National Tour 2015); Word:Play/NWxSW (Regional Tour 2013); Picture a City (Everyword 2012, Liverpool Playhouse); My Arms (24:7 Theatre Festival, re:play and Northern Tour); London Tales (Waterloo East and Nu:Write Festival, Zagreb); Head/Heart (national tour); Word:Play 4 (Arcola); True Love Waits (Latitude, Pulse, Nu:Write Festivals); Word:Play 3 (Theatre 503); Letting in Air (Old Red Lion Theatre); Word:Play 2 (Theatre 503); Word:Play (Union Theatre); A Hole in the Fence, Streetlights and Shadows (Time Out Critics’ Choice: Show of the Week) and Beyond Omarska (White Bear). Previous directing credits also include Earthquakes in London (ALRA North); JB Shorts 8 (Joshua Brooks); Anything of Worth (Pleasance & Bridewell); Homeland (Theatre 503); Underground Resistance (Hen & Chickens); and Among Unbroken Hearts (Cockpit). His assistant director credits include Translations (Best Production, MEN Awards 2003) and The Ghosts of Scrooge for Roger Haines at the Library Theatre, Manchester. Adam was a finalist for Channel 4 Theatre Directors’ Scheme, 2007-08, and Old Vic New Voices’ 24 Hour Plays 2008. He is a drama facilitator and a member of the Young Vic Genesis Directors’ Project.

Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder

Joint Artistic Director and Co-Founder

Hannah trained as a director at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and is Joint Artistic Director of Box of Tricks. Directing credits for Box of Tricks include: Narvik (National Tour 2017 and Liverpool Playhouse Studio 2015); In Doggerland (National Tour 2013); Word:Play/NWxSW (Regional Tour 2013); Picture a City (Everyword 2012, Liverpool Playhouse); London Tales (Waterloo East and Nu:Write Festival, Zagreb); Head/Heart (national tour); Word:Play 4 (Arcola); True Love Waits (Latitude, Pulse, Nu:Write Festivals); Word:Play 3 (Theatre 503); Whispering Happiness (Tristan Bates);  Captain of the School Football Team (Hotbed and Latitude festivals ’09); Word:Play 2 (Theatre 503); Word:Play (Union Theatre); A Hole in the Fence and Rural (White Bear). Other directing includes: Uprising (Monkeywood at The Lowry); JB Shorts 11 (Joshua Brooks); Narvik (Everyword 2013); 100 Seel St (The Alligator Club, Liverpool); JB Shorts 7 (Joshua Brooks). She is a freelance workshop leader for The Actor’s Guild and The Actors’ Lab, a script reader for The Royal Exchange, 24:7 Theatre Festival and the Bruntwood Playwriting Prize and co-founder of Direct North, a network for emerging theatremakers in the North West.

Chris James

Associate Artist: Sound

Chris trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Box of Tricks sound designs include: Plastic Figurines, In Doggerland, My Arms, Whispering Happiness, WordPlay and WordPlay2, A Hole In The Fence, Rural and Beyond Omarska. Other sound work; Associate Sound Designer for ‘Democracy’ (Old Vic Theatre),‘School for Scandal’ (Bath Theatre Royal), ‘The Bargain’ (National Tour). He has worked extensively across the UK as sound operator. Productions include; King and I (Leicester Curve & UK Tour), Blood Brothers (UK Tour), Cabaret (UK Tour), As You Like It (Leicester Curve), Simply Cinderella (Leicester Curve), and Eurobeat (West End). Chris has been working at Royal Opera House Muscat in the Sound & Broadcast Department since 2012.

Katie Scott

Associate Artist: Designer

Katie is an award-winning theatre designer based in the North-West. Upon graduating from LIPA, she was the inaugural winner of the Liverpool Playhouse Studio Prize For Theatre Design. She has since worked extensively designing for various forms of theatre and was recently shortlisted to be a member of the Old Vic 12.

Katie’s credits include: Narvik (Box of Tricks  – National Studio Tour); Plastic Figurines (Box of Tricks – National Studio Tour); Chip Shop Chips (Box of Tricks – National Tour); Held (Liverpool Playhouse Studio – winner of Liverpool Daily Post Arts Award for Best Design 2012); We Are The Multitude (24:7 Festival – MTA nominee Best Fringe Show); Gargantua (NT Connections – Lowry Young Company); The Ballad of Rudy (Goblin Theatre – Royal Exchange Studio); Bluestockings (ALRA north); The Grid (Young Everyman Playhouse Company – Liverpool Everyman); Clybourne Park (Said & Done Theatre Company – Unity Theatre Liverpool).

Chris Hope

Associate Artist: Composer

Chris is a teacher, poet and musician living, working and performing in Bristol. In August 2019, Chris released a ten-year retrospective EP of ambient music written for Box of Tricks: called ‘Theatre’. He has also recently finished an EP of spoken-word dance music under his alias, PROJECT TWO, the album is called ‘Electronic Gods’.

Chris enjoys writing music for theatre, TV and short film. He has collaborated with Box of Tricks since 2005, having written original music for Among Unbroken Hearts, Frank Pig Says Hello, Streetlights and Shadows, In Doggerland, Plastic Figurines and Under Three Moons: all of which have been hugely enjoyable and creatively inspiring projects.

Chris is a collaborator with ‘sample & afrobeat’ group, SIFI. And he is founder of alt. band, THE LOST SOUND CLUB whose album ‘The Sky Remains’ will be released in the early 2020.

www.chrishopecomposer.co.uk