THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES: PERFORMANCES

Inspired by Jean Giono’s timeless tale, this production was co-created by Andy Barry, Amanda Dalton, and Alison Duddle in collaboration with individuals and communities across Calderdale.

Bringing together puppetry, masks, professional actors, a community choir, and young performers (ages 9–16) from across Calderdale, we breathed new life into this beloved fable—creating a visually stunning, thought-provoking theatre experience for all ages.

The story follows Jaygee, a lost and disillusioned traveler who stumbles upon a lone figure patiently planting acorns in a barren valley. Through this quiet act of hope and transformation, both Jaygee and the landscape are forever changed.
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With humour, heart, and a powerful environmental message, The Man Who Planted Trees captivated audiences aged 6 to 106. Across seven performances, over 700 people joined us—including four sold-out shows in Hebden Bridge:

HEBDEN BRIDGE LITTLE THEATRE
THURS 11 JULY | 7PM
FRI 12 JULY | 7PM | BSL INTERPRETED
SAT 13 JULY | 2.30PM | RELAXED PERFORMANCE
SAT 13 JULY | 7PM
SUN 14 JULY | 2.30PM
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THE BROOKSBANK SCHOOL, ELLAND
SAT 2O JULY | 7PM | BSL INTERPRETED
SUN 21 JULY | 2.30PM

MAKING THEATRE ACCESSIBLE
25% of tickets were "Pay What You Can" (£3–7) for low-wage audiences
Family tickets: £8 per person
Standard tickets: £10
​16-page theatre programmes: £1
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A huge thank you to everyone who made this production possible—on stage, behind the scenes, and in the audience. Your support helped bring this timeless tale to life!

CREATIVE TEAM FOR OUR SHOWS  

Andy Barry

Theatre Director

BIO

Andy creates theatre for families as well as leading innovative participatory projects. He directs Manchester’s award-winning Royal Exchange Theatre Elders Company and is Associate Director for Goblin.

During ten year’s creating theatre with older people, Andy has shared his creative ageing learning nationally and in Japan and Korea with the British Council. In 2021, he was listed in The Stage 100, a list celebrating individuals who went above and beyond in helping the theatre industry survive the Covid 19 crisis. That year, he was also nominated for a Manchester Culture Award in the individual category: Creative Care in Covid 19.
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Most recently Andy directed THE LOST SPELLS, described by the Guardian as an “enchanting musical with an abundance of magic – 4stars”.

andybarrytheatredirector.com

Amanda Dalton

Writer

bio

Amanda Dalton is a freelance poet & playwright. Her third full length poetry collection, Fantastic Voyage, is published in May 2024 with Bloodaxe and she has recent pamphlets with Arc (2021) and smith|doorstop (2022).

Her writing for theatre and BBC Radio 4 and 3 includes original plays, drama documentary, adaptations and radio essays.

​She is currently working on new drama commissions for radio and for Hebden Bridge Arts, and has written the 2023/4 Christmas show for Keswick’s Theatre By The Lake.

amandadalton.co.uk/

Alison Duddle

Designer & Lead Artist

BIO

Alison Duddle is a freelance visual artist, puppet and mask designer, maker and director. She runs A Bird in the Hand Theatre, creating imaginative outdoor work for family audiences. A Bird in the Hand Theatre tours throughout the year to festivals and events with a number of pieces for families, including The Bewonderment Machine, a hand-carved, cycle- powered carousel for young children and lantern puppets for winter events.

Much of Alisons work is made for outdoor and community  performance, and she has recently created large scale puppets and sculpture for At the Forests Edge for the RSC, Stratford, a Community Climate resilience pageant for Manchester University, puppets for Salzkammergut ECOC 2024,and many puppets and lanterns for Lanterns at Chester Zoo, Yuletide at Tatton park, Manchester Day Parade and Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade. 

abirdinthehandtheatre.co.uk

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Akintayo Akinbode

Composer

BIO

Tayo first discovered theatre in London at the Royal Court’s Activists Youth Theatre. At 18 he moved to Manchester to work on the stage crew at the Royal Exchange Theatre for a season and play bass guitar in their Christmas show ‘Christmas Fun and a Fairy tale’. After a few years spent playing in bands, Manchester Youth Theatre asked him to write music for their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
 
Since then Tayo has been a composer and Musical Director for theatre, film, TV, radio, circus and community projects for companies including: The National Theatre, The Generating Company, OCT East Shenzen, Almeida Theatre, Littlebigman Films, The Royal Exchange Theatre, Miami Gablestage, New York Public Theater, M6 Theatre Company, Storyhouse Chester, Specsavers TV ads, and Spirit of the Union UAE 40th Birthday celebrations in Abu Dhabi.
 
Recent work includes: Granddad Anansi - Z-Arts/Half Moon Theatre; Sleeping Beauty - Theatr Clwyd; The Island - Elysium Theatre Company; The Jungle Book – Oldham Coliseum; The Whip – Royal Shakespeare Company; Backyard, Rain Rain - Bamboozle; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Royal Exchange Theatre; Untitled – Royal Exchange/MIF/Young Vic; Last Rites – Ad Infinitum; The Princess and the Pea – Unicorn Theatre/New Vic, Stoke; Jack Frost – Tutti Frutti; Spike – The Watermill Theatre and tour, and The World According To Grandpa - Grandpa Productions/Channel 5 Milkshake.

Charlie Rhodes

Musical Director

BIO

Charlie is a Calderdale based Singing Teacher, Choir Leader and Musical Director.
 
In addition to his work at Halifax Young Singers, Charlie is teaches singing and directs the choirs at Rastrick High School, as well as being a successful theatre MD, who’s recent credits include We Will Rock You, Legally Blonde, Elf the Musical and Wasteland. He is currently working as MD and vocal arranger on new musical Can’t Go Back, and is in high demand as a singing teacher and choral leader.
 
Charlie was born in York and educated at Pocklington School. Always a passionate singer, Charlie has been singing in choirs since he was 5. Whilst at school in Pocklington, he first experienced leading small choral groups. This passion continued whilst studying Music at the University of Manchester, and it was during this time that he set up his first choir, Leeds Vocal Movement, which he ran from 2011-2017. Since leaving University Charlie has worked as a choral conductor and vocal coach throughout the North of England. Amongst others he has directed Huddersfield Voices, Halcyon Youth Choir, Scunthorpe Cooperative Junior Choir and Aire Valley Singers. He has also worked for Diocese of Leeds Music Department and was previously Co-Director of vocal octet, North8.

Mark Distin-Webster

Lighting Designer

BIO

Mark trained in Theatre Lighting Design at Oldham College. He is currently Co-Head of Lighting at the Royal Exchange Theatre, alongside this he is a freelance lighting designer, programmer and technician.  
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​Selected lighting design credits include: Bloody Elle (Royal Exchange Theatre & Touring) I Hear Voices, Hatch (Contact), Nothing, Mixtape (Royal Exchange Young Company) Spinning Wheel (Unfinished Business) 0.008, Song Of Songs (Weeding Cane), Mr Sole Abode (Madrugada), Ghost Boy (20 Stories High), A Night On The Tiles (Pen-Ultimate), Late Night Love, Get A Round (Eggs Collective), Prelude To A Number (Geddes  Loom), Of All The Beautiful Things In The World (HOME).

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Patrick Shepherd

Sound Designer

BIO

Patrick is a Manchester-based Sound Artist. He trained in Electroacoustic Composition at the University of Manchester. Since finishing, he has worked on varied community projects for Manchester Museum, Journeys Festival International, City of Sanctuary, Olympias Music Foundation, Manchester Contemporary Youth Opera and The Manchester Beekeepers Association. By day, Patrick works for The Amber Trust as their Music Services Manager, and is a trustee for Hebden Bridge Arts.
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Ntombizodwa Ndlovu

Actor: Jaygee

BIO

Ntombizodwa Ndlovu is a  Zimbabwean-British actor, singer and currently a producer and host at Switch MCR. Following her critically acclaimed performance in THE MOUNTAINTOP she returned to the Royal Exchange Theatre as Maggie for Tennessee Williams’ CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.  

Other theatre credits include: SOME PEOPLE FEEL THE RAIN (Royal Exchange Theatre); THE SPACE BETWEEN US (Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company); HIDDEN STORIES (MIF); and YOU, ME & HER (BBC Radio 1Xtra LIVE, BBC Writersroom). Television credits include: BANANA (Channel 4).  Radio credits include: UNDERCOVER. CLOSE TO HOME (BBC Radio 4); THE HUMAN WAY(BBC Radio 4); ARCHERS ( BBC Radio 4); THE WOMEN OF TROY (BBC Radio 3).

Jonny Quick

Actor: Elzéard Bouffier

BIO

Jonny Quick is an actor, puppeteer, artist and maker of
things. After training in Theatre Design, he toured
throughout the Uk, Europe and the U.S with many
companies taking shows to the streets, village halls
and theatres.

He has a wide experience of community and site-
specific projects as well as conventional and sensory
theatre. In recent years he has enjoyed creating and
performing for parades and carnivals.

Jonny welcomes the opportunity to work locally in
the heart of his valley and to help to tell this
beautiful, positive and hopeful story – ‘The Man Who
Planted Trees’.

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Sharon Old : Production & Technical Manager

Ben Garbett : Company Stage Manager

Symon Culpan : Theatre Technician / Lighting & Sound Engineer