Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of the Staff/Student Newsletter for Performance!
As the 2025/26 academic year races towards its end, we’re excited to bring you details of all the amazing projects that students and staff have been getting stuck into outside the classroom.
In this edition of the newsletter, we’ve got details of the placement that Level 6 Performance students did on Dante or Die’s revival of their iconic piece of site-specific theatre, I Do, details of Stephen M. Hornby’s new play The BBC’s First Homosexual, a peek behind the scenes of the Level 6 Tech Theatre performances, and much, much more.
There’s also a round-up of what’s on at the local theatres so you can be sure not to miss any of the incredible work currently being showcased in Manchester. Don’t forget to check out our Guess the Staff member feature, either – can you guess who it is?
All the best,
Abby and Bron 😊
Abby Bentham: A.A.Bentham@salford.ac.uk
Brainne Edge: B.Edge@salford.ac.uk
Interview with Sharma Angel-Walfall
by Brainne Edge
Sharma is an award winning writer who has written for shows such as Emmerdale, Dreamland and Doctor Who. She is also a UoS graduate of the Media and Performance degree. She talks to us about her journey from graduation to where she is now, a professional script writer.
SHOW ME THE FUNNY!
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GUESS THE STAFF MEMBER!
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“THE BBC’s FIRST HOMOSEXUAL” IS A FIVE STAR SMASH!
In addition to being a lecturer and screenwriter, Dr Stephen M Hornby is also a playwright. He has just completed a tour of his new play The BBC’s First Homosexual, funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. Previews of the show featured in The Guardian, BBC Radio Four’s The World Tonight and the Manchester Evening News.
The director is Oli Hurst, one of our own theatre and performance alumni. The play premiered here at the New Adelphi Theatre and then toured to Liverpool, Birmingham, Brighton, London and Loughborough.
Costumes for the performance were provided by the wardrobe team here at the University. Rebecca Coleman and the wardrobe team were delighted to be involved. Rebecca said “the show required a detailed and period accurate look — and thanks to the department’s well stocked costume store, we were able to source around 95% of the garments in house. Access to such a rich costume collection has been invaluable in bringing this new production to life.”
The play sold out at most of the venues it toured to, and the critics have been as keen as the audiences. Here’s a sample of what they said:
“This is a powerful piece of theatre, meticulously crafted and profoundly felt.” – London Theatre Reviews
“A production that is peerless, leaving this as one of the most important new pieces in British theatre of 2026.” – The New Current
“This is a beautifully conceived play which is as entertaining as it is informative and is performed by a superb and talented cast.” – Jack The Lad
“Although Hornby’s script is full of fascinating detail, it never bogs down or becomes a lecture.” – British Theatre Guide
“Sometimes something is so good you want to stand outside the theatre and tell everyone outside to come in and see it. This is one of those moments. Unmissable, first class, astonishing theatre.” – Brighton Source
“Ultimately, this powerful, slick, and well-performed piece excels at creating an incredibly heartfelt and important story” – All The Dazzles
Additionally, some of our budding students came away from the show with high praise. Playwrighting student Brandon Norbury passed over a review of his experience:
When thinking about The BBC’s First Homosexual, I wish I could go back and watch it all over again. This amazing informative and well researched piece pays tribute to unspoken history and shines a light on what life within the LGBTQ+ community was like back in the 1950’s.
The stage play, based on a 1954 radio program that was deemed taboo and thus heavily suppressed for three years, is well represented through the transcribed dialogue between the actors. The actors also played multiple roles, which showcased their talent.
I felt Stephen M Hornby presented a written masterclass of historical accuracy, storytelling and emotional depth. I was impressed with how he was able to capture raw emotion through monologues that told stories about the hardships and struggles of being homosexual, and the trauma of conversion therapy. It made the audience connect to the character throughout the play’s narrative.
Throughout the show I was on the edge of my seat, listening to both the light and the dark parts of the story of the character of Tom – a working-class shop assistant from Scunthorpe. The play went through his exploration of his own sexuality and journey through life. When I realised Tom wasn’t speaking to the audience but to a conversion therapist, it left the intended heavy emotional impact that me and a lot of my friends expected to feel, and it educated us on how difficult it was to be open about one’s sexuality back in that period.
This show demonstrated how art can represent and talk about certain topics within the LGBTQ+ community with respect and creativity. Overall, this was a fantastic show, and I would happily watch it again.
With reviews this good, surely it can’t be long before The BBC’s First Homosexual is on the road again. Stephen has hinted that there will be announcements about that coming soon, so if you missed it last time…
MUCH ADO ABOUT GERMAN!
By Malcolm Read
Have you seen Was Ihr Wollt? Or Wie Es Euch Gefällt? You may think not, but you may know them better as Twelfth Night and As You Like It, Shakespeare plays equally beloved in Germany as in the English-speaking world.
At New Year for the past four years I have travelled to Berlin to join some German friends in reading a Shakespeare play in German. My friends are not actors: Kerstin is a psychotherapist, Dietrich a dentist; two others are teachers, another plays in an orchestra. Interspersed with reading the play – this year: Viel Lärm Um Nichts (Much Ado About Nothing) – the others play Baroque string music (I listen and enjoy).
My friends are not the only Germans with a thing for Shakespeare. Shakespeare is considered an honorary German: his most famous translator, Schlegel, described him as “ganz unser”, entirely ours. (Typical Germans! Throwing their beach towel over our national poet! Do we do that to their national poet, Goethe? Actually, do we even know who Goethe is?)
There were touring productions of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet in Germany in the 1600s, but in the 18thcentury Shakespeare became a big influence on German culture, when most of the plays appeared in German prose translations. Nowadays there are more Shakespeare productions in Germany than in Britain. Directors like to choose Shakespeare as a playground for theatrical experimentation, such as Thomas Ostermeier’s celebrated production of Richard III.
English speakers can find Shakespeare’s Early Modern English challenging. German speakers have the advantage of reading Shakespeare in modern German. However, things can be ‘lost in translation’. Shakespeare is full of puns and wordplay: the translator’s challenge is to find the nearest equivalent expression. In Much Ado, Beatrice gets the better of her verbal sparring-partner Benedick, leading to Don Pedro saying
You have put him down, lady…
Beatrice replies:
So I would not he should so do me, my lord, lest I should prove the mother of fools.
Don Pedro’s expression refers to throwing an opponent in wrestling; she makes it about Benedick taking her to bed and getting her pregnant. The German has:
Sie haben ihn aufs Kreuz gelegt, Fräulein.
Roughly: “you have laid him on the small of his back”. This means to defeat in wrestling, by pinning an opponent to the mat. However, it can also mean to have sex with someone, so in German the sexual pun is already present before Beatrice makes it so. Moreover, ‘aufs Kreuz legen’ can also mean to hoodwink or cheat – meanings not in the English. Translation is tricky!
I love reading Shakespeare in English or German, But speaking German is tiring: have I used the correct grammatical order? What is the word for ambiguity? (Zweideutigkeit: thanks for asking). I’m not sure how long I will keep going to Germany for these readings. But then there’s the lure of reading Hamlet next year. Can I resist the temptation?
Sein oder nicht sein; das ist die Frage!
LIGHTS UP ON CLIMATE ACTION: DESIGN-LED DRAMA TAKES THE STAGE
by Dr Abby Bentham
On March 12th, our Level 6 Technical Theatre students transformed the theatre and studio into bold, imaginative spaces of climate storytelling.
Drawing on short plays from All Good Things Must Begin, edited by Chantal Bilodeau, these performances responded to the ongoing climate crisis with urgency, creativity and hope. The powerful anthology brought together global voices calling for change — and our students embraced the challenge through an innovative, design-led approach.
Rather than starting with script alone, the creative process was driven by scenographic materials which shaped each production from the ground up. Sustainability was at the heart of both shows: every element was sourced in-house or reused, recycled or repurposed, proving that environmentally conscious theatre can also be visually striking and theatrically bold.
In an experience that broke from traditional theatre, And Now, The Duet staged a compelling conversation between two unlikely counterparts: hope and hopelessness. Through this dynamic exchange, Millie Capper, Merlin Fox, and Francesca Treby-Butcher explored the realities of climate change — and invited the audience to imagine the world not only as it is, but as it could be.
From melting Arctic landscapes to visions of heat, fire and destruction, the visually arresting performance of There is No Warning, by Callum Foy, Alex Owen, and Charlotte Whittaker, examined humanity’s impact on the natural world — and the consequences of inaction. Stark, urgent and thought-provoking, it reminded audience members that when it comes to climate change, there is no warning.
Programme Leader Dr Kelli Zezulka said: “The students have full ownership over these projects. They spend the first trimester in research and development, and then the more practical work of making the productions begins in January. All of the creative and logistical decisions are made by the students, and this gives them the opportunity to be as ambitious as they can be. All of the shows are produced with no budget, ensuring that sustainability is embedded throughout the process — something that they will need to consider seriously as working professionals after graduation. We were thrilled this year to also have the support of Salford’s sustainability team and to be part of Go Green Salford.”
Merlin Fox agrees. They said: “My experience on this show was a lot of fun and it was helpful developing my skills in set design as well as learning some soft skills that I will one day hopefully use in the industry. I look forward to doing this again.”
Collectively, the students demonstrated the transformative power of sustainable, design-driven theatre, and how the challenges of the climate crisis can be met with creativity and conviction. Their future looks promising!
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MANCHESTER IMPROV FESTIVAL
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FROM FLOUNDERING TO FLOURISH – MY INTERNSHIP ORIGINS
By Millie Norman
The question every graduate dreads to hear after university is “Now what?”
Most come to university with a clear goal in mind. A career they want to pursue. But there must’ve been a factory error in my brain because I didn’t come packaged with that. No, I tell a lie, I did want to work in the media industry, but had no idea where to start aside from Film Production. I figured that if I learned the ropes of both theory and practical work, I’d stand a chance at getting my foot in the door. Three years later and I had made cherished friends, worked on several incredible projects and yet still had barely any industry experience.
This was entirely my own fault.
Most book-smart eccentrics believe that an opportunity in writing will fall into their lap if they take a writing class. Wrong! You have to forge connections, which I failed to do. One of my greatest faults is my struggle to focus on more than one thing at a time. “I can’t possibly think about what I have to do after university!” I cried. “I have to focus on the now!” And whilst this mindset is good for getting assignments done, it left me empty-handed with a degree.
Thus began my six-month slog through unemployment, desperately trying to find any sort of job to keep me afloat. It was miserable. I had neglected my own ambitions in favour of desperation. Time and time again I felt as if I had failed everyone around me, the devil on my shoulder declaring that my three years at Salford were a waste. That I was doomed to become stuck in retail seemed like a looming possibility that grew larger with each passing day. I didn’t know who to turn to, or if I even could turn to anyone. Darkness clouded my mind.
Now, why exactly am I telling you all of this? Because it got better. Towards the end of last November, Salford themselves messaged me with an exciting opportunity: An internship that would allow for hands-on work experience in any area of the university. There was such a wide variety of options! It felt dizzying, but holding myself back had done me no good. So I swiftly applied.
Imagine my shock when I heard back from not one, but two of my selections. One was working in the New Adelphi Theatre, the other was a position in the equipment store. The interview for the latter involved me, someone notoriously clumsy, having to show staff how to pack away a camera.
You can imagine how well that went.
Nevertheless, New Adelphi were extremely pleased with my interview. And so, I got the job. I actually was also lucky enough to connect with the person who landed the equipment store gig. It seemed like we both ended up in internships we were skilled in!
It’s a little hard to describe just how elating this experience has been. I’ll save the details of my job for my Q&A article, which is in another post on the New Adelphi Theatre website, but just know that there’s always something for me to do around here. It’s a wonderful job with a wonderful atmosphere.
And for those wanting to pursue an internship – please don’t think that you are not good enough for it. When you are young and uncertain of the future, the best thing you can do is to take risks. I never saw myself working in theatre, but now that I am, so many more doors have opened up for me. It’s important that you heard of my struggles so I could show how anyone can heave themselves out of a hole.
Lights, Camera… Networking!
By Dr Abby Bentham
More than 50 students from the New Adelphi campus and Media City came together in February and March, for energetic networking events that highlighted the growing appetite for collaboration across creative disciplines.
The events brought together actors, theatremakers, filmmakers, and student directors to exchange ideas, pitch collaborative projects, and build practical networking skills. Organised and run by Richard Goodwin and Gareth McCann, the evening blended informal conversation with focused discussion, creating what many attendees described as a welcoming and productive atmosphere.
Kieren Slaven from creative music technology said, “The networking event put on by Richard and Gareth was a calm and friendly environment and they made me and everyone else feel very comfortable in networking, which can be a very daunting task as a composer!”
“It’s been incredibly valuable,” said one student filmmaker. “You don’t often get everyone in the same room like this, and it’s made it so much easier to turn ideas into real projects.”
“I found the networking event really interesting, I was able to talk to many 2nd/3rd years who have been creating projects for a while and 1st years like me, looking to be a part of these projects,” said Violet-Blue Fielder-van Kleeff, Level 4 Media and Performance. “It was a really good event to get to meet like-minded people and I definitely recommend going.”
Student directors also praised the event for its practical benefits. “I’ve already met actors I want to work with,” one director noted, adding that learning about the Sandy Agency was “a real bonus for anyone serious about building connections in theatre and film.”
Actors and filmmakers alike highlighted the agency as a useful bridge for future collaboration.
Keep your eyes peeled for details of the next event!
Stephen Hornby round up
by Dr Stephen M Hornby
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WHAT’S ON AT THE NEW ADELPHI THEATRE!
By Hannah Briggs
EMERGENCE
FRI 27TH – SAT 28TH MARCH
THURS 18TH – FRIDAY 19TH JUNE
Emergence, the touring postgraduate dance company of Joss Arnott Dance and University of Salford presents a new triple bill of adrenaline-fuelled dance for this year’s programme performed by a new company of extraordinary dancers.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
SAT 18TH APR
Shakespeare’s classic comedy – where the real and fairy worlds collide and chaos ensues – is given a late 70’s/early 80’s vibe with music including Disco, New Romantic and Punk. Four young new romantics escape from court to the forest in search of their true loves, a group of punk tradesmen meet in the same forest to rehearse a play to perform at the duke’s wedding, and disco dancing fairies become embroiled with the humans’ escapades. On one midsummer’s evening, anything is possible, and everything is up for grabs.
NEW ADELPHI COMEDY NIGHT
TUES 21ST APR
The award-winning Totally Improvised Company are back for a night of improv, stand-up and more! In the first half, professional improvisers and student guests will get the night going with gags and games inspired by your suggestions. In the second half, the stage is yours for an open mic with stand-up, songs, sketches and more! Previous line-ups have included award-winning student stand-ups developing material and launching their careers. Don’t miss your opportunity to catch the top talents of tomorrow… today!
MOB
THURS 23RD – FRI 24TH APR
We’ve been thinking about lots of people and about groups of people on the move. We’ve been thinking about the crowd and the pack and the gang and the flock.
And we’ve been thinking about space.
About making space and claiming space.
MOB explores human action, in this room and this world.
DANCE@SALFORD
FRI 1ST MAY
Join us for our annual Dance@Salford festival featuring captivating performances by our talented students. This year’s event promises an eclectic mix of theatrical, playful, emotional, and experimental works that showcase the immense creativity within our Dance@Salford community.
UNIVISION
THURS 14TH MAY
Univision 2026 is a collaborative entertainment showcase – a high-energy night where students from 10 arts departments in the school come together to deliver highly entertaining performances with stunning vocals, visuals and dance. Students perform on stage and work behind the scenes alongside specialised support staff from the School of Arts, Media & Creative Technology.
This is our very own Eurovision-style spectacular in Salford, celebrating creativity, teamwork and the next generation of performers and producers.
VERVE
SAT 16TH MAY
VERVE presents a breathtaking triple bill of dance work, including new creations by internationally acclaimed choreographers, Alethia Antonia, Andrea Costanzo Martini and Oona Doherty.
Comprising 18 dancers trained at some of the world’s leading conservatoires, VERVE is the internationally touring company of Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Each year the company stages an artistically distinct, physically daring and dynamic programme of dance work.
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By Dr Abby Bentham
The ‘From Page to Stage’ Summer School will be back in July, offering thirty local Year 10 pupils the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a Performance student at UoS. We’re looking for a talented and reliable Student Ambassador to support staff in delivering the media strand of the programme. It’s a fantastic way to gain experience of teaching and facilitation, as well as earn a bit of extra cash. If you’d like to be considered for the position, please contact Abby Bentham at a.a.bentham@salford.ac.uk for more information.
GUESS THE STAFF MEMBER – ANSWER!
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