Announcing 12 Last Songs – A Transform & Quarantine Co-Production

We are thrilled to announce that we are working in co-production with Manchester based and internationally renowned company Quarantine, to present the world premiere of new durational work ‘12 Last Songs’.

Created with and about the people of Leeds, ‘12 Last Songs’ is about labour – the work that we do. There are no actors. It’s a live exhibition of people, an epic performance that casts the steady rhythms of life on a carnival scale.

Over the course of a day, workers will do shifts, constructing a fleeting portrait of society. A bricklayer might build a wall, a hairdresser might cut someone’s hair, a chef might prepare a meal…

‘12 Last Songs’ is the latest production from Manchester-based ensemble Quarantine, known around the world for their forensic interest in daily life. Directed by Richard Gregory, we are planning to present this extraordinary durational event within the Quarry Theatre at Leeds Playhouse on the 22 & 23 October 2021.

Quarantine creates theatre, performance and public events that explore what it means to be alive today. With characteristic intimacy, curiosity and respect, Quarantine make art out of the reality of people’s lives. It’s an ongoing exercise in mass portraiture. They’ve made over 30 original pieces of work of varying scale, including family parties, karaoke booths, cookery lessons, radio broadcasts, reading rooms and journeys in the dark for one person at a time – as well as performances on stage for audiences in seats. Recent works by the ensemble include the monthly curry and conversation event ‘No Such Thing’, the quartet of performance and film ‘Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring.’ and dance marathon ‘Wallflower’.

‘12 Last Songs’ is Transform’s first co-production with Quarantine, who previously presented ‘The Soldier’s Song’ as part of Transform 11. We are thrilled to be inviting the company back to Leeds to create this epic work that captures the extraordinary within the everyday. The world premiere of ‘12 Last Songs’ will mark the start of a series of bold, brave, vivid and socially-conscious performances presented by Transform in Leeds over the following six months.

Full details will be announced and tickets available from mid-August.

Image by Brent Carr.