Having recently grabbed headlines after a complaint about the Yorkshire play having too many Yorkshire accents, As You Like It will be making its way to Leeds this week as part of its local venue tour.
The Halifax-based theatre company will be performing at the Quarry Theatre at Leeds Playhouse from Wednesday 18 May - Saturday 21 May 2022 with a two and a half hour performance of a modern Shakespeare- and yes, it includes Yorkshire accents.
Celebrating their first full production performance without restrictions since the beginning of the pandemic and the company’s 30th anniversary, Northern Broadsides Theatre Company toured the York Theatre Royal, putting on numerous performances of Shakespeare’s As You Like It with a multi-cultural, gender diverse cast.
Earlier this year, it was this performance that attracted headlines after Theatre-goers to the York show complained about the number of Yorkshire accents featured in a recent performance of Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’ play.
Tom Bird, the Chief Executive of York Theatre tweeted to share the absurd complaint stating that: “We’ve got a complaint this morning @YorkTheatre from someone who left an hour of @NBroadsides #AsYouLikeIt last week, because it had “Yorkshire accents” in it. That’s Yorkshire accents, right here in Yorkshire. They want a refund”.
The statement has continued to attract attention from theatre enthusiasts and novices alike, none of which can fathom the reason for the complaint.
One comment said: “The production is brilliant! Loved every single second of it! Shakespeare performed as it was meant to be performed .. what did they want? Olivier style Received Pronunciation? Ye Gods.”
Doing it for Yorkshire!!! Yorkshire and northern voices were made to speak in verse, with clear pronunciation, passionate and terse. pic.twitter.com/mOWwxJAQ2F
— Chris Beck Possibly the best actor in my road (@creativeBECK) March 28, 2022
Others stuck up for the representation of Northern actors in the play: “But that’s one of the wonderful things about Northern Broadsides. Making Shakespeare sound like real world conversation, not 1950s RP.”
The Northern Broadsides Theatre Company is a Halifax-based performance company that celebrates Northern voices through Shakespeare and classics, so really, the complainer in question read nothing about the play in advance.
Image: Northern Broadsides
Described as Shakespeare’s “most musical and much-loved comedy”, the cast of the play have been revelling in the complaint, proudly tackling any question of their northern accents head on.
It really does appear that the only person that believes northern voices aren’t supposed to be in Shakespeare is the complaint in question- with not a single response online taking their side.
As You Like It by Northern Broadsides Theatre Company is continuing to tour around the UK throughout spring and summer 2022, including plenty of performances here in Yorkshire.
The theatre company are due to take over Leeds Playhouse this week and performing later this summer at Harrogate Theatre in July.
Feature Image- Northern Broadsides
Leeds
Female-founded independent jewellery brand to open in Leeds’ Victoria Gate
Norfolk-based jewellery brand Lisa Angel is opening their first Yorkshire site right here in Leeds.
Jewellery and trinket lovers, this one's for you.
Lisa Angel, a female-founded jewellery and gifting brand will open the doors to its new store in Victoria Gate next month.
Shoppers can expect a wonderful range of jewellery, gifts, and accessories that have established a loyal following during more than twenty years of business.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has only gone from strength to strength since.
Image: Supplied
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
After opening two stores last year and three stores in 2024, Lisa Angel’s founder and Creative Director, Lisa, said: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Managing Director James Moody explained the significance to the business of opening a new store in a city as influential as Leeds: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
We'll keep you up to date when we know an opening date, but for now you can check out what to expect here.
Yorkshire residents are being invited to name two new bin lorries
Clementine Hall
Well...this is a new one.
Ever fancied naming a bin lorry? Well today is your lucky day, because now you can.
Yorkshire-based waste management experts Divert are celebrating the arrival of two swanky new tbin rucks by inviting the local community to help name them.
The iconic purple bins, vans and trucks can be seen across the Yorkshire area helping to clean up waste from Bradford to Harrogate.
Two new lorries are set to be joining the fleet in April and May, and of course they need a name.
And who better to ask than the general public? The winning names will be added to the cabs of each of the trucks for all to see, and announced via the Divert website and social media channels.
Absolutely anyone from across the UK is welcome to take part, but the company are especially keen for people from Yorkshire to enter.
You can be as creative as you like, but there are a couple of rules...
No swearing or offensive names. Aside from that, you can let your freak flag fly.
The Divert team are keen to hear the 'best celebrity puns, local namesakes, and downright silly names' the public have to offer.
John Verity, Managing Director of Divert, comments: “Naming our bin trucks is a great way to bring some joy to the local community. We hope to bring a smile to the faces of passing drivers and pedestrians as our fleet passes by.
“Not only that, naming our lorries can help our drivers to take pride and ownership in the vehicles they drive and be a key reminder of our engagement within the community. We’re always keen to employ any initiatives that help the public to engage with us and ensure we’re seen as a friendly face in the area.”
Winners will be voted for by the team internally, and the competition closes at 5 pm on 31 March 2026.
Sophie Smith -
16th May 2022 
