Compassionate, Vulnerable, Devastating in its Ordinariness
— Geoffrey Colman
 

a dance-theatre show by

northern rascals

SUNNY SIDE

TOURING SPRING & AUTUMN 2025 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ANDY’S MAN CLUB


 

K is struggling.

At 18, he’s living in a world where everyone is rushing full-steam ahead but himself. He’s trapped in a small English Everytown; a self-proclaimed ‘rain-soaked paradise’ in the bottom of a Yorkshire valley. A town of two sides: old versus new, indigenous versus gentrified. And yet there's still nowhere that seems to fit K.

In a last attempt to understand and reconnect, he revisits the pivotal moments of his life but is left paralysed at the prospect of a future where his voice can’t be heard.

Where do young men stand in a world that seems to have no place for them? 

 
  • SUNNY SIDE explores sensitive and potentially distressing topics related to mental health, loneliness and societal pressures faced by young people. There is also the use of haze and flashing lights. 

SUNNY SIDE is a raw, portrayal of the modern young male experience, informed by the experiences of over 750 young people across the UK.

Combining contemporary dance, theatre and spoken word, join Northern Rascals with this socially urgent work that follows the pain and loneliness on the path from adolescence to adulthood.

SPRING 2025 TOUR DATES

ON SALE SOON:

AUTUMN 2025 DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED!


 

The decision to write a script using language of such depth and poeticism, and spoken by a Northern, working-class man is a brave political act.
— —Jennifer Farmer, playwright
 

TEAM

Creation & Direction Northern Rascals

Collaborative Dance Artists Soul Roberts, Ed Mitchell, Sophie Thomas

Rehearsal Director Grace Ford

Playwright Anna Holmes

Digital Artist Aaron Howell

Set Design Caitlin Mawhinney

Lighting Design Barnaby Booth

Composer Wilfred Kimber

Voice Actors Lamin Touray,

Jonny Aubrey Bentley, Brendan Barclay

Photographer Elly Welford

Dramaturg Geoff Colman

Production Manager Adam Goode

Soul Roberts

Dance Artist

Soul Roberts is a northern, working-class, gay man with 29 years of life lived and over six years of professional boogying under his belt. A graduate of NSCD and SEAD in 2018, he has since been gallivanting across stages and studios, collaborating with national and international movers and shakers such as Milla Koistinen (DE), Salzburg Festspiele Haus (AT), Common Wealth Theatre Company (WLS), and Northern Rascals (UK). His facilitation work has taken him from Grimsby to Gibraltar and Finland, while his own choreographic creations – ‘Move Thru You’, ‘Dreaming Awake’, and ‘That House’ – aim to connect and reflect.

Soul’s artistic heart beats for the raw and real. He dives into movement as a form of emotional discovery, transforming memories, imagination, and environments into intimate and unconsumed theatrical worlds. He crafts work that unapologetically asks big questions about how we connect to ourselves, each other, and the spaces we inhabit.

Armed with wit, a passion for humanity, and an uncanny ability to overthink, Soul unapologetically invests in art that champions humility and celebrates the messy, wonderful art of being human. His journey isn’t about finding a place but creating spaces where everyone can belong.

Ed Mitchell

Dance Artist

Born and raised in Suffolk, Ed grew a passion for both acting and dance in his youth. He later honed his interest towards dance and studied at Northern School Of Contemporary Dance, where he graduated with a First in 2020.

Shortly after that, Ed toured with postgrad company Verve and left Northern in 2021. Since then Ed has performed and taught in the UK and internationally, working with numerous of companies and artists, Including Avant Garde, Hannes Langolf, Attic Project, Bullyache, Northern Rascals, Tim Walker, Barnaby Booth, Gecko Theatre and Moonwalking Bear.

Ed will make his debut with the Royal Shakespeare Company this year in Hamlet which will be performed in Stratford Upon Avon.

Sophie Thomas

Dance Artist

Born and raised in England’s Lake District, Sophie’s love for dance, art and nature started from an early age. Whilst a majority of her formative dancing years took place in village halls, she furthered this learning by attending Northern School of Contemporary Dance, gaining her degree.

After graduating, Sophie continues to be based in Leeds. Her professional credits include working with Night People, Southpaw Company, and Riptide, performing at a variety of theatre venues, clubs, galleries and festivals.

She has recently been a Guest Writer for Dance Art Journal, and is continuing to explore where her interest in movement and words intersect. Following being an Early Career Artist with The Knotted Project, Sophie is investigating musicality, intricacy and what it means to be human whilst performing.


Supported by public funding through Arts Council England

lottery_Logo_Black RGB.jpg
_The Civic Logo small.png
york dance space.jpg