Riding Lights is a British independent theatre company which has toured shows nationally and internationally since 1977. Based at Friargate Theatre, York since 2000, the company has staged numerous original productions such as "Science Friction" and "Dick Turpin", that have toured nationally. Other recent tours have included Mistero Buffo (2005), The Winter's Tale (2006) and a co-production with York Theatre Royal, African Snow played at York and the Trafalgar Studios in London before touring across the country. The play was a contribution to the national commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the UK and took as its theme the stories of John Newton and Olaudah Equiano. In 2007 they toured a play looking at the Christian community of contemporary Bethlehem called Salaam Bethlehem. In 2008 they revived their production of Jerome K Jerome's Three Men in a Boat as a co-production with York Theatre Royal.
The company has a thriving Youth Theatre which has performed many well-received productions, including Headstrong and The Miracle as part of the BT Shell Connections National Theatre Competition, Free For All (a devised production) and a modern production of Julius Caesar.
Riding Lights are one of the co-producers of the historic York Mystery Plays which will be staged in York Museum Gardens between 2-27 August 2012. The Plays are directed by Paul Burbridge, Artistic Director of Riding Lights and Damian Cruden, Artistic Director of York Theatre Royal.
Famous quotes containing the words riding, lights, theatre and/or company:
“Love-light of Spainhurrah!
Death-light of Africa!
Don John of Austria
Is riding to the sea.”
—Gilbert Keith Chesterton (18741936)
“Johann StraussForty couples dancing ... one by one they slip from the hall ... sounds of kisses ... the lights go out”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)
“Make them laugh, make them cry, and back to laughter. What do people go to the theatre for? An emotional exercise.... I am a servant of the people. I have never forgotten that.”
—Mary Pickford (18931979)
“If it were not for the company of fools, a witty man would often be greatly at a loss.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (16131680)