Tess Seddon’s autobiographical comedy Say Yes To Tess will open at Leeds Playhouse in March before playing dates in London at Camden People’s Theatre.
Presented by Leeds-based theatre company TheatreState in association with Leeds Playhouse, the new musical is inspired by Seddon’s own experiences when standing in the 2017 election as a candidate for the Yorkshire Party.
Featuring songs by Harry Blake, Say Yes To Tess will follow its original work-in-progress performance in Leeds, by returning to the Playhouse from 24 March until 2 April 2022. The show will then head for London, to play Camden People’s Theatre from 5-16 April.
Self-confessed terrible singer Seddon plays herself alongside Kofi Dennis, Jamie Noar and Andrew Whitehead with further cast details to be announced at a later date.
Co-directed by Seddon and Blake, the creative team for the production also includes set and costume designer Rūta Irbīte, lighting designer Amy Mae, movement director Yukiko Masui, access consultant Nickie Miles Wildin, audio description consultant Vicky Ackroyd and casting director Lucy Casson. Also in the team are production manager Ben Pugh, company stage manager Paris Linxuan Wu, technical stage manager and sound associate Dan Loops, executive producer Ali Ford and assistant producer and design assistant Elle Money.
Commenting on the musical, Seddon said: “Dodgy politics and regional inequality have only increased since we first tried to stage Say Yes to Tess in March 2020. The pandemic has made it impossible to ignore how our political system serves those at the top. It’s farcical. So now feels like the perfect time to tell my unique and funny story about how I joined a cage fighting referee and an erotic novelist to get Yorkshire its own parliament.
“Say Yes to Tess is a story not just about me, but about how the process of standing affected everyone around me. From my passive aggressive housemate who’d never voted in her life, to my estranged Labour-voting Dad. It begins with me feeling powerless as an individual trying to change something so big and messed up – and ends with me realising that the most hopeful thing we can do is take part. Harry and I wanted this to speak to audiences who find politics overwhelming, boring, or just not for them. We knew it had to be fun and passionate – and what’s more fun than a motley crew of unlikely amateur politicians singing big show tunes about changing the world?”
Commenting on the production in 2020, Leeds Playhouse’s artistic director James Brining said: “We are really proud that this has been developed through Leeds Playhouse’s Artist Development programme, Furnace. Tess ran for election whilst undertaking her placement as Resident Director here at the Playhouse and it is fantastic to have been part of the whole journey and continuing that support and commitment to and progression for local artists in Leeds. Say Yes To Tess explores prescient themes like apathy, political representation and independence with wit, originality and integrity whilst also being a great night out. It’s certainly got my vote!”
Angela Thomas
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