‘…for the multitude is so Brutish, that they are ever in the extreames of kindnesse or Cruelty, being void of Reason and hurried on with an unbridled violence in all their Actions, trampling down all respect of things Sacred and Civill… The People becomes a most pernicious Tyrant.’
Marchamont Nedham, pamphleteer for Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell.
The Brutish Multitude
Michael Crowley is a writer and dramatist. He has worked extensively in youth and community theatre and was a writer in residence at Lancaster Farms young offender’s institution for six years. His drama has been performed on stage and radio. He is a published poet, playwright and novelist.
Performer Grant Lowe studied drama at the University of Wolverhampton & University of Huddersfield and has worked in arts development for over 25 years across the UK. He regularly writes and performs poetry and theatre at Holmfirth Arts Festival.
Tristan Langlois has worked in site-specific heritage theatre and education for over 25 years, and currently runs public programmes at the Royal Armouries Museums in Leeds and Portsmouth. Since 2014 Tristan has focused increasingly on performance storytelling and long-form improvisation – he works regularly with the Olivier award-winning Extempore Theatre and supports the Shaggy Dog Storytelling Club in Hebden Bridge.
Actor and director Karen Stuart has been working with Brutish Multitude to research and develop The House that Ethel Built and is delighted to be a part of the future production of Warp and Weft in March. She is passionate about theatre being available for all. That belief has seen her take on work as a leader of youth theatre and as a workshop leader in primary and secondary education. With an MA in Visual Language of Performance, she has created previous Arts Council-funded solo performances across the streets of Berlin, Liverpool’s warehouses, and many places in between.
Our Associate Artists
Composer Katie Chatburn trained in composition at the Royal Academy of Music, followed by an MMus at the Royal Northern College of Music. She now works as a professional composer across various fields, emphasising cross-discipline work – including original music for radio drama, film/TV orchestration and composition, pop/rock string arranging, and original theatre and dance projects. She is the MD and arranger for Ignition Orchestra. Katie wrote the music for the Battle of Heptonstall, and both parties look forward to working together again. Katie’s website is here.
Olwen May is an actor, director, and regular on BBC television, Radio and on main stages around the UK. Recent performances include the BBC’s Happy Valley, Bodyguard and the National Theatre. Her numerous credits can be found here. During The Battle of Heptonstall, Olwen provided invaluable acting coaching for the cast and advice on directing. Olwen’s input will be greatly valued in future productions.
Bruce Cutts is a photographer. He is captivated by the drama that a photograph can convey. He is the lead photographer on a film-based photo archive in his adopted home town of Hebden Bridge and works for various theatre groups as a production photographer. Bruce chronicled the development and production of The Battle of Heptonstall for the After Alice Project and The Brutish Multitude; his Flickr page can be found here.
