Kirkstall's Industrial Heritage Comes To Life In Leeds

I will never use Beecroft Street in Leeds again as a short cut to avoid A65 rush-hour traffic without first thinking about the wonderful production currently running at Leeds Industrial Museum.

That is where the life of Betty Beecroft is taking on new meaning as the cast of Mother of the Revolution tell her 1778 story with a modern take on the origins of Kirkstall Forge which so many Leeds Loiners will have known over the decades.

To me and my brother Paul it was the challenge of lying in our Horsforth beds and listening to see if we could hear the forge hammer doing its work. One of our classmates served his apprenticeship there and dad would tell stories of how they made ‘axles for the world.’ Now, the site is little more than a railway station and modern housing.

But, beneath the footings of those modern homes, lies the fascinating story of Betty Beecroft, a woman before her time and an industrial pioneer at a period in history when few women even had rights, let alone a ‘forge’ to call their own!

Director, Beth Knight has done a brilliant job of bringing writer, Rosie Macpherson’s beautifully crafted script to life and, as the main protagonist, Kathryn Hanke as Betty Beecroft drove the production forward like a steam train from the Hunslet Engine Company, as they collectively told the story of Betty’s ambition to acquire and grow the Forge with the help of her husband George (Richard Kay) and scheming brother-in-law John Butler (Adam Bassett)

Surprising, I have to say, but there were so many humorous highlights and little asides that you couldn’t help but feel part of a production that didn’t use a conventional proscenium stage but, instead, turned itself into a piece of ‘walking performance’ where members of the audience were invited to meander to various points in the museum as different scenes played out.

“Show me your scoff” said Betty to her diminutive husband as he attempted to demonstrate how he’d tried to purchase Kirkstall Forge before walking out on negotiations: I found myself laughing out loud!

Then there was the hilarious scene in the museum’s Machine Room in which Adam Bassett, Reece Carter and Richard Kay discussed the best pose to adopt for their long-service photography session.

And composer, lyricist and on-stage musical director, Sean Ryan’s music was so good. If I sound surprised, I was! I didn’t expect to hear such catchy music, instrumentalists and a small choir in such a setting. And they were all excellent: a tight sound anchored by so much enthusiasm and commitment.

If this Archipelago Arts Collective production was not so uniquely tied to Leeds Industrial Museum – where it works a treat – I would say that it needed a bigger stage.

However, I also think that its brilliance is because IT IS tied to Leeds Industrial Museum and that if you took it away from Canal Road, you might also kill some of its appeal.

Save to say, what exists right now is a slick, unique, perfectly crafted piece of community theatre that would be wonderful for schools and all those Leeds folk living just up the road, many of whom will remain oblivious to this great piece of theatre happening on their doorstep.

Go! You will learn something, have a great night and, at the end, the cast will join you for a drink in the makeshift bar: win, win win!


Mother of the Revolution
Leeds Industrial Museum (Armley Mills), Canal Road, LS12 2QF
May 2-5 & May 9-12 2024
Details: www.archipelagoarts.co.uk