The Unlimited Archives

In this first episode of J Spooner's attempt to tell the 27 year herstory of Unlimited Theatre, J reveals what's next for the company (cash grants for artists!), answers questions you've sent in via the socials and performs a moving duet with their plastic and mini best friend.Transcript of this episode and LOADS more about Unlimited Theatre on our website:https://unlimited.earth/project/the-unlimited-archives/Links referenced in the show:Details on how to apply for the newly launched unAwards:https://unlimited.earth/unawards/The new custodians of the world famous Space Shed:https://wildworks.org.uk/Unlimited Theatre is @untheatre on all the socials.Written and produced by J SpoonerOriginal music by David Edwards aka Minotaur ShockEdit and Sound Design by Oliver SpoonerMJ's Vocal Coach - Elena Pena

In this episode of J Spooner's attempt to tell the 27 year history of Unlimited Theatre, J is in conversation with co-founder Paul Warwick about... how Paul remembers the company starting, how he led the creative process for Unlimited's earliest shows, why he left the company in 2001 and his advice for anyone setting up a company now.Transcript of this episode:https://unlimited.earth/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/It-Was-One-O-Them.pdfPhotos of things referenced in this podcast and LOADS more about Unlimited Theatre on our website:https://unlimited.earth/project/the-unlimited-archives/Leeds Met Studio Theatre and the legend that is Annie Lloyd:https://unlimited.earth/annie-lloyd-legend/The Noise:https://unlimited.earth/project/the-noise/Unlimited Theatre is @untheatre on all the socials.Written and produced by J SpoonerOriginal music by David Edwards aka Minotaur ShockEdit and Sound Design by Oliver Spooner

In this episode, J chats with co-founder Louisa Ashley who they worked particularly closely with for many years - not just making and performing shows but also as the main producers for the company and when she became Chair of the Board of Trustees. J and Louisa chat about all that plus more including that time literally no-one noticed when J was run over and hospitalised by a car. Welcome to the show.Transcript of this episode, photos of things referenced and LOADS more about Unlimited Theatre on our website:https://unlimited.earth/project/the-unlimited-archives/Useful/interesting links to things referenced in this episode:• J's 2019 interview with Louisa in The Space Shed at Latitude Festival• Photo album of Unlimited's 15th birthday party• Photos, video and music from Ancient Futures Unlimited Theatre is @untheatre on all the socials.Written and produced by J SpoonerOriginal music by David Edwards aka Minotaur ShockPlay out track is 'Tolo's Dance' by Afrikan Boy from Ancient FuturesEdit and Sound Design by Oliver Spooner

In this episode, J chats with co-founder (and wife) Liz Margree about her most vivid memories of her time with Unlimited, why she thinks the original founders were such a high performing team and her advice for anyone starting out and setting up their own company now. Welcome to the show.Transcript of this episode, photos of things referenced and LOADS more about Unlimited Theatre on our website:https://unlimited.earth/project/the-unlimited-archives/ Unlimited Theatre is @untheatre on all the socials.Written and produced by J SpoonerOriginal music by David Edwards aka Minotaur ShockEdit and Sound Design by Oliver Spooner

BONUS EPISODE. Made in 2008 by founder Liz Margree, TRODDEN was Unlimited’s first walking play. Which means (as Liz wrote)...I’m going to ask you to put on headphones, listen to me speaking-in-your-head and walk with me. Think radio play meets city-tourist-walk. With the walking being optional. If walking, you'll need to open/download The Map and listen to the play while (if you're in Leeds) doing the walk.Trodden was made more than 15 years ago so some of the landmarks have changed and the route may well require a little renegotiating!The walk starts at Leeds Railway Station on the main concourse. It finishes at City Square. In between it’ll take you round the city and give you the opportunity to sit and listen as well as walk and listen.• When you reach the starting point (see the map) press play, leave it running and start walking. Mostly you’ll hear my voice, but there are also periods in the recording where there are pauses in me speaking. During these times, continue to walk (or sit), following the map.• Don’t worry if you get ahead of or behind my voice in terms of your walk. Just go with it as eventually we’ll both end up in the same place. But feel free to pause so you can catch up or play back if you want to. It’s your show as much as it is mine.Welcome to the show. I’m glad you could make it.LIZ.CREDITS....Liz Margree - Writer and PerformerAndy Wood - Sound Designer and EditorBruce Wood - Sound EngineerAlex Smith Project Management and PRThanks to: The Refugee Council"In April 2007 I started to think about what it would feel like to live in Leeds but feel like a tourist. I was thinking about the way Leeds is described as the financial centre of our region and as “the Knightsbridge of the North”. I wondered where that leaves the city’s inhabitants for whom those labels simply don’t resonate – those of us who can’t afford to shop in Harvey Nichols or the people who wouldn’t even be allowed in to buy a coffee. Who don’t feel like their home is their home anymore. And at the same time I started thinking about refuge and asylum.So I went and spoke to some good people at The Refugee Council who very kindly introduced me to five people currently living in Leeds as either refugees or asylum seekers. Women and men, from different countries, with different stories. I interviewed all of them and TRODDEN is the result. It isn’t verbatim theatre but I haven’t made anything up. It’s just their real experiences, mixed up with mine. And by making this a walking play, I hope to mix it with yours too."

J sits down for a cup of tea with Unlimited co-founder and friend Chris Thorpe while trying to remember how they started out, why it's so difficult to make new work collaboratively, how the first play Chris wrote for the company took them all across the world and what it means to have “a career” as a writer. Chris also shares (beautifully) why he wouldn’t change a single thing and offers his advice for anyone starting a company or setting out as a writer now. If you’ve listened to any of the other episodes you’ll (maybe) notice the music is different in this one and there’s a lot more underscore. Thanks to our sound designer Oliver Spooner who composed all that music and was inspired to include it for this episode because Chris is his one of his godparents and Oli loves him very much.Welcome to the show. We’re glad you could make it.Photos of things referenced and LOADS more about Unlimited Theatre on our website:https://unlimited.earth/project/the-unlimited-archives/Unlimited Theatre is @untheatre on all the socials.Produced by J SpoonerEdit and Sound Design by Oliver SpoonerOriginal music by Oliver Spooner and Afrikan Boy

A very special episode of The Unlimited Archives mixed, edited and soundtracked by one of Unlimited's longest serving collaborators David Edwards aka electronic music artist Minotaur Shock.David composed music for many of Unlimited shows and projects since 2008 and when J asked him if we could release the music he’s made as a series of albums or EPs, David went back to all the original tracks and remastered them. And now we’re releasing them all into the world on 26th January 2024 - search it all up on whichever streaming platform you subscribe to on his profile ‘Minotaur Shock’ where we’ve released the soundtracks to 'The Moon The Moon' and 'The Noise' and on our profile ‘Unlimited Theatre’ where we’re releasing everything else including Afrikan Boy’s soundtrack to our 2023 show Ancient Futures.This episode not only showcases David’s brilliant work with Unlimited over the last 15 years, but the conversation he has with J puts that music into fascinating context AND you get a real insight into how he, as someone who had never worked in theatre before, responded to some of our frankly very strange requests, and made it all.

J visits their dear friend and Unlimited co-founder Clare Duffy in her hometown of Edinburgh and, over a cup of coffee, Clare recalls her most vivid memories of her time with the company. Which includes that time she made J a penis costume to wear in public. A small correction: when talking about a trip to Papua New Guinea, Clare and J refer to the conflict in Bougainville as having started due to disputes over tin mine - it was actually the Pangua *copper* mine.Welcome to the show. We’re glad you could make it.Photos of things referenced and LOADS more about Unlimited Theatre on our website:https://unlimited.earth/project/the-unlimited-archivesClare's company Civic Digits:https://civicdigits.comUnlimited Theatre is @untheatre on all the socials.Produced by J SpoonerEdit and Sound Design by Oliver Spooner aka InigoOriginal music by David Edwards aka Minotaur ShockAll Unlimited music/soundtracks available to stream here on Spotify and all the other platforms.