Amy is Deputy Artistic Director of Leeds Playhouse and a passionate advocate for and champion of creatively accessible theatre.
Early life and career
Amy Leach grew up in Darwen, Lancashire and attended the youth theatre at the Bolton Octagon Theatre. On graduating from Durham University, she co-founded the award winning theatre company for young people, en masse, with playwright and composer Oliver Birch. en masse toured nationally and internationally between 2003 & 2011.
For en masse, she directed and produced UK tours of Spaceship ’87, The Echo Chamber (Fringe First Winner 2003), The Ignatius Trail (Fringe First Winner 2004), The Shelter, The Iceberg and We All Fall Down, as well as directing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in co-production with the Dukes Theatre, Lancaster.
Career
Amy is a passionate advocate for and champion of creatively accessible theatre.
Her directing credits include The Olivier Award Nominated production of Animal Farm (2025), Mr Snow, Lord of the Flies, Macbeth, Don't You Know It's Going To Be Alright, There Are No Beginnings, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Road, Talking Heads, Queen of Chapeltown, Romeo & Juliet, Kes & The Night Before Christmas for Leeds Playhouse (formerly West Yorkshire Playhouse); Oliver Twist for Leeds Playhouse and Ramps on the Moon which can currently be viewed on NT at Home; A Christmas Carol for Hull Truck and Hull City of Culture;
Work
Selected theatre productions
A Christmas Carol ,Adapted by Deborah McAndrew from the novel by Charles Dickens. A Leeds Playhouse production (Christmas 2025)
Animal Farm by George Orwell, Adapted by Tatty Hennessy. A Leeds Playhouse & Theatre Royal Stratford East co-production in association with Nottingham Playhouse (Spring 2025) With Creative Audio Description. Olivier Awards 2025 Nominee for Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre.
Mr Snow by Robert Alan Evans. A Leeds Playhouse production, Winter 2024. All performances were bilingual, performed in English and BSL.
Macbeth, Revival by William Shakespeare. A Leeds Playhouse Production, Spring 2024. All performances of Macbeth featured creatively integrated audio description.
Lord Of The Flies Adapted by Nigel Williams from the novel by William Golding. A Leeds Playhouse and Belgrade Coventry co-production, in association with Rose Theatre Kingston (Spring 2023)
Macbeth by William Shakespeare. A Leeds Playhouse Production. All performances of Macbeth featured creatively integrated audio description.
Oliver Twist Adapted by Bryony Lavery from the novel by Charles Dickens. A Leeds Playhouse & Ramps on the Moon production.
The Night Before Christmas By Robert Alan Evans. The production returned to the Leeds Playhouse after a sell-out run in 2015. All performances where D/deaf friendly and featured the creative use of sign language.
There Are No Beginnings by Charley Miles at Leeds Playhouse with Julie Hesmondhalgh, Natalie Gavin, Jesse Jones and Tessa Parr. Integrated audio description featured as part of every performance and the production was the venues first ever Parent & Baby Performance, allowing parents to enjoy a relaxed version of the play alongside their infants (under a year old).
Hamlet by William Shakespeare at Leeds Playhouse with Tessa Parr, Simona Bitmate, Crystal Condie, Dan Parr, Darren Kuppan, Rob Pickavance, Susan Twist, Joeseph Alessi, Jo Mousley and 14 members of the Leeds Playhouse Youth Programme (2019).
Kes Written by Barry Hines, adapted by Robert Alan Evans at Leeds Playhouse. This production was remounted by Associate Director Martin Leonard and performed by Jack Lord and Lucas Button (2019) This production was first created in Spring 2016 at Leeds Playhouse (formerly West Yorkshire Playhouse) performed by Jack Lord and Dan Parr. It was followed by a tour of community venues across Leeds.
A Christmas Carol (November 2018–January 2019) Adapted by Deborah McAndrew From the novel by Charles Dickens at Leeds Playhouse - Pop-Up Theatre in association with Hull Truck Theatre. This production originally played at the Hull Truck Theatre in association with Hull City of Culture in Christmas 2017.
Road by Jim Cartwright at Leeds Playhouse - Pop-Up Theatre. This production featured live audio description at every show, performed in character by the cast (2018).
Talking Heads by Alan Bennett ( A Cream Cracker Under the Settee & A Woman of No Importance ) Two of Alan Bennett's iconic monologues, performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse as well as in homes across Leeds. These Talking Heads were presented alongside four others directed by James Brining and John R Wilkinson (2018).
Queen of Chapeltown by Colin Grant at the West Yorkshire Playhouse with Elexi Walker, Emily Butterfield, Gabriel Paul, Benjamin Cawley & Raphael Bushay (2017).
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Quarry Theatre with Tessa Parr, Dan Parr, Elexi Walker, Lawrence Walker, Tachia Newall, Jack Lord, Natalie Anderson, Ciaran Kellgren, Keiran Flynn, Jeff Alexander, Olwen May, Susan Cookson and 31 members of Playhouse Youth (2017) .
The Borrowers for the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff with Kezrena James, Cait Davis, Kieron Self, Harvey Virdi, Joseph Tweedale and Huw Blainey (Christmas 2016).
Wonderman for NTW, WMC & Gagglebabble. Wonderman is a unique gig-theatre take on Roald Dahl's short stories for adults. It ran at the Edinburgh Fringe, Underbelly Potterrow in August 2016. It then played at the Tramshed, Cardiff as part of the City of the Unexpected to celebrate the centenary of Dahl's birth in September 2016. Finally, it played at WMC during Christmas 2016.
Little Sure Shot, Written and Composed by Lucy Rivers for the West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Egg Bath, Theatre Iolo and Mac Belfast. As part of this tour, it was also performed at nine community venues across Leeds as part of the WYP Community Tour Initiative (2015).
Other previous works include: The Life and Times of Mitchell and Kenyon for Dukes Theatre, Lancaster and Oldham Coliseum; Wanted! Robin Hood and Arabian Nights (MTA Winner for Best Ensemble 2012) for the Library Theatre Company at The Lowry; Sabbat, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Peter Pan and My Mother Said I Never Should for The Dukes; Dracula, Peter Pan, Wilde Tales, Oliver Twist, The Animated Tales of Shakespeare and The Grimm Brothers' Circus for Theatre Royal Bath/the egg; and Dr Korczak’s Example for the Royal Exchange in Manchester (MEN Award Winner for Best Studio Production 2008).
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