What we do

RashDash is an arts company that exists to celebrate and make space for people to live as their fullest selves. Our agenda is political and Political but always begins with people - we tell stories that call for cultural change. People have the right to be different from each other, to live and love radically, wildly and playfully. Life is better when we live fully in our bodies, allowing ourselves to be and move as authentically as possible. Life is better when we take radical pleasure in ourselves, our families and our work. 

Collaboration and community are central to our process and culture. We work with a range of creatives, musicians, performers and organisers to make theatre, music, dance, films and events. We work together to make more space for emerging artists who share our vision, a diverse workforce in the arts, community instead of competition between arts companies, for parents to work flexibly in the arts, and for creative practice in other industries. 

We want people who engage with our work to feel seen, heard, celebrated, delighted and less alone. 

THE PROCESS

We work with music, dance and theatre because we believe this can speak to an audience in the most rich, delicious, complex way.

The performer and performance is always central - the words, the moving, the voice, the rawness, the feelings, the work, the pleasure, the pain. We want to see craft and skill and HARD WORK. We want to see REAL THINGS HAPPEN. 

We won’t pretend we’re not pretending. 

We want to see things that are private. 

We want to delve into the subconscious. We will play with EXTREMES. We want to be TRANSPORTED.

Our work is about the SENSUAL EXPERIENCE of being a body, as well as the CEREBRAL EXPERIENCE of being a brain. We know things in our toes, our knees, our ribs as well as in our heads.

We are women and we talk, move, write and make as women. That’s important. We are furious and radical and hopeful. That’s important. We are friendly, but scary creatures live under the surface. We want to show you a really good time. All of this might change in a minute. At the moment it’s true.

What we've done

RashDash was formed by Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen at The University of Hull in 2009. After making several shows together over the years, Becky Wilkie joined the core team in summer 2017. 

LOOK AT ME DON’T LOOK AT ME (supported by Slung Low, Paines Plough, HOME and Theatre Clwyd), DON’T GO BACK TO SLEEP: THE LOCKDOWN ALBUM - a verbatim concept album made after interviewing 18 people from 12 countries in lockdown, THREE SISTERS (co-production with Royal Exchange Theatre, co-commissioned by The Yard, Tobacco Factory Theatres, The Old Vic, MAYK and Cambridge Junction), THE DARKEST CORNERS (a large scale, outdoor, headphone show for Transform Festival 2017), TWO MAN SHOW (made with Northern Stage and Soho Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe First Winner 2016, Stage Award for Acting Excellence, shortlisted for an Off West End Award), SNOW WHITE & ROSE RED (a Christmas show for Cambridge Junction, 2015 and Battersea Arts Centre, 2017), WE WANT YOU TO WATCH (by RashDash and Alice Birch, National Theatre and UK Tour, 2015), OH, I CAN’T BE BOTHERED (shortlisted for an Off West End Award, Soho Theatre, 2014), THE UGLY SISTERS (shortlisted for the Total Theatre Award for Experimentation and Innovation, Edinburgh Festival, 2012), DARK WOODS DEEP SNOW (a Christmas show written by Chris Thorpe and directed by Lorne Campbell for Northern Stage, 2013) THE FRENZY & SET FIRE TO EVERYTHING!!!  (outdoor shows commissioned by Lyric Hammersmith, GDIF, Imagine Watford and Latitude), THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (a collaboration with Matthew Dunster for The Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 2011), SCARY GORGEOUS (Edinburgh Fringe First Award winner 2011), ANOTHER SOMEONE (Fringe First award winner 2010), and THE HONEYMOON.

Partners