Community Cast: No Such Thing as Ordinary

Following an open call, we brought together a community cast of five to create the Den Festival’s headline show, NO SUCH THING AS ORDINARY headlined the Den festival. The community cast worked with director Andy Barry, Associate Director, Royal Exchange Theatre, to bring the show to life.

“After 43 years of telling people you can’t act, you are going to have a moment of madness and audition for a play. You’ll get the part and wonder how you pulled the wool over their eyes. Then you’ll get the script and panic that you’ll never learn it in a million years, and the recurring nightmare will be reality (just not the naked part). What you don’t know yet is that you can do it. And that you’ll love it and it will spark a new obsession!” Letter to Myself, Community Cast

No Such Thing as Ordinary, further info:

Inspired by interviews carried out with members of the Tameside community, No Such Thing as Ordinary is a snapshot into the stories and lives of people in Tameside.

In a collage of first-hand accounts, we follow 6 characters as they explore their relationship with the borough’s history, community, and their own memories of the place they call home. They ask us to consider if there is such a thing as ordinary?

The show is being revived by the Royal Exchange Theatre, directed by Andy Barry. It will headline The Den Festival at Stalybridge Civic Hall on May 2025.

About Andy Barry 

“I believe in storytelling filled with imagination, bold visuals, heart, and emotional truth. My practice centres honest, open and fun spaces where people feel empowered to create excellence together.”

Andy Barry is a theatre director based in Manchester. He is the Associate Director for the Royal Exchange Theatre productions of Caryl Churchill’s two short plays Escaped Alone and What If If Only. Andy also leads the Royal Exchange Elders and is an Associate Director of Goblin. Recent directing credits include: For the Royal Exchange: Acts of Love (2024) Wit & Wisdom (2021), A Funny Thing Happened In Isolation Film (2020), Moments That Changed Our World (2018).

Other directing credits: The Man Who Planted Trees (Hebden Bridge Arts Festival), The Lost Spells (Uk Tour), Nothing (Salford University), A Christmas Carol (Goblin/Royal Navel College).

The Den Festival:

We are brought our mobile space, The Den, back to Stalybridge Civic Hall in May 2025. Local people helped us programme 4 jam-packed weekends with shows, music, dance, art, fun and celebration!