"'Just getting on with it' isn't the answer": How a returning Leeds show is tackling male isolation issues

For generations, the idea of 'Northern grit' has been a badge of honour. It conjures images of resilience, hard work, and communities pulling together through tough times.

But for young men navigating modern life, that same stoic mindset (the pressure to simply knuckle down, get a job, and sort it out) can often become a dangerous, isolating trap.

It is exactly this tension that sits at the heart of Sunny Side, the critically acclaimed production from Leeds-born dance-theatre company, Northern Rascals.

Following a sweeping national tour, the production is finally returning to Leeds and Bradford for its final curtain call. For co-director Anna Holmes, bringing this deeply working-class narrative back to West Yorkshire is a profound, full-circle moment.

"It feels right," she explained. "This show is an ode to the North; it’s unmistakably Northern. From the people who made it, the young people who fed their stories into it, the accents in the recorded voice, the colloquialisms.

“It’s our story, and so 'coming home' before the show gets put to bed feels like the right place to be."

The homecoming is especially poignant given the company's roots at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Chapeltown.

"It’s the place where Northern Rascals was born," Anna added. "Many of the team are graduates from the school and live in the area, and therefore, this is a real ‘coming home’ moment."

But while Sunny Side breathes the small-town, Northern experience, its core message is universally urgent.

The show is a raw, unflinching look at male isolation, deliberately dismantling the archetypal "tough guy" image that prevents so many young men from asking for help.

For performer Angus Bartlett, who plays the show’s isolated central character, 'K', taking the story to audiences across the country has highlighted just how damaging that traditional mindset can be.

"I think it challenges that ‘tough guy’ image by showing that what people often see as the solution - getting a job, keeping busy, just getting on with things - isn’t actually enough," Angus explained.

"When you watch the show, you start to realise that this idea of being strong and just pushing through doesn’t work for everyone. I’d argue it doesn’t really work for anyone."

Moving past the banter

Angus points out that in hard-working Northern environments, men are often emotionally exhausted, but the culture dictates that those feelings are quickly brushed off with "jokes or banter" to ease the moment.

"There’s still this mindset of ‘just get a job, knuckle down, focus, and sort it out,’" he explained. "But in reality, a lot of people, especially men, aren’t having those conversations at all. What people actually need is for someone to ask, ‘Are you okay?’ and mean it."

For Angus, carrying the emotional weight of this story night after night hasn't just changed how audiences view mental health: it has actively changed how he interacts with the men in his own life.

"It’s made me more aware of how important it is to check in with people, especially the small things," he reflected. "A lot of my friends are quite emotionally aware and able to talk, but even then, things can still get brushed off with ‘I’m fine’ or ‘it’s nothing.’

“I’ve found myself encouraging people a bit more to not just dismiss those feelings. Because if you can deal with those things early, it makes the bigger stuff easier to handle later on."

While the production is undeniably steeped in West Yorkshire culture, taking Sunny Side on the road proved that the crisis of male isolation stretches far beyond the Northern valleys.

"I had concerns initially when we took the show on tour and travelled the breadth of the country," Anna admitted. "How would it resonate in London, Bournemouth, or the Isle of Wight? What we discovered is, yes, the show is rooted in place, but the core of Sunny Side is in its humanity—and that is universal."

Crucially, Northern Rascals were determined that Sunny Side wouldn't just be an exercise in stage commentary.

To ensure the themes translated into genuine help, the company forged a vital partnership with ANDYSMANCLUB, the nationwide men's suicide prevention charity founded just down the road in Halifax.

"With their support, audiences leave the theatre and are met directly by a team of volunteers who can offer real-world, in-the-moment support," Anna explained.

"They’re there as a safety net, in case you need it, but we know from feedback that people have engaged with them at every show, whether for themselves or by taking information for someone they love."

Sunny Side performs at the Riley Theatre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, on April 25. For more information or to buy tickets, visit Northern Rascals’ official website.