Black Sheep Theatre Productions Presents The Premier of "The Inner Selves"

Theatre@41
13th-17th May 2025

Black Sheep Theatre Productions in association with AKA Theatre Company Ltd.

A New Play by Matthew Peter Clare (director, musical director, and producer of Black Sheep Theatre Productions)

Following on from an incredibly successful few years of Black Sheep Theatre Productions putting on amazing theatre in York including Elegies For Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens (York St John), Falsettos (Joseph Rowntree Theatre), Z For Zelda (Theatre@41), Nothing & Everything Else (Theatre@41), The Last Five Years (National Centre For Early Music), Songs For A New World (National Centre For Early Music), The Tempest (Theatre@41). Black Sheep Theatre Productions hopes to continue this legacy with The Inner Selves at Theatre@41 in May and The Hunchback of Notre Dame at The Joseph Rowntree Theatre in October.

The Inner Selves is a four-person play showing the decline of two people's mental health, and their marriage, as shown through Henry and Nora and the cacophonic assault of their inner thoughts. The play revolves around one bad day of inadequacy, personal trauma, longing for better things, fear, and just trying to survive being the final straw for the pair as emotions come to a boil. Will this marriage survive? Even just until morning?

The Inner Selves is an incredibly personal and thoughtful project by Black Sheep Theatre Productions focusing on the lives of two mismatched individuals in a failing marriage as they have the worst night yet in their ongoing nightmare. This play follows the failing marriage and mental health of Henry and Nora, a couple married for several years but whom have grown tired of each other as well as carry trauma through being married and through the lives that they've lived. The inner selves represent their younger selves as well as all of the various thoughts of Henry and Nora that may never be said. The inner selves are products of Henry and Nora, and the lives they have led, but represent more than that. They are the lives they didn't lead, their hopes and dreams, their anxieties, their fear, their self-hatred, their depression, their anger made manifest, and what dwindled care and that last glimmer of love that they may retain for their spouses. Set in the 90s with Henry and Nora barely escaping poverty, living very 90s working class lives in familiar northern towns, the Inner Selves dream of what might have been should they not have ended up as Henry and Nora. The play revolves around one night where tensions boil over but it is a night that has likely been on the precipace for years and encapsulates the feelings of resentment and misplaced blame that have built up over seven years since their newborn child died. We see Henry and Nora at breaking point with their own strengths and weaknesses coming through, whilst the inner selves back them up or ridicule or tear them apart.

With a heavy exploration of the impact of burnout, depression, trauma, and the impact that has upon two people seven years on from the death of a child, this play splits the two characters into four actors. Two actors portray the physical bodies of the characters, Henry and Nora, whilst two portray the mentalities of the characters, The Inner Selves.

Starring some of the most fantastically talented actors in York, Henry and Nora are played by Dan Poppitt and Charlie Clarke respectively. Their Inner Selves are played by Josh Woodgate and Chloe Pearson respectively. This play is brought to life using the amazing set designs of Anne Loren Enriquez Comia.

Theatre credits for these phenomenal people are listed below.

Dan Poppitt:
Multiple roles in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Blue Orange Theatre), Peter Pan in The Return of Neverland (Royal Hippodrome, Eastbourne), Soloist in The Show Must Go On (UK Tour), Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (UK Tour), Gentleman in Giselle (Birmingham Hippodrome for Birmingham Royal Ballet, Tunny in American Idiot (Joseph Rowntree Theatre), Alonso in The Tempest (Theatre@41), and Roger In RENT! (Joseph Rowntree Theatre)

Charlie Clarke:
Assistant Producer in RENT! (Joseph Rowntree Theatre), Trincula in The Tempest (Theatre@41), Ensemble in American Idiot (Joseph Rowntree Theatre), Soloist/Multiple Roles in A Christmas Carol (UK Tour), The Maid in Jekyll and Hyde (UK Tour), Banquo/Witch in Macbeth (UK Tour), The Sour Kangaroo in Seussical the Musical (The Space, Nottingham), 80s/90s Dancer in London 2012 Opening Ceremony.

Josh Woodgate:
Ensemble in American Idiot (Joseph Rowntree Theatre), Mr. Jefferson/Homeless Man/Ensemble in RENT! (Joseph Rowntree Theatre), and Caliban in Black Sheep Theatre’s production of The Tempest (Theatre@41).

Chloe Pearson:
Multiple roles in Tick Tick Boom (Ripon Arts Centre), Multiple roles in Elegies For Angels, Punks & Raging Queens (York St John), Whatsername in American Idiot (Joseph Rowntree Theatre), Fernanda in The Tempest (Theatre@41), Ensemble in RENT! (Joseph Rowntree Theatre)

Anne Loren Enriquez Comia:
Production Intern on Sentensiador (Movie, Philippines), Production Intern on Regina Cole (TV, Philippines), Production Intern on Mito Ng Maynila (Movie, Philippines), Production Intern on I Get So Sad Sometimes (Movie, Philippines), Costume Intern on Dragden PH (TV, Philippines), Production Intern on Ten Little Mistresses (Movie, Philippines), Graphic Designer, Storyboard Artist, and Puppet Assistant on Kulas, Berto, and The Mirrors (Movie, Philippines), Costume Construction on Umaaraw Umuulan Kinakasal Ang Tikblang (Dulaang Sipat Lawin Theatre, Philippines), Props Manager on DOH: Healthy Lungs Jingle (Commercial Jingle, Philippines), Stage Manager on The Tempest (Theatre@41, UK)

Age Guidance: Parental discretion is advised. Not for young children.

Content Warning:
Alcohol, Smoking, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Discussion Around Self-Harm, Marriage, Divorce, Loss Of Child, Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Health, Swearing