Managed Approach tells the story of the Holbeck area of Leeds, the UK’s first legalised red-light district, where sex workers were able to operate safely with police supervision between 8pm and 6am. This was known as the managed approach.
The performance tells the fictional story of a mother and daughter living in the area at this time, intertwining verbatim interviews with sex workers discussing their experiences operating within it.
The production was intelligently written to draw parallels to the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ of the late 1970s and the ongoing onus on women to protect themselves from men, 50 years on. This manifests in the fractious relationship between mother and daughter that acts as the centrepiece of the performance; the story investigating the domestic, generational responses to the approach, as well as a first hand exposé from the women involved.
The characters are incredibly well developed, with the multiple perspectives blended with thoughtful precision to ensure the performance remains fluid and compelling. The mother-daughter narrative is nuanced and comically relatable, with both performers delivering their decisive perspectives on the approach, leaving the audience to come to their own conclusions regarding the conversation.
Managed Approach is a moving and original exploration of recent events that places the viewer in the heart of something historic.
Managed Approach, Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 24 Aug (not 15), 1.40pm