A play focused on the dangers of spiking written by Lottie Burns, and supported by the conservatoire’s Incubator Fund, is touring around West Yorkshire this October.
Lottie Burns. Photo credit: Tabitha Heidi Brown
Lottie, a 2025 Acting graduate, started work on the play four years ago. Inspired by the sudden increase in spiking cases across the country in 2021, Lottie worked on Aftermath in conjunction with her course and acting commitments.
The play tells the story of young student Layla, whose life is forever altered after she is spiked. It is told through the eyes of her father, David, who has to confront the realities of women’s experiences and the gender double standard.
Lottie told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “I just can’t quite believe it and I’m proud of how far it's come.
“I want to make sure that I do this justice because as much as I’ve been incredibly lucky and haven’t been spiked, it's affected people that I love around me.
“I’m hoping that with this play, we could start to have more conversations - if there’s more awareness then we could hopefully keep people a bit safer.”
The play is produced by Rebel Roots Theatre Company, founded by fellow Acting graduate Tyler Pickles in 2024. A successful Incubator Fund application helped to bring Aftermath to life. The Incubator Fund provides current Leeds Conservatoire students and recent graduates (up to two years post-graduation) with up to £500 in financial support, alongside mentoring and industry guidance, to help turn creative projects or business ventures into reality.
Aftermath runs from 9 to 24 October across several West Yorkshire venues, starting at Bradford’s Theatre in the Mill and ending at The Attic in Leeds, with tickets available on a pay what you can basis.
