LIFE OUT THERE to Make Debut at Jodrell Bank Observatory With Ransack Theatre

Award-winning Manchester-based company Ransack Theatre has announced the first performance dates for Life Out There, a new sci-fi drama written by Bruntwood Prize-winning playwright Tim Foley.

Co-commissioned through ThickSkin Theatre's Supported Artist Programme, Life Out There will premiere at Lowry, Salford from 1-4 July 2026 before performances at The Engine Room, Wigan from 6-9 July and a special presentation at the iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory on 16 July, where the play will be reimagined as a live radio drama beneath spectacular star projections in the Space Dome. Tickets for all performances are now on sale.

A desperate mission. An untested crew. A long shot no one expects to work. Somewhere far beyond Earth, a barely-functional spacecraft drifts on a mission most people have already written off. The real scientists are doing the real work back home. Sent into the void: whoever's left.

Clarke wants to get back. Baby won't leave the ship. Witney is staying away from their mother. They were never meant to be astronauts. But they are what's out there.

When something goes wrong in the silence of space, the crew are forced into a decision far bigger than they're prepared for: a choice not just about survival, but about what kind of future is worth chasing across the galaxy.

Written by Tim Foley, Life Out There is a sharp, funny and quietly horrifying new sci-fi drama exploring the ethics of space exploration, human selfishness, and the fragile hope that humanity can still change.

Tim Foley said, “I'm delighted to be working on a brand new show with Ransack Theatre. With our amazing cast and crew, we're taking to the stars and telling an epic story for our times. I'm particularly thrilled to be working with Jodrell Bank, who are at the forefront in the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. Our work with them will culminate in an exclusive performance on-site. How cool is that!"

For one night only at Jodrell Bank, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the UK's largest radio telescope, Life Out There will be reimagined as a live radio play performed inside the spectacular Space Dome beneath star projections and cinematic sound design by Manchester-based sound designer and composer Patch Middleton.

Directed by Artistic Director of Ransack Theatre, Piers Black, the production marks the second collaboration between the company and Tim Foley following their previous production Jurassic, described by The Guardian as “a dotty delight”.

The cast features Sophie Steer as Witney, recently seen as Miranda in The Tempest at Shakespeare's Globe, Samuel Gosrani (Romeo & Juliet, Bristol Old Vic and Hackney Empire) as River, BRIANNA DOUGLAS (Noughts and Crosses, Pilot Theatre) as Baby, and Alastair Michael (Silent Witness, BBC) as Clarke.

The creative team bringing this sci-fi world to life includes movement director Chi-San Howard (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, West End; Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors, National Theatre), Linbury Prize-winning set and Costume Designer Milla Clarke (English National Opera, Royal Court), lighting designer Alex Fernandes (Royal Court, Hampstead Theatre) and creative captioner/video designer SR (Shakespeare's Globe, Donmar Warehouse).

Need more UK Regional Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...