Thursday 22 January 2026

The Well

Bitterroot

6.45pm—7.05pm

Work-in-progress

A new interactive western about the climate emergency, where the audience holds the power.

Stranded in the heart of the desert, Buck and Duke are desperately searching for a hidden well to quench their thirst. But in this interactive Western, the audience holds the power: every heads or tails decision shapes their next move. As the story unfolds, deeper existential questions emerge  and the consequences of each choice may be far greater than anyone expects.

Bitterroot is a theatre collective founded by Chris Richards (he/him) and Jake Rayner Blair (he/they). Their first piece, If it's to Break, was an atmospheric exploration of the attempt to find self-acceptance through struggles with mental health. After taking the piece on an ACE funded tour, Bitterroot’s attention has been focused on developing the well for the past 2 years. Together they co-write, co-direct and perform in their productions, with Chris composing their sound design and Jake as their lead producer.

Jake has also co-founded the theatre collective Carnifolk, an immersive fantasy theatre group that runs events in Manchester, Bristol and London. Chris helps run Carnifolk in Manchester with Jake and have performed together as a duo at festivals such as Glastonbury and Boomtown. 

Dancer and Puppeteer: Ellie Begley

Presented as part the 2026 Future Flares Festival