His Last Report

Directed by Juliet Forster and Paul Birch

It’s the 1890s, and business is booming at Rowntree’s Cocoa Works in York. A new factory and new products feeding a growing appetite for all things sugary. But in the backstreets and snickleways, life is far from sweet.

As Seebohm Rowntree uncovers and documents the rising tide of York’s poverty, he is pushed into the front line of the battle to provide fair wages, health and education for all, and pulled into a time and world he could never imagine. His vision sows the seeds of the welfare state, flourishing in York into pageants and plays, gymnastics and gardening: wealth and wellbeing for the entire community. Is this what the future looks like?

This summer, York’s residents take to the stage to share an unforgettable local story with national impact. With a large-scale cast and live choir, His Last Report plunges us into an astonishing past and bursts from its pages with searching questions for today.