Managed Approach is a semi-verbatim play that reflects upon the UK’s first legalised red-light district. It comes to London in mid-April 2026. I spoke with writer and co-lead Jules Coyle to find out more about this show.
“From 2014–2020, a local government initiative known as the Managed Approach permitted sex workers to operate under certain regulations in Holbeck, Leeds. Exploring the community’s divided response, Managed Approach follows a mother and daughter’s evolving relationship as they navigate their newfound responsibilities of living in this red-light district.
Their story is interwoven with verbatim testimonies taken from impacted sex workers. Jules Coyle (writer, co-lead) conducted these interviews to highlight the realities of modern sex work and amplify the most relevant—yet most often marginalised—voices of the Managed Approach.”
Where: Riverside Studios
When: 13-15 Apr 2026
Ticket link: https://riversidestudios.co.uk/whats-on/Mk-managed-approach
Managed Approach was a key initiative in the support of sex workers from 2014 in Holbeck, Leeds. Now it has become a semi-verbatim play. Why did you decide on this subject?
Managed Approach actually came about when I was asked to write a piece of drama for my degree. When I arrived at university, I was really struck by the knowledge gap between southerners and northern news, including the Managed Approach. Having grown up in Leeds and subsequently lived there as a teenager during the Approach, the topic naturally dominated early “serious” discussions I had with my family and friends. It was a topic I assumed everyone was familiar with.
So when I was tasked to write a piece of drama, the Managed Approach immediately came to mind as a story I wanted to platform. I guess I also followed the cliché saying of ‘writewhat you know’. Alongside the central verbatim elements of the play, the dialogue between the lead mother and daughter really allowed me to pull upon personal conversations I had with my own Mum. Ultimately, the subject matter ended up going beyond just the Managed Approach and sex workers; rather, it became the play’s central issue to open wider conversations about womanhood, responsibility and relationships.
I lived in Leeds for over a decade, and was there during the period of MA’s operation. At that time, there seemed to be a shift towards a compassionate view of women on the street. Would you agree, and since MA’s demise in 2020, has that perception changed at all?
The Approach was really useful in humanising the women who operated on the streets… but, as with any initiative of its kind, their lawful protection also encouraged a lot of animosity. The Managed Approach was a really divisive topic in the area, implicating women and girls who were not sex workers in a conversation that many would rather be excluded from. But,
as the play’s verbatim elements show, the Managed Approach was also really beneficial in attempting to protect the women who operated on the streets.
Since the demise of the Managed Approach, sex work still happens in the area. The unfortunate reality is that these women are no longer protected by the policy. I hope that living in the policy’s shadow has changed attitudes to the sex workers of Holbeck, but I fear that certain people will always disagree with their presence in the area.
Ultimately, I think the debates around the Managed Approach were productive in attempting to holistically consider the issue, yet too often the voices of actual sex workers were excluded.
Within Managed Approach, I made a commitment to tell these women’s stories with their own words; it is this ongoing process of amplifying their voices that will give the best answer to how sex work in the area is perceived today.
When you set up your interviews with the sex workers impacted by the initiative, were they welcomed or did you experience any pushback in making this a drama?
When I began writing the play, it was important to approach the subject with a broad and balanced understanding of the debate surrounding the Managed Approach. Speaking with Holbeck residents and individuals whose work had been directly affected by the policy was invaluable. I didn’t want these conversations to feel like formal interviews, but rather open, honest exchanges– moments of shared reflection.
The insights I gained from these interactions, alongside my own experience of growing up in the area, shaped the work in meaningful ways. Beyond their creative impact, those conversations were generous, thoughtful and deeply appreciated, and I remain very grateful to those who shared their time and stories with me.
Sex workers are often disregarded in terms of their safety and choices, even now. How did MA start the ball rolling for a different, official perspective, and has it proved a positive initiative?
Leeds is a city with a rich history relating to women’s safety. As the play explores, the city was also home to the first ‘Reclaim the Night’ march in light of the Yorkshire Ripper. This took place in 1977. I mention this here and deliberately include it in the play to illustrate that the Managed Approach was not an isolated event in Leeds’ history for women’s safety.
The Managed Approach picked up this legacy, continuing to attempt a near-impossible task of protecting women from dangerous men– a demographic who continually prove that their free-will can trump any policy, regardless of their consequences. What the Managed Approach did do, however, was platform the discussion in a manner that encouraged open interaction. No longer a taboo topic, the Managed Approach allowed conversations of sex work to reach mainstream news, albeit with a largely northern bias.
As you say, the ball began rolling again, but this time with overt encouragement from local government bodies. Leading with concern for the safety of sex workers was a beneficial step. Still, as the play’s verbatim elements highlight, the theoretical enforcement and actual enactment of policy are two separate concepts. Just because a policy was put in place didn’t mean that all men adhered to it. Ultimately, I consider the Managed Approach a positive step in its attempt to foreground women’s safety, yet I fear no initiative could be wholly positive in direct practice.
What do you hope audiences will take away from your play, and how would you sell it to them in one sentence?
Above all else, I hope that audiences leave the theatre both moved and informed. This is a truly tender, raw piece of drama that spans various themes, perspectives, and generations. The play’s key takeaway, for me, is the very real, palpable power of empathy. Distilled to a sentence, I would sell the play as: ‘a love-letter to women of all kinds, but especially the strong, northern women of Leeds’.