JADE LEWIS is one of the rising stars of British theatre. A talented director and writer who has won many plaudits for her work. Starting her career at the Young Vic, Jade went on to direct acclaimed plays at the Gate and Bush theatres in London.

Earlier this month she won an Olivier for her show Sleepova. She’s now taking on US playwright Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play SWEAT at the Royal Exchange theatre Manchester. I caught up with her on the eve of the Press Night.

What strikes you about Jade is her class-consciousness. From a working-class family, she is passionate about giving prominent voice to working-class communities in theatre spaces across the country.

When the opportunity to direct SWEAT presented itself she jumped at it. For her Nottage’s play is the epitome of what theatre should be.

She admires the fact that the play is openly proud about working-class identity and goes on to expose the crushing weight of capitalism’s dash for profit, on families, friends and communities.

(L to R) Carla Henry as Cynthia, Pooky Quesnel as Tracey, Kate Kennedy as Jessie and Jonathan Kerrigan as Stan in SWEAT - Photo: Helen Murray

Although set in Reading, Pennsylvania, Lewis sees strong parallels with Manchester. Like Reading, Manchester was once a thriving industrial city which has seen its working class communities decimated as capitalism shifts production to cheaper places around the world.

She highlights other parallels with today, in particular how corporate greed drives the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.  

SWEAT is a complex and multilayered play. Aside from the class nature of the work, Nottage is not shy about confronting racism head on. She gives it to you straight, even allowing characters to spew some gut wrenching language. This can be challenging for the director, actors and audience.

As a director, Lewis recognises her responsibility to ensure the authenticity of the voices remains but, at the same time, shows how racism and the weaponising of racism by the ruling class divides workers and diverts attention from the real causes of their misery.

For Lewis, showing the impact on black, white and latino characters is essential. Early on in rehearsals she brought in mezze eade, a diversity and inclusive associate at Regent Park Theatre Ltd, to help ground the artists’ understanding of racism and anti-racism.

mezze explained the importance of how language and vocabulary are used to discuss and investigate racism. Lewis is confident this approach will ensure that audiences understand the reality of racism and its toxic, destructive power.

SWEAT is an urgent, powerful and important play. Despite the grim reality of a dying steel city and the fallout in the working-class community there is still some hope for the future.

Lewis sees the importance of leaving an audience with the sense that life isn’t hopeless, that we can change things for the better. She hopes people will leave the theatre not only discussing the issues raised by the play and perhaps asking themselves how they can make a difference.

Finally we spoke of the importance of the arts to help the process of inspiring change.

Jade laments the year on year cuts to arts funding which sees less and less opportunities for new talent to break through. She recently gave a talk to school kids on the value of theatre and yet the school had  axed their drama department to save money.

For her, this destruction of our cultural heritage is “a sin against humanity.” She believes that “politicians are not interested in funding or resourcing the arts.” “They don’t see culture as serving the economy.” “For them money is the only driver that matters.”  

Jade Lewis is an impressive young director. As a passionate and courageous black woman director she will surely be an inspiration to many young people wanting to make a difference and create a better world through art and culture.

SWEAT runs until May 25 2024. Box office 0161 833 9833, www.royalexchange.co.uk