Preview: They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? at Newcastle People’s Theatre,

You wanna eat tonight?

Then keep dancin’….

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

Newcastle People’s Theatre,

Tuesday 19^th to Saturday 23^rd May 2015

Strictly Ballroom meets Britain’s Got Talent in Ray Herman’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?– a rarely-performed evocation of a 1930s Los Angeles dance marathon where contestants compete for the elusive possibility of fame and fortune.

Steve Robertson as Rocky

Photos: Paula Smart

A shabby Depression-era ballroom serves as a haunting symbol for the struggle for survival as couples are provided with food and shelter for as long as they can keep moving, encouraged by a relentlessly cheerful MC (Steve Robertson, pictured).

  

But beneath the revelry lies a seedy underworld of dark secrets; and those dance hall spectators want blood … 

Horace McCoy’s celebrated 1935 novel is best known via Sydney Pollack’s Oscar-nominated 1969 film, starring Jane Fonda. But requiring a live band and a cast of over 30, this epic tale is notoriously difficult to stage and hasn’t been seen in Newcastle for over 20 years. So we are particularly proud to be bringing this seldom-presented tale back to Tyneside.

Sarah Scott as Gloria

Photos: Paula Smart

Co-directors Tony Childs and Sarah McLane say: “We’ve got a team of 65 working on this show. Most professional companies can’t stage it as it’s simply too expensive and needs such a large cast. We’re lucky enough as a non-professional company to have a stage large enough and a pool of actors strong enough to do it justice. It’s a tremendous piece of theatre - exciting, entertaining and very moving. We can’t wait to get it out there and in front of an audience.”

Tickets:

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? by Ray Herman, adapted from the novel by Horace McCoy at The People’s Theatre, Newcastle from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 May 2015 at 7.30pm.

Tickets: £13.50 (Concessions £11)
Box Office: 0191 265 5020 (option 2) or online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk  

Come and celebrate the launch of the new Meghann Clancy EP 'Lay it on the Line'!

Sunday 31st May, The Cumberland Arms. Doors open at 7.30pm. First up is the absolutely stunning Agerskow, followed by MeghannClancy and band (Liam Gaughan - bass, Danny Ward - drums, Paul Emmett - keys/guitar)

We hope you can make it! See www.facebook.com/events for details of the event. Follow Meghann Clancy on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meghannclancymusic