Preview: Turning Pages at Newcastle Live Theatre

 

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Live Theatre stages six exciting short plays by young writers from Gateshead and Sunderland

                                            
Turning Pages
Newcastle Live Theatre
Thursday 3^rd – Saturday 5^th December 2015
 

Six young writers aged between 13 to 15 from Furrowfield School in Gateshead and Red House Academy in Sunderland will have their plays performed in the Main Theatre at Live Theatre between Thursday 3^rd and Saturday 5^th December.

The plays were developed in partnership with Live Theatre as part of Write Stuff, a creative writing programme that provides young voices with a platform to share issues that affect their lives. The show promises an eclectic mix of colourful characters and stories with plenty of laughs along the way.

Zoë Whitby, English Co-ordinator at Furrowfield School in Gateshead said:  “Write Stuff is a project that mentally and physically engages young people in the writing process. Writing skills are being developed, confidence is growing and young writers have become totally engaged in a project that they are beginning to drive for themselves. I can’t wait for the end result.”

The plays written by students from Furrowfield School in Gateshead are Doctor Death by Lee Harrison, Soulless and Goalless by Leonnie Lartey and Scary House by Reece Weightman. The plays written by students from Red House Academy in Sunderland are Could It Be A Tuna? by Nathan Beckett, Memories Of The Sea by Amy Connor, and Never Never Land by Lauren Dickson.

Drama workers from Live Theatre visited Furrowfield School and Red House Academy over a series of weeks to deliver workshops covering everything from imagination and improvisation to plot development and how to structure a play. Three pupils from each school were given the opportunity to attend a residency weekend at Live Theatre, where they were supported by professional dramaturgs to produce their short plays.

Following a sold-out script-in-hand performances in Live Theatre’s Studio Theatre earlier this year, these six selected plays have been further developed and rehearsed with professional actors and directors for full productions in the Main Theatre.

Audience members from the script-in-hand performances earlier this year said:  “A fantastic evening. The writing and performances were breath-taking. More of this please!’
‘Inspirational and hard hitting. A great opportunity for the young people’.

Rehearsals for Turning Pages start next week and the cast of professional actors includes: Natalie Jamieson (Michaela’s Mistake), Chris Connel (Wet House), Christina Berriman Dawson (The Bodies), Judi Earl (A Nightingale Sang in Eldon Square), Adam Donaldson (Between the Lines) and Donald McBride (Chalet Lines).

Paul James, Associate Director of Education & Participation at Live Theatre said:  “Turning Pages features a selection of the best short plays that have come through Live Theatre’s flagship writing programme for young people Write Stuff. Performed by a cast of professional actors in the Main Theatre, Turning Pages promises to be an absolutely unmissable event.’

Tickets:
Turning Pages is at Live Theatre, Newcastle from Thursday 3^rd – Saturday 5^th December 2015. Tickets cost £8 with £6 concessions and are available from Live Theatre’s box office on (0191) 232 1232 or online at www.live.org.uk