Preview: The Season Ticket at Newcastle Northern Stage

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The Season Ticket

Newcastle Northern Stage

Friday 23^rd September – Saturday 8^th October 2016

Today Northern Stage held open auditions to find North East talent to star in their new stage adaptation of Purely Belter.  Young actors from all over the North East took a short break from auditions for a kick about on the main stage with writer Lee Mattinson and director Katie Posner.

Photo: North News & Pictures

The Season Ticket is an update on the story that inspired hit British film Purely Belter (FilmFour). Directed by Pilot Theatre’s Associate Director Katie Posner and adapted from Jonathan Tulloch’s novel by Lee Mattinson, it’s a story of friendship, family and football that follows two young lads from the wrong side of the tracks as they try to raise enough money to buy a season ticket for their beloved Newcastle United.

Photo: North News & Pictures

As part of Northern Stage’s commitment to developing and supporting young talent in the region, open auditions for two young North East actors for the lead roles are being held in Newcastle in June. Director Katie Posner explains, “This open workshop audition process is a fantastic opportunity to seek out the extraordinary talent that exists in the North East. I am very much looking forward to uncovering and discovering young actors who are entering the industry and giving them an opportunity to audition for a major role in a well known and loved story.”

Photo: North News & Pictures

Working with Northern Stage for the first time, award-winning writer Lee Mattinson will adapt Jonathan Tulloch’s novel for the stage. Lee’s previous work includes Me and Cilla for BBC Radio 3, Coronation Street for ITV and for stage Snap (Young Vic), Gary Lineker is Gay (Paines Plough), Chalet Lines (Bush Theatre/Live Theatre).

Lee said: “Working on The Season Ticket has been as much of a rollercoaster as a football season and the first time I’ve adapted a novel for the stage.  With a text so rich in landscape and character, the struggle was deciding what to leave out, whilst making it a piece of theatre in and of itself. 

Photo: North News & Pictures

“The novel crackles with such heartfelt dialogue and hopeful determination that Gerry and Sewell’s world was already an incredibly tactile one, an environment that it was a gift to disappear into.  I’m a huge fan of its previous incarnation, Purely Belter and, hopefully, the play is not only a re-telling of this Geordie institution but also a fresh take on what it means to belong in 2016.”

Photo: North News & Pictures

Lorne Campbell, Artistic Director, Northern Stage said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with the multi-award winning Pilot Theatre on a new version of Jonathan Tulloch’s brilliant story by the hugely talented Newcastle-based writer Lee Mattinson. This tale of two lads from the wrong side of the tracks is a funny, human and moving story about the possibility, strength and imagination of young men too often written off by society.”

Photo: North News & Pictures

Full casting will be announced next month. The Season Ticket will go on a national tour after opening at Northern Stage in September including York Theatre Royal, Theatre Royal Winchester and Dundee Rep.

Tickets:

For more information or to book tickets visit www.northernstage.co.uk or call 0191 230 5151.