Preview: Season Ticket at Newcastle Northern Stage

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New signings for Newcastle

The Season Ticket

Newcastle Northern Stage

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

An update on the story that inspired the hit film Purely Belter. A play about love and friendship, hardship and the priceless currency of hope. It’s very funny, very sad and utterly convincing.

The Season Ticket is coming to Newcastle’s Northern Stage in Spetember. 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.

Will Graham and Niek Versteeg celebrate

 being cast outside St James' Park

Photo: North News & Pictures

As part of Northern Stage’s commitment to developing and supporting young talent in the region, two young North East actors have been cast in the lead roles. 22 year old Niek Versteeg from CBBC’s Wolfblood from Newcastle and 26 year old Will Graham from Chester-le-Street who has appeared in BBC series including Boy Meets Girl, Inspector George Gently and Tracey Beaker Returns.

They will be joined by Victoria Elliott (Get Carter, Northern Stage), Joe Caffrey (Wet House, Live Theatre), Kevin Wathen (Get Carter, Northern Stage) and Laila Zaidi (West Side Story, Kilworth House).

Director Katie Posner and

Writer Lee Mattinson at St James' Park

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).

The cast of The Season Ticket at St James' Park

Photo: North News & Pictures

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. The book crackles with such heartfelt dialogue and hopeful determination that Gerry and Sewell’s world 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.”

The cast of The Season Ticket at St James' Park

Photo: North News & Pictures

Katie Posner, Director said: “I believe the greatest gift we as a society can offer our young people is hope. A belief that their future can be as bright as they can imagine. However, like the fortunes of the football team our story revolves around, sometimes these dreams are checked by the harshness of reality.“

The Season Ticket is based on a novel about a pair of boys who become men as our tale unfolds. Set in Gateshead it explores the forgotten voices of two young people and how their love of Newcastle United offers them a sense of hope and belonging that is missing in their lives.

Will Graham as Sewell and

Niek Versteeg as Gerry at St James' Park

Photo: North News & Pictures

“As Associate Director for Pilot Theatre I feel excited to collaborate with Northern Stage on this uplifting and heartfelt tale of trying to overcome the odds when the world seems set against you. It's my

third collaboration with the writer Lee Mattinson, who, being a local playwright, brings an authentic voice to the drama. I, for one, can't wait for the kick off.”

After opening at Northern Stage The Season Ticket will tour from October to York Theatre Royal, Theatre Royal Winchester and Dundee Rep.

Tickets:

The Season Ticket comes to Newcastle Northern Stage from Friday 23^rd September – Saturday 8^th October 2016. Tickets from £15.50

Recommended age: 14+

Book online at www.northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/the-season-ticket or call 0191 230 5151.

Preview: The 56 at Newcastle Live Theatre

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“Nobody dies in football matches in fires.  It doesn’t happen.”

The 56

Newcastle Live Theatre

Tuesday 6^th – Wednesday 7^th September 2016

With the new football season well under way Live Theatre will be kicking off September by presenting Lung Theatre’s award-winning play The 56 - a look at one of the darkest days in football history on Tuesday 6^th and Wednesday 7^th September.

At 3.40pm on 11 May 1985 Bradford City Football Club were supposed to be celebrating receiving the Division Three championship trophy – their first trophy in 56 years – in front of 11,000 jubilant fans before the start of their match against Lincoln City.

Photo: Joe Priestley

Instead it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. A small fire broke out in the main stand at Valley Parade stadium.  Within four minutes, the wooden structure was ablaze. Using over sixty real-life testimonies this bold and pertinent piece of documentary theatre pays homage to the 56 supporters who lost their lives and more than 250 who were injured and examines the solidarity, strength and community in the face of overwhelming tragedy.

Photo: Joe Priestley

Gez Casey, literary manager at Live Theatre said:  “This incredible play was a huge hit when it premiered at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014 where it played to sell-out audiences before returning in 2015, the 30^th anniversary of the disaster.  With a strong tradition of presenting work featuring real-life testimonies and a region steeped in football tradition we are delighted to be able to give audiences at Live Theatre the chance to see this captivating production. The 56 is a show for football fans everywhere.”

Matt Woodhead, director of The 56 and LUNG Theatre added:  “Our hope with The 56 was to preserve the memories of survivors and witnesses of the Bradford City Stadium disaster and introduce new and particularly younger audiences to this cornerstone in northern history.  Using the words of real people our aim was to create a piece that was dramatic in nature whilst preserving the integrity of people’s testimonies. 

Photo: Joe Priestley

“One of the recurring themes that came up during the many interviews carried out was how, in times of adversity, the Football Club and local community came together.  The 56 looks at the aftermath of the fire and how, over 30 years later, this community is still thriving.” 

In 2009 Live Theatre presented You Couldn’t Make It Up and You Really Couldn’t Make It Up which saw father and son writing team Michael and Tom Chaplin use a mixture of testimony material and speculative imagining to shed light on life at St James Park during its tumultuous 2008/9 season before the club was last relegated to the Championship.

All profits of The 56 will be donated to the University of Bradford Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit.

Tickets:

DATES: Tues 6 & Wed 7 Sept, 7.30pm

LOCATION: Main Theatre

DURATION: 1hr 15mins

SUITABILITY: 13+

TICKETS: £14-£10, over 60s concs £12, other concs £6

For more information about what’s coming up at Live Theatre and to book tickets contact the box office on (0191) 232 1232 or visit www.live.org.uk

Wednesday 7 September, 9pm

The 56 – Meet the Cast and Creative Team

Join actors Tom Lodge, Danielle Phillips and Will Taylor and co-writer and director Matt Woodhead as they discuss the making of the play.

DATE: Wed 7 Sept, 9pm

LOCATION: Main Theatre

DURATION: Approx. 40mins

SUITABILITY: 13+

TICKETS: Free, booking essential

Preview: Aladdin at Whitley Bay Playhouse

100 Days Until Panto!

Blue Genie Entertainment presents

Aladdin

Whitley Bay Playhouse

Monday 5^th December 2016 – Monday 2nd January 2017

Shane Lynch

This Saturday marks 100 days until Aladdin begins its run at the Playhouse…and tickets are selling fat! Playhouse Marketing Executive, Sophie Flanagan, said: “Our Christmas Pantomime keeps breaking records year on year, and with the addition of Boyzone hunk Shane Lynch to Aladdin we can see this will be our most successful Pantomime yet. We are very excited for the winter season and advise customers to book soon to avoid disappointment.”

Charlotte Chinn

Joining Boyzone’s Shane Lynch as Abanazar, Playhouse favourite Steve Walls playing Wishee Washee, and the returning Charlotte Chinn as Princess Jasmine, will be Sam Ebenezer as Aladdin, comedy duo Short & Curly (Rebecca Shorrocks and Paul F Taylor) as the Peking Police, Grant Flanagan as Widow Twankey, and local actress Georgia Nicholson as the Genie!

With stunning sets, glittering costumes, and plenty of audience participation, Aladdin promises to be the most spectacular pantomime ever!

Book now to secure your favourite seats!

Tickets

Steve Walls

Tickets costing from £14 are on sale now.

Tickets are available from the Box Office open Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm, Saturday 10.30am – 2.30pm plus until show start on event days. Tickets can also be purchased on the booking hotline 0844 248 1588* or online at www.playhousewhitleybay.co.uk.

*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

Preview: Arts Centre Washington’s Autumn season

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Arts Centre Washington’s Autumn season has a delicious assortment of shows to appeal to all tastes!

Including magic time travellers and marvellous  moustaches, reforming bands and extraordinary tales of super-fandom, a sorcerer’s apprentice and a super spy granny!

There is theatre, music, comedy and art for everyone!

Highlights of the theatre programme include: 

Letters to Myself.

A heart-warming and humorous show created from letters written by real people, Letters to Myself is a look at the best advice we never had.
 

Theatre meets gig in Fans by The Six Twenty. Based on people’s love affair with music, Fans fuses together fan confessions (and some not so true stories) with scripted drama. 

 

Unfolding Theatre present Putting the band Back Together, which is part riotous gig, part tender storytelling, featuring Ross Millard (The Futureheads), Maria Crocker (The Letter Room) and Alex Elliott (Northern Stage), the cast reveal the epic emotions within people’s relationships with music.  The show will mark the launch Sunderland Stages 2016.

Through documentary film and eye witness testimony, combined with evocative music and movement, Chernobyl@30 by Théâtre Sans Frontières travels between Ukraine and the UK as the consequences of the accident unfold.

Under the Bed is an adult fairy tale told using performance, music, live animation and film by the 154 Collective. The show is about childhood trauma and what happens when nightmares are indistinguishable from reality.

 

Unlimited Theatre presents Am I Dead Yet? A musical comedy cabaret… about death!  Filled with stories and songs about death and dying and about how we don’t talk about it enough.

 

Fish Eye is a dark comedy about nosiness gone wild.  A nosey neighbour takes things too far when she starts spying on the people on her street!  The show is by Devon based Theatre Alibi who are renowned for creating exciting and imaginative work for all ages.

Key Change, an award winning play based on the real life stories of women in prison.   Written and made in the North East by Open Clasp the show has most recently been performed in New York where it won the prestigious New Your Times Critics Pick!

As ever the centre has a fantastic programme of theatre for children and families, such as:

Penguin! Elephant! by Goblin is a hilarious new children’s show about celebrating differences for anyone who’s ever waddled like a Penguin or stomped like an Elephant. With original songs, hilarious physical comedy and dance the show is suitable for children aged 3+.

 

Featuring an original music score, playful interaction and lots of laughs, Molly’s Marvellous Moustache is a new theatrical adaptation by Fidget Theatre of the original storybook, written by Andrea Heaton and illustrated by Talya Baldwin.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice where a young boy fulfils his dream when he meets a real life wizard!  Blunderbus presents this delightful new show which comes to life with an irresistible blend of music, puppetry and storytelling. There’s also an enchanting toy shop setting filled with all sorts of magical surprises!

There is also plenty of comedy, music and magic including time travelling magic duo Morgan and West who present an incredible show chock full of jaw-dropping, brain-bursting, gasp-eliciting feats of magic. Stand Up Comedy is also in plentiful supply with The Grinning Idiot Comedy Club and the return of the highly contentious New York Comic Lewis Schaffer.

Tickets:
For more information on these or any other event visit www.artscentrewashington.co.uk or call 0191 5613455

Letters to Myself
Thursday 8 September, 7.30pm,
Heart-warming and humorous theatre created from letters written by real people, Letters to Myself is a look at the best advice we never had.
£8.50 / £6 (online) / £9.50 / £7 (box office)

Fans
Thursday 15 + Friday 16 September, 7.30pm,
Theatre meets gig. Based on people’s love affair with music, Fans fuses together fan confessions (and some not so true stories) with scripted drama.
£8.50 / £6 (online) / £9.50 / £7 (box office)

Preview: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/preview-fans-on-tour.html

Putting the Band Back Together
Thursday 22 September, 7.30pm,
Part riotous gig, part tender storytelling, Ross Millard (The Futureheads), Maria Crocker (Frantic Assembly) and Alex Elliott (Northern Stage) reveal the epic emotions within people’s relationships with music.

Review: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/review-bringing-band-back-together-in.html

Chernobyl @ 30
Thursday 29 September, 7.30pm,
Through documentary film and eye witness testimony, combined with evocative music and movement, Chernobyl@30 travels between Ukraine and the UK as the consequences of the accident unfold.
£8.50 / £6 (online) / £9.50 / £7 (box office)

 

John Fothergill + Kate Lucas + Dean Moore + MC George Zach
Friday 30 September, Doors 7.30pm, first act 8.30pm
The Grinning Idiot Comedy Club presents some of the best stand up comedians on the circuit
Tickets £10,

Penguin! Elephant!
Saturday 1 October, 11am + 2pm,

With original songs, hilarious physical comedy and dance, Penguin! Elephant! is a magical new children’s show about celebrating differences for anyone who’s ever waddled like a Penguin or stomped like an Elephant. For children aged 3+
Tickets £6.50 / £22 (family, admits 4)

Under the Bed
Thursday 6 October, 7.30pm,
A grown up fairytale told using performance, music, live animation and film. Under the Bed is a compelling new play about childhood trauma and what happens when nightmares are indistinguishable from reality.

£8.50 / £6 (online) / £9.50 / £7 (box office)

Morgan & West – Parlour Tricks
Saturday 15 October, 7.30pm,
Prepare to be amazed!  Time travelling magic duo Morgan and West present an incredible show chock full of jaw-dropping, brain-bursting, gasp-eliciting feats of magic.!
tickets £8.50 / £6 (conc)

Molly’s Marvellous Moustache
Tuesday 18 October, 10.30am + 1.30pm,
Featuring an original music score, playful interaction and lots of laughs, Molly’s Marvellous Moustache is a new theatrical adaptation of the original storybook, written by Andrea Heaton and illustrated by Talya Baldwin. For children aged 3+
Tickets £6.50 / £22 (family, admits 4)
 

Lewis Schaffer is Free until Famous
Saturday 22 October, 7.30pm,
The contentious New York comic returns!
This event is free of charge, a voluntary contribution is asked for at the end.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Thursday 27 October, 11am + 2pm,
This delightful new show comes to life with an irresistible blend of music, puppetry and storytelling. There’s also an enchanting toy shop setting filled with all sorts of magical surprises! For children aged 3+
Tickets £6.50 / £22 (family, admits 4)


Am I Dead Yet?
Thursday 10 November, 7.30pm,
A musical comedy cabaret… about death!  Filled with stories and songs about death and dying and about how we don’t talk about it enough.

£8.50 / £6 (online) / £9.50 / £7 (box office)

Fish Eye
Thursday 17 November, 7.30pm,
A dark comedy about nosiness gone wild…  A nosey neighbour takes things too far when she starts spying on the people on her street!

£8.50 / £6 (online) / £9.50 / £7 (box office)

Key Change
Saturday 26 November, 7.30pm
Award winning play based on the real life stories of women in prison
£8.50 / £6 (online) / £9.50 / £7 (box office)
www.artscentrewashington.co.uk / 0191 561 3455