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Newcastle play is Purely Belter
The
Season Ticket
Newcastle Northern Stage
Until Saturday 8th October 2016
The
Season Ticket is an emotional rollercoaster about 2 young friends how would
love to see their footballing heroes play on the hallowed turf of St James’
Park. They use their cunning to try to raise the necessary funds for a pair of
season tickets. However life is tough for these Gateshead lads in this powerful
production that is a modern kitchen sink drama. The show does much more for
flagging up the reality on our doorsteps than an evening watching Channel 5’s
exploitative so-called documentaries on the poor.
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The cast of The Season Ticket at St James' Park
Photo: North News & Pictures
|
Whilst
adverts say it is based on Mark Herman’s 2000 film Purely Belter there are a number of significant changes to the
plot. Writer Lee Mattinson has gone back to Gateshead-based English
teacher Jonathan Tulloch’s original book (also called The Season Ticket) and created an updated play that works well on
the stage.
It
is May 2015, Steve McClaren is manager of Newcastle United and lifelong best
mates Gerry and Sewell have an ambition to own season tickets to see their team
in the following season. Gerry is still 15 and is a school refuser, seeing his
future in attending the “University of Life” rather than working
hard on his GCSEs. This viewpoint is reinforced by the bullying antics of his
teacher when he does try to attend school.
 |
|
Cast of The Season Ticket
l-r Niek Versteeg Kevin
Wathen
Victoria Elliott and Laila
Zaidi
Photo: Topher McGrillis
|
Gerry’s
sister Claire is in sixth form and is worried about her A level mocks as she’d
like to study English Literature at university. Trying to hold their family
together is mum Dee. The family keep having to move house in order to keep away
from their estranged father. Claire’s twin Bridget has also fled the family
nest. The children are not universally welcoming when locksmith Dan walks into
their life and becomes Dee’s friend with benefits.
 |
Laila Zaidi as Gemma and
Niek Versteeg as Gerry
Photo: Topher McGrillis |
Gerry’s
best mate Sewell has taken to eating lots of comfort food since a family
tragedy. He fancies a girl called Gemma from Gerry’s school but she seems more
interested in a fitter sportier lad at the school.
 |
|
Cast of The Season Ticket
l-r Niek Versteeg Kevin
Wathen
Victoria Elliott and Will Graham
Photo: Topher McGrillis
|
The
lad’s money making schemes seem to rely on ‘twocing’
(taking without consent). So they try to burgle a house to find cash and steal
from shops in order to get goods to sell in order to raise funds for their
scheme. Perhaps their most audacious scheme is to steal Gerry’s father’s
football memorabilia in order to try to pass it off as former Newcastle United
star Paul Gascoigne’s.
 |
Director Katie Posner and
Writer Lee Mattinson at St James' Park
Photo: North News & Pictures
|
Director
Katie Posner has created a lively show that does not condone the poor behaviour
of the characters. The audience will struggle not to feel empathy for the
predicament that the families find themselves in. In a number of funny moments, the audience
laugh with the characters rather than at them most of the time. By the time the
play finishes it is difficult not to be moved by what you’ve just witnessed.
 |
Will Graham as Sewell and
Niek Versteeg as Gerry
Photo: Topher McGrillis
|
The
roles of Gerry and Sewell are well cast. Will Graham is loveable as Sewell and
it is easy to see why Dee looks after him almost as much as her own
family. Niek Vesteeg has to combine much
of the narration with playing the lead character. Like Michael Caine in the
film Alfie, he has mastered the skill of talking to each member of the audience
as an individual before snapping back into dialogue with the rest of the cast. It is easy to like Gerry the person, even
though his behaviour is often criminal.
Victoria
Elliott and Kevin Wathen appeared together in Northern Stage’s production of Get Carter (NETG Review: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/review-get-carter-at-newcastle-northern.html)
and their chemistry works well together again as matriarchal Dee and her
partner Dan.
Playing
both sister Claire and school friend Gemma is Laila Zaidi. She is convincing as
the older sister who is struggling to achieve something for herself against the
odds.
 |
|
Joe Caffrey as Terry
McCarten +
Niek Versteeg as Gerry
McCarten
Photo: Topher McGrillis
|
Joe
Caffrey, who was phenomenal as the hopeless drunk Dinger in the award winning
Live Theatre production of Wet House
(NETG Review: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/review-wet-house-at-newcastle-live.html)
returns as numerous characters. Joe is highly versatile as he appears as the
helpful member of staff at Waterstones bookshop, the Education Welfare Officer
trying to bribe Gerry to return to school and the Fenwicks department store
security officer. It is in his devastating role as Gerry’s father that one will
remember him most.
A
minor concern with the production that, on occasions, it sometimes took a while
to realise that the same actor was now playing a different character rather
than appearing in a different outfit as it is another day.
 |
Will Graham as Sewell
Photo: Topher McGrillis |
The
set, designed by Jean Chan, was clever and worked well in helping the story to
unfold. The combination of Alexandra Stafford’s lighting and use by sound
designer James Frewer of the wonderful Dance
of the Knights by Sergei Prokofiev meant it was easy for the audience to
realise the action had moved to the Stadium of Light.
Renny
Krupinski has put together a number of tight fight sequences that often left
one flinching as one character attacked the other.
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Will Graham as Sewell and
Niek Versteeg as Gerry at St James' Park
Photo: North News & Pictures
|
The
Season Ticket is a great drama. Coving friendship, hardship, love and the need
for hope, it explores the human condition. A great cast deliver a striking show
that leaves a lasting impression.
This review was written by Stephen Oliver the North
East Theatre Guide – follow Stephen at @panic_c_button
Read
the North East Theatre Guide preview: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/preview-season-ticket-at-newcastle.html
Tickets:
The Season Ticket comes to Newcastle
Northern Stage from Until Saturday 8th 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.
The
show then goes on tour:
York
Theatre Royal 12th – 15th October 2016 https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/event/The_Season_Ticket.php#.V--Ps8kYHMI
Winchester
Theatre Royal 20th – 22nd October 2016 http://www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/the-season-ticket/
Dundee
Rep 25th – 27th October 2016 http://www.dundeerep.co.uk/event/theseasonticket
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