Spring 2017 at Northern
Stage
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| Queens of the North |
Spring
at Northern Stage features ambitious new productions made in Newcastle alongside new work from
some of the UK’s most exciting and
innovative theatre companies. Plus comedy, dance, family shows and an eclectic
programme in the newly transformed Stage 3 performance space.
Queens of the North - a season of stories by
women, about women, told through the eyes of women - launches with two headline
co-productions from Northern Stage and Greyscale.
 |
| Dr
Frankenstein |
The
first is based on one of the greatest novels in the English language; Dr
Frankenstein opens at Northern Stage (3 Feb - 11 March) before touring.
Following the story of a brilliant, visionary young woman born into a world not
ready for her, Dr Victoria Frankenstein’s scientific experiments lead her to
the very brink of human knowledge in Selma Dimitrijevic’s
psychologically disturbing version of Mary Shelley’s classic drama, di-rected
by Northern Stage Artistic Director, Lorne Campbell.
 |
| Hedda Gabler |
The
second is a new adaptation of Hedda Gabler (16 Feb - 8 March) written
and directed by Greyscale Artis-tic Director, Selma Dimitrijevic. Often mistaken for a love
story, Ibsen’s masterpiece - possibly the greatest stage role ever written for
a woman - is actually a funny, shocking and powerful exploration of the nature
of identity, and the desperation and absurdity of trying to be something you’re
not.
Played
on the same stage and performed by a 7-strong ensemble, both shows will be
designed by Tom Piper MBE.
Earlier this year, Piper worked with former Northern Stage
Artistic Director Erica Whyman on A Mid-summer Night’s Dream for the
Royal Shakespeare Company, and won critical acclaim for his Poppies:
Weep-ing Window installation with artist Paul Cummins which opened at the Tower of London in 2014 before tour-ing
nationally. The ensemble are Polly Frame (The Odyssey, English
Touring Theatre) who will play Dr Victo-ria Frankenstein, Victoria Elliott (Get
Carter, Northern Stage) who will play Hedda Gabler, Ed Gaughan (The
Birthday Party, Royal Exchange), Donald McBride (Pitmen Painters,
Live Theatre), Libby Davison (The Bill, ITV), Scott
Turnbull (Gods Are Fallen And All Safety Gone, Greyscale) and Rachel
Denning (The Vote, Donmar
Warehouse).
 |
| East is East |
Returning
to his native North East before directing the world premiere of Ravi Shankar’s
only opera, Sukanya, Suba Das directs a new production of the
Olivier Award-winning comedy that became a BAFTA-winning film, East is East (18
April - 13 May) in a Northern Stage/Nottingham Playhouse co-production.
 |
| Leaving |
From
the writer of the critically-acclaimed Wet House (Live Theatre), Paddy
Campbell’s new play Leaving (23 Feb - 4 March) draws on his own
experience of working in a children’s home as well as taking inspiration from
two real life stories of people who have been through the care system in a new
Curious Monkey pro-duction directed by Amy Golding and developed at Northern
Stage.
 |
| The Wedding |
Visiting
companies include Gecko, who return to Newcastle with brand new show;
created by the company’s artistic director, Amit Lahav, The Wedding (30
March - 1 April) opens at Northern Stage before touring. Ac-claimed theatre
company Cardboard Citizens presents Cathy (16-17 January) - a
powerful and emotive show, provoking discussion and debate, inspired by Ken
Loach’s pioneering drama, Cathy Come Home. Pilot Theatre are back
with The Machine Stops (30 March) - EM Forster’s short story masterpiece
published in 1909 is astoundingly prophetic and poignant in 2017: a chilling
prediction and exploration of our increasingly complex relationship with
technology. And hot on the heels of critically acclaimed 2015 and 2016 tours, groundbreaking
learning-disability theatre company Mind the Gap present Contained (4-6
May) - a vibrant, compelling and personal production of nine interwoven true
stories of the everyday and the extraordinary.
 |
| BalletBoyz |
For
dance fans, following a triumphant premiere in London, BalletBoyz are
back with Life. (6-8 April) featur-ing work by internationally acclaimed
choreographers; and Mark Murphy’s V-Tol: Out of This World (26-27 May)
combines Murphy’s signature mix of aerial choreography with projected film and
explosive special ef-fects.
 |
| The Twits |
For
families, children aged 6+ will be treated to a mischievous new production of Roald
Dahl’s The Twits (21-25 March) from Curve, Leicester. While for younger
children there’s a topsy-turvy re-telling of The Elves and the Shoemaker (20-22
April) for children aged 4+; the timeless classic The Very Hungry
Caterpillar (18-19 May), and Dinosaur World (1-3 June) featuring
remarkably life-like puppets, both for children aged 3+; and every first
Saturday of the month, Chris Bostock, The Storyteller, captivates
children aged 4-8 with tales of discovery and dreaming, with plenty of
participation thrown in.
 |
| Jonny & the Baptists |
After
a short break to redevelop Northern Stage’s most intimate performance space,
the Stage 3 programme is back with an eclectic mix of theatre, music, comedy,
spoken word, poetry and scratch nights including one of comedy’s most exciting
rising stars, Rachel Willan: On Record (9 March); a riotous new musical
comedy about inequality, Jonny & the Baptists: Eat the Poor (28-29
March); and 2016 Fringe First award-winners Kieran Hurley: Heads Up (11-12
April) and Sh!t Theatre: Letters to Windsor House (3 May).
 |
| Susan Calman |
Plus,
live comedy from some of the UK’s best stand-ups
including new shows from Mark Thomas (16 March), Andrew Lawrence (2
February), Dr Phil Hammond (15 February) and Susan Calman (6
March).
Tickets:
