Preview: Mr Corvan's Music Hall On tour

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After the success of Hadaway Harry, it's time for the first North East singer/songwriting superstar to take a bow!

Mr Corvan's Music Hall

On tour across the North East

Thursday 25^th - Saturday 10^th June 2017

Following his standing ovation successes in London and Newcastle Theatre Royal about rowing superstar Harry Clasper with Hadaway Harry, top North East playwright Ed Waugh has his creative sights on another forgotten working class superstar, Ned Corvan. 

Wisecrack Productions will present Mr Corvan's Music Hall, a stage play about the incredible life of, and containing the sadly neglected music of, Ned Corvan (1827-1865), the first professional North East singer/songwriter.

Based on the authoritative, new autobiography (Cat-Gut Jim) of Ned by renowned historian Dave Harker and with the musical input of Benny Graham (Pitman  Poets) and Johnny Handle (folk superstar), the show will bring to life 20 of Ned's brilliant songs against a backdrop of a dramatic, funny but tragic story.

Ed explained: "When I read Dave's book and heard Ned's songs I was blown away. This is a brilliant, dramatic and inspirational story. That's why we have been able to attract director Gareth Tudor Price, who boasts Hull Truck and West End credits, two of the top actors in the North East - Jamie Brown and Chris Connel, and landed a major coup with former Bellowhead violinist Rachael McShane."

Jamie Brown

Jamie Brown was the star of Hadaway Harry and we said of the showthat it was “well written, superbly actedand very engaging, it is no surprise that many of the Theatre Royal audiencewere on their feet at the end. Indeed, dear reader, this was one of those rareshows in which we found ourselves on our feet too.” 

Chris Connel

Chris Connel was recently in Each Piece at Live Theatre and he will also be remembered from the equally powerful Wet House.

Anti-establishment to the last, Ned wrote and performed songs that had resonance with working class people and that are still relevant today: Rise in  Small Coals (the energy companies putting up their prices to increase profits); Toon Improvement Bill (he didn't rate local representatives); Sword Dancers Lament (the depressed economy); Seaman's Strike (people working longer hours with no pay rise so bosses can maintain profits); Astrilly (workers emigrating to Australia, hoping for a better life).

Rachael McShane

Ned also championed women (Factory Lass, Cullercoats Fish Lass), celebrated local rowing hero Bob Chambers (Chambers and White), chronicled local events (Fire on the Quay) and took the mickey (Gannin to be a Keelman, The Pitman and the Kippered Herring).

The show, which will premiere at the Gala Theatre, Durham, from Thursday, May 25, to Saturday 27, will then tour the North East region, calling in at Whitley Bay Playhouse, Berwick Maltings, Westovian Theatre (South Shields), Alun Armstrong Theatre (Stanley), Sunderland Minster and Hartlepool Town Hall before finishing at The Sage, Gateshead, on Saturday, June 10.

Mr Corvan's Music Hall has been sponsored by Arts Council England and is a production in association with Gala Theatre, Durham, and Sunday for Sammy.

Tickets cost only £15. For regional dates and more information, including how to purchase Cat-Gut Jim  visit:  https://www.mrcorvansmusichall.co.uk/

Tour schedule

May 2017

*additional 2.30pm matinee

Thursday 25   Gala Theatre, Durham  0300 026 6600

https://www.galadurham.co.uk/galapost/mr-corvans-music-hall/
Friday 26        Gala Theatre, Durham  0300 026 6600

https://www.galadurham.co.uk/galapost/mr-corvans-music-hall/
Saturday 27*     Gala Theatre, Durham  0300 026 6600

https://www.galadurham.co.uk/galapost/mr-corvans-music-hall/
Monday 29    New Hartley Welfare     0191 424 7788

https://www.mrcorvansmusichall.co.uk/
Tuesday 30    Westovian Theatre, South Shields  0191 424 7788

https://www.mrcorvansmusichall.co.uk/
Wednesday 31*  Westovian Theatre, South Shields  0191 424 7788

https://www.mrcorvansmusichall.co.uk/

June 2017 

*additional 2.30pm matinee

Thursday 1    Sunderland Minster  0191 424 7788

https://www.mrcorvansmusichall.co.uk/
Friday 2*       Sunderland Minster  0191 424 7788

https://www.mrcorvansmusichall.co.uk/
Saturday 3*     Whitley Bay Playhouse 0844 248 1588

http://www.playhousewhitleybay.co.uk/events/mr-corvan-s-music-hall/
Tuesday 6     Hartlepool Town Hall  01429 523 409

https://www.destinationhartlepool.com/events/mr-corvans-music-hall.html
Wednesday 7    Alun Armstrong Theatre, Stanley  01207 299 110

https://www.civichallstanleytickets.co.uk/event_description.aspx?eventid=65
Thursday 8    The Maltings, Berwick   01289 330 999

https://www.maltingsberwick.co.uk/events/theatre/3278
Friday 9         The Sage, Gateshead  0191 443 466

http://www.sagegateshead.com/event/mr-corvans-music-hall/
Saturday 10*   The Sage, Gateshead  0191 443 466

http://www.sagegateshead.com/event/mr-corvans-music-hall/

Tickets priced at £15.