Northern Stage’s
Christmas Treat
Get
Santa!
Newcastle Northern Stage
Monday
1 - Saturday 27 Dec 2014
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| Credit: Garance Marneur |
Every
year Holly has been nice, not naughty. She has written Santa a letter, left
milk, cookies and a carrot for Rudolph and asked for the one thing she really,
really, really wants - to meet her dad for the first time. And every year,
Santa gave her toys and books and chocolate and all the other rubbish she
didn’t want. So this year, on Christmas Eve, in the dead of night when everyone
is asleep, she’s going to Get Santa. But when Holly’s trap goes wrong and she
kidnaps Santa’s hopeless son, a chain of magical events is unleashed that leads
to a very grumpy Santa and an endless Christmas forced upon the world...
Written
by Anthony Neilson and directed by Northern Stage Artistic Director Lorne
Campbell, this new production is a fun, festive show with songs, slapstick and
puppetry for children aged 7 and over and their families. But this Christmas,
one group of talented youngsters will do more than just watch.
For
the first time, members of Northern Stage’s Young Company will take centre
stage in the theatre’s big Christmas show. Young Company gives performers aged
16 – 21 the opportunity to develop their talent and skills through a unique
experience working with industry professionals. Director Lorne Campbell says,
"We established our Young Company as a way to give excited and exciting
young performers access to the professional stage. Casting Young Company
members in Get Santa is a first try at taking some of our exceptional
young people and putting them into the middle of our biggest show of the year.”
Six
Young Company members aged 17 - 19 will take part, including 17 year old Anna
Robinson from Gosforth who has been cast as understudy to the lead role of
Holly, played by Tessa Parr – most recently seen on stage in Greyscale’s 2014
Edinburgh fringe show Dead to Me, Tessa’s TV roles include BBC2’s Edwardian drama Parade’s
End, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. Anna celebrated her 16th birthday
while rehearsing for Young Company London 2012 project Truce, and will
celebrate her 18th when rehearsals start for Get Santa in November. Anna says, “I'm
looking forward to working with a real, professional company, with real,
professional actors! I'd always thought the only way to work professionally was
through getting some sort of drama school qualification - I never thought I'd
be doing it at 18!”
19
year old Phoebe Elliott from Newcastle has been involved with
Northern Stage since she was 11. “I’m really looking forward to being part
of Get Santa! The opportunity to be involved in a professional main stage
production and to be directed by the theatre’s Artistic Director, Lorne
Campbell, was far too good an opportunity to pass up. Northern Stage is
responsible for most of my professional development - I’ve done everything from
summer schools to development projects to fundraising performances. I’m also a
National Youth Theatre member and I founded, and run, my own theatre company.”
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| Tom Walton, Sharuna Sagar and NS Young Company Photo: BBC |
In
another first this Christmas, our newest talent will be joined by some more
familiar faces – BBC Look North’s Sharuna
Sagar and ITV Tyne Tees and Good Morning Britain presenter Rachel Sweeney both
have cameo roles.
Rachel
said, "I was over the moon to be asked to play a cameo role in Get
Santa! I met Lorne when I was singing at a charity ball earlier this year
and really admire the passion he has for theatre. The script is funny and I'm thrilled
to be a part of the show. I have written comedy and my mother is a stand-up
comedienne so I always appreciate a witty one-liner or two! It's going to be a
fantastic experience and I'm very much looking forward to it."
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Sharuna Sagar and Bumblehole
played by
Tom Walton in Get Santa
Photo: BBC
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"Unsurprisingly
I've never been asked to do anything like this before - I'm more used to the
small screen than the big stage, and the patch I cover doesn't usually extend
as far as the North Pole! I've interviewed a few characters in my time, but few
as unnerving (but strangely charming) as Bumblehole from Get Santa." Sharuna Sagar, BBC Look North
The
cast also includes singer, musician and actor Jane Holman (Tyne, plus film
and TV roles in Vera, 55 Degrees North, George Gently, and Billy
Elliot) Playing Holly’s mum; Gary
Kitching (Oh, What a Lovely War, The Suggestibles) plays Holly’s
stepdad...who also happens to be a dog; Tom
Walton is Santa’s son Bumblehole (The Borrowers, Tattercoats);
Paula Penman (Donna Disco,
The Little Detective Agency) plays Holly’s Gran; Scott Turnbull (winner of the 2012 Journal Culture Award for his
performance in Apples) plays Teddy; and James Ryland (Waking Ned, Taggart) is Santa.
Award-winning
Scottish playwright Anthony Neilson is renowned for his pioneering,
ground-breaking and imaginative new work for the Royal Court, Headlong and the
Edinburgh Festival. Composer Nick Powell’s work for theatre includes the
National Theatre, Paines Plough and Improbable. Linbury Prize-winning designer
Garance Marneur worked alongside Lorne on last year’s Northern Stage Christmas
production Dark Woods, Deep Snow having designed the set for acclaimed
children’s show The Prince and the Pauper at the Unicorn Theatre. Sound
design is by Aly Macrae, who collaborated on Northern Stage’s 2013’s Edinburgh
Fringe hit, The Bloody Great Border Ballad.
Lorne
says, “Get Santa is a show with a huge, modern heart. It’s about the magic
of Christmas, the imagination of childhood, the weirdness of families and that
even if you accidentally bring an evil teddy bear to life and almost destroy
the world, your Gran will still love you.”
Get Santa! is on at Northern Stage, Newcastle from 1 to 27 December.
Tickets:
Get Santa! Mon 1 – Sat 27 Dec
Tickets:
£24 / £19.50 / £14.50, under 21s £12
Special Deals:
Families: Family of 4 - £60 for selected performances (see website)
3+: Buy 3 or more tickets for Sat 6 Dec and get 50% (except £14.50 tickets)
Multibuy: Buy at the same time as other shows to recieve a discount - see multibuy website
A
jolly Christmas play full of songs, slapstick, puppetry and fun for children
aged 7 and over and their families.
Box
Office: 0191 230 5151
