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05/01/2016

Preview: Get Carter at Newcastle Northern Stage




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Jack’s Return Home

Get Carter
Newcastle Northern Stage
Friday 12th February – Saturday 5th March 2016


Northern Stage are bringing a dark and stylish new adaptation of the classic British crime drama to the stage. Get Carter opens in Newcastle before going on a national tour including Glasgow, Richmond, Coventry, Doncaster, Durham, Salford and Southampton.

Set in 1960s Newcastle, Torben Betts’ adaptation of the novel Jack’s Return Home by Ted Lewis (made famous by the 1971 Mike Hodges film, Get Carter starring Michael Caine) is a hard and uncompromising look at a city’s underworld gang culture and a gripping noir thriller, directed by Northern Stage Artistic Director Lorne Campbell.

Director Lorne explained: “I’m very excited to be bringing this iconic North East story to the stage. Ted Lewis is one of Britain's great crime and thriller writers and this is his masterpiece, in turns brutal and emotional. It's a tragic noir study of a corrupted man struggling to find a way out of a corrupted world. We’ve brought together a fabulous team of North East actors and hope to do justice to the telling of this epic tale.”


Kevin Wathen as Jack Carter
Photo: Mark Savage
The creative team includes set design by Leo Warner/59 Productions, the team responsible for video design at Danny Boyle’s London 2012 Opening Ceremony as well as more than 100 shows across the world at venues including The Royal Opera House, The National Theatre, The Royal Court, The Young Vic, English National Opera and The Metropolitan Opera in New York. 2015 Mercury Prize-nominated singer-
songwriter Nadine Shah will record original music as well as new arrangements of songs by iconic 1960s Newcastle band, The Animals, working with sound designer James Frewer. The production will also feature live music from drummer Martin Douglas (Baghdaddies and The Unthanks).

Writer Torben Betts says, “My adaptation is very much a reaction to the novel the film was based on. The story is in itself quite simple. A gangster goes back to his home town to bury his older brother and he suspects foul play. He trawls around the town’s underworld until he discovers his suspicions are well-founded. What was more interesting was to look at how we could re-imagine this very well-known narrative. To look at Jack’s environment growing up as he did in a brutalised post-war world. I wanted to look at the kind of man Jack Carter is, why he became the way he did.”


Kevin Wathen as Jack Carter
Photo: Mark Savage
Newcastle-born Kevin Wathen will play Jack Carter. Kevin’s theatre credits include Tony Elliot in Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace, London); The Godfather in Quadrophenia (Plymouth Theatre Royal/National Tour); Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Bristol Old Vic); Rosencrantz in Hamlet (Old Vic Theatre); and Michael in Skellig (Young Vic Theatre). Television credits include George Gently (BBC); And Kill Them (Channel 4); Blue Murder (ITV); Silent Witness (BBC); and Judge John Deed (BBC).

After her critically acclaimed role in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2014, Victoria Elliott returns to Northern Stage to play Margaret and Glenda. The Newcastle-born actress is best known for BBC sitcom Hebburn, and has also appeared in Emmerdale and Holby City. Theatre roles include Alice in Two (Royal Exchange); Jill in Cooking with Elvis (Hull Truck); and Kate in Tyne (Live Theatre).

Michael Hodgson will play the roles of Kinnear and Con. Michael has regularly appeared at Northern Stage over the years, including Catch-22, which also toured nationally, and A Christmas Carol, directed by Erica Whyman OBE. Theatre credits elsewhere include Harry Wilson in The Pitmen Painters (Live); Bernard in Death of a Salesman (West Yorkshire Playhouse); and Hodge in The Shoemaker’s Holiday (Royal Shakespeare Company).

Donald McBride will play Albert, Brumby and Gumboots. Best known for TV roles in North East dramas Our Friends in the North, Spender, and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Donald has been a regular at Live Theatre in Newcastle for more than thirty years, including the role of Jimmy Floyd in The Pitmen Painters which went on to tour nationally and internationally.

Amy Cameron will play Jack’s niece Doreen. Originally from Sunderland, Amy has appeared in ITV’s Vera alongside Brenda Blethyn and her stage roles include Helene in A Doll’s House (Royal Exchange) and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (HallĂ©).


Kevin Wathen as Jack Carter
Photo: Mark Savage
Benjamin Cawley will play Eric. Earlier this year Benjamin played Kanzo in Dr Who (BBC) and he has appeared on stage at the Barbican and with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Percussionist Martin Douglas (Baghdaddies, The Unthanks) will perform live on drums in the role of Frank, Jack’s dead brother who was a an amateur Jazz drummer throughout his life.

Completing the creative team are award-winning costume designer Imogen Cloet and lighting design by regular Gecko and Cheek By Jowl collaborator Kristina Hjelm.


Cast:

Jack Kevin Wathen
Frank Martin Douglas
Doreen Amy Cameron
Margaret/Glenda Victoria Elliott
Eric Benjamin Cawley
Kinnear/Con Michael Hodgson
Albert/Brumby Donald McBride


Creative team:

Director Lorne Campbell
Writer Torben Betts
Set Designer Leo Warner/59 Productions
Costume Designer Imogen Cloet
Lighting Designer Kirstina Hjelm

Tickets:
Get Carter appears at Newcastle’s Northern Stage from Friday 12th February to Saturday 5th March 2016

Previews: Friday 12th - Tuesday 16th February, All tickets £14.50
Tue - Fri & Sat matinees: £24, £19.40, £14.50 / Students/Under 21s: £12 Concessions Available
Saturday Evenings: 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 5 Mar - 7.30pm, £25, £19.50, £14.50 / Students/Under 21s: £12

Box Office: www.northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/get-carteror call 0191 230 5151.

Age recommendation: 16+
Post show discussion:Wed 24 Feb
Newcastle in the 60s: Thu 25 Feb6.30pm. A FREE pre-show talk, but please book online (45mins).

Tour dates:

8-12 March, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
0141 429 0022

15-19 March, Richmond Theatre, London
0844 871 7651

22-26 March, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
024 7655 3055

5-9 April, Cast, Doncaster
01302 303 959

12-16 April, Gala, Durham
03000 266 600

19-23 April, The Lowry, Salford
0843 208 6000

26-30 April, Nuffield, Southampton
023 8067 1771



 

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