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15/10/2016

Preview: The Rooms at Newcastle Alphabetti Theatre




The Rooms
Newcastle Alphabetti Theatre
Thursday 27th October – Saturday 5th November 2016

The Rooms-  Photo Matt Jamie
The Rooms is a dark, thrilling promenade performance which takes place in unusual spaces at Alphabetti Theatre. It follows three characters, ‘Citizen X’, ‘Matthew’ and ‘Z’, exploring ideas of terrorism, relationships, paranoia and obsession. The audience are led around intimate, intriguing and unknown spaces being greeted by each character along the way. Each of the short plays is written by three of the North East’s most exciting female writers: Laura Lindow, Becci Sharrock and Sarah Gonnet. This wholly immersive and atmospheric production goes to the hidden depths of Alphabetti Theatre, showing a side that you’ve never seen before!

Originally produced in October 2015, to huge critical acclaim from audiences and critics alike, The Rooms is back with a new set of writers, cast and directors with new stories and characters. This time, female writers and directors will work with male performers, a direct gender-swap to last year. The hidden spaces are entirely different to those selected last time so this really is a new, thrilling and harrowing production to get all your Halloween senses going.

A Terrorist’s Guide to Romance by Laura Lindow

Down in the foundations Citizen X sits alone. A righteous man. He has plans for this city, plans that will blow your mind. Citizen X sees a future. If only the rest of the world would comply. And when he gets this itch out of his head, he’ll show you. Well, those that listen.

The itch isn’t particularly special. Today he would have trouble picking her out of a crowd. He’s always been bad with faces. Some kind of amnesia. But that thing behind her eyes, he’d know that if he saw it again. He needs to see that again. That thing he calls ‘good’.

Directed by Rachel Glover
Performed by James Hedley

Word Salad by Sarah Gonnet

“The truth is, you shouldn’t be worried about psycho killers, you should be worried about your partner.”

Mathew misses Catherine. The Catherine who was creative, and special. The Catherine we would have liked to meet.

Maybe he lost her when he was busy making all those film trailers. Maybe he lost her to the Bipolar, the treatment programmes, the Adderrall. Maybe he lost her when the doctors were trying to make everyone normal, the same, generic, like an American procedural cop show. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

“I can get pretty obsessive…have I already said that?”

Directed by Rosie Stancliffe
Performed by Robert Nicholson

Backstreet Salesmanby Becci Sharrock

Z’s a loner, but tonight he’s making an exception and wants you all to make yourself at home.

He’s not from round here, not originally. But he’s at home in the city after dark and tonight, like every other, he’s got business to attend to. You could say that Z is an entrepreneur. Ever since that night with Geordie and Sammy. Waking up to the smell of blood. But Z doesn’t discuss business in public.

And neither will you, right? Because Z has seen you in the town, doing your shopping, out with your mates. Z has eyes everywhere.

Directed by Karen Traynor
Performed by Matt Miller

Praise for The Rooms in 2015:

The Rooms are three experiences that are well worth seeking out.” – North East Theatre Guide

It deserves to succeed.– British Theatre Guide

Specially created for Halloween...it is ‘harrowing’ and ‘chilling’ in a way trick-or-treat simply isn’t.” – NARC Magazine

About Alphabetti Theatre

Alphabetti launched in 2012 to take their debut production of Teeth in Eggcups to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Upon returning to Newcastle, Alphabetti struggled to find an entry point into the industry despite a successful show and discovered there were a number of artists in similar situations. So in early 2013 they decided to open their own venue. On a shoestring budget the company transformed a derelict, dejected room above The Dog & Parrot pub into Newcastle’s first multi-purpose fringe performance space. The company ran this space for 18 months, creating over 3,000 opportunities for emerging artists and receiving two Grants for the Arts from Arts Council England to aid their work.

In September 2014 they decided to move on in search for a new space that would enable them to have their own bar and a bigger performance space. Whilst on this quest Alphabetti had four sell out performances in Live Theatre's studio and a near capacity audience at The Stand comedy club.

In December 2014 Alphabetti found a new venue, in the basement of 18 New Bridge Street, which has been open since March 2015. Since that time they have become embedded in the city's cultural scene giving a home to hundreds of local artists as both a place to socialise and to showcase their work. As a company they have produced in-house productions which have been both well-received and critically acclaimed and have established them within the region as an exciting and well-respected theatre company producing high-quality work and commissioning talented new writers.

Tickets: The Rooms By Laura Lindow, Sarah Gonnet and Becci Sharrock
Directed by Rachel Glover, Rosie Stancliffe and Karen Traynor
Curated by Ben Dickenson comes to Alphabetti Theatre from Thursday 27th October – Saturday 5th November (excl 30th October) 2016 at 7.30pm

Running time: approximately 1 hour, no interval
Ticket Prices: £8 Full Price / £6 Concession (Students, Senior Citizens, Artists/Equity)
Venue: Alphabetti Theatre, The Basement, 18 New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AW
Note: Part of the performance does take place outside so warm clothing is advised. Umbrellas will be provided.








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