Preview: Champion at Newcastle Live Theatre

Cast Announcement for punchy family drama Champion

Champion 

Newcastle Live Theatre 

Thursday 13 February - Saturday 8 March 2025

A knockout cast has been announced for hard hitting new drama Champion which plays at Live Theatre from Thursday 13 February to Saturday 8 March 2025. Bringing Ishy Din’s punchy drama to life are Christina Berriman Dawson (The Odyssey), Jack Robertson (Gerry & Sewell) and newcomer Daniel Zareie.

Photo: Christina Berriman Dawson

The role of matriarch Sheila is played by Christina Berriman Dawson who recently appeared in The Little Mermaid at Newcastle Theatre Royal. Christina has worked in theatre throughout the North East, nationally and internationally.  Credits include: The Odyssey (National Theatre), The Wasp (The Customs House), Gaze (Northern Stage), Rattlesnake (Open Clasp) and Turning Pages and The Bodies (Live Theatre). Her TV and film includes: George Gently ,The Magdalene Sisters and The Hunt for Raoul Moat. Talented Christina won ‘Writer of the Year’ award in the North East Culture Awards 2024. 

Photo: Jack Robertson

Whitley Bay born Jack Robertson takes on the role of Billy. Jack wrote and starred in his own BBC short Where It Ends which was nominated for a BAFTA and starred in hit comedy Gerry & Sewell (Live Theatre and Theatre Royal Newcastle). He had roles on Danny & Mick for CBBC, ITVs Inspector George Gently and Will Oldroyd’s Lady Macbeth. Jack has also created and performed in an ensemble sketch group, ‘Metroland Comedy’, gaining viral success on social media and numerous sell-out runs at ‘Laurels’ in Whitley Bay and performing at Edinburgh Fringe.

Photo: Daniel Zareie

Making his professional and Live Theatre stage debut as Azeem is Daniel Zareie. Currently training at Newcastle Theatre Royal's yearlong actor training course Project A, during which he performed in the chorus of the critically acclaimed Gerry and Sewell, in Berkoff’s The Bow of Ulysses as well as Dennis Kelly’s Orphans. Daniel also performed in Am I Alone in This as part of Northern Stage’s Young Company.

Set during the transformative and now legendary 1977 visit to the North East of iconic boxer Muhammad Ali, this searing new family drama shows the profound effect that such a major event has on a mixed race family on South Shields. The lives of brothers Azeem and Billy and their mother Sheila are turned upside down with feelings of identity, community and what each of us is fighting for stirred up.

Director Jack McNamara said: “Ishy’s play is so rich and meaty that we needed actors bursting with soul to play it. I was blown away by these three and am particularly excited given that I have not worked with them before. Nothing better than starting the new year with new faces. I am also honoured that this will be Daniel Zareie’s professional debut. I am sure it will be the start of a long career.”

Ishy Din said: “It’s such a privilege to be working with these three amazing actors and to be doing so at Live Theatre, with its rich and illustrious history of telling local stories that have an impact on a wider world, is a huge privilege. When Live Theatre approached me to write a play for its main stage my mind immediately went to Mohammed Ali’s 1977 visit to South Shields. It was the only place I could see this story being told and I hope I honour not only the great man himself, but the South Shields community that embraced him.”  

Tickets:

The opener of the 2025 season at Live Theatre, Champion by Ishy Din plays from Thursday 13 February to Saturday 8 March 2025 with tickets priced from £10 to £30.  For more information and to book tickets go to www.live.org.uk