Preview: Glitch - The True Story of the Post Office Scandal at Newcastle Northern Stage

RABBLE Theatre presents

Glitch – The True Story of the Post Office Scandal

Newcastle Northern Stage

Monday 10 – Wednesday 11 March 2026

Pam Stubbs has been sub-postmistress of Barkham Post Office for over twenty years, respected and loved by the community. But when unexplained discrepancies start appearing in her accounts, Pam soon finds herself at the heart of the biggest miscarriage of justice in English legal history.

Glitch is an inspirational true story, based on the experiences of Pam and her colleagues. The play was created with sub-postmistresses and masters affected by the events, key members of the legal process and commissioned by the University of Reading.

Rabble Theatre have announced a highly experienced cast for their acclaimed play, which will be touring the UK this spring.

Leading the Cast

Joanne Howarth will play the leading role of Pam Stubbs, the sub-postmistress of Barkham wrongly accused of stealing tens of thousands of pounds. Joanne was in Rabble's The Last Abbot in 2021. She is a Shakespeare's Globe Associate Artist and has played in five seasons there, recently in The Crucible in 2025 and Much Ado About Nothing in 2022. She's been in 11 productions for The Royal Shakespeare Company, most recently in 2023's Falkland Sound. Other career highlights include Told By An Idiot's You Can't Take It With You at The Royal Exchange Manchester, Goodnight Mr Tom in the West End, King Lear with Glenda Jackson at The Old Vic and The Pull of Negative Gravity at 59E59 New York City. Television includes Wallander, Spooks, It's A Sin, Call the Midwife and Eastenders.

The Ensemble

The ensemble characters who make up the rest of the play will be played by Naveed Khan, Sabina Netherclift and Laura Penneycard.

Naveed Khan trained at The Oxford School of Drama. His theatre credits include Tamburlaine, Buddha of Suburbia and Tartuffe (RSC), Pitcairn (Shakespeare's Globe, Chichester Festival Theatre & Out of Joint), A Thousand Splendid Suns (Birmingham REP), and Darknet (Southwark Playhouse). Television includes QuarterLife (Amazon Prime), Ludwig (BBC), Generation Z, Sex Education (Netflix), Breeders (Sky), and Humans (Channel 4). Feature film credits include Bridget Jones - Mad About the Boy (Universal), Death on the Nile (20th Century Studios), and What's Love Got to Do with It?

Sabina Netherclift, based in Reading, trained with Jacques Lecoq in Paris and has worked extensively as a performer, movement director and director. Her acting credits include Glitch stage 1 and Off the Block (RABBLE Theatre), and work with Clod Ensemble and the Young Vic. On screen, she has appeared in Doctors (BBC) and The Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome (BBC). She is a resident artist at South Street Arts Centre and lectures at GSA.

Laura Penneycard, based near Reading, will join the ensemble cast. For RABBLE, Laura has been involved in various development projects, including Off The Block new writing festival, and has been involved in Glitch from the very beginning. She graduated from The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2002. Theatre credits include The Mousetrap, and tours with Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Bristol Old Vic, Birmingham Stage and others. TV & film credits include Doc Martin.

Creative Team

Glitch is written by Zannah Kearns and directed by Rabble associate artist, Gareth Taylor. Dramaturgy is by Rabble associate artist, Beth Flintoff, who is also associate playwright at the Royal Court Theatre. Sound and Music Composition is by Rabble Associate Artist, Benjamin Hudson, whilst lighting design is from Oliver Welsh. Set and costume design is by Caitlin Abbott. The play is based on an original concept by Elizabeth Conaghan.

The play was originally commissioned by the University of Reading and created in association with legal professionals and victims of the scandal. It was first produced in June 2024 at Minghella Studios, University of Reading.

Running time: 1hr 20mins (approx., no interval)

Recommended age: 14+ (Contains strong language, references to suicide and self harm, strobe lighting)

Venue: Stage 2, Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RH

Tickets: From £12.00

Box Office: 0191 230 5151 (Mon-Fri, 12pm-4pm)

Website: northernstage.co.uk

For further information about the production, please visit rabbletheatre.com/glitch/