REVIEW: The Anastasia File at Newcastle Theatre Royal

The Anastasia File 

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 19 September 2026

For anyone with a passing interest in twentieth-century mystery, the story of Anna Anderson, or Mrs Anna Manahan, as she became, remains one of history's great "what ifs". Did she die with the rest of the Romanovs in that Ekaterinburg cellar in 1918, or did she somehow survive to be fished, half-drowned, from a Berlin canal two years later, carrying fragments of memory that only a Grand Duchess could possess? Royce Ryton's *The Anastasia File* sets out the case for both sides and, admirably, refuses to hand the audience a verdict, a decision that feels true to the real mystery, even if it makes for a slightly frustrating night in the stalls.

The programme notes date the play to 1953, though a little digging suggests it actually belongs closer to the late 1970s, an origin that, frankly, makes more sense of what unfolds on stage. This is a play built from an older dramatic toolkit: a two-hander conversation between the Inspector and Mrs Manahan, followed by a scene in which the Inspector reconvenes with a colleague to mull over what's just been said and, in the process, deliver another slab of exposition to the audience. Rinse and repeat. It's a structure that was probably already looking a touch old-fashioned decades ago, and in 2026 it does show its age. There's a ponderousness to some of the exposition-heavy stretches, particularly in the first half, where the piece seems more interested in laying out the historical record than in building dramatic momentum.

That said, there is a genuinely interesting device at its heart: Simon Shepherd plays both the original Inspector and, in a later section that pushes the action on into the 1980s, his son - a neat way of extending the timeline and letting the play gesture towards the ongoing, decades-spanning nature of the real case. It's a shame, then, that the production doesn't push this modernising instinct further. The DNA evidence that eventually resolved the Anderson/Manahan question in the real world, and which would have given the play's closing arguments a sharper, more contemporary edge, goes unmentioned, leaving the drama to close on ambiguity that the history books have since settled - though I'm not sure how advanced dna was back at the time the play was written. Whether that's a deliberate choice to preserve the mystery for dramatic purposes, or simply a text that hasn't quite caught up with the facts, is hard to say. It does the play no harm to be scrupulously fair to the story of Mrs Manahan's uncertain origins, but it will nag at anyone in the audience who knows how the tale ends.

None of this is a criticism of the performances, which are the real reason to see this production. Jenny Seagrove is superb as Mrs Manahan, navigating a role that demands she be by turns fragile, imperious, evasive and utterly convinced of her own identity, often within the same scene, without ever tipping into caricature. It's a performance built on stillness and control as much as outburst, and it's easy to see why she's returned to the part. Simon Shepherd is an equally assured scene partner, giving the Inspector (and later his son) a dogged, decent scepticism that never curdles into cruelty; the two of them carry enormous amounts of dialogue between them, and do so with a naturalism that papers over some of the script's creakier joins. Ashley D. Gayle and Rosie Thomson bring welcome variety in a string of smaller roles, providing the shifts in tone and pace that the two leads' extended exchanges occasionally need.

Roy Marsden's direction is unfussy, trusting the material and the cast rather than reaching for visual flourish, which suits a play that is, at heart, a battle of words and wills rather than of spectacle. The design, likewise, keeps things simple, letting the performances do the heavy lifting.

*The Anastasia File* is an intriguing evening, and one that respects its audience enough to let them draw their own conclusions about a mystery that captivated the world for the best part of a century. But it's also, at times, a wordy and demanding one - a play more comfortable telling than showing, that leans hard on its two leads to keep an old-fashioned structure feeling alive. Seagrove and Shepherd are more than equal to the task, and their performances alone make this worth seeking out. Just don't expect the play itself to have moved on quite as far as the story it's telling.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Tickets:

https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/the-anastasia-file/

REVIEW: North East Film Orchestra – Hollywood Adventure at Durham Gala

Hollywood Adventure

Durham Gala Theatre 

Until Friday 11 September 2026

Now a regular feature at the Gala, North East Film Orchestra is comprised of 68 of the finest musicians in the region, under the baton of multi-talented musician and showman, Lewis Wilkinson. Here they present a choice programme of the best music from classic adventure movies in a captivating evening’s entertainment.

When I say that the North East Film Orchestra is led by Bradley Creswick, internationally renowned violinist and Leader Emeritus of the Royal Northern Sinfonia, you will perhaps understand the calibre of musicians that make up this stunning ensemble.

Lewis Wilkinson, the Music Director, is a prolific and versatile artist, conducting various ensembles of different types throughout the region, as well as being a multi-talented performer in his own right. His carefully curated selections and his detailed and exuberant conducting style have helped the Orchestra to showcase both their technical prowess and the sheer beauty and emotive power of great film music.

It is fair to say that most of us take film music for granted, except in movie musicals. But, as violinist and music psychologist, Kelly Jakubowski, reminded us in a brief but fascinating talk, so much would be lost in terms of tension, emotion and dramatic power, without it.

All the pieces in this programme stand on their own as first rate orchestral music but they also conjure for us memories of the classic films in which they featured. From Erich Korngold’s rousing score for the 1938 swashbuckler, ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ and Maurice Jarre’s sweeping overture to ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ to the exhilarating fun of John Williams’ score for ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, the evening provided multiple delights.

Other highlights included Dave Tomson’s haunting performance of Ennio Morricone’s ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ from ‘The Mission’ and Elizabeth Woods soaring soprano solo in Hans Zimmer’s ‘Now We Are Free’ from ‘Gladiator.’ Jeremy Harbottle also gave us a jaunty and engaging cello solo, conjuring the swagger, or perhaps stagger, of Jack Sparrow in Klaus Badelt’s terrific score for ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ They even made time for a personal favourite of mine from Michael Giachino’s lilting and emotive score for Pixar’s ‘Up.’

The orchestra has a wonderful feel of expert musicians all attuned to each other and the music, delivering a strong sense of the joy of performing, which quickly communicates itself to the audience. I do not wish to spoil the surprise for Friday’s audience so I will only say, make sure your applause is strong enough to trigger the unexpected delight of the encore.

The North East has many jewels in its musical crown to rival the best in the country. I’m thinking of ensembles like Royal Northern Sinfonia and The Strictly Smokin’ Big Band, among others. The North East Film Orchestra is a welcome and worthy addition to this illustrious group.

The Orchestra returns to the Gala on 21 and 22 May 2027 with an evening of Hollywood Musicals. I strongly recommend booking ahead as they are likely to sell out quickly. I know I won’t miss it.

Review: Jonathan Cash

Tickets:

Tickets available from: Hollywood Musicals

 

 

REVIEW: Lord of the Dance of the Sunderland Empire

Lord of the Dance

Sunderland Empire

Until Saturday 12 September 2026 and touring

First mounted thirty years ago, Lord of the Dance is still a dazzling display of Irish dance and a sprinkling of other Celtic folk traditions, delivered by a hugely talented and hardworking company. Though the flimsy plot that is interpolated, only half-committed to by some of the cast, and the unexpected video presence of the show’s creator, Michael Flatley, seem to add little to the evening, it remains a rousing crowd-pleaser.    

With the appearance of Riverdance on the Eurovision Song Contest in Ireland in 1994, the world became suddenly aware of the exciting choreographer and dazzling Irish dancer, Michael Flatley. This was Irish dance on steroids, freed from some of its constraints and woven into a bewitching and truly exciting entertainment that marked its dramatic crossover into mainstream entertainment. It became a successful stage show, with the addition of elements of other dance styles. When Flatley parted company from Riverdance, he created Lord of the Dance as a showcase for his talents, combined with a polished supporting company.  That show is now thirty years old. Flatley, of course, is no longer dancing in the show but he still has total artistic control.

The show is really an extravaganza of Irish dance, with musical interludes provided by a singer and a pair of virtuoso string players. The softer elements of the medium are contrasted with the resonating taps, kicks and heel clicks that characterise Irish dance for most people. There is, however, a flimsy storyline running through, whereby some bad guys in black seek to dethrone the titular Lord (Lucas Lawton) while two contrasting females compete for his attention. This is laced through the dance set pieces by a charming elfin figure in a sparkly gold costume, looking like a cross between a pixie and a Balinese temple dancer.

Lucas Lawton heads up the cast in Flatley’s role, mirroring almost exactly his expansive, strutting persona. He is clearly an exceptional dancer, though he pays only minimal attention to the acted elements of the plotline, notably an unconvincing fight scene with his nemesis, the Dark Lord (Joe Howarth).  But, in all honesty, it is really all about the dancing and this company of 40 terrific dancers deliver that with great panache.

The supporting female dancers, the Lord’s partner, Saoirse (Katie Coates), and Morrighan (Erin McPolin), the dark-haired temptress, are technically stunning and persuasive in their roles. The Dark Lord is committed to his role as pantomime villain, as well as an exciting dancer. Gerard Fahy’s sensational music runs throughout and underpins the dancing brilliantly.  

This is a hugely entertaining evening. I have, however, a couple of points that slightly niggled. With a video at the beginning focused on Flatley and the show’s inception, plus a deal of portentous posing in monk-like robes, the show took over 5 minutes to really get started. Also, just before the end, a video is interposed showing 3 images of Michael Flatley, presumably from 20 years ago, competing to show off his technical brilliance. Though that brilliance is undoubted, it seemed an odd inclusion in a live show, as if he was saying, ‘Sure, these guys are good but look how amazing I used to be.’  I’m probably being churlish and, no doubt, hard core fans would have been delighted to see the man himself. After all, it is still, resolutely, his show and one that brought the Sunderland audience rousingly to their feet.

As an aside, I must apologise for the lack of namechecks. The company didn’t provide a programme or a cast list, so I am somewhat at a loss.

Review: Jonathan Cash

Tickets:

Tickets are available from our affiliate ATG Tickets - LINK

Preview: RED at Seaton Delaval Arts Centre

 A brand new musical revue celebrating redheaded stars of stage and screen is visiting Northumberland on its first UK Tour.

RED

Seaton Delaval Arts Centre 

Friday 18 September 2026 

International cabaret siren Amber Topaz brings a brand new, classy, sassy, fabulous musical revue that celebrates redheaded musical theatre stars of stage and screen. ‘RED’ is the ultimate celebration of the most iconic sirens of theatre, from the golden era of Hollywood and Broadway via the West End with a touch of Vegas. Amber embodies flame haired trailblazers such as Rita Hayworth, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, Shirley McLaine, Gwen Verdon and many more. The show is packed full of show-stopping numbers amongst lesser known gems.

Yorkshire born Amber Topaz has worked her unique magic around the globe on the cabaret and burlesque scene, headlining theatre shows nationally and internationally including ‘Showzam’ at the historic Blackpool Tower Ballroom, The Indigo O2 London and Leeds City Varieties.

As a musical theatre performer she has performed in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre in London. She originated the role of Maggie/Miss Nightingale in Miss Nightingale the Musical, Leicester Square Theatre and No1 national tour, and originated the role of Virgina Otis opposite Ron Moody in the No1 national tour of The Canterville Ghost. Amber has created a number of solo shows which toured many festivals including Edinburgh Fringe, Fringe World Australia, Aukland and New Zealand Fringe.

This show won her 'Best Cabaret' at the United Solo Festival New York 2018, where she was invited back as one of the 'Best of the Best' at the 10 year anniversary of the festival in 2019. Director and Choreographer Nikki Woollaston was delighted to join Amber in creating RED and in fact worked with one of the redheads celebrated in the show - Bernadette Peters recently, where she was associate director on Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends in London’s Westend and Broadway. Nikki is the current resident director worldwide arena tour of Les Misérables.

Tickets: 

The show comes to the Seaton Delaval Arts Centre on Friday 18th September 2026 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available at www.seatondelavalartscentre.com or via the Box Office on 0191 237 5460.

Cast Announced for Beauty and the Beast at Darlington Hippodrome

 

The North East’s own Matt Baker to lead the cast of Beauty And The Beast, Darlington Hippodrome’s 2026 Panto

with the return of Josh Benson and Jamie Jones

 

Josh Benson, Matt Baker, Jamie Jones

Darlington Hippodrome and Crossroads Pantomimes have today, Monday 18 May, announced that their annual pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, will star TV favourite Matt Baker. Matt will star as Jack, Belle’s brother, from Friday 11 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.

Joining Matt will be returning Darlington panto favourites Josh Benson as Silly Billy and Jamie Jones as Mrs Potty.

 

Matt Baker

Matt Baker is best known as a presenter of Countryfile on BBC One and Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales on Channel 4. Previously, he has presented The One Show, Blue Peter and was a finalist on Strictly Come Dancing. He has been seen on stage as Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

On returning to panto after four years, Matt Baker said: “I’m thrilled to be back in panto, working with Crossroads Pantomimes again to bring the magic of Beauty and the Beast to the beautiful Darlington Hippodrome and wonderful North East audiences.”

Jamie Jones

Beauty and the Beast is produced by the World’s biggest pantomime producer, Crossroads Pantomimes, whose Chief Executive Michael Harrison said: “I am so pleased that Matt will be leading the cast of our Darlington Hippodrome panto this year. As well as being a familiar face on screen, Matt’s charisma, charm and North East roots make him the perfect casting for our sensational Darlington show. Joined by Darlo favourites Josh and Jamie, I know audiences will be in for something truly special this Christmas.”

Councillor Libby McCollum, cabinet member for local services at Darlington Borough Council said: “Darlington Hippodrome always draws in the crowds with a spectacular star-studded panto and I’m thrilled that Matt Baker is joining the cast this year. With the return of Darlington favourites Josh and Jaimie, I’ve no doubt audiences are going to love what promises to be a truly fantastic show.”

Josh Benson

In this classic tale Belle, longing for a better life, is taken prisoner in a cursed castle ruled by a fearsome Beast. Inside, she discovers enchanted servants under a powerful spell. As time runs out, Belle must learn to see beyond the Beast’s appearance and find love - or risk losing everything to the curse forever.

Tickets:

Beauty and the Beast will play at Darlington Hippodrome from Friday 11 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. For full details or to book visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01325 405405

News: Cast announced for Northern Stage's Othello

Cast announced for Northern Stage's Othello

Northern Stage has confirmed the full cast and creative team for a new production of Othello, directed by Anthony Almeida, ahead of its opening in Newcastle next month.

The production is a co-production between Northern Stage, HOME Manchester and the Citizens Theatre, in association with Royal & Derngate. It will run at Northern Stage from 11 to 26 September 2026,  before transferring to a UK tour.

Almeida's staging reframes Shakespeare's tragedy as a study of assimilation, relocating the action to Britain in the early 1980s. Set against the backdrop of the Falklands War, the production finds Cyprus reimagined as an isolated military outpost, where professionalism, appearance and belonging carry significant weight. The production explores how love, loyalty, race, class, gender and power are shaped by the everyday performances that allow people to belong, or leave them isolated.

Speaking about the production, Almeida said: "I don't think Othello is really a play about jealousy. Jealousy is the symptom. The tragedy begins much earlier - in the tiny acts of adaptation, restraint and performance we all make in order to belong. I realised Shakespeare hadn't written a play about jealousy at all. He'd written a play about behaviour. Once we began looking through that lens, everything changed.

Setting the play in Britain during the early 1980s wasn't about making Shakespeare contemporary. It was about finding a society where appearance, professionalism and belonging carry enormous weight. I became less interested in public politics than private intimacy; less interested in certainty than perception. Four hundred years after Shakespeare wrote it, the questions at the heart of the play still feel astonishingly urgent. They're questions about who we become when we believe we have to perform in order to be accepted - and what happens when those performances finally collapse."

The cast

Dwane Walcott takes on the title role of Othello. Walcott is a stage and screen actor whose recent theatre credits include Hot Wing King, ANNA and Damned by Despair (National Theatre); A Streetcar Named Desire (Almeida/West End/BAM Theatre, NYC); Machinal (Almeida); Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare's Globe); Moonlight/Night School (Harold Pinter); One Night in Miami and Coriolanus (Donmar Warehouse); Henry V (Regent's Park); The Iphigenia Quartet (Gate Theatre); Hamlet (Barbican); The Twits (Royal Court); Titus Andronicus, A Mad World, My Masters and Candide (RSC); Romeo and Juliet (Stafford Shakespeare Festival); Torque (Bush Theatre); and The Fiddler & Life on the Stairs (Faith Drama Productions). His television credits include Saviour (ITV), Believe Me (ITV), A Town Called Malice (Sky Max), Enterprise (BBC), Into the Badlands (AMC), Our Girl (BBC), Doctors (BBC) and Tut (Spike). On film, he has appeared in The Thing with Feathers and Mindhorn (Scott Free/BBC Film).

Dwane Walcott
Photo: Ivan Weiss

Maanuv Thiara joins Walcott as Iago. Thiara most recently starred in the third series of ITV's Trigger Point, having been made a series regular in the second series. He also featured in Sky's Under Salt Marsh, Ben Wheatley's Generation Z for Channel 4, and Apple's Prime Target, directed by Brady Hood. Before that, he co-led Jed Mercurio's ITV drama DI Ray alongside Parminder Nagra, for which he was nominated for a Best Actor RTS Award. Other credits include Will Sharpe's Landscapers for Sky and HBO, Apple's Ted Lasso with Jason Sudeikis, Sky's Brassic, BBC Two's The Boy With The Top Knot (directed by Lyndsey Miller), and series five of Jed Mercurio's Line of Duty. In theatre, Thiara most recently appeared in John Morton's Eclipse at Chichester. Before this, he starred in the Olivier Award-winning Boys on the Verge of Tears at the Soho Theatre, Guards at the Taj at the Orange Tree, and Vinay Patel's adaptation of The Cherry Orchard at the Yard. He has also featured in Indhu Rubasingham's production of The Father and the Assassin at the National Theatre, in the West End transfer of Hamlet alongside Andrew Scott, and in A Passage to India at the Park Theatre, directed by Sebastian Armesto. Other credits include Trojan Horse, winner of an Edinburgh Fringe First and the Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award in 2018, The Funeral Director at Southwark Playhouse, and Approaching Empty at the Kiln Theatre. Thiara also voices Daddy Rhino in the animated television series Peppa Pig.

Maanuv Thiara

Phoebe Smyth makes her professional theatre debut as Desdemona. A recent graduate of LAMDA, Smyth is a founding member of Mycelium Theatre Company, with whom she co-devised and performed A Microscopic Odyssey at Theatre503 and the Golden Goose Theatre. Mycelium has since been invited to perform at the Theatre Networking Talents Festival in Romania and the Pleasance Courtyard at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Smyth has also starred in Frayed, a short film nominated at the Independent Shorts Awards. Her theatre work while training includes Romeo & Juliet, Liolà, and 1972: The Future of Sex and New Labour.

Rebecca Banatvala plays Emilia. Her theatre credits include Summerfolk (National Theatre); Much Ado About Nothing (Royal Shakespeare Company); Northanger Abbey (Orange Tree); Autumn (Park Theatre); I Fcked You in My Spaceship* (The Vaults); The Island (Cervantes Theatre); Sap (Edinburgh Fringe & Soho Theatre); Habibti (Maybe She's Born with It) (Lyric Hammersmith); Rotterdam (Hartshorn Hook, UK Tour); The Three Musketeers (The Dukes, Lancaster); Mary Stuart (Embassy Theatre); and Mrs Puntila and Her Man Matti (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh). Her television credits include EastEnders, Vigil and The Syndicate (BBC), Emmerdale (ITV) and Love, Death and Robots (Netflix). On film, she has appeared in Prima Facie, which premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, and The Princess Switch 3. Her radio credits include Snares (BBC Radio 4).

Grace Hodgett Young plays Bianca. A graduate of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, her credits include Punch (UK tour), Sunset Boulevard (Savoy Theatre/St James Theatre), Eurydice in Hadestown (Lyric Theatre), and What It Feels Like For A Girl (BBC/Hera Pictures). Hodgett Young won The Stage's 2024 Debut Award for Best Performer in a Musical and the 2024 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Professional Debut, both for her performance as Betty Schaefer in Sunset Boulevard, a role for which she also received a 2024 Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.

Chris Garner plays Brabantio. His screen credits include Coronation Street, In From The Side, The Children Act, The Hunt for Raoul Moat, Emmerdale, Mistresses, The Royal, Medics, Casualty, Rich Tea and Sympathy, Made in Heaven, and EastEnders. His theatre credits include Macbeth Alone (National Tour); Calendar Girls (Frinton); War Horse (National Theatre); The School for Scandal (Bristol TF); The Country Girls and Antony and Cleopatra (Chichester); King Lear (Leeds Playhouse); 1984 (Northern Broadsides); Black Heart of Petty Malice (Soho, London); Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Hampstead Theatre); and Henry VI Part 3 (RSC National and International tour). His radio work includes Home Front III, War of the Worlds, Windscale, Abel's Law, The Radetsky March, If Not Now, When?, Hiawatha, Dear Little Burney, In a Summer Season, Going Clear and My Uncle Freddie.

Chris Garner

Will Stanton makes his professional theatre debut as Cassio. Trained at LAMDA, Stanton's recent work has focused on screen, including an upcoming Disney+ production. Originally from London and now based in Newcastle, Stanton enjoys exploring the outdoors, keeping active, and describes himself as passionate about storytelling in all its forms. Reflecting on the role, he said returning to Shakespeare has been both a rewarding challenge and a reminder of why he first fell in love with acting.

Will Stanton

Matthieu Sys completes the cast as Roderigo. Sys was selected from an open casting call of more than 200 actors. He trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York, and joined the US theatre company Sponsored by Nobody before becoming a long-standing member of the internationally acclaimed theatre company Ontroerend Goed, with whom he has toured extensively worldwide. He also appeared in 300 el x 50 el x 30 el by Silver Lion-winning theatre company FC Bergman. His screen credits include leading roles in the acclaimed Belgian series In Flanders Fields and Amigos, appearances in both the Belgian and UK versions of Professor T, and the feature film The Pod Generation.

The creative team

The production's creative team is completed by designer Natasha Jenkins, sound designer Matthew Tuckey, lighting designer Sinead McKenna, video designer Erin Guan, movement/fight/intimacy director Giaele Mattioli, production manager Suzie Normand, costume supervisor Sara Mackenzie, and casting director Karishma Balani.

This marks director Anthony Almeida's first Shakespeare production. Recognised for bold reinterpretations of classic texts, Almeida's opera work has received international acclaim, with Heroïne for Opéra national de Lorraine named among Le Monde's productions of the year and praised by leading European critics, including Opernwelt. He is the only director to have received both the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award and the European Opera Director Prize, and has been nominated for the International Opera Awards' Rising Star Award and The Stage Debut Awards' Best Director. He has previously served as Resident Director at both the Almeida Theatre and the Royal Opera House.

The tour

Following its run at Northern Stage, the production continues on tour to:

• HOME, Manchester: 30 September – 10 October
• Royal & Derngate, Northampton: 13 – 17 October
• Theatre Clwyd: 20 – 24 October
• Citizens Theatre, Glasgow: 27 October – 7 November
• Derby Theatre: 10 – 14 November
• New Theatre, Peterborough: 17 – 20 November

Ticket details

Othello runs at Northern Stage from 11 to 26 September, with a press night on 16 September at 6.00pm. Tickets can be booked through the Northern Stage box office on 0191 230 5151 or online at www.northernstage.co.uk.

 

Preview: All At Sea at Newcastle Live Theatre

All At Sea, 

Newcastle Live Theatre - Thursday 24 September - Saturday 10 October 2026

Scarborough Stephen Joseph Theatre - Friday 16 to Saturday 31 October 2026

A new dark comedy drawing on the notorious "Canoe Man" case is heading to Newcastle and Scarborough this autumn, with the casting for the two-hander now confirmed.

All At Sea, a fictionalised new play by North East playwright Alison Carr, premieres at Live Theatre in Newcastle from Thursday 24 September to Saturday 10 October, ahead of a transfer to the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough from Friday 16 to Saturday 31 October. The production is directed by Maria Crocker.

The story

The play centres on Colin and Deborah, a married couple weighed down by spiralling debt and an unmanageable mortgage. The couple's answer to their financial troubles is found in the North Sea: Colin fakes his death in a staged canoeing accident, leaving his widow Deborah to carry out a complex plan to secure the resulting insurance payout, manage family grief, and attempt to maintain something resembling a functioning marriage - all while aware that the real drama is still to come.

The piece is a gripping dark comedy that takes a deep dive into an audacious plan and an extraordinary deception, with Deborah caught up in a scheme that involves deceiving family and holding her nerve while awaiting the money, conscious that a single mistake could expose everything.

The casting

Colin is played by Phil Corbitt, whose theatre credits include Sunny Afternoon (National Tour), Kinky Boots (Storyhouse Theatre), Mamma Mia (National and International Tour), Calendar Girls (National Tour), The Tempest (Northern Broadsides tour, Beijing and Shanghai) and A Streetcar Named Desire (Europe, Hong Kong and Japan tours). In the play, Corbitt takes on the role of a desperate husband whose mounting debt pushes him towards faking his own death for an insurance payout.

Phil Corbitt

Deborah is played by Sarah Belcher, whose stage work includes The Crucible (Shakespeare's Globe), Hamnet (RSC/West End), The March on Russia (Orange Tree Theatre), Medea (Almeida Theatre), Twelfth Night (Filter/RSC), The Accrington Pals (Royal Exchange), further productions of Twelfth Night, The Tempest and The Comedy of Errors with the RSC, and The Weather Man (Opera North). Her character is described as the loyal wife and grieving widow who is drawn into the deception and forced to hold everything together as the plan unfolds.

Sarah Belcher

Director Maria Crocker said: "I am so excited to welcome Phil Corbitt and Sarah Belcher to the All At Sea team. This sharp and witty play requires two expert actors to bring this extraordinary couple to life, and this casting has delivered just that."

Creative team and presentation

The creative team behind the production includes Hannah Sibai on set and costume design, Catja Hamilton on lighting, and Roma Yagnik and Ziad Jabero on sound design and composition.

All At Sea is presented by Live Theatre and the Stephen Joseph Theatre in association with Laurels, and is supported by Newcastle-based architects SPACE.

Live Theatre in Newcastle has built its reputation as one of the UK's few dedicated new writing theatres outside London, having developed new work and new writers for over fifty years. The Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, meanwhile, was the first professional theatre-in-the-round in the UK and is closely associated with the work of former artistic director Alan Ayckbourn, having staged the world premieres of almost all of his 92 full-length plays.

Tickets and offers

At Live Theatre, tickets range from £23 to £38, with concessions available from £13 and a £12 price for the first preview performance. The production is also included in Live Theatre's multi-buy offer alongside three other shows in its season — Astell & Woolf, Where Do All The Kittiwakes Go At Christmas? and The Most Famous Tree In The World. Audiences buying tickets to two of the four productions save 10%, three productions bring a 20% saving, and tickets to all four qualify for a 30% discount, applied automatically at the basket stage on full-priced tickets.

All At Sea runs in Live Theatre's Main Auditorium, with the box office reachable on (0191) 232 1232 or online at https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/all-sea.