Preview: Red is the New Blue at Live Theatre

Is there life on Mars?

Red is the New Blue

Newcastle Live Theatre

Tuesday 23^rd & Wednesday 24^thJune 2015
 
On Tuesday 23^rd and Wednesday 24^th Juneat 7.30pm Live Theatre will be presenting Red is the New Bluea out of this world show that has been created as part of Live Theatre’s Live Lab programme, which aims to develop new talent and give theatre makers a forum to try out new material and gain insightful feedback.

Set in 2029 Red is the New Blue follows the antics of three ordinary people who are sent to Mars, by Stargaze Incorporated, for a reality TV show like no other. The crew are left alone, abandoned on Mars forever, and it doesn’t take long before the cracks begin to show. The production has been created and will be performed by three emerging theatre makers who have all been awarded Live Lab Associate Artist status. These are spoken word artists Rowan McCabe, Matt Miller and Matilda Neill (who is also one of the members of Live Theatre’s all female sketch group Your Aunt Fanny).

Matilda Neill

In January 2015, Live Theatre re-launched its Live Lab programme creating more opportunities for budding writers, theatre makers and audience members to get involved. As part of this re-launch Live Lab announced their new Live Lab Associate Artists scheme. The inaugural Live Lab Associate Artists include the three spoken word artists involved in Red is the New Blue and theatre director Anna Ryder, who recently co-directed Rendezvous with Clive Judd at Live Theatre.

Rowan McCabe

The Live Lab Associate Artists receive mentorship from Live Theatre’s literary team as well as career support and talent development.

As Gez Casey, Live Theatre’s literary manager, explains: “Following the successful Live Lab re-launch earlier in the year, we’re delighted that the collaborative project with three of our Live Lab Associate Artists is going to premiere in the Studio Theatre this June."

Matt Miller

This is the first time that Rowan, Matt and Matilda have worked together to create a show. Matt Miller said: "Red is the New Blue initially took the upcoming Mars One space mission as an impetus and asks questions like 'Why would anybody want to go to Mars forever?' and 'What would happen to those individuals? What about our society? Will our voyeurism be fulfilled?' as well as 'What actually is there to do on a spaceship?' It has poignancy. It has poetry. It has tongue in cheek humour. Cos when you're going to Mars forever, really, you've got to be able to laugh about it, don't you?"

The show fuses together theatre, spoken word and film elements and offers a funny, moving and thought-provoking night out whilst asking audiences what they would do if they found themselves stuck on Mars forever?

Tickets:

Red is the New Blue appears at Newcastle’s Live Theatre on Tuesday 23^rd and Wednesday 24^thJune 2015, 7.30pm
 
Created and performed by Live Lab Associate Artists Rowan McCabe, Matt Miller and Matilda Neill.
Presented as part of Live Theatre’s Live Lab programme.

Tickets for Red is the New Blue costs £8 full price or £6 for concessions. To book tickets and to find out more visit www.live.org.uk or contact Live Theatre’s box office on (0191) 232 1232. 

Preview: Live Theatre’s June to December 2015 Season

Preview of Newcastle Live Theatre’s June to December 2015 Season:

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour

This week Live Theatre announced its June to December 2015 season with an exciting collaboration with National Theatre of Scotland on Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (Thursday 1 to Saturday 24 October), a new play by Lee Hall (The Pitmen Painters). Adapted from Alan Warner’s novel, The Sopranos and directed by Vicky Featherstone, the play will receive its world premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before touring Scotland ahead of its English Premiere at Live Theatre in October.

Max Robert, Artistic Director, said: “Live Theatre has enjoyed a long and fruitful creative relationship with Lee Hall so we are delighted to collaborate with National Theatre of Scotland in this co-production of his adaptation of Alan Warner’s brilliant novel, The Sopranos. I’m sure our audiences will be thrilled to see Lee’s latest work and will extend a warm Tyneside welcome to the company for the play’s English Premiere.”

Day of the Flymo

After its short sell-out run in April 2015 Day of the Flymo by Journal Culture award-winning playwright Paddy Campbell will be returning to Live Theatre (Thursday 12 to Saturday 21 November).  Awarded 4 stars by The Guardian audiences will have the chance to meet a brother and sister as they come into contact with the care system. Paul James, Associate Director of Education & Participation and director of Day of the Flymo said: “I am delighted that Day of the Flymo is returning to Live Theatre. The piece is funny, moving and smacks of authenticity as it reflects Paddy Campbell's real-life experience of working with young people caught up in the care system. Don't miss the opportunity to see this original and compelling play by a hugely talented writer.”

Writer Paddy Campbell added: “I'm thrilled that Day of the Flymo is being brought back for another run in November. The audience response was terrific in April and it’s great that more people are going to get the chance to see it. I feel incredibly lucky to have had such a great cast for this play and I know they are raring to get back in the theatre again. I can't wait.”

Your Aunt Fanny

Young people from Live’s Youth Theatre will be taking over the building for two weeks in August for the company’s sixteenth annual Youth Theatre Festival called Our World where they will create four evenings of unique entertainment; Big Talk, Small Talk (Thursday 6 August) is a selection of short pieces devised over ten days; 11 Plus (Friday 7 & Saturday 8 August) gives young people’s perspective on what it’s like to be 11 and 12 today; Your Aunt Fanny (Friday 7 & Saturday 8 August) test out some new comedy sketches before they head up to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time, and Invisible Cinema (Sunday 9 August) a film made using improv acting by six young actors working with Magic If films.

Red is the New Blue

Live Lab offers theatre-goers the opportunity to see exciting new work performed for the very first time. This season Red is the New Blue (Tuesday 23 & Wednesday 24 June) is a new collaborative project with three Live Lab Associate Artists, there are two Ten Minutes to… events (Sunday 7 June and Sunday 1 November), a Scratch Night (Thursday 19 November) as well as seasonal festivities in Live Lab Christmas Adventures (Monday 21 December).

What Thunder Said

Joseph Adelakun, Felix O'Brien and

Imogen Rose Photo: Camilla Greenwell

for Theatre Centre

Ahead of the launch of the new Children & Young People’s Writing Centre next year, created as part of Live Works, Live Theatre is starting a new programme of theatre especially for schools. What the Thunder Said (Wednesday 17 to Friday 19 June) will explore 9 to 11 year olds’ responses to witnessing violence and bullying and The Forest(Thursday 15 & Friday 16 October) is a multi-sensory tale especially for teenagers and young adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

Turning Pages

Turning Pages (Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 December),presented as part of Write Stuff, Live Theatre’s playwriting initiative for secondary schools, will feature six plays written by 13 to 15 year olds from Furrowfield School in Gateshead and Redhouse Academy in Sunderland.

Fun Palaces

To help launch its new public gardens Live Theatre is calling out for proposals for Fun Palaces (Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 October), a free nationwide celebration of arts, culture and sciences.

No More Worries

The quayside based Theatre is also looking forward to welcoming some of the country’s most exciting visiting theatre companies. No More Worries (Thursday 18 June) is a combination of theatre and spoken word from Simon Mole.  Two Mixtape events (Friday 24 July & Friday 30 October) will offer hilarious bite-sized theatre inspired by music.   

Key Change

Key Change (Friday 11 & Saturday 12 September) presented by Open Clasp Theatre Company and devised with women from HMP/YOI Low Newton Prison will return to Live Theatre.  

The Bogus Woman

Grandad and the Machine (Wednesday 16 September) is an epic quest in a fairytale for grown-ups and The Bogus Woman(Saturday 7 November) is the tale of an African woman seeking safety and asylum as she arrives in a strange country.

Stella Chiweshe and The Crossing Band

Live Theatre will also host live music from Jumpin’ Hot Club, a special gig launching Refugee Week featuring Stella Chiweshe and The Crossing Band (Sunday 14 June) and a monthly night of alternative comedy from Silly Billies Comedy Club (Sunday 27 September, 25 October, 29 November & 20 December)

Tickets:

For more information about Live Theatre’s June to December 2015 season or to book tickets visit www.live.org.ukor contact the box office on (0191) 232 1232.