News: Community casting call for Brassed Off at Gala Durham

Community casting call for Brassed Off at Gala Durham

 

Members of the public are being asked to answer a call to appear in the upcoming stage production of Brassed Off at Gala Durham.

Preview: http://www.northeasttheatreguide.co.uk/2022/04/preview-brassed-off-at-durham-gala.html

The Durham City theatre is looking for women from County Durham to appear as members of the Women Against Pit Closures group, which features in the show. Previous acting experience is preferred, but not essential, with the venue hoping for participants who can bring energy and commitment to the roles.

Brassed Off director Conrad Nelson at Gala Durham 

Rehearsals for Brassed Off will take place at Gala Durham, which is run by Durham County Council, from Monday 15 August until Monday 5 September. They will include evenings and Saturdays, with community performers appearing on a rotating basis during the production’s run.

Cllr Elizabeth Scott, the council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for members of the public to be part of such a hotly anticipated theatre production.  With this adaptation of Brassed Off being set in County Durham, we’re delighted to be able to give local performers a platform to showcase their talents in this way.”

The deadline for expressions of interest for the community casting is Wednesday 10 August.

Adapted from the hit film by Paul Allen and directed by Conrad Nelson, tickets are on sale now for the production. It will run at Gala Durham from Tuesday 6 until Saturday 24 September.

The theatre adaptation tells the story of Danny’s lifelong ambition to lead his local colliery band to the National Brass Band Competition at the Royal Albert Hall.But as the pit faces closure, the future looks bleak as the town is thrown into conflict. Flugelhorn player Gloria arrives in town bringing with her a renewed sense of hope and a touch of romance, but no-one knows who she’s really playing for.

Those interested in performing in the production can find out more and put forward an expression of interest by going to www.galadurham.co.uk/engage/opportunities/

Tickets for Brassed Off are on sale now, priced from £20. To book, visit www.galadurham.co.uk/brassed-off or call the Gala Durham Box Office on 03000 266 600.

News: Your Voice Your Future: North East – a theatrical rollercoaster of a journey at Live Theatre this September

Your Voice Your Future: North East – a theatrical rollercoaster of a journey at Live Theatre

Your Voice Your Future: North East

Newcastle Live Theatre

Thursday 15 - Sunday 18 September 2022

Live Theatre Newcastle Upon Tyne is excited to announce the eight North East writers/artists selected and commissioned for Your Voice Your Future: North East which runs from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 September 2022. A theatrical rollercoaster of a journey through the North East region, exploring the people, the politics and the place, the writers answer the questions: what is the future we want for ourselves and how might the world be reimagined? 

Selected from an open submission call out, the successful writers/artists are Lydia Brickland, Miles Kinsley, Lizzie Lovejoy, Fleur Nixon, Nic O’Keeffe, Susannah Ronnie, Jenni Winter and Jack Young. As the eight commissions were only for writers and artists who have not previously had work performed professionally at Live Theatre, it is an unique opportunity to discover new voices and fresh writing talent. Your Voice Your Future: North East will be co-directed by Live’s Creative Producer, Graeme Thompson and RYTDS Resident Assistant Director, Bex Bowsher. 

Your Voice Your Future: North East features a thrilling line up of visionary ten-minute short plays that boldly imagine the world ahead of us. 

In Frubes, Crème Eggs and Massive Slags by Lydia Brickland, Chelsea, Sally and Trix are on their lunch break, talking school, life and relationships. However, when the conversation turns to Chelsea’s secret boyfriend, things are definitely not as they seem! Lydia Brickland is a performer, writer and burlesque artist from Gateshead and a founding member of womxn’s comedy collective Your Aunt Fanny. 

The Southern Side Of The Wall by South Shields based actor, writer and theatre practitioner Miles Kinsley, sees Sal and Baz posted to the wall that now separates England and Scotland. With nothing else to do, they question what life in Scotland looks like, and whether this newly established independence might ever be possible for the North.  

Lizzie Lovejoy’s Do You Know Who We Are? is a spoken-word protest about a future which is far too close to reality. We are in the words we speak, but what is speech when it’s not free? Lizzie Lovejoy is a working-class story-telling artist who observes, writes and visually interprets the stories and histories of the North East. 

A group of strangers trapped on a delayed Metro discover that outward appearances aren’t always what they appear to be in Labels by Fleur Nixon. Fleur has been writing short stories since school and started writing plays in the last two years and completed Live Theatre’s online Playwriting course in 2021.  

Nic O’Keeffe is a writer and performer from Sunderland. Nic enjoys exploring themes of loss, loneliness and self-discovery and her work often draws on her experience as a queer, working class, northern woman. In Wyrm  post break up, Lucy moves back to Sunderland and begins to have unsettling dreams about something growing at the foot of Penshaw Monument, until reconnecting with an old school friend causes her to re-examine what she thinks of ‘home’. 

On The Edge by Susannah Ronnie sees Jac sitting on the cliff edge eating Mars bars, swigging vodka and talking to a stranger whilst A level results and environmental disaster both loom on the horizon.  Susannah works across playwriting, poetry and visual art and her focus is the fictionalising of history 

The rise and fall of a northern Prime Minister who discovers the power of unchecked rhetoric, with devastating consequences is told in Tenure by South Shields writer and actor, Jack Young. He is currently a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and completed Live Theatre’s Playwriting course in 2021. 

Framing the plays are a selection of brand new cabaret showtunes composed and performed by musician Jenni Winter and her Piano of Destiny. Your Future Cabaret Show has sublime songs, the singers are sensational and the orchestra is beautiful.  

Graeme Thompson, Creative Producer at Live Theatre said: “We asked for stories that reflected a contemporary North East and its future and we had some fantastic ideas in amongst almost a hundred applications. The is the Live Theatre debut for all eight of these writers and it’s a pleasure to introduce audiences to fresh work and to support the professional development of early career artists.  The short plays that make up Your Voice Your Future: North East in 2022, provide a glimpse into life today and a boldly imagined future.” 

Tickets:

Your Voice Your Future: North East, at Live Theatre from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 September 2022, is generously supported by The Idlewild Trust. Tickets are priced £10 to £15 with concessions from £6 available from www.live.org.uk or (0191) 232 1232. Get ready to experience new work today by the stars of tomorrow. 

Preview: Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch Newcastle Northern Stage

Smash-Hit Musical Parody

Unfortunate: The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch To Visit Northern Stage

 

Disney villain. Octo-woman. Plus-size icon

 

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch

Newcastle Northern Stage

Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 September 2022.

 

Presented by Fat Rascal Theatre and Wildpark Entertainment

Book and Lyrics by Robyn Grant & Daniel Fox and Music by Tim Gilvin

 

Things are gonna get wet...! As critically acclaimed hit parody musical Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch will visit Northern Stage from 20 - 24 September.

Join everyone’s favourite Disney Diva, Ursula, as she gives her take on what really happened all those years ago under the sea. With an original hot pop soundtrack and trademark filthy humour, it’s time to take the plunge and dive Into this year’s hottest

night out.

When Disney released ‘The Little Mermaid’ in 1989, they had no idea they were giving birth to an icon.

Ursula the Sea Witch quickly took her place as the queen of Disney villains: a pop culture legend and a feminist badass. She’s loud. She’s clever. She’s a ruthless businesswoman, and oh boy.

is she sexy. Sexy, and unapologetically fat. She’s not defined by slipper - sized feet, or enchanted blonde hair, or snow-white skin. Ursula is plump, purple and proud. For the LGBTQ+ community stands Ursula, defiant against her creator and with a message for all us ‘poor unfortunate souls’: love the skin you’re in, value your voice over your body, and don’t be afraid to be a little bit nasty”.

Who better to take us on a scorching trip through the problematic minefield that is Disney?

Fresh from sell out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and around the UK the cast of ‘Unfortunate’ will be led by Elliotte Williams-N’Dure (Sylvia, The Old Vic. Jesus Christ Super Star, Regents Park. Hairspray, UK Tour) in the title role of Ursula along with Miracle Chance (Be More Chill, Shaftesbury Theatre & The Other Palace. The Rocky Horror Show, UK Tour. The Wedding Singer, UK Tour) as Ariel.  Jack Gray(Badgers Can’t Be Friends, Southwark Playhouse& Kings Head Theatre. Anticlimax. Theatre503) as Scuttle, Jamie Mawson (Vulvarine: A New Musical. King's Head Theatre & UK Tour Beauty & the Beast-A Musical Parody) as Eric, Allie Dart (Vulvarine: A New Musical. King's Head Theatre & UK Tour. Buzz: A New Musical, Pleasance. Waiter! There's a murder in my Soup!, Troubadour Wembley Park) as Sebastian and George Whitty (Hello Again, The New Union Theatre) as Triton.

Robyn Grant –Writer of the Book and Lyrics and Director said: "We’re beyond thrilled to be making our return this Summer, after spending the last two years upscaling the design, expanding the show into its two fast paced and electric acts, finding our wildly talented new cast and dreaming up what we know this show has the potential to be. ‘Unfortunate’ is brimming with the passion and persistence of a magnificent team of individuals fully committed to our vision of pure silliness, eccentricity and joy. Ursula’s lair is finally ready to welcome you back and brimming with surprises, we just need our final ingredient... you!”

Unfortunate is produced by Wildpark Entertainment and Fat Rascal Theatre. The London premiere is produced in association with Underbelly.

Book and Lyrics are by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx with Music,

Arrangements & orchestrations by Tim Gilvin

It will be directed by Robyn Grant with Choreography by Melody Sinclair, Musical Direction by Arlene McNaught, Associate Musical Direction by Amelia Davies, Set Design by Abby Clarke, Costume Design by Cory Shipp, Sound Design by Dominic Cusack and Joe Cusack, Lighting Design by Douglas Kuhrt, Puppet Design by Abby Clarke and Hugh Purves, Make Up Design by Maya Lewis, Costume Supervision by Sian Clare and Additional Casting by Pearson Casting.

Tickets:

Tickets are on sale now from £10 at https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/unfortunate/

 

Performance Times:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 19:30pm

Saturday: 14:30pm & 19:30pm

 

2 hours and 15 minutes including a 20- minute interval

Age Guidance: 16+

Contains strong language, partial nudity, scenes of a sexual nature and flashing lights 

Preview: Derren Brown - Showman at Newcastle Theatre Royal

 

Derren Brown Returns To Newcastle Theatre Royal

Derren Brown - Showman

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 September 2022

The multi award-winning master of mind control and psychological illusion, Derren Brown, is set to make a popular return to Newcastle Theatre Royal with Showman.

As always, the content of Showman remains a closely-guarded secret but Derren has revealed: “The heart of the show is about remembering what’s important. Like how the very things that we find most isolating in life - our fears and difficulties - actually connect us. Framed with what I think will be some extraordinary demonstrations of my voodoo”.

Derren Brown is a firm favourite with Newcastle Theatre Royal audiences with previous shows – including Miracle and Underground – both playing to packed out houses in recent years.

His live shows have won Derren two prestigious Olivier Awards – for Something Wicked This Way Comes (2006) and Svengali (2012) and he has received more Olivier nominations and wins than any other one-man show in theatre history. He has played to over 1.6 million people in sold-out houses across the country and previous shows, Infamous, (2013, 2014), Miracle (2015, 2016) and Underground (2017, 2018) have also enjoyed critically acclaimed seasons in London’s West End.

In 2017 he made an award-winning US stage debut at the Atlantic Theater in New York with Derren Brown: Secret, which transferred to Broadway, enjoying a sell-out season at the Cort Theatre, New York until Jan 2020.

Tickets:

Derren Brown: Showman plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal on Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 September 2022. Tickets are priced from £20.00 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

Preview: All The Beds I Have Slept In at Newcastle Northern Stage

 Phosphoros Theatre’s All The Beds I Have Slept In 

Newcastle Northern Stage 

Thursday 8 - Friday 9 September 2022

‘A bed that wasn’t a bed. A sheet in the Sahara.

A charpai on my roof in Afghanistan when it was too hot to sleep inside.

On our balcony back home, sharing with my brother.

A blanket in the rescue ship that pulled me from the sea’

After a successful tour last Autumn that saw nearly 500 refugee audience members and multiple sell-out performances in London (Rich Mix and Canada Water) Leeds Playhouse, Manchester Home, Derby Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse and Theatre Clwyd, All the Beds I Have Slept In is returning with a new version and new refugee cast from Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Morocco.

Using a simple set of just a bed on stage, the play recalls the hundreds of beds the actors have slept in on their journeys from their homelands to the UK. It explores the kindness of strangers who offered help, from a guard in a Greek detention centre to a passenger at a train station who shared a room in his house, these are the real people who kept the actors moving forward. It also tells the fictional story of Sameer (Syed Haleem Najibi) and Youssof (Mohamad Aljasem) created out of hundreds of refugee experiences we’ve heard. First meeting in a foster home in London they stay best friends, only Sameer has Right to Remain and Youssof doesn’t, so their lives take very different paths. All The Beds I have Slept In uses Phosphoros’ trademark wit and energy to reveal the intimacy created between friends when family is absent, and how to stay hopeful in a world that isn’t fair.

Updated for 2022 – Afghanistan and Ukraine

Since the play was first created, global trends in forced migration have changed. The Nationality and Borders Bill became law authorising removals to Rwanda; while ‘Operation Warm welcome’ in response to the Afghanistan crisis was swiftly followed by ‘Homes for Ukraine’. The play reflects on these changes and what they mean for our company of refugee actors from who mostly came to the UK as unaccompanied children.

‘But the people keep coming from Kyiv and Kabul

And some of us realise that the queue isn’t equal…’

Involving refugee audiences

For the first time we will be inviting refugee young people and budding artists from around the UK to contribute material to our show, which will be shared in performances in each location. These moments will be developed during drama workshops with local refugee youth groups, led by our actors, exploring and reflecting on the themes of the play.

Cast and creatives:

Written by Dawn Harrison; directed by Esther Dix; produced by Juliet tyles; movement direction by Sean Hollands; wellbeing leads Kate Duffy-Syedi and Juliet Styles.

Performed by Abel Atsede, Syed Haleem Najibi, Talal Hassan, Mohamad Aljasem, Nas Kamal, Ismael Mohammed.

Phosphoros Theatre visit the North East for the first time in 2022

Alongside Sheffield, Leicester and London we will be performing in Newcastle at Northern Stage on the 8th and 9th September. As a proud Theatre of Sanctuary, we know whenever we visit Cities of Sanctuary (like Newcastle) we are amongst friends. Our shows are made for people who want to listen to refugee stories. Every year we invite hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers to our performances, and they have told us our work makes them feel seen. We believe seeing refugee actors controlling their own narratives validates, recognises and represents lived experience in important and meaningful ways.

“We want our shows to start a conversation about how we listen to, welcome and involve refugees in our communities.

The impact of our work doesn’t end when the house lights go up; audiences leave wanting to make change in their own local areas, and those who haven’t been to the theatre much (or ever) hopefully leave with a plan to return.”

On The Web:

www.phosphorostheatre.com

Twitter: @WeArePhosphoros

FB: Phosphoros Theatre

Insta: @phosphorostheatre

Tickets:

https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/all-the-beds-i-have-slept-in/

Preview: Spike at Darlington Hippodrome

 

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR ‘SPIKE’ COMING TO DARLINGTON HIPPODROME IN OCTOBER

 

Spike

Darlington Hippodrome

Tuesday 18 - Saturday 22 October 2022

 

Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s new comedy, ‘Spike’, is coming to Darlington Hippodrome with a cast including Gavin and Stacey star Robert Wilfort alongside Mischief Theatre’s Patrick Warner and Jeremy Lloyd.

 

Full casting has been announced for ‘Spike’ - the comedy by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman that had its world premiere at The Watermill Theatre Newbury in January, and will be touring the UK from 6 September.

Robert Wilfort (Gavin and Stacey, Bridgerton) will take over the role of ‘Spike Milligan’, Patrick Warner (‘Peter Cook’ in The Crown, One Man, Two Guvnors and Play that Goes Wrong) will also join the production to play ‘Peter Sellers’, and Jeremy Lloyd (The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, Trial by Laughter) will return to his critically acclaimed role as ‘Harry Secombe’

TV comedienne and podcaster Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Motherland, Miranda, Buffering) will reprise her role as ‘Janet’, as will James Mack (The Watermill’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Rivals, Macbeth and Journey’s End) as ‘Denis Main-Wilson / Peter Eton’,  Ellie Morris (The Play That Goes Wrong, Mischief Movie Night, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery for Mischief Theatre company) as ‘June’, and Robert Mountford (The Habit of Art, The Haunting of Alice Bowles for Original Theatre Company, House and Garden for The Watermill) as ‘BBC Executive’.  Peter Dukes will join the company as ‘BBC Announcer’, as will Tesni Kujore as ‘Myra’, and Sam Ducane as ‘Doctor’.

Ian Hislop and Nick Newman said, “It’s a privilege to take ‘Spike’ on tour, exploring the genius of Britain’s most inspirational and ground-breaking comedian. And of course, it’s another chance to steal all his jokes and pass them off as our own. Spike Milligan may be Goon, but he’s not forgotten.”

 

Tickets

‘Spike’ runs at at Darlington Hippodrome from Tuesday 18 to Saturday 22 October. For full details or to book please call the Box Office on 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

News: Darlington Hippodrome Young Dancers accepted on to Pioneering Training Course

Darlington Hippodrome Young Dancers accepted on to Pioneering Training Course

Three young dancers who have been attending Darlington Hippodrome Youth Dance sessions for over two years have been accepted on to Dance City’s Centre for Advanced Training in Contemporary Dance course.

Following successful auditions, Grace Hanson, Lola Smith and Annabel Wilde will start as CAT students in the new term starting in September.

CAT Students Lola Smith, Annabel Wilde, Grace Hanson 

The Newcastle based Centre for Advanced Training is part of The Department for Education’s Music and Dance Scheme offering a contemporary dance training programme for young people from the North East region aged between 10 and 18. CATs exist to help identify and assist children with exceptional potential, regardless of their personal circumstances, to benefit from world-class training as part of a broad and balanced education. This will enable students proceed towards self-sustaining careers in music and dance.

Grace, Lola and Annabel will train for a minimum of seven hours per week, attending classes on weeknights and weekends during school term times. They will have the opportunity to take part in intensive dance sessions during school holidays, working with renowned choreographers and guest artists. They will perform at Dance City’s performance space as well as attending professional theatre performances throughout their time on the course.

Debbie Harbin who runs the Hippodrome Youth Dance session told us “It has been an absolute pleasure to teach and nurture the natural talent of these students. I have seen them progress and mature technically. They have shown drive, passion and creativity. This chance to be on the CAT provides a fantastic opportunity to access intense quality sessions and contribute to a potential career in dance. Alongside this they will have an experience and gain skills that will stay with them for life and be transferable to whatever they do in the future.” 

Darlington Hippodrome’s Youth Dance and Youth Theatre sessions are suitable for ages 7+. For further information call the Box Office on 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk