Preview: Only The Beginning at South Shields Customs House then on tour

Customs House dates followed by community tour announced for inspiring play about girls’ football

Only The Beginning...

South Shields Customs House: Friday 1st November - Sunday 3rd November 2024

The Unionist Social Club: Wednesday 6 - Thursday 7 November, 7.00pm

South Shields Football Club: Friday 8 November, 7.00pm

Jarrow Hall: Saturday 9 November, 2.00pm

Perth Green Community Association: Sunday 10 November, 2.00pm

The Customs House and ThickSkin have announced the community tour of Only The Beginning…, a dynamic new play celebrating the passion and resilience of women in football. This production, funded by Arts Council England's (ACE) Place Partnership Investment, explores the struggles, hopes, and triumphs of a grassroots girls’ football team in the North East, with themes that resonate beyond the pitch.

Written against the backdrop of a crucial match for England's Lionesses, Only The Beginning... tells the story of a local girls' team on the brink of collapse. With limited resources, worn-out equipment, and a coach whose faith in the sport is faltering, the team faces immense challenges. But with so much at stake for the players, their families, and their coach, this is more than just about winning goals—it’s about reclaiming their love for the game and proving that girls belong on the field.

This inspiring production is a tribute to the women who have fought for a place in the world of football, from the grassroots to the international stage. It's also a reminder of the obstacles that still exist, from financial struggles to outdated attitudes like those expressed by the FA in 1921 when they declared the sport ‘unsuitable for females’—a ban that lasted nearly 50 years.

After its run at The Customs House, Only The Beginning... is set to embark on a community tour, bringing this important story to local audiences across South Tyneside:

The Unionist Social Club: 6-7 November, 7.00pm

South Shields Football Club: 8 November, 7.00pm

Jarrow Hall: 9 November, 2.00pm

Perth Green Community Association: 10 November, 2.00pm

Supported by South Tyneside’s Cultural Partnership group, this tour reflects a deep commitment to bringing high-quality arts and culture to local communities, ensuring that everyone has access to transformative storytelling like Only The Beginning....

About The Play

Only The Beginning... is a love letter to women’s football, celebrating the players, coaches, and parents whose unwavering passion sustains the grassroots game. With moments of humour, heartbreak, and triumph, it’s a moving portrayal of how much more there is to football than meets the eye—particularly for those fighting for recognition.

Neil Bettles, Artistic Director at ThickSkin said, ‘I am incredibly excited about developing this show with the team at The Customs House. The visceral energy of a game of football captured in a theatre production sounds like a brilliant challenge to me. There is a huge amount of interest in the women’s game at the moment, and I hope we can make something that reflects the energy and dynamics of the game as well as the stories of the people who are at the heart of the sport.’ 

Kelly Anders, Chief Executive, The Customs House has said, ‘we are delighted to be able to take this work into venues at the heart of our communities, into spaces which have meaningful relationships with the girls’ game, while proving an opportunity to see brand new work that is inspired by the stories of young women from South Tyneside.’ 

Presented by The Customs House and ThickSkin | Supported by South Tyneside Cultural Partnership | Funded by ACE’s Place Partnership Investment

Tickets:

Tickets for Customs House: https://www.customshouse.co.uk/theatre/only-the-beginning/ 

Tickets for the community tour are available at each venue at one hour before the show, or via The Customs House website: https://www.customshouse.co.uk/theatre/only-the-beginning-tour/

Interview: Steven Knight– Creator of Peaky Blinders

Interview with Steven Knight– Creator of Peaky Blinders

Rambert presents Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby

Sunderland Empire

Tuesday 29 October – Saturday 2 November 2024

It is 10 years since the first episode of Peaky Blinders aired on the BBC. Created by writer Steven Knight, it has since become a household name across the world. 

Having collaborated with the Peaky Blinders creator to present and tour popular new dance theatre show Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby, which saw audiences in excess of 100,000, Rambert has announced its return to stages next year.

Inspired by the TV series produced and owned by Caryn Mandabach Productions, the explosive and exhilarating performance has been adapted for the stage by Steven Knight and choreographed and directed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer.

Featuring the full Rambert dance company and an iconic Peaky soundtrack from a live on-stage band, Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby will take over the Sunderland Empire’s stage from Tuesday 29 October – Saturday 2 November 2024. 

We caught up with Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight to chat about the show.

How did you become connected with Rambert?

It was a gradual process because someone at the BBC suggested that we meet when we talked about doing a 12-minute dance piece as part of a Peaky Blinders festival. Rambert were brought on, and it was brilliant. 

I was writing Series 5 of Peaky Blinders at the time and so I wrote a scene where Tommy Shelby invites Rambert to his house, because in the 1930s Rambert used to tour the country and do shows under the ethos of bringing dance to the people. In Peaky Blinders, the music, the way people move and the way they dress is really important so I think it really lends itself to dance.

Rambert's Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer and I noted that we could create a full show together. I was shocked when the company asked me to write it, but I imagined the set and the stage and wrote what I thought would be good for that.
 
Benoit and I started working together and it began to snowball. We brought in some great collaborators and got really good music for it. I saw the show in rehearsals and couldn't believe how great it was. I first saw it performed to an audience in Birmingham and it raised the roof with standing ovations, and now it's going all over the place.

How does the work of Rambert make you feel?
I didn't realise how direct the relationship between dance and the audience is. I work with dialogue and plot within scenes where people act the roles, whereas in dance it feels more subtle in the execution but more direct in the effect. An interaction between two people can be very stylised but you get to see that very quickly, and the music continues to amplify that.

How did you meet both inspirations and visions during the collaboration process of making the work?
I wrote the script as though it was a long script without dialogue, with slight inclusion of narration.

I started off with WW1 and soldiers coming out of a tunnel, and imagined how they would look and move, whilst thinking about how that would make them feel too. 

The way I tend to write is quite instinctively so I write whatever comes into my head at the time, so I just wrote it whilst imagining it through dance and music. I wrote it almost like a dream rather than a script. It felt dreamlike, not like forcing the imagination, but writing what comes to you at the time. 

How did it feel trusting another creative with the keys to Peaky Blinders?
When there's somebody as good a Benoit [Swan Pouffer], it's a relief. It's like giving the script to a good director as you know they are going to take what you've done and enhance it. 

I'm a firm believer in doing things that you haven't done before otherwise it's boring, so the idea of telling people that Peaky Blinders will be presented through dance is great.

Do you think you learnt anything from Benoit or Rambert, and the art of storytelling?
Yes. I think it teaches you that sometimes words cause a jam. Instead, you can present something quite quickly in dance, and it teaches you the power of a look.

The thing about dance is that all of us are experts in it because we all live our lives in a dance. For example, if someone walks into a room - you can tell if they are in a good or bad mood because of their body language. 

Dance takes that and puts it to music.

Photo: Johan Persson

How did you come to decide that there would be a live band on stage?
The music is central to the TV series and music is the stepping stone between the TV series and the dance piece too.

Roman GianArthur who did the score absolutely got what Peaky Blinders was about. It isn't exactly a particular style of music as it can be folk or heavy metal, but it does need to have a certain swagger or a certain attitude to it. 

In terms of the style of music, and in the words of Cillian Murphy:
'there is music that is Peaky, and there is music that isn't Peaky. You can't always define it but you can tell when you hear it.'

Is it exciting to be bringing in a new audience with this work?
It really is, and it is one of the reasons why we decided to do it.

I’m proud that Peaky Blinders isn't high brow or it isn't of a particular class - it's a cross section of people from different backgrounds, and so it does appeal to different people too.

People may not always walk through a door marked 'dance' but they may walk through a door marked 'Peaky Blinders', and so it's the idea that you can connect with new audiences by welcoming them through that setting.

Saying that, the BBC's most popular TV show across all demographics is Strictly Come Dancing so audiences love watching people dance. It isn't like it's restricted to certain people of a level of education or income, as people have been dancing for 10,000+ years.

Isn't it great that something like this can work, and it challenges the idea that there are these rigid barriers between class and entertainment?

Do you think Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is an accessible show?
Absolutely. It's very accessible.

The story is clear and we aren't planning on baffling people. We are being as clear as we can about what's going on and that, in itself, is quite mysterious.

It ties into what Rambert's original remit was in the 20s and 30s of taking dance to working class people who love dance. That doesn't come with a clause of being patronising but I think this show does that in the true spirit of Rambert.

For me, you're getting to see what human beings can do; the way the dancers move and the way they interact, as they throw themselves into it. I think it's incredible that you can see human bodies pushing themselves to the limit to tell a story - it's brilliant.

If you could describe Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby in three words, what would they be?

Romantic, tragic and uplifting.

Do you have a favourite moment in  Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby?
Any moment when it's Tommy and Grace together is brilliant.

What do you want audiences to feel when they engage with the dance theatre show?
It's a live experience and that’s one of the things that I really like about it as, in comparison, television isn't a communal experience.

What tends to happen is that people watch Peaky Blinders, and then they get on social media so the communal experience happens on screens.

If you get people in a room together, and you get them all in the same space listening and watching to the same things, it's just totally different. For me, it's more satisfying I suppose because audiences get their reactions out of their system.

If you go into a room and watch the work, and you hear the music, and you are part of a standing ovation, you have a beginning, middle and end to that experience. You can then take it out into the cold and talk about that experience together.

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Tickets:

Tickets are available from our affiliates ATG Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/PeakySundEmp

REVIEW: Creepy Boys at Newcastle Alphabetti

So.Glad Arts presents

Creepy Boys

Newcastle Alphabetti Theatre

Friday 25 October 2024

Creepy Boys is a somewhat immersive fringe experience with a pair of actors that are so in tune with one another that it would give synchronised swimmers a run for their money. You can tell that this is an established show as the audience reactions, which is usually laughter, does not phase them - and that adds to the humour of this comedy.

Photo: Nick Robertson Photography

You are invited to the 13th birthday party of a pair of twins. When I say you are invited, the cast comprising of S.E. Grummett and Sam Kruger splurge out of the auditorium and encourage the audience to take up their seats. As you try to find your spot, you are accosted to help out by blowing up balloons or holding banners. Immediately you realise that the audience will be joining the cast (though we stayed in our seats - it isn't that type of show). As the cast ooze charm they quickly get the audience on board. This Canadian duo know how to handle the potentially reserved UK theatre audience.

The show centres around precocious egotistical twins that may have previous been involved in some incidents that has resulted in them still needing a babysitter. There are many laughs as the party unfolds. This is, in part, down to the fun way in which they announce the structure of the show. So we are told we are about to witness some exposition before the back history comes in -  but in doing so the room was full of laughter as the Friday night crowd really took the show to their hearts.

In not delivering plot spoilers, it is difficult to go much further in how events unfold. The unconventional meets the interesting and leaves a pleasing impression through the quick and sure footed paced production. You feel involved as you are led on the children's enthusiasm for Willem Dafoe and a particular version of the Spiderman movie franchise. That level of engagement ensures that the show feels a lot quicker than the approx 70 minute run-time. The horror elements are more down to human nature, and the questionable music choices, rather than the attempt to summon Satan.

The chemistry between the actors is transmitted across to the audience through their engaging style. This is a really energetic performance that you, as you watch, feel very much a part of.

The show is blast and is a reminder how vital fringe theatre and its venues are to the cultural climate. Fringe isn't just about Edinburgh in August after all.

Unique, energetic and fun, The Creepy Boys may be two individuals that would be hard to love in real life - but they make for cracking theatre.

Review: Stephen Oliver

On The Web:

Website: www.sogladarts.ca

Instagram: @thecreepyboys 

Facebook: @thecreepyboys

Twitter: @thecreepyboys

TikTok: @the_creepy_boys

UK tour to visit Bristol, Edinburgh, London, Sheffield, Manchester and Exeter - details: https://www.sogladarts.ca/creepy-boys-uk-tour 

Age Recommendation and Content Warning

16+  

Audience participation, brief nudity, scenes of a sexual nature, strong language/swearing

 

REVIEW: Romeo & Juliet at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Romeo & Juliet

Theatre Royal Newcastle

Until Saturday 26 October 2024

Photo Emily Nuttall

The welcome return of Northern Ballet’s critically acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare’s eternal tragic love story does not disappoint, with Massimo Morricone’s achingly romantic choreography and Prokofiev’s seductive score given full value by captivating soloists and a strong, expert corps de ballet.

This adaptation was created in 1991 by Christopher Gable, then Northern Ballet’s artistic director, and Italian choreographer Massimo Morricone. Given Gable’s second career as an actor, it is unsurprising that he gave detailed attention to the dramatic elements of the production as well as the dance. The production won many awards and has been an enduring hit for Northern Ballet until scenery and costumes were, sadly, damaged by flooding in 2105, effectively removing it from the repertoire. It has taken a special appeal and a huge amount of work to enable the production to tour again and I am happy to say that it more than justifies all the effort.

Photo Emily Nuttall

Given its constant revivals, both as a play and a ballet, plus at least three musical adaptations, it seems redundant to recount the plot of this tragic love story, set against the backdrop of two feuding families in Renaissance Italy.

What is interesting, however, is the secret of its enduring appeal. Based on this production, I would say it is the straightforward depiction of young love, intemperate and all-consuming, taking no account of outside influences. This strikes a chord with almost everyone, taking them back to their own youthful passions and making them feel the poignancy of the outcome, rather than becoming irritated by the foolishness of the protagonists.

Photo Emily Nuttall

For this to be effective, the audience must be charmed by the freshness and innocence of the young lovers. Here, this is accomplished in great style by Sarah Chun’s light-as-thistledown Juliet and Kevin Poeung’s yearning, matinee idol Romeo.

Marrying rock-solid technique and youthful athleticism with strong, sympathetic partnering, Poeung is a splendid Romeo. As in the play, Juliet is, of course, the pivotal role, making great demands, both as a dancer and an actress. Chun is more than up to the task, believable both as a playful adolescent and as a passionate lover. In the transcendent pas de deux, the partnership effortlessly conveys the beauty of both Prokofiev’s exquisite score and Morricone’s sinuous and passionate choreography.

Photo Emily Nuttall

Filippo Di Vilio, in the demanding but rewarding role of Mercutio, is suitably mischievous and dances with great flair, as he jests his way to the grave, thereby precipitating the tragedy that seals the young lovers’ fate. Helen Bogatch extracts significant humour from her portrayal of the warm-hearted nurse.

Antoni Caňellas Artigues is a strong, imperious Tybalt, mirroring Harry Skoupas’ commanding portrayal of Lord Capulet and Harriet Marden’s forbidding Lady Capulet, nonetheless very affecting in her response to the loss of her son.

Photo Emily Nuttall

The Capulets are richly dressed in black, red and gold, clearly portraying them as the villains of the piece, whilst the Montagues favour lighter, more cheery colours. If this is a little simplistic, it is highly effective in identifying the two sides in the skirmishes. This is just one of the ways in which this production delivers clear storytelling.

All the elements of this timeless story are here, with stirring swordfights, vigorous horseplay and a wonderfully moody ball sequence, where the Capulets’ dance with staffs might have inspired elements of Star Wars and even Harry Potter.

Photo Tristram Kenton

Lez Brotherston OBE’s magnificent sets and beautiful costume designs provide a rich backdrop to the dancers’ efforts and Paul Pyant’s lighting is effective and sympathetic throughout. 

This is a highly effective and engaging production of the classic ballet, which drew richly deserved cheers from the Theatre Royal audience. The one disappointment of the evening was the absence of the splendid Northern Ballet Sinfonia. Owing to the harsh vicissitudes of Arts Council cuts and the escalating costs of touring, the company has made the hard decision to perform to recorded music on the tour. With the best will in the world, recorded tracks cannot hope to compete with the urgency and splendour of a live orchestra and I hope, for everyone’s sake, that a way is found in the future to address this.

Photo Tristram Kenton

Nonetheless, in the capable hands of Mollie Guilfoyle, billed as Assistant Director, the evening was a fitting tribute to its late director, Christopher Gable CBE, on what I noticed, poignantly, was the anniversary of his tragically early demise.

Review: Jonathan Cash

Tickets:

Romeo & Juliet plays Newcastle Theatre Royal from Wednesday 23 – Saturday 26 October 2024. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/northern-ballet-romeo-juliet/ or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010. 

Interview: Northern Ballet’s Joseph Taylor

BRINGING AN ICONIC SHAKESPEARE CHARACTER TO LIFE

The greatest love story ever told is returning to Newcastle Theatre Royal this Autumn with Northern Ballet’s electrifying production of Romeo & Juliet this week from Wednesday 23 – Saturday 26 October 2024

Northern Ballet dancers in Romeo and Juliet.
Photo: Emily Nuttall

In the ultimate tale of forbidden love, two young people risk everything to be together. With glorious dancers, eye-catching sets and Prokofiev’s timeless music, this is ballet at its most dramatic, romantic and intense.

We caught up with one of Northern Ballet’s Premier Dancers Joseph Taylor, who plays Romeo in the production, to find out more about his preparations for the role ahead of the company’s arrival in Newcastle...

What can audiences expect when they come and see Northern Ballet’s production of Romeo & Juliet?

They can certainly expect to be taken on a rollercoaster of emotions. One of the most famous love stories of all time is in fact a tragedy and within a couple of hours Northern Ballet brings this turbulent story to life with passion, a sense of realism and beauty.

Dominique Larose and Joseph Taylor in Romeo and Juliet.
Photo: Emily Nuttall

Did you study the original Shakespeare script to prepare for your role in the ballet?

We worked with Sir Gregory Doran, former Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company to study and learn more from Shakespeare’s text. It was great to delve deeper into an understanding of the story and the complexities of relations between key characters.

Once we started to put scenes from the ballet together with choreography it was nice to see some of the pages of the play coming to life and also to notice moments certain movements were inspired by.

What is your favourite dance from the show?

The ‘Dance of the Knights’ has possibly the most iconic music of Prokofiev’s score, but I would have to say that the duet between Romeo and Juliet at her balcony is my favourite part to perform. It is also the emotional highlight before things begin to fall to pieces.

Dominique Larose and Joseph Taylor in Romeo and Juliet.
Photo: Tristram Kenton

You use real swords in the show, is that fun?

I would say it’s fun now that we are rehearsed and have performed a few weeks of the tour!  However, during the early rehearsal period it was quite challenging and scary. I dance both roles of Romeo and Tybalt so I have to be able to reverse the entire lightning-fast fight scenes in my head from show to show and that requires a lot of concentration.

How often do you have to rehearse?

We spent about eight weeks putting four casts of Romeo & Juliet together (we alternate roles each performance). Now we have to rehearse daily to maintain all of our quality and stamina on the production whilst at the same time, preparing for the many other ballets we will perform over the coming months.

Harry Skoupas and Joseph Taylor in Romeo and Juliet.
Photo: Tristram Kenton

Have you got any pre-show rituals?

I have to refuel my body with a carb heavy meal at least 2.5 hours before the show, make sure I get some decent rest and then a shower to warm up my body again before I turn into Romeo with my costume and make up. I wear lace up leather boots for Romeo that take me at least 5 minutes to get on! After that, I had to the stage about 45 minutes before the show starts to stretch and get my body moving and ready for what it is about to go through emotionally and physically.

If you could be in any theatre show, what would it be?

The answer to this question would require me to be able to sing, and unfortunately, I do not have this talent, but I love the musical Miss Saigon. So maybe I’ll just have to stick to being an audience member.

Joseph Taylor in Romeo and Juliet.
Photo Tristram Kenton

What are the demands of being on tour?

Seven shows a week is not easy. I have been with Northern Ballet for almost 12 years, and it doesn’t get any easier. It’s physically draining and each show I’m looking to go out there and perform my best, but it’s this challenge that keeps us coming back for more as artists. To take the audience on this ride with us and hear the reaction at the end makes it all worth it.

Tickets:

Romeo & Juliet plays Newcastle Theatre Royal from Wednesday 23 – Saturday 26 October 2024. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/northern-ballet-romeo-juliet/ or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.