Preview: Cinderella at Seaton Delaval Arts Centre

 

A Glass Slipper Fit for Royalty: Seaton Delaval's Festive Fairytale

Cinderella
Seaton Delaval Pantomime Society
Seaton Delaval Arts Centre
Friday 28 November – Saturday 6 December 2025

As autumn gives way to winter and the festive season beckons, there's a particular magic in the air at Seaton Delaval Arts Centre. The village's beloved pantomime tradition continues its remarkable journey with the 53rd annual production from Seaton Delaval Pantomime Society – a milestone that speaks volumes about the enduring power of community theatre and the timeless appeal of seasonal storytelling.

This year's offering is that most classic of pantomime tales: Cinderella. It's a story that needs little introduction – the downtrodden heroine, the wicked stepfamily, the transformative magic, and of course, that all-important glass slipper. Yet in the hands of this experienced company, audiences can expect the familiar narrative to sparkle with fresh energy and local charm.

The production marks another chapter in an extraordinary legacy that stretches back to 1973. Over more than five decades, hundreds of local performers have graced the stage, and thousands have filled the auditorium, making the annual pantomime an integral part of the village's cultural calendar. It's the kind of theatrical tradition that binds communities together, creating memories that span generations.

At the heart of this year's production is a principal cast that blends promising talent with pantomime expertise. Zoe Buckthorp takes on the title role of the kind and beautiful Cinderella, a character who must navigate the cruelty of her stepfamily while maintaining hope for a better future. Her tormentors come in the formidable form of stepsisters Dannie and Fannie, played by Chris Orchard and Sam Kennedy respectively – no doubt ready to deliver the kind of outrageous comedy and garish costumes that make pantomime dames such beloved fixtures of the genre.

The romantic element falls to Lewis Hill as Prince Charming, supported by Zach Hardy as the ever-loyal Dandini. Meanwhile, Ellee Jacobson steps into the role of Baroness Vindicita, the wicked stepmother whose name alone suggests delicious villainy. On the side of good, Katie Jackson brings the magic as the Fairy Godmother, while Jennifer Foulkes takes on the role of the Baron, Cinderella's father.

Perhaps most intriguingly, Stu Bennett portrays Buttons, Cinderella's lovable best friend and confidant. Bennett also shares directing duties with Elle Pearson, suggesting a production team deeply invested in the show's success from both sides of the curtain. The script comes from the pen of local writer and performer Tom Whalley, ensuring the humour and references will resonate with North East audiences, while Gareth Miller provides musical direction for the live band – a luxury not every amateur production can boast.

Last year's production Pinocchio (2024)

The principal cast is augmented by a chorus of young local performers, whose energy and enthusiasm will undoubtedly add colour, life and vocal power to the production. It's these young people who often represent the future of community theatre, gaining invaluable stage experience while contributing to the magic of pantomime land.

The venue itself deserves special mention. Seaton Delaval Arts Centre is a not-for-profit community theatre that recently received the King's Award for Voluntary Service – the highest accolade a UK voluntary group can achieve, equivalent to an MBE. This royal recognition speaks to the dedication of the volunteers who keep this cultural hub thriving and accessible to the local community.

Audiences attending Cinderella can expect all the essential ingredients of a traditional British pantomime: show-stopping musical numbers, dazzling dance routines, magical transformations, knockabout comedy, and plenty of opportunities to shout "He's behind you!" and "Oh yes it is!" The panto format thrives on audience participation, breaking down the fourth wall and creating a shared experience that differs from performance to performance.

The production runs for just over a week, with evening performances at 7pm and weekend matinees at 1pm – the earlier shows perfect for younger audiences or those who prefer to enjoy their theatrical adventures in daylight hours. At £14 for adults and £12 for concessions, with a family ticket for four at £48, the pricing remains accessible, reflecting the community-focused ethos of both the society and the venue.

After more than half a century of annual productions, Seaton Delaval Pantomime Society has clearly mastered the art of delivering festive entertainment that brings the community together. Cinderella promises all the sparkle, silliness and seasonal spirit that makes pantomime such an enduring British tradition. Whether you're seeking to introduce the next generation to live theatre or simply craving some feel-good festive fun, this production offers the perfect opportunity to believe in fairy tales once more.

Will Cinderella make it to the ball? Will the glass slipper find its rightful owner? Will Buttons finally get the recognition he deserves? There's only one way to find out – and something tells us you'll have a ball finding out the answers.

Tickets:

Cinderella runs at Seaton Delaval Arts Centre from Friday 28th November to Saturday 6th December 2025. Tickets: £14.00 (£12.00 concessions, £48.00 family of four). Box Office: 0191 237 5460 or book online at www.seatondelavalartscentre.com

REVIEW: Miss Saigon at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Miss Saigon

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 25 October 2025

Michael Harrison, in association with Cameron Mackintosh's, reinterpretation of Boublil and Schönberg's legendary musical Miss Saigon  is a spectacular production that finishes its run at Newcastle Theatre Royal this week. The original show has been seen by 36 million people worldwide since it first opened in 1989 and it continues to be popular with audiences. So what does this new production feel like?

The show has had a major reworking and probably doesn't benefit with comparison with the old show. Fresh set and costume design from Andrew D Fisher and new orchestration from Stephen Metcalfe on top of new choreography by Chrissie Cartwright and Carrie-Anne Ingrouille has put new energy into the format. Hey, even the helicopter has a make-over, and personally has more impact now. By going back to the source and starting again the Newcastle crowd were given a real treat.

War brings out the best and worst in people. Being a parent, I know the bond one can have with one's child and as a human, as well as the power of the first love you feel as a teenager. This is the cornerstone of what makes the show relevant.

The musical, based on Puccini's Madama Butterfly tells the story of love born within the debauchery of a brothel in the Vietnam war, between a US Marine (Chris) and a bargirl (Kim) being groomed to be a prostitute by the "Engineer" a pimp-cum-bar manager who has dreams of being an American citizen.

The abandonment of Kim (unwillingly, during evacuation by the American troops) by Chris propels her into prostitution. She works to support Chris's son who is "Bui-Doi" (street child), the name given to children fathered by American troops.

The story is a heartbreaking tale of loss, separation, determination to survive, and self-sacrifice by a number of the characters. It also focusses on people who try to profit from war and sell their souls and those of others just for financial gain.

The scene changes and lighting are cleverly carried out in this show, thanks in part to a rotating element to the stage floor. Newcastle Theatre Royal's stage manages to contain multiple layers of scenery, and a helicopter at one point. Sound and lighting threw us into a war zone and the red-light district of Bangkok with equal ease.

The choreography deserves a mention as such a large cast was sculpted into a fabulous show and dancers did not miss a beat. Action was sometimes disturbing but that's the story. It was not a clean war.

The cast were amazing with strong vocal performances from Julianne Pundan (Kim), Jack Kane (Chris) and Mikko Juan (Thuy) to name but a few. No one fell short of outstanding. Having saif that - special mention goes to Dominic Hartley-Harris (John) setting his stall out in the opening of the second act Bui Doi.

Seann Miley Moore (The Engineer) was entertaining throughout the show in portraying the grifting opportunist that had the chap behind me laughing loudly regularly through the show. His singing went centre stage during The American Dream and it was a rallying call for the survivor mentality.

The 12 piece orchestra filled the air with a rich sound and did the music real justice in this production. It is fabulous to here a complex orchestration performed live.

Gripping and emotional, this rollercoaster of a show hits the spot.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Tickets:

🎟️ Miss Saigon at Newcastle Theatre Royal

📅 Dates: Saturday 4 – Saturday 25 October 2025
🔗 Tickets & Info: Newcastle Theatre Royal Website

⚠  14+ contains scenes of a sexual and violent nature, wartime themes, firearms, derogatory and coarse language, drug use, simulated smoking of cigarettes, strobe lighting, gunshots and loud sound effects, haze and pyrotechnics

Preview: Sunny Afternoon at Sunderland Empire

You Really Got Me (Again): Joe Penhall on Reviving Sunny Afternoon and the Enduring Spirit of The Kinks

Celebrating the raw energy and timeless sound of one of Britain’s most iconic bands, The Kinks, the four-time Olivier Award winning musical Sunny Afternoon returns for a UK tour, coming to Sunderland Empire on Tuesday 4 – Saturday 8 November 2025.

Written by award-winning stage and screen writer Joe Penhall, with an original story and music and lyrics by The Kinks frontman, Ray Davies, the musical charts the euphoric highs and agonising lows through their catalogue of chart-topping hits, including “You Really Got Me,” “Lola,” and “All Day and All of the Night.”

We sat down with writer Joe Penhall ahead of the tour to talk about returning to his work over 10-years since its West End premiere, working with Ray Davies, and bringing the show to a new generation of fans.

Sunny Afternoon is heading back on tour. How does it feel to have the production returning to stages across the UK?

It’s incredibly exciting to be doing it again. All of us involved feel we really need it in our lives. It’s got a medicinal quality that always makes everyone feel better about life.

Since we started, over ten years ago, various cast and creatives have gone off and had babies, got married — sometimes to each other — become stars, played festivals and put out albums. We’re like a family that never grows old, somehow able to magically renew every time we regroup with new cast members… which is entirely appropriate since the musical is partly about family. 

It’s been over 10 years since the show first premiered in the West End to critical acclaim, winning multiple awards, followed by a sell-out tour in 2016. What stands out the most from that initial time with the show?

The very first workshop was just Ray Davies and I with a piano and a handful of actors with guitars and tambourines. Ray would take them away for twenty minutes and teach them a pitch perfect arrangement of Waterloo Sunset, exactly like the record. It was like a magic trick. Or I’d go off with Ray and he’d explain a particularly intense episode of his life to me in a perfect, poetic monologue and I’d build a scene from it. During previews at the Hampstead Theatre Sir Tom Stoppard turned up and spent a couple of days feeding me notes and advice.

When it opened Dave Gilmore, Paul Weller and Noel and Liam Gallagher came, all big Kinks fans, all very approving. Geniuses as far as the eye could see!

You worked with the legendary Kinks frontman Ray Davies to create the show – how involved was he in the development, and what was it like to collaborate with him?

Ray was across everything and in the early days was musical director. To work out the story I’d go to Ray’s house every Friday and we’d drink tea and he’d tell me stories or show me clips, play me old bits of songs or suggest bits of films to watch. Sometimes I’d see or read something that inspired me and would show it to him and we’d figure out how it related to what we were doing.

Sometimes we disagreed and wanted to go in different directions but there was always a kind of subliminal umbilical cord connecting us, because I’d been listening to his music since I was a child and he’d admired some of my work. (He watches Mindhunter!) It’s rare to have the luxury of developing a show that way, in each other’s pockets — a real labour of love.

What do you think makes Sunny Afternoon stand apart from other ‘jukebox’ musicals?

Ray’s very theatre-literate and film-literate and knows everything there is to know about music — so we talked a lot about our favourite music, plays and films as we discovered the tone and atmosphere of the show. It’s rare for a musical artist to get so involved in the theatre, much less a giant of the rock world like Ray and that’s one of the secrets of our success.

We didn’t just take the songs and cook up some filler to cash in. We both felt that the show had to be every bit as good as a great Kinks record — the same power to move, the same sophistication, emotion and wit — or else we’d have failed. And I think we achieved that.

Why do you think The Kinks’ story and songbook continue to resonate with audiences today?

The songs are both simple and extremely complex at the same time — but they speak to people on a profound level.

As a band The Kinks were the perennial outsiders — punk before punk — and as they said themselves, “Misfits.”

If the twentieth century taught us anything it taught as that it’s OK to be a misfit, to be different, to be unlucky or unloved or broke or lost — you still have power. It can lead to great success.

The Kinks possessed immense humanity and a unique life force which is all there in the songs.  People come to the show and feel euphoric and consoled and gripped all at once because they can see vestiges of their own lives in it — but they always end up on their feet dancing — and that’s the way we like it. It makes us feel alive.

The new tour means new audiences, as well as returning fans. Have you made any tweaks or changes to the production since its original run?

Unusually we haven’t changed a thing. If anything the show is more powerful and resonant since Covid.

In the scene where the band celebrates England Winning the World Cup in 1966, it doesn’t feel like ancient history — it feels like the here and now — only these days it’s women winning the World Cup — and we feel the same euphoria now as people must have back then. The fractious scenes in America also feel incredibly current. In Chicago the audiences found it quite cathartic.

Your career spans across theatre, film and television. How does writing the book for a musical compare with those other outlets?

It’s way more fun. It’s a little less technical and more intuitive, which is nice. With music you suddenly have this magic power at your disposal. It’s such a great tool for creating atmosphere, moving people, exciting them and stirring them up. It’s like being a painter and discovering a whole new colour spectrum.

Even when I’m working on film or TV, I make sure to keep an eye on the music and really enjoy collaborating with composers. I collaborated with Nick Cave on the film The Road — it’s about the end of the world and a million miles away from this in every conceivable way — but also a joyous experience. I’m lucky to be asked to do such different things — but basically I’m flying by the seat of my pants.

From the award-winning play Blue/Orange to the Netflix hit Mindhunter, how do you approach each different project – is there a common thread?

Believe it or not there’s a thread between Blue/Orange, Sunny Afternoon and Mindhunter.

They’re all pretty psychologically intense. They’re all about unique individuals challenging the status quo.

In general, I treat my work as “found art.” If I find a story or characters or a situation or issue that stirs me up and intrigues me, I figure out how best to use it. Depending on its formal aesthetics I’ll decide if it’s a play or a screenplay. Some things demand the wide screen of a film or TV, with camera moves and changing focus and atmospheric sound and music. Some just demand to be yelled out at night in a room full of people — dialogue to create a dialogue. But I could never just do one of them, I like to express myself in all sorts of different ways.

To look back on your career so far, is there a moment that you’re most proud of?

I try not to take too much notice of awards but the night Sunny Afternoon won four Olivier awards, one after the other, was my proudest. I was just so delighted for my friends — to see them winning best actor awards (original cast John Dagleish and George McGuire)— then to cap it all Ray and I won for the book and music. It’s almost impossible to make a show as individual and unique as Sunny Afternoon, but to have mainstream success with it was frankly a miracle.

Finally, what excites you most about the future - both for Sunny Afternoon and your own upcoming work?

I’m excited to take the tour as far as we can take it. I’d love to tour Europe and Australia with it.

Or Japan! A lot of my plays go there and it’s also different and special. I love connecting with audiences from very different places and seeing how they react within their culture. I don’t know what’s in store in terms of upcoming work. I’m developing a couple of films, so I’d love them to happen. I’ve written a new play which is hot off the press. And I have a couple of TV ideas too.

You never know what’s going to come to fruition and what’s going to fall apart but the trick is, as Ray’s dad says in Sunny Afternoon, “Never give up, never back down — and never, ever forget who you are.” 

#ad Tickets:

Show: Sunny Afternoon

Dates: Tuesday 4 – Saturday 8 November 2025

Tickets: from £15 online at ATGTickets.com/Sunderland *

*May be subject to a transaction fee of £3.95

Preview: Glorious! at Darlington Hippodrome

 

The Worst Singer in the World Takes the Stage at Darlington Hippodrome

The true story of American socialite Florence Foster Jenkins comes to life in Glorious!

Darlington Hippodrome presents Glorious! from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 May 2026, telling the remarkable true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the American socialite who became known as 'the worst singer in the world.'

The production explores the life of a woman whose passion for opera was matched only by her inability to carry a tune. Despite—or perhaps because of—her notably off-key voice, Jenkins became a celebrated figure in New York society, performing in flamboyant costumes to audiences who flocked to hear her enigmatic performances.

Jenkins' story raises questions about talent, passion, and the nature of performance itself. Her complete lack of self-awareness, combined with genuine devotion to her art, made her concerts events that audiences couldn't resist, whether they came to marvel, to mock, or simply to witness something entirely unique.

The show examines the world Jenkins created around herself, one where her wealthy friends and loyal supporters maintained the illusion of her operatic gifts. It was only when she performed at Carnegie Hall in 1944, at the age of 76, that the wider public discovered what her inner circle had known for years.

Tickets:

Glorious! runs at Darlington Hippodrome from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 May 2026. For full details or to book visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01325 405405.

News: John Cleese's Fawlty Towers Brings Half a Century of Comedy Chaos to the North East

 

John Cleese's Fawlty Towers Brings Half a Century of Comedy Chaos to the North East

The beloved sitcom makes its stage debut across the region as the iconic show celebrates 50 years since its first broadcast

Nearly five decades after Basil Fawlty first terrorised guests and tormented Manuel on BBC Two, John Cleese's stage adaptation of the "greatest British sitcom of all time" (Radio Times) is heading to the North East for what promises to be an evening of sustained laughter and perfectly timed catastrophe.

Following a hugely successful West End run that garnered rave reviews, Fawlty Towers – The Play embarks on a 10-month UK and Ireland tour, visiting Sunderland Empire from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 February 2026, before continuing to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 30 June to Saturday 4 July 2026.

The tour coincides with a significant milestone: September 2025 marks exactly 50 years since that first episode aired on 19 September 1975. What began as just 12 half-hour episodes—inspired by John Cleese's encounter with the notoriously rude hotelier Donald Sinclair at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay—went on to win two BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy and was voted the best British programme of all time in a 2000 British Film Institute poll.

"I'm thrilled with the top-class group of comedy actors that we've assembled for the UK tour of Fawlty Towers - The Play," Cleese said. "September 2025 also marks exactly 50 years since the first ever TV episode was broadcast on the BBC. I never thought that all these years later the stage show would get the reception that it has. But here we are, still making theatres rock with laughter."

A Seamless Transition to Stage

Cleese, who originally co-wrote the series with Connie Booth, has selected three favourite episodes—'The Hotel Inspector' and 'The Germans' from series one, and 'Communication Problems' from series two—and woven them into a two-hour play complete with a new finale.

The critical response has vindicated his approach. This "comedy masterpiece makes a seamless transition to the stage" (The Arts Desk), delivering "an indisputably funny evening" (Daily Telegraph). As the Daily Mail observed, "from the moment Basil walks on stage, the audience start laughing" whilst watching "some of the best punchlines ever written" (London Theatre). Broadway World summed it up succinctly: "If you loved the original TV series, you will adore this show."

The Cast

The touring production is directed by originating West End director Caroline Jay Ranger and features Danny Bayne as the manic, snobbish and perpetually frustrated Basil Fawlty. Mia Austen takes on the role of his ever-vigilant and bossy wife Sybil, while Hemi Yeroham reprises his West End role as Manuel, the trainee waiter from Barcelona who bears the brunt of Basil's rage.

Paul Nicholas 

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Joanne Clifton plays the unflappable Polly, with Paul Nicholas reprising his role as The Major, and Jemma Churchill as the deaf and dotty Mrs Richards—the guest-from-hell whose infuriating complaints become a masterclass in comic frustration.

L-R: Danny Bayne, John Cleese.

The production also features the beloved supporting characters from the original series: Greg Haiste as Mr Hutchinson/Wilhelm, Emily Winter as Miss Tibbs, Dawn Buckland as Miss Gatsby, John Hasler as Mr Thurston/Günter, Adam Elliott as Mr Walt, and Neil Stewart as Taxi Driver/Mr Firkins/Mr Kerr/Mr Sharp, with Josie Brightwell as Johanna and Liz.

Completing the company are Ashleigh Harvey as Debbie, Ben Jacobson as Ken, Matthew Gordon as Mr Dale, and Raymond Rose as Philip.

Controlled Chaos

The plot follows Basil's increasingly desperate attempts to impress what he believes are visiting hotel inspectors, while simultaneously dealing with a party of German guests and trying to hide a gambling win from Sybil. Mrs Richards' relentless complaints and Manuel's linguistic misunderstandings add further layers to the mounting chaos, all playing out in the fictional Torquay hotel that has become one of British comedy's most memorable locations.

It's a premise that allowed Cleese and Booth to explore the British class system, xenophobia, and social embarrassment through the lens of farce, creating comedy that has proven remarkably durable. The fact that only 12 episodes were ever made has, if anything, enhanced the show's legendary status—each episode burnished to perfection, each line delivery iconic.

The stage adaptation promises to capture that same precision timing and escalating absurdity that made the original so distinctive. For those who grew up with the series, it's a chance to revisit cherished comic moments in a new format; for younger audiences unfamiliar with Basil's particular brand of chaos, it's an introduction to comedy writing at its finest.

As the Daily Express declared, this is "the funniest show in town"—and both Sunderland and Newcastle audiences will have the opportunity to discover why theatres across the country have been, as Cleese puts it, rocking with laughter.

Photos: Trevor Leighton

Tickets:

Fawlty Towers – The Play plays Sunderland Empire Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 February 2026 (evenings at 7:30pm, matinees Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2:30pm). Tickets available at ATGTickets.com/Sunderland.

The production then visits Newcastle Theatre Royal Tuesday 30 June – Saturday 4 July 2026. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

Preview: Susanna at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Opera North and Phoenix Dance Theatre Return with Timely Susanna

Susanna 

Newcastle Theatre Royal 

Friday 7 November 2025

A biblical tale of power, testimony and truth finds fresh resonance through the combined forces of Handel's music and contemporary dance

Opera North and Phoenix Dance Theatre bring their fourth collaboration to Newcastle Theatre Royal on 7 November, staging Handel's lesser-known work Susanna—a piece whose themes of power imbalance and contested truth feel distinctly relevant today.

Anna Dennis rehearses the role of Susanna
with choreographer Marcus Jarrell Willis
and dancers from Phoenix Dance Theatre. 

The opera centres on a young married woman who, after rejecting advances from two powerful community figures, faces false accusations of promiscuity. Director Olivia Fuchs and choreographer Marcus Jarrell Willis have approached this centuries-old narrative through the distinctive lens that dance and opera together provide.

"We have sought to make it contemporary and relevant," Fuchs explains. "The two layers – dance and the sung narrative – open up extraordinary potential. Marcus and I have spoken about counterpoint, about reflection, about revealing what lies beneath the surface."

The production explores multiple perspectives on its central character. At times, Phoenix dancers embody Susanna and the other figures in the story; at others, they move alongside the singers in what Fuchs describes as a dreamlike state. "For me, the possibilities lie in showing what could be – the truths that are not spoken outright, but are always present, always implied."

For Willis and the Phoenix dancers, the work's contemporary resonance proved compelling. "We had some very in-depth conversations about the treatment of women in the world and how that has carried on through the centuries," he notes.

The creative team has reconceived the character of Daniel—who in the original story defends Susanna and exposes her accusers—as gender-fluid, performed by Opera North Chorus member Claire Lees. "In our version," Fuchs continues, "Daniel is, in a way, the ultimate activist and the voice of the future – the new generation, who intervenes, who changes the course of the story, and who stands up for the oppressed."

British Sign Language has been integrated into the production through a character embodying another version of Daniel, who at times interprets and at other times comments on the action. This choice, Fuchs suggests, prompts reflection on "who is heard; who is believed."

The production also explores Susanna's agency through her final aria 'Guilt, trembling, spoke my doom', performed after her vindication, which becomes an opportunity to imagine what she might have said—and what she might yet do.

In one striking sequence, all the female company members embody Susanna simultaneously. Willis elaborates: "Structurally, it's very simple. They navigate the space, and every time they move to a new point, they have to be attuned to the person behind them. All four Susannas might be doing the same steps, but they're each individuals; you see different qualities come out based on who they are. That tells the story of who Susanna is – or could be – but more importantly, it allows us to see them as dancers as well."

Photos: Tom Arber

Tickets

Susanna arrives at Newcastle Theatre Royal at 7pm on Friday 7 November 2025. Tickets are available now with discounted options for Under 30s: https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/susanna/

Preview: Big Ange at Newcastle Live Theatre

 THE REVOLUTION WILL BE CATERED AS BIG ANGE TO PREMIERE AT LIVE THEATRE THIS AUTUMN.

Big Ange 

Newcastle Live Theatre

Thursday 6 - Saturday 22 November 2026

Big Ange written and directed by Olivier award-winning Jamie Eastlake to premiere at Live Theatre from Thursday 6 November 2025. Set in a forgotten town stitched together with broken bus shelters and fading murals of the past, the play explores growing up in a fractured world, with footy!

This is England, but skewed, off-balance, spinning. A teenage football squad charges through a world of projected noise, collapsing housing estates, graffiti glowing like prophecy. But one woman wants to change everything. Big Ange the dinner lady - blue jeans, a whistle and a Neil Diamond playlist – she’s got this!

Bringing Eastlake’s characters to life are Joann Condon (Little Britain, The Office), comedian Gavin Webster (I Daniel Blake, Sorry We Missed You), Curtis Appleby (Roxy and Cy, Offended), Erin Mullen (Gerry and Sewell, The Last Breath), Lucy Eve Mann (Yen) and Ashen Hazel (Fresh Air, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).

Big Ange is presented by the team behind smash hit Gerry and Sewell, Eastlake Productions, and Live Theatre in association with Newcastle Theatre Royal.

“Live Theatre and its brilliant team have played such a key role in my journey,” said Jamie Eastlake, who was the founding artistic director at Laurels Theatre in Whitley Bay where Gerry and Sewell started its phenomenal two-year journey, which included a sell out run at Live Theatre and a four-night black and white takeover of Newcastle Theatre Royal. “From starting out on their playwriting course 15 years ago (wearing an ASDA hi-vis) to now being lucky enough to call this my job. That still feels surreal. Big Ange promises chaos, unexpected political heft, dancing dinosaurs and an unhealthy amount of Neil Diamond. I’m genuinely delighted.”

Tickets:

Big Ange runs from Thursday 6 to Saturday 22 November with tickets from £11 to £26. To find out more about this riot inspired play and to book go to https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/big-ange