Laurels new season shake-up

Plus Let's Create, Not Apply at Alphabetti

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Changes to Laurels’ autumn season

Laurels has made some changes to its autumn season, pushing some shows to later timeslots. While I’m disappointed this means I won’t get to see the Richard Jenkinson Commission winner until December, instead of its planned August opening, I can see why that makes sense, and not only due to the financial constraints of running a small venue. Like it or not, most of theatreland is focused on Edinburgh Fringe in August, while many folk are on holiday. (I’d say people are less likely to want to sit in a dark room in the middle of summer, too, but what bloody summer?)

This means the first show of the new season is Peachplant’s Subterranea. Written by the duo behind Peachplant, Lucy Curry and Carl Wylie, and directed by a perennial fave of mine, Paula Penman, this North East-set post-Apocalyptic story sounds typically ambitious, and was shortlisted for the Richard Jenkinson Commission. I really enjoyed the company’s Whale of a Time when I saw it at Alphabetti, so am looking forward to seeing this when it opens in September.

Another show I am keen to see – having also had my appetite for one of the writers (Hannah Sowerby) whetted at Alphabetti, is Doomgate. Also a shortlisted entrant, this show takes us behind the doors in a small Northumberland village and is sure to be perfect for Halloween.

Also shortlisted, was Gavin Webster and Si Beckwith’s Round the Houses, a story about debt that nonetheless promises to be very funny. I’m familiar with Beckwith as a comedian, and liked his show Bricks (which is both showing in Newcastle this month and going to Edinburgh) so will be interested to see how that translates into playwriting.

And of course, the actual winner of the Richard Jenkinson Commission is Sarah Bond’s Seagulls and Sad Sad Stories (that missing comma is gonna kill me). The story of three South Shields lads who get more than they bargained for from a fortune-telling Zoltar machine, this now moves to December and promises to be interesting festive fare.

Of course, this month Laurels hosts the Whitley Bay Comedy Festival, so check out the full listings on their website.

Speaking of Laurels, do be sure to book tickets to see their major success story, Gerry & Sewell, when it transfers to Newcastle Theatre Royal this autumn. This story of two Newcastle United fans desperately trying to get a season ticket was a smash when it scaled up to Live, and is very worth your time. Plus, it gives me a great excuse to share one of my favourite photos: this is me when I took my mam for lunch at St James and went on the official tour afterwards…

[Image description: picture of Tracey, a smiling white woman with long dark hair, sitting on a bench branded with the NUFC logo, and leaning towards an NUFC strip that is hanging on the wall. The strip is Number 9 and bears the name Shearer]

Also I don’t normally share personal photos on here, but keeping with the football theme, here’s that time I won* the FA Cup**.

*paid money to Comic Relief to hold it - they were doing a fundraising thing at the BBC when I worked at Television Centre.

**Is that the FA cup? It’s some cup, right?

[Image description: Photo of Tracey, a white woman with long dark hair, smiling, wearing a leather jacket, holding the FA cup.]

Fringe fings

Speaking of Fringes, as mentioned in previous newsletters, both Newcastle and Durham Fringes are this month, with plenty of shows for everyone, so do check them out.

Live Theatre also continues to add to its Fringe offerings, with its North East Comedy Send Off showcasing three local talents before they head north. Lauren Pattison, Lauren Stone and Lee Kyle will be featured, but if you miss them here you can catch their solo shows in Edinburgh in August: details can be found at the above link.

Let’s Create, Not Apply at Alphabetti

If Edinburgh Fringe is beyond your budget (EIGHT POUNDS FIFTY FOR A CHEESE SANDWICH! TWENTY-SIX QUID FOR TWO GLASSES OF WINE! I’M STILL MAD!), you can still go and see lots of fresh new material for a lot less money this August thanks to Alphabetti’s Let’s Create, Not Apply season.

Designed to just bloody help work get onto a stage – rather than artists having to spend their lives filling in application forms – the pieces are by their nature likely to be a bit Fringe-y, scratch-night-y and unpolished, especially as everything seems to be on for just one night, but that’s the whole point of Fringe, right? Artists get to try out pieces and see what works and what doesn’t. You get to check out new voices at low-risk prices, and there’s always the chance to unearth a gem. (Remember those all-important bragging rights, people).

I particularly like the sound of Unwritten Women, three short plays by Sarah Rumfitt, and Angel? Not by Adam Robson, the story of an earth-bound angel, but from Drag Kings to Clown Shows, there’s something for everyone in the line-up. There’s also another chance to see Bacon Knees and Sausage Fingers, Steve Byron and Gary Kitching’s play, which was a hit when it was first shown at the theatre.

Get the full line up and details here.

[Image description: cross-stitch: we must create spaces where art is allowed to fail]

What I have been reading

Excitingly, I managed to hit my Goodreads Reading Challenge Target already this year. I must admit, I downgraded it from previous years: it used to be 100 books a year, but Covid scuppered that, and I reset it at 50 in 2020, and have been edging it up ever since – this year it’s 75.

This probably sounds more impressive than it is, since it includes Kindle standalones that are little more than short stories, graphic novels and such. Then again, I also have a fondness for 600-page history tomes, so I guess it evens out. (In truth, I don’t really use Goodreads to set targets. It’s both about supporting authors – trust me, reviews, even not-great ones, help with visibility – but mainly to stop myself buying books I have already read, which I used to do an embarrassing amount…)

Anyway, I have mostly been on a selective Pratchett reread (starting with the Witches, now onto the City Watch), because in these wild times I miss his sanity and humanity. But I do have a couple of interesting things lined up next.

John Scalzi’s Starter Villain comes to me highly recommended, although to be honest it mostly grabbed my attention because the US cover features a cat in a business suit. I enjoyed his Redshirts, a fun riff on Star Trek that once kept me entertained the whole of the duration of queuing in the immigration lines at JFK – so no higher praise than that (yes, the queues at JFK can be so long you can nearly read a whole damn book while you wait!) Very different but promising sounding is Skin by E M Reapy, a novel about one woman’s relationship with her body.

And remember, if you fancy a fun summer read, my books Dark Dates, The Bridesmaid Blues, No Love Is This and Doll are still only 99p on Kindle and will get you through the airport delay of your choice.

What I have been watching

Last year’s hit romcom Anyone But You landed on Sky Cinema this week, and after enjoying man-of-the-moment Glenn Powell in Hit Man, I thought I would give it a go. A charming, often very funny take on Much Ado About Nothing, this stars Powell and Sydney Sweeney as Ben and Bea, an obviously meant to be couple who fall out quickly after meeting only to be forced back into proximity for a destination wedding.

The film has a lot of fun with both its premise and the Australian wedding location, roping in Aussie faves Rachel Griffiths and Bryan Brown alongside familiar character actors (Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney), and is perfect feel-goof fare.

I’ve actually been on a bit of a romcom binge this past week, which is unusual for me – despite having written a romcom (hello, film producers! I have a great idea for you!). So next up was the Zac Efron / Nicole Kidman Netflix movie A Family Affair, which was enjoyable enough but a little undercooked for such a star vehicle (also since a big chunk of it revolves around Christmas, releasing it in summer seemed an odd choice).

I also enjoyed Plus One, in which The Boys’ Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine play friends Ben and Alice who agree to be one another’s dates throughout an upcoming wedding season, with pleasingly predictable results. A little less engaging, but amiable enough, was the similarly themed but more festive Emma Roberts vehicle Holidate, which trod similar ground with slightly less success, though had some solid turns by some great character actors, including a scenery chewing Kristen Chenowith, who was clearly having a good time.

Thanks again for reading – please do share with your friends! Every new subscriber, free or paid, really does give me a boost. And remember if you want to support my writing but a paid subscription isn’t for you (times are hard, I get it!), you can buy me a one-off Ko-fi or buy one of my books.

Remember: everything included is my personal preference / opinion, and while I strive to be accurate, I always advising checking with the relevant venue.