The best of North East Theatre this year

Yes, get your sequins out for the Traceys!

It’s been a tough old year for the arts. For the world. For (almost) everyone, billionaires and Tory donors aside. It feels like there’s nothing but bad news as far as the eye can see, and no sign that it will ever get better. So, on the one hand, it’s never been more important to celebrate success – any success. But on the other, it feels odd to single out specific people or organisations when everyone should get a medal just for getting out of bed, never mind actually putting on a show.

[Image description: The Tyne Bridge at night]

Still, this year has again reminded me how lucky I am to live in a city (and region) blessed with such a fantastic arts scene. It’s not perfect, of course, but it is vibrant, varied and has, for its size, a disproportionately strong focus on new writing and fostering fresh talent that can only be a very good thing. It’s also often a lot more affordable than many other cities, in no small part due to the significant efforts of those who run its spaces to making solid commitments to accessibility.

With that in mind, and with the caveat that this is an entirely subjective list made by one person whose outings are often dictated by a limited budget, availability and transport options, and one with Very Strong Opinions – here’s my round up of the North East highlights of the year. Get your sequins at the ready for the 2023 Traceys!

Debut of the Year: Charlotte Small’s Angela (directed by Ruth Mary Johnson) was a remarkably accomplished first full-length play, marrying a witty and pleasingly absurd concept with razor sharp jokes, supported by a showstopping performance from Rebecca Glendenning-Laycock. I admit by the time I saw this I was suffering slightly from solo-show fatigue, but I laughed from start to finish and this ended up being easily one of my top picks of the year. Can’t wait to see what Small does next.

Performer of the Year (in an ensemble show): I’ve seen some absolute corking performances this year, from Bryony Corrigan’s harrowing turn in I, Daniel Blake to the stellar double act of Leah St Luce and Jadesola Odunjo in Flip! But, for sheer ubiquity and versality, the Tracey goes to Becky Clayburn. Clayburn came to my notice last year in Gerry & Sewell at Laurels – a role triumphantly revived at Live this year – and since then I’ve seen in a good half dozen shows playing everything from harried call centre worker to egotistical Instagram influencer. A talent to watch!

Performer of the Year (solo show): Ooh, this is a tough one, and in the end it’s a tie between three very different but equally compelling performances. Rebecca Glendenning-Laycock brought split second comic timing to Angela, while Harrison Rowley-Lynn was hugely engaging in the hilarious Soapbox Racer. In the wonderfully uplifting Penguin, Hamzeh Al Hussien was utterly charismatic as the narrator of the true story of his journey from Syria to Gateshead.

Sad Farewell of the Year: Speaking of Penguin, it was heartbreaking to read that the company behind it, Curious Monkey, will be closing next year. Having made not just a huge contribution to the region’s theatre scene, but – with its work with people seeking asylum or refugee status – to the wider community, it will be a real loss.

Essential Viewing of the Year:  The Northern Stage co-production I, Daniel Blake was one of those shows I wish had felt dated. Instead, with its clever updating – using tweets from Tory politicians as a backdrop to the action – it felt sadly more relevant than ever. Adapted by Dave Johns (who played the titular role in the Ken Loach film) and directed by Mark Calvert, it’s a powerful message performed by a passionate cast – led by David Nellist and Bryony Corrigan. (Extra props to the company for raising money for local foodbanks throughout the tour).

Unexpected Delight of the Year: Again, a tie. Ben Schwarz’s Soapbox Racer (directed by Rosie Bowden) at Alphabetti was a joyful riot (bonus points for captioning performances throughout the run – I’d love to see that become the standard). I also loved the gloriously anarchic Ghosts of Metroland at Live’s Elevator Festival (penned by and co-starring the wildly talented Reece Connolly, alongside Becky Clayburn, and directed by Jamie Eastlake). I have seen a lot of shows that have covered very well-trodden ground this year – albeit sometimes very skilfully – so I’ve particularly enjoyed seeing things that felt unpredictable and fresh.

[Image description: cross-stitch of the Metroland logo on blood spatter fabric]

Most Welcome Visitor Award (aka Best Touring Show): I didn’t see as much theatre outside of Newcastle as I would have liked (and some of what I did see was actually pretty disappointing and I am STILL NOT OVER being charged £8.50 for a cheese sandwich at Edinburgh Fringe), but I did see plenty of visiting shows. If I had to single one out for the freshness of its writing and the sharpness of its performances, I’d go for Fuel Theatre’s Flip! at Alphabetti, written by Racheal Ofori and directed by Emily Aboud.

Fun Night Out of the Year: One-man Die Hard Yippee Ki Ay at The Customs House was smart, clever and a LOT of fun so was a very close runner up, but the award is a tie between Solve-Along-a-Murder She Wrote at the Tyne Theatre and the Spike-centred Buffy Revamped at Northern Stage. Although very different, both shows were powered by a charismatic central performance (Tim Benzie and Brendan Murphy respectively) and leaned heavily into an audience who was thrilled to be there, making for a fantastic atmosphere. (And some great conversations in the toilet queue; turns out, everybody hates Riley…)

The ‘Never Boring’ Award: The North East is a small scene, so you see the same people fairly regularly, but one name that has cropped up on a lot on things I liked this year is Jamie Eastlake. As AD of Laurels, he has implemented an ambitious programme of shows (including festive offering The Watch House, a co-production with Papatango) that is certainly not afraid to be bold (or weird). From the Chicken Run inspired show about male domestic abuse victims It’s All in Your Head to the story of a children’s TV puppeteer who gets entangled with the Far Right (Monkey’s Blood, in which Eastlake also starred), you might come out scratching your head wondering what the hell you just sat through, but the chances are you will have enjoyed it.

That anarchic energy extends beyond Laurels – as well as directing the aforementioned Ghosts, he wrote and directed the high-octane transfer of Gerry & Sewell. The latter felt like real thought and ambition had gone into upscaling the show, while too often you see a Fringe show just plonked on a bigger stage and floundering.

‘They Did WHAT?’ Design Coup of the Year: This also goes to Gerry & Sewell, because where the hell else are you going to see an actual full-sized Metro carriage on stage? I’d been impressed with the show’s design in Laurels’ teeny space but was blown away by the transfer (credit to The Set Guise). One thing that has consistently impressed me at Live recently is its bolder approach to its space. From using its studio to host installations to transforming the main stage into a prison, skate park or working men’s club, it has been making theatre look and feel like an event, and I am definitely here for that.

Company of the Year: I saw two great shows by Open Clasp this year (Lasagna and Mycelial, at Live and Northern Stage, respectively), with the latter bringing a new ambition and scope to the work. It’s a company that continues to impress me with the thought, care and inclusiveness it brings to its often-difficult subjects.

The ‘We See You!’ Award for Backstage Talent: Shoutout to those who do the kind of essential work that rarely gets mentioned in the reviews. Again, given the size of the local theatre scene, many people adopt multiple roles, so you might see someone pop up as a designer on one show and a director on another. Names I have particularly noticed on behind the scenes work this year on great shows – all of whom I know have other impressive strings to their bows – include Lucy Marie Curry (movement), Tamsin Rees (dramaturgy) and Anna Robinson (set design).

Also, since PR and marketing people rarely get any thanks, I’d like to give a shoutout to all the hardworking PR and marketing bods, often working to tight deadlines and with limited information from the companies they are working with, while getting lots of querying emails (‘but how long is the run time!?’) from people like me.

Hidden Gem of the Year: OK, possibly not hidden to anyone but me, but I think The People’s Theatre gets overlooked a lot because of its location – in a residential neighbourhood – and the fact that it hosts amateur shows. But a gorgeously retro bar, interesting programming with high production values and a lovely auditorium make this somewhere worth visiting.

Can’t Wait to See What They Do Next Award: What a year for Laurels, eh? A triumphant transfer of Gerry & Sewell to Live, the announcement of its £10,000 Commission for playwrights and a collaboration with Papatango have been some of the highlights, making this social club turned theatre has a firm favourite of mine. Bonus: it’s 5 minutes away from the coast!

[Image description: Live 50th birthday cupcake]

Venue of the Year: Celebrating its 50^th birthday, 2023 hasn’t been all plain sailing for Live Theatre, with one of its tentpole shows cancelled. And of course, I haven’t loved everything I saw there or always agreed with the programming – that’s the nature of theatre-going – but I have admired an approach that feels equal parts ambitious and inclusive, committed not just to its own survival but to being a supportive part of a wider ecosystem.

Alongside its own big productions, this year Live has hosted touring productions (including local companies Open Clasp and Curious Monkey), Fringe previews, talks, workshops and readings (some either at low prices or even free), its Elevator Festival, and a fundraiser for the Side gallery. Plus, it’s really doing its bit for local cab drivers, because every time I go to see a show there, I get as far as that taxi rank outside the Akenside Traders and decide I just can’t face walking back up that enormous bloody hill to the Metro…

Person of the Year: One announcement that sent shockwaves through the city’s arts scene was the news that, after a decade at the helm of Alphabetti, the theatre’s founder and AD Ali Pritchard was leaving the role. It’s not overstating it to say that much of the vibrancy and variety the Newcastle scene enjoys would not be here without Pritchard, and a whole lot of creatives would not have had their breaks without the opportunities Alphabetti has offered. I join everyone in celebrating his incredible achievements and wishing him all the luck in the world with his next adventure.

So, congratulations to everyone – not just those on this list, which could have easily been 5 times longer, but everyone who created theatre this year, who supported the arts, and who fought against a system that tells us only certain people have stories worth telling. Let’s all fight to make the arts even more accessible, inclusive and exciting next year. And to also spending a lot in theatre bars, cos that’s how they make a lot of their money…

This is my last Substack of the year, as I will be taking a break over the holidays. Have a wonderful break. Here’s to a fantastic 2024. If you’re not already a subscriber, please do sign up – you can do so for free!

PS: Live, Alphabetti, Laurels, The Customs House, and Northern Stage all have membership / supporter schemes, so if you want to support the arts or give a nice Christmas gift, check out their websites. Remember there are also many great smaller, local venues out there, and non-professional theatres such as The People’s Theatre, that are desperate for support. Anything you can do to support them – whether it’s buying a ticket or a drink at the bar, tweeting about a show you liked or even making a small donation – will be greatly appreciated.

Also remember if you want to support ME in my quest to see every show I possibly can and drink in every theatre bar in the country (generally while dressed in sequins), you can buy me a Ko-fi, become a paid subscriber to my newsletter, or buy one of my books.

Disclaimer: I have strived for accuracy in details throughout but, y’know, I am one person who is also juggling the million other things I need to do to earn a living. So, apologies for any mistakes – let me know and I will correct them.