Live Writes
Live Writes
“A North East that writes its own story and fights for a more creative future” - Live Theatre vision
What is Live Writes? …it’s a Scratch Night, with a twist.
Live Theatre’s brand new writing showcase and development event with all creative positions filled from Open Calls for North East based Writers, Directors and Actors. A whole host of opportunities for theatre creatives of all experiences to flourish in a safe and supportive space, with live feedback, networking and championing of the amazing artists of our region.
Live Writes is all about the words on the page, for writers to experience their work in progress up on its feet and have a panel of theatre experts share their thoughts to help develop their script and future craft going forwards.
Each Live Writes event will see a handful of writers chosen from an open submission window to have their work performed in a scratch setting in our main theatre space in front of a panel of industry experts and a full house audience. Rehearsals, tech and performances all happen over one wild day, with no set and minimal props and tech.
Directors and Actors for each piece will also be selected from open windows, getting to choose which script they would like to be considered for from the synopses and character breakdowns of the four pieces.
Not only that, our open calls take place 4 times a year, and are only open to artists based in the North East.
These are all paid opportunities with every creative receiving the same day fee of £150. For writers, this is intended as a rights fee to perform your work and not a commission fee.
We can’t wait to see your creativity hit our stage!
Writer opportunities
Open to all North East writers of any level of experience. We are inviting you to submit 10 minutes of your work to be performed at our brand new writing showcase and feedback event on our main stage.
Whether you have a short play, a section of a larger piece you might be currently working on or something you wrote years ago, sat on a hard drive collecting digital dust that you’d like to go back to, this is your opportunity to see it on it’s feet in a nurturing, nourishing and supportive space.
You can also receive bespoke feedback from an invited panel of Theatre professionals of whom you can request the precise feedback you wish to receive.
This opportunity is only open to scripts that have had no previous performances or stagings.
Submissions are now closed.
Director opportunities
Open to North East based Directors of all experience, from seasoned theatrical conductors to budding first timers who’ve always wanted to try their hand but never had the opportunity. We need you to direct all of the exciting work being staged.
Applications are now open.
Actor opportunities
We need you, our amazingly talented performers of the North East to take to Live Theatre's main stage and perform the new work, under the direction of those selected form our Director open call.
We will be holding open auditions for the roles in each of the pieces open to all actors and performers in the region.
Applications are now open.
Live Writes
Last Shot By Sam Honour
It's Gateshead. It's the zombie apocalypse. And Dina and Jen find themselves in a tight spot. The undead are clamouring at the door, desperate to use their brains as a buffet and they have no way out. They don't have long to make the most difficult decision of their lives. All because of a Kinder Surprise.
CHARACTERS
Dina – a realist with a quick temper who will go to any length and sacrifice anyone to survive.
Jen – a dreamer who always manages to find the silver lining, no matter how bleak things look.
Sam is a writer, screenwriter and thetaremaker hailing from Gateshead. His first produced play was a rehearsed reading at Live Theatre’s Short Cuts event in 2009 when he was 17 and he has continued to be involved in theatre in the NE since then. He graduated from Northumbria University’s Drama and Scriptwriting course in 2012 and has since produced work at Alphabetti Theatre, Laurels and Theatre Royal. His writing was also included as part of the 24/7 Festival in Manchester and has been shortlisted for several writing awards including the Papatango prize, the Northern Writers Writing for Television award, The People's Play and the North East Playwriting Award. His short film, The Hairiest Man in Newcastle, was awarded Best Film at the Witchflix Film Festival in Newcastle in 2023.
Socials
Instagram - @sjhonour
X - @RevHonour
The Interview by Tilottama Chowdhury
Amir attends a job interview. The issue? The interviewer is his ex-wife. As the interview progresses and the seat of power shifts back and forth, they delve into the reasons and circumstances behind their divorce. The play explores both comedic and tragic elements behind a failed marriage.
CHARACTERS
Jaya – 20s-30s. Indian
Amir – 20s-30s. Indian.
Tilottama is a currently doing her undergraduate degree from Durham University. She has previously been highly commended by BBC for her audio play 'A Sister's Letter' submitted to the International Playwriting Competition 2023. Another audio play by her on the topic of 'Reivers' is currently under production by the Elysium Theatre. She has also won third place in the McLellan Poetry Prize 2022 and second place in the Australian South Asian Center's poetry competition. She aspires to watch her work on the stage and the big screen. This is her first step into the world of theatre. She hopes that her work will make people laugh and occasionally cry on the kitchen floor, but mostly move them.
Clementine by Bethany Mullen
Sophie has stolen a baby. She doesn’t even want a baby but she knows that this baby deserves a good life and a good mother that doesn’t chain smoke tabs and drink voddy-cokes. So Sophie steals Clementine away to provide her idealization of caregiving, that she herself consistently falls short of. A comedy and a love letter to all those grieving deaths so painful they upend our worlds. Clementine is an exploration of infant death, working class on working class judgement and the strange things that grief makes us do.
CHARACTERS
Sophie
Beth is an actor and writer hailing from Teeside, living in London. TV shows include(Netflix-Afterlife 2018) (Doctors BBC 2023) Radio includes the award winning (English for Pony Lovers) as heard on John Finnemores ‘Double Acts’. Beth is a Laurence Olivier bursary winner, and 4x Triforce creative Network monologue slam champion.
Socials
X - @bethmullen
Insta - @bethmull92
The Games We Play by Keiron Stanners
Alone in an unfamiliar place and without a job, Nathan worries about what to do with himself and his life, until he receives a call from his old school friend - Omar. Sometimes a hard reset, a fist full of dice and tabletop roleplay games is all you need to discover your crowd and find yourself again. The Games We Play is a story about the connections we yearn for in life and finding hope when we need it most.
CHARACTERS
Nathan – 20s
Omar – 20s
Jess – 20s
Emma – 20s
Kieron studied English at the University of Sunderland which was where he developed his love for writing. He was a member of the Live Youth Theatre where he has since come full circle as one of its drama fascilitators, though he has always liked to explore stories about fantasy and adventure.
