“A beacon of hope”: From 'Mother Courage and Her Children' to Jimmy Nail via debbie tucker green, Live Theatre announces a packed Autumn season.
Live Theatre have announced their September to December 2025 season, bringing radical local and global voices together at their new writing hotbed in central Newcastle. Highlights of the season include edgecity by ex-homeless writer gobscure performed by Sleaford Mods vocalist Jason Williamson, the critically acclaimed adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children from Ensemble ’84, translated by Lee Hall and created in collaboration with South Africa’s Isango Ensemble. Gerry and Sewell creator Jamie Eastlake’s new playBig Ange and a mini-festival celebrating the work of black British playwright debbie tucker green. The year ends with local legend Jimmy Nail’s highly anticipated first sharing of the music from the Crocodile Shoes upcoming musical.
Thursday 25 to Saturday 27 September, edgecity runs as a series of monologues with live music written by Newcastle-based writer gobscure based on their own lived experiences of homelessness. Texts that will be performed include mind the reality gap, die like chekhov and yu can’t start revolutions sitting on yr arse. Amongst the cast will be Sleaford Mod’s frontman Jason Williamson. gobscure, who uses non-binary and plural pronouns, describes the upcoming production as “the biggest thing that’s ever happened to our words.”
On Thursday 2 October, Graeae kicks off a nationwide tour of Bad Lads at Live Theatre, a play by Mike Kenny in collaboration with director Jenny Sealey, telling the shocking story of abuses against young boys that took place at the Medomsley Detention Centre in Durham. The play has been created following workshops and detailed conversations with survivors.
Director Jenny Sealey said: “This is something a little different for Graeae but it is a crucial narrative, based on the testimonies of the men who were lads in the 80’s and part of Thatcher’s brutal Short Sharp Shock treatment. I am so pleased that Live Theatre has given Bad Lads a home and that we open the play there as I know from experience it is a safe theatre to be in.”
Later that month, from Thursday 23 October to Saturday 1 November, Lee Hall’s ‘astonishing’ (The Guardian) adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Childrenwill run, performed by the newly formed Ensemble ’84 with South Africa’s Isango Ensemble in a show bursting with song and political fervour.
Lee Hall, said: “Live Theatre has been the home for my work for the last thirty years. Ensemble ’84 represents everything that Live and North East theatre have done so brilliantly over the years. Making no nonsense arresting theatre with local talent about the big issues which affect us all. They are a beacon of hope for the future of theatre.”
Hall also joins Live Theatre on Friday 19 September for a special celebration of 25 years of Billy Elliot with original members of the cast and crew.
Thursday 6 to Saturday 22 November sees the world premiere of Big Ange by Jamie Eastlake, about a dinner lady who takes on the rise of the far right. This follows on from his hit production of Gerry and Sewell which last year transferred from Live Theatre to Newcastle Theatre Royal.
Eastlake said: “Live Theatre and its brilliant team have played such a key role in my journey, from starting out on their playwrighting 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.
Between Saturday 22 and Thursday 27 November, Live Theatre takes a moment to celebrate the truly groundbreaking work of playwright debbie tucker green, through a series of screenings, readings and talks, giving audiences a rare chance to experience a range of her work up close.
Artistic Director Jack McNamara said: “The body of work that debbie tucker green has produced, in my view, has no parallel in contemporary theatre. These are masterpieces, each of them, intricately constructed and more urgent now than ever. As a theatre that champions idiosyncratic writing we could have no better beacon to inspire us. We are really grateful that debbie has endorsed this project and allowed us to give the North East a chance to absorb her unique art up close.”
The year at Live Theatre is brought to a close in a highly anticipated new project by Jimmy Nail who will offer audiences a sneak peek of his upcoming musical Crocodile Shoes, with a live band playing the songs from the original series from Tuesday 2 to Saturday 13 December.
Nail said: “I’m delighted to be returning to Live Theatre later this year, and keeping it in the family — my sister Val (McLane) co-founded Live Theatre back in 1973. Good lass. I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with those songs and performing them with a band in Live’s intimate space for the first time in almost three decades.”
The local spirit is kept up with rising comedy stars Metroland Comedy, described by Sam Fender as “F***g Brilliant!” who make a brand new show for Live Theatre for October. And for families this year from Tuesday 9 to Sunday 21 December Live Theatre offers a brand new play made in co-creation with schoolchildren titled Where Do All The Kittiwakes Go at Christmas?
Artistic Director Jack McNamara said: “We are so grateful to have such a range of incredible people coming to our small but perfectly formed theatre. The desire out there to support new writing, to test out new ideas and to collaborate across art forms and cultures is stronger than ever. We’re eternally thankful to all of the artists, all of the participants and every single audience member who make each new season feel like a burst of energy.”
Friends priority booking opens at 12noon on Tuesday 22 July with general sale open 12noon on Wednesday 23 July. For more information on the exciting season and to book go to www.live.org.uk
