MAJOR NEW THEATRE PRODUCTION OF OUR FRIENDS IN THE NORTH LAUNCHED TO MARK ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Peter Flannery’s iconic BBC television drama Our Friends in the North will be adapted for the stage in a brand-new production creatively conceived by Live Theatre to be premiered at Newcastle Theatre Royal later this year (Thu 15 – Sat 24 Oct 2026). The announcement of the run – a co-production between Live Theatre, Eastlake Productions and Newcastle Theatre Royal - coincides with the 30th anniversary of the original broadcast of the multi-award-winning television series about four friends growing up in Newcastle during decades of political and social change.

First broadcast on BBC Two on 26 February 1996 and launching the careers of some of the best known faces of British stage and screen including Daniel Craig, Christopher Eccleston and Gina McKee, Our Friends in the North became one of the defining British television dramas of its era, combining personal relationships with a sweeping narrative about modern Britain. With a timeline spanning three decades, the series followed four friends from Newcastle - Tosker, Geordie, Nicky and Mary - as they navigated their lives against the backdrop of post-war Britain and the rise of Thatcherism.

This new stage adaptation, Our Friends in the North 1979–84, turns a spotlight on those Thatcher years of the original narrative, a period of seismic change in British politics, and explores how national shifts played out in ordinary lives.

The co-production will bring together three key players in Newcastle’s cultural ecology to create a major new piece of theatre showcasing a story from the region in the city where it began. Adapted for the stage by Live Theatre’s Artistic Director Jack McNamara in collaboration with original screenwriter Peter Flannery, the production will be directed by McNamara.

Live Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal and Eastlake Productions have previously collaborated on Gerry & Sewell, the football-hit exploring unfiltered life in the North East based on Jonathan Tulloch's novel The Season Ticket, which enjoyed a sell-out run at Live Theatre in 2023 before transferring to Newcastle Theatre Royal in 2024. In January 2026, Eastlake Productions and Newcastle Theatre Royal took the fan-favourite show to London’s West End for a critically acclaimed two-week run at the Aldwych Theatre, demonstrating the potential of locally rooted stories to reach wider audiences.

Live Theatre’s Artistic Director Jack McNamara said: 

“Our Friends in the North is one of the great national sagas of our time and as the 30th anniversary approached we knew we had to bring it home to where these characters and stories came from. We reached out to Peter about bringing his iconic work back to life for audiences here in the North East and he was as enthusiastic as we were. It has been inspiring working with him on this iconic material and to feel the renewed force of these stories in the context of where we are today.”

Live Theatre’s Executive Director Jacqui Kell continued: 

“This production represents exactly the kind of ambitious, collaborative work we want to be making in and for the North East. Live Theatre’s focus on new writing, combined with Jamie Eastlake’s experience of producing work, makes this partnership with Newcastle Theatre Royal possible. Bringing Our Friends in the North to the Theatre Royal stage through this co-production allows us to realise it at a scale worthy of its legacy, while reaching new audiences for this iconic story.”

The production also represents an opportunity to present a major new work from the city on its largest stage, connecting a nationally recognised story with the place and community that inspired it. Casting for Our Friends in the North is still to be announced, with auditions being held locally as part of the production’s commitment to developing talent which hails from the region.

CEO of Newcastle Theatre Royal, Marianne Locatori, added: 

“Co-producing the world premiere of this new stage play of Our Friends in the North with our partners Live Theatre and Eastlake Productions and presenting it on the Newcastle Theatre Royal stage is a special moment for us, for our audiences and for the region. We are committed to sharing and creating ambitious, bold work on our stage, and to supporting the wealth of creative talent we have in the North East. This adaptation offers a fresh theatrical perspective on a story that holds an important place in the region’s cultural story, bringing the legacy of the original series to new audiences with this stage production.”

Producer Jamie Eastlake of Eastlake Productions, said:

“Our Friends in the North is a story that could only have come from this place. It’s rooted in the political, social, and emotional life of the North East, and bringing it to the stage here feels like a full circle moment for the show. After working with Live Theatre and Newcastle Theatre Royal on Gerry & Sewell, it’s exciting to continue making work that starts in this region and has the confidence to speak beyond it. This production is about celebrating where the story comes from and showing what theatre made in the North East can be.”

Our Friends in the North 1979–84 invites audiences to experience an era-defining British drama live on stage. Reimagined for theatre, the production connects past and present and brings the story back to the city that inspired it, offering audiences a chance to encounter a familiar narrative in a bold new theatrical form.

While the series has previously been successfully adapted for the stage, this new production presents a completely fresh theatrical version of the story, focusing on a different period of the narrative and created specifically for today’s audiences.

Our Friends in the North plays Newcastle Theatre Royal Thu 15 – Sat 24 Oct 2026. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.