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NOW ONLINE - 10 Minutes To...Call Home

Live Theatre is delighted to announce that we are investing in a new and exciting digital programme Live Wired, a new venture that will see work created and produced for online viewing.

The first offering in the programme is 10 Minutes To... Call Home, a thrilling mix of online ten minute plays by the hottest new writing talent. There was an incredible response to our open call out with over 300 scripts submitted. This year we made the decision to actively support the sector during these challenging times by selecting more scripts than usual to take forward.  The nine selected plays were rehearsed, performed and recorded behind closed doors throughout September and will be released online for FREE viewing.

Graeme Thompson, Creative Producer at Live Theatre said: “Being able to re-open Live Theatre’s creative activity with the 10 Minutes to… project is really exciting. Of course, it will be different. This time we are filming as opposed to performing live but there is always such a buzz when we do this show and we are certain we can recreate that this time round. We have nine brilliant scripts from a huge range of writers. Some of the writers are new to Live and some we know. For some this will be their first piece of writing put on stage. Because of the opportunities that 10 Minutes to… provides, it’s such an important and vital part of what we do at Live Theatre. Also, it just feels fantastic to be getting some new theatre back out to our audiences.”

10 Minutes To... is supported by John Ellerman Foundation.

Reviews

'this is the Newcastle upon Tyne theatre doing what it knows best: championing new playwrights and testing out their ideas on stage.' 
The Guardian

'Seven 10-minute diverse pieces of expressive theatre performed and filmed by the team at Live Theatre with love, flare and the skills we’ve come to expect from this crew of innovators. A real celebration of the talent that the North East cultures in the petri dish of creativity.'
British Theatre Guide 

'an ‘eclectic but entertaining’ selection of ten-minute dramas by emerging writers..In turns funny, moving, thoughtful and hard hitting'
Exeunt Magazine

'Live have stuck to their guns and given a bunch of talented folk a chance to fledge and, let’s face it, reach a wider audience via the internet'
NARC
  & NARC

Individual play reviews are shown underneath each video.

Watching And Waiting

Written by Olu Alakija
Directed by Becky Morris
Performed by Paislie Reid   

Nikki watches and waits outside the house of who she thinks to be the mother that put her up for adoption years previously. A piece that explores a loss of identity and being robbed of who we are or could have been. Olu Alakija’s crackling monologue fizzes with raw emotion and guts.

yu can't start revolutions sitting on yr arse

Written by gobscure
Directed by Rosa Stourac McCreery
Performed by Lindsay Nicholson and Faye Alvi

What’s in the box? Who’s in the box and who put them there? Compiled from real life incidents we go on a journey of what it’s like to be framed and viewed by other people. A vivid and bold piece from gobscure that shatters confines.

This is a bilingual piece in BSL and spoken English.

Warning: This play contains strong language and adult themes.

Gutter Weeds

Written by Benjamin Storey
Directed by Graeme Thompson
Performed by Donald McBride and Samantha Neale

Sam has moved into a new house. Fresh start. For Bill, the former tenant now lurking in the garden, he can’t stop clinging to the past. With an awkward mixture of Cilla Black and begonia planting, Benjamin Storey tells a tender tale of moving on and letting go.

Warning: This play contains strong language.

'Storey’s writing is emotionally intelligent, thoughtful and flows naturally as dialogue'
A Younger Theatre

Blyth Spirit

Written by John Hickman
Directed by Jamie Eastlake
Performed by Adam Donaldson, Mitch Donaldson and Serena Ramsey

In Blyth, Matty and Ian try to bring Matty's Mam back from the dead with a seance.  All does not go according to plan. Dumping Ground and Eastenders writer John Hickman takes a hilarious spin on the classic Blithe Spirit.

Warning: This play contains strong language.

'With some tweaks and tucks...I believe Blyth Spirit will be a standout piece in our world and beyond.'
A Younger Theatre

Sheltered

Written by Rebecca Glendenning-Laycock
Directed by Meghan Doyle
Performed by Judi Earl, Jude Nelson and Francesca Tomlinson

In this filmed audio play, there's another air raid over Northern England. Ruby and and Mam Vicky are confined to their two person bomb shelter. Ruby was supposed to be on a date but can’t get there because of the falling bombs. As an unexpected guest seeks refuge from the danger will they make it to the all-clear? An interesting and conceptual return to the 10 Minutes to.. project by Rebecca Glendening-Laycock.

Warning: This play contains strong language.

Amai Vangu - My Mother

Written by Mandi Chivasa
Directed by Maria Crocker
Performed by Shvorne Marks

In Zimbabwe, Moyo is a young woman living with her sisters, brothers and mother. Things aren’t all as they first appear as we follow Moyo through a bittersweet tale of journey and escape. A bold and often poetic monologue by Mandi Chivasa.

'it is a showcase for roaringly talented women'
A Younger Theatre

Off Peak

Written by Ellen McNally
Directed by Jamie Eastlake
Performed by Colleen Prendergast, Annabelle Rich and Megan McKie Smith

During a train journey on a warm summer's day, two very different woman are on very different train journeys. Can inter-generational differences be settled over a bag of Quavers? Will they ever get to Darlington? A superb new piece written by Ellen McNally.

Warning: This play contains strong language.

'an impressive debut and one to watch'
A Younger Theatre

Star Fish

Written by Niall McCarthy
Directed by Graeme Thompson
Performed by Mahsa Hammat Bahary and Aiden Nord

Dan is struggling with his family and the pressures around him. Laura tries to cheer him up but she’s not great in these situations. As they take a moment out of their lives to watch the night sky and reflect, can the stars align? A touching debut piece of stage writing from Niall McCarthy.

'There are big ideas at play in Star Fish, but with a little more emotional exploration, this good piece of theatre could really become something special.'
A Younger Theatre

Invisible Boundaries

Written by Sarah Tarbit
Directed by Becky Morris
Performed by Jake Jarratt and Jackie Edwards

Upstairs of the Chip Inn, Ashington, Kelly relives the story of her previous years. A vivid, colourful and gritty piece by alumni of Live Theatre's Introduction to Playwriting course and winner of a Northern Writers Award 2020, Sarah Tarbit.

Warning: This play contains adult themes and strong language.

'this is memorable, watchable, and relevant'
A Younger Theatre

If you would like to support Live Theatre to continue its inspiring creative programmes, please consider donating via the link below...

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