Live Writes Spring

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 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.

Plays to be performed at this event:

The Second Tree
By Lois-Amber Toole

Directed By Laura Lee Daly
Cast: Eleanor Beck & Hannah Marie Davis

Kicked out of the army for becoming pregnant, straight-laced Judy is sent to a bleak mother-and-baby home in post-war Newcastle, where she's forced to share a room with Annie, a rebellious sex worker - two women from opposite worlds who might just save each other.


Mam Me Mia
By Chess Tomlinson

Directed By Alex Woolley
Cast: Steph Putson, Chess Tomlinson, Lucy Eve Mann

When widowed MAM, her heart-broken Millennial daughter ME, and baby of the family, leather-clad ‘daddy issues’ Gen Z MIA start dating at the same time, Newcastle and the surrounding ‘catchment area’ suddenly become extremely small.


Fine Lines*
by Dom, Edivaldo & Walid. Supported by Connor Dorrian

Directed By Gavinder Singh Srai

Cast: Robert Punchard & Sonny Jarmin

Angelo is peacefully working away at his next art project…until his older brother barges in unannounced, throwing him off balance.
Their back and forth ‘banter’ is masked by something heavier, and when the jokes go too far, the truth behind their strained bond begins to surface.


Blended*
by Faith, Nnenna and Vildan. Supported by Christina Berriman Dawson

Directed By Bridget Marumo

Cast: Louise Dearden & Eden Fuller

Mika’s searching for the one thing that still connects her to her Mum, and her heritage, until she finds it around her step sister's neck. What looks like “just a necklace” to Kylie carries something much heavier for Mika, and when she finally snaps, years of quiet bias and unspoken tension rise to the surface.

 

*Over the past month, we’ve had the privilege of working with six talented Year 6 pupils from St John’s Primary School in Benwell. Guided by writers Christina Berriman Dawson and Connor Dorrian, these young creatives have developed two original 10 minute script, which will be showcased as part of April's Live Writes.

We’ve named this project Live ‘Tales’ Writes, created especially to celebrate Live Tales 10th anniversary. It felt only right to mark this milestone by investing in the next generation of storytellers, giving our youngest writers the same platform, encouragement, and creative opportunities as more established voices.

At the age of 10 and 11, many young people begin discovering passions that shape their futures, often through after school and weekend clubs. Yet for aspiring playwrights, opportunities at this stage are rare. We wanted to change that.

We saw something special in these six writers, imagination, dedication, and a genuine love for storytelling. This project was our way of nurturing that spark and offering them not just an experience, but a stepping stone. Our hope is that this is only the beginning of their creative journeys, and that one day, we’ll see their names lighting up stages far beyond this one.