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.
Live Writes Summer line up is:
300
Written by Tom Collinson
Directed by Samuel Lydon Blair
Cast: Megan McKie Smith - Sian; Bob Nicholson - Rick; Lucy Francis Robinson - Sandrine
Sian is grateful to the UK’s oldest intact skeleton, 7,000 year-old ‘Cheddar Man’, for pushing Rick’s thinking on having children ‘over the line’. Sian’s toxic and narcissistic oldest friend, Bella, less so. But when Rick and Sian find out at their first scan their child has no heartbeat, it threatens to destroy their relationship. Sian embarks on an affair with a colleague, and Rick runs away to work for a charity in a war zone. They learn the importance of compassion, how reality is connection, and, ultimately, how precious human life is.
Author's Note
Written by Ben C Mason
Directed by Will Sutherland
Zack, has found all of his old diaries from childhood to adulthood. Deciding to read them back he recalls parts of primary school where he can’t understand why the other boys don't accept him as one of them. Putting the puzzle pieces of his identity together, he relives his turbulent teenage years, before reminiscing on university where he met the love of his life, all while burdened with the hurt of a mother who doesn’t understand her own child.
Got in the Fairs
Written by Madeleine Tipping
Directed by Alice Byrne
Cast: Dolores Porretta-Brown - Maureen; Steven Stobbs - John
In a remote Irish bungalow, a fraught family visit takes an unsettling turn when some local gossip awakens old village folklore.
Hear Me Out
Written by Hannah Georgia Richardson
Directed by Jessica Robson
Cast: Macy Johnson - Jaimie; Victoria Holtom - Sophie
Jaimie is finally at her parole hearing; she tries to fight for herself, explaining how much she's improved, until she discovers someone else will be attending. She's not seen them in nearly a decade. She's unable to move on with this, struggling to keep her composure, and the pressure from the officer holding the hearing isn't helping. She slowly begins losing her grip on where and who she is
Creative Team
Tom Collison - writer 300
Samuel Lydon Blair - director 300
Megan McKie Smith - 300 cast - Sian
Bob Nicholson - 300 cast - Rick
Lucy Francis Robinson - 300 cast - Sandrine
Hannah Georgia Richardson - writer Hear Me Out
Jessica Robson - director Hear Me Out
Macy Johnson - Hear Me Out Cast - Jaimie
Victoria Holtom - Hear Me Out cast - Sophie
Will Sutherland - director Author's Note
Fletcher Morris - cast Author's Note - Zack
Maddie Tipping - writer Got In The Fairs
Alice Byrne - director Got In The Fairs
Dolores Poretta-Brown - cast Got In The Fairs - Maureen
Steven Stobbs - cast Got In The Fairs - John
