Live Theatre in Newcastle to stage Lee Hall premiere as it prepares for new cultural development; Quayside new writing theatre is a haven of activity and Thursday marks the launch of Billy Elliot author's raucous new comedy drama.
Byline: Barbara Hodgson
The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall heralded a fresh dawn for the Live Theatre in Newcastle eight years ago. His new play inspired by the sight of girls enjoying a night out in the Bigg Market premieres there this week and Barbara Hodgson looks at how the popular venue has flourished in between.
In 2007 the world premiere of a new play by Lee Hall re-opened a new-look Live Theatre on Newcastle's Quayside.
The Pitmen Painters marked a new chapter for the theatre after its [pounds sterling]5.5m restoration and followed up its instant success there with equally popular runs in London and then Broadway.
It proved something of statement of intent for the new writing theatre, heralding a future programme of enterprising drama while embarking upon a cash-making ventures to support itself.
Nowadays Live is far more than the small but beautifully formed organisation first founded in 1973.
The "enterprising solutions" it came up with to keep the wolf from the door, as the economic downturn bit, have flourished.
Besides setting up an online play-writing course and teaming up with leading Newcastle chef Terry Laybourne on The Broad Chare gastro-pub just down the road, it has transformed its adjacent old schoolhouse building into a home for creative businesses.
And its latest, boldest, move has seen Live Works rapidly take shape behind hoardings on the Quayside front.
Live Works is its fourth major project and it will fill the long-neglected gap, next to the former Flynn's bar overlooking the Tyne.
At the same time, another new play by Lee Hall will be making its timely premiere at Live Theatre.
The Newcastle playwright's latest hit-in-the-making is Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, a wild and raucous comedy part inspired by the familiar sight of girls enjoying a Bigg Market night out.
On Thursday it makes its debut at Live. This will be its English premiere, having already tested the waters north of the border during Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Back in 2007, ahead of The Pitmen Painters' premiere to celebrate Live's reopening that September, Max Roberts, the theatre's artistic director, said: "It will mark the start of a new chapter in the history of Live.
"It is very much a play for our times. It is about art and the appropriation, sponsorship and patronage of art. It will ask questions such as why do we have art and what is art for."
He noted that "Live has been here longer than anyone really" and added: "I think it is very relevant...
To continue reading
Request your trial