Theatre Space North East has announced the casting for this year’s Plays in the Park in Sunderland and Alnwick. The same ensemble, who are all NE actors, will perform all three plays: Henry IV Pt 1, Robin Hood and Much Ado about Nothing.
The ensemble consists of:
Christopher Strain
Key Roles: Douglas, Alan A’dale
His credits include Steven Berkoff’s East at the Customs House and We Got Mittens Too! (Journal Culture Award for Performance of the Year), as well as work with the Old Vic New Voices: 24 Hour Plays. Classical theatre includes The Tempest (Sunderland Echo Award for Performance of the Year), Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Luke Maddison
Key Roles: Poins, Claudio
Recent credits include Leaving by Paddy Campbell and Curious monkey in association with Northern Stage, Geordie the Musical (Customs House) and Hamlet (Theatre Space NE).
Eilidh Talman
Key roles: Lady Percy, Hero
Previous work includes her one-woman show, A Haggis Queen Abroad as well as work with Theatre Space NE. When the Parks season closes, she will be touring with Open Clasp in their new production, Rattle Snake.
Samantha Bell
Key roles: Mortimer, Prince John
Has spent much of this year working on a new reality TV show called The Perfect World Project and is now developing a one-woman show with playwright Lee Mattinson. Other credits include Write Stuff, Ten Minutes to…, Mistletoe and Spines (Live Theatre), Cyrano De Bergerac (Northern Stage), Chalet Lines (Less Is More) and Wytch (Twenty Seven Productions).
Sam Elliot
Key roles: Will Scarlet, Borachio
Currently studying A-Levels in Drama, Mathematics and Computer Science at Newcastle Sixth Form College. This is his first professional production.
Corinne Kilvington
Key Roles: Maid Marion, Beatrice
Theatre Space North East’s artistic director. Trained in Drama at Northumbria University, and more recently with East 15, The Young Vic and York Theatre Royal and has been working as an actor, director and facilitator for various companies in the region since 2002. Recent roles include Helen Sutherland in The Pitmen Painters, Katerina in The Taming of the Shrew and the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet.
Dale Jewit
Key roles: Prince Henry, Robin Hood
A founding member of Theatre Hoodang and associate director with Theatre Space North East. Credits include Animal Farm (Northern Stage), The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet (Theatre Space North East) and Wytch (Twenty Seven Productions).
Steven Blackshaw
Key roles: Henry IV, Don Pedro
A regular member of Mixtape whose other credits include Enchanted Parks (NGI, Saltwell Park) Breakfast Hearts / Choirplay (Live Theatre), What the World Needs Now (ARC Stockton) and 10 Minutes to... (Live Theatre).
David McCarthy
Key roles: Hotspur, Benedick
Credits include Romeo and Juliet (Rosie Players), Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew (Theatre Space North East), And the cow jumped over the moon (The Customs House), A wife or the Gallows (Northumberland Theatre Company) and Slave to Love (loose lips Theatre).
David Hopper
Key Roles: Falstaff, Friar Tuck
Credits include Jack and the Beanstalk and And the cow jumped over the moon (Customs House), Trajectory and Hamlet (Alphabetti) and King Arthur, Treasure Island, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, George and the Dragon and The Taming of the Shrew (all Theatre Space NE).
In addition to the key roles, each cast member will play a variety of supporting roles as well as playing musical instruments and singing.