Newcastle’s Live Theatre has announced the plays, creative teams and actors for 10 Minutes to…Call Home, the latest in the 10 Minutes to… series. The plays will be filmed at Live Theatre and streamed at the end of September.
The Plays:
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 Amai Vangu. 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 writer, actor and director Mandi Chivasa.
Blyth Spirit
Written by John Hickman
Directed by Jamie Eastlake
Performed by Adam Donaldson, Mitch Donaldson and Serena Ramsey
In an old-school working-class club in Blyth, Matty and Ian try to bring Debbie back from the dead. Expect a discussion on which Only You version was better, Yazoos or The Flying Pickets? Dumping Ground and Eastenders writer John Hickman takes a hilarious spin on the classic Blythe Spirit.
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.
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 one-woman piece by an alumna of Live Theatre's Introduction to Playwriting course and winner of a Northern Writers Award 2020, Sarah Tarbit.
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 summers 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 Middlesbrough? A superb new piece written by Ellen McNally.
Sheltered
Written by Rebecca Glendenning-Laycock
Directed by Meghan Doyle
Performed by Judi Earl, Jude Nelson and Francesca Tomlinson
Another air raid over Northern England. Ruby and Viki grab their mobile phones and run to the shelter. Viki 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.
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 star align? A touching debut piece of stage writing from Niall McCarthy.
Watching And Waiting
Written by Olu Alakija
Directed by Meghan Doyle
Cast TBA
Nikki watches and waits outside the house of who she thinks is 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.
you can't start a revolution sitting on your 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, bold and often chaotic monologue from gobscure that shatters confines and will be heard.