Newcastle’s Tyne Theatre and Opera House is to celebrate its 150th anniversary with an interactive tour.
1867, presented by Twenty Seven Productions, is a theatre tour with a difference. Described as not only “interactive” but also “multi-sensory”, it will, as Twenty Seven Productions’ Katie Gibson says, “divulge ancient secrets of the building, introduce you to its ghosts and remember those who performed on its stage, meeting (face to face) with some very famous faces indeed!”
When they arrive, audiences will be given headsets which they wear for the duration of the show (approximately 80 minutes) and they will be guided throughout the tour by the friendly voice of veteran actor Bill Fellows.
Middlesbrough-born Fellows’s TV credits include Lady Macbeth, Downton Abbey, Broadchurch, United, Wolfblood and The Monacled Mutineer. His stage work includes Mickey in Blood Brothers (West End), Trackers (National Theatre), Pastoral (Soho Theatre) and Hobson’s Choice (Regent’s Park).
The famous (some perhaps infamous) ghosts of the past will be played by Sarah-Jayne White (no stranger to the theatre as she has been part of its panto for many years), Steven Blackshaw (a Mixtape regular) and David John Hopper who is currently appearing in Theatre Space NE’s summer season in various Sunderland parks and at Alnwick Castle.
It is a promenade production and, because of the nature of parts of the building to which the public normally do not have access, it is not accessible to people with mobility issues. However it will be possible for audience members to sit at some times.
1867 opens on 11 September and runs until 17 with two shows every day at 2:30PM and 7:30PM. All tickets are £20. Patrons are asked to arrive 15 minutes early. Late-comers will not be admitted.