Bobby Robson play casting announced

Published: 1 July 2019
Reporter: Peter Lathan

Charlie Richmond
Donald McBride
Samantha Neale
Tom Kelly (left) and Jamie Brown

The casting for the Customs House production of Tom Kelly’s new play for South Shields Customs House, Bobby Robson Saved My Life, has been announced.

Sir Bobby Robson was born in Sacriston, County Durham and played for Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and England before going on to manage Ipswich Town, Newcastle United and England. He died in July 2009, aged 76, after a long battle with cancer.

Bobby Robson Saved My Life explores how one man can have a major impact on the lives of other people without ever being aware of it. It focuses on three very different individuals and the ups and downs life throws at them, celebrating not only Sir Bobby’s life, but the impact he had on these three and many more.

The cast will be Charlie Richmond, Donald McBride and Samantha Neale and the play will be directed by Jamie Brown.

Charlie Richond's credits include The Machine Gunners, My Uncle Freddie, When the Boat Comes In and Romeo and Juliet for the Customs House. Other credits include ten years as the comic in the Tyne Theatre and Opera House panto and The Last Ship at Northern Stage and touring the UK and Ireland. His company, Quayside Productions, is co-producing the play with The Customs House and Ion Productions.

“As an actor often known for my comedy roles,” he said, “I’m excited to explore my more serious side as the character Mark in Bobby Robson Saved My Life.”

Donald McBride, from County Durham, plays Tommy. He has spent 40 years in North East theatre at, among others, the Customs House (Tom and Catherine, Geordie the Musical, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet and numerous pantos) and at Live Theatre (And a Nightingale Sang in Eldon Square, The Pitmen Painters), Northern Stage (Hedda Gabler and Dr Frankenstein) and The Gala in Durham (Beamish Boy and Get Off at Gateshead as well as a number of pantos). He has also appeared in iconic North East TV dramas such as Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Our Friends in the North and Spender.

He said, “I’m so pleased to be working with Tom again. We go back 20 years, from Tom and Catherine through to Talking Tom, Nothing Like the Wooden Horse and Geordie The Musical.

“Also, having lost many family members and friends to cancer, I’m glad to help raise awareness of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

“I’m also looking forward to playing an elderly gentleman from County Durham—typecast again!”

Samantha Neale, who will play Clair, is from Gateshead and has worked at Live Theatre (The Girls from Poppyfield Close, Iris, Nativities) and Alphabetti (The Dirty Flea-Bitten Scrounging Bastard, Down To Zero), as well as on TV in Vera and the films Frank and No Place.

“I’m really pleased to be involved in this project,” she said. “Bobby Robson is a beloved icon in this region and Tom’s play is a moving and touching tribute with real human stories.

“People should come and see the show to remember Bobby, to laugh and maybe cry and revel in the joy and pain of being a Newcastle supporter!”

It is directed by Jamie Brown, who also directed Geordie the Musical and The Butcher’s Bill for the Customs House.

Bobby Robson Saved My Life runs from Tuesday 16 July to Saturday 20 July at The Customs House before moving on to the Regent Theatre, Ipswich and the Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle.

A portion of each ticket sale will be donated to The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, which was launched in 2008 to help find more effective ways to detect and treat cancer and has since gone on to raise more than £13m.

The Customs House performances start at 7:30, with matinées at 2:30 on Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets, priced from £20, are available from the box office online or on (0191) 454 1234.

*Some links, including Amazon, Stageplays.com, ATG Tickets, LOVEtheatre, BTG Tickets, Ticketmaster, The Ticket Factory, LW Theatres and QuayTickets, are affiliate links for which BTG may earn a small fee at no extra cost to the purchaser.

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