Every year since 2013, Newcastle’s Northern Stage has formed a young theatre makers company which gives emerging actors from the region an opportunity to develop their skills and begin to build a sustainable and diverse career in the North East.
The company runs for 16 weeks and its members are paid the national minimum wage. It is directed by the theatre’s Associate Director, Mark Calvert.
Two of the previous groups have gone on to form themselves into regular companies: NORTH 2013 is now The Letter Room and NORTH 2014 has metamorphosed into Camisado Club.
NORTH 2016 consists of Craig Fairbairn, Millie Harris, Dale Jewitt, Katherine Pierce and William Wyn Davies who will be performing Animal Farm, directed by Mark Calvert, in an adaptation by Ian Wooldridge, at Northern Stage from 3 to 5 March.
“Animal Farm is a cracking story,” said Calvert, “and we’re trying to find a new way to tell it; together we’re inventing a new piece of theatre. If I had to describe it in one sentence I’d say it’s a bit like Kneehigh-meets-Cabaret-meets-Stomp.”
After the Newcsstle performances, Animal Farm will be at Alnwick Playhouse on 23 March and will also tour to ten schools in Teesside, County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear.