Formerly director of KG Productions. Now playwright & British Theatre Guide NE editor. Regular contributor to North East Bylines. Occasional blogger.
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Articles by Peter Lathan
My Life in Art at Little C
There couldn't be a bigger distance between Rat in the Skull and this play, but the production values - a well-written play, strong acting and direction - are the same. It's a "backstage comedy", dealing with the production of a play based on Byron's Don Juan, a production which will involve a nude scene, something which Rebecca, the actress, objects to in principle.
Mr Punch | Alphabetti
Mr Punch tells the story of Norman, a solitary and now lonely figure of fun, with a dependence for drink and a long life of self-destruction and small mindedness. Norman has returned from a funeral carrying his recent departed father’s life in a suitcase. A father whom he blames for his actions, situations and what the world might call a ‘wasted life’. When a faraway family move in next door – Norman’s attitudes, pity-party and beliefs may have to change. But there’s no show without Punch.
BTG podcast reaches 200: hear from our reviewers
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For our 200th episode of the British Theatre Guide podcast, we decided to turn the microphone onto some of our longest serving reviewers to find out about how they joined BTG and some of their highlights from their time as reviewers. However this isn’t all about us, as we also asked them about the current state of theatre in their areas, how it has changed during their time reviewing and how they think it will change in the future.
By David Chadderton Verified, Philip Fisher, Peter Lathan Verified, Sandra Giorgetti Verified, Mark Smith, Velda Harris, Simon Sladen
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Libsyn
What's on in the North East
Robert Icke’s version of Animal Farm, a Children’s Theatre Partnership production, comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday to Saturday. Northern Ballet’s Pinocchio, for ages 3+, is in Stage 1 at Northern Stage on Friday at 11:00, 2:00 and 4:00. On the same day in Stage 3, Theatre Space NE presents Girl in the Machine.
Bishop Auckland-based company to set off on its first tour
Published: 17 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Jamie Brown (Jack Worthing) & Sarah Boulter (Gwendolen Fairfax) Charlotte Ryder (Cecily Cardew) & Jacob Anderton (Algernon Moncrieff) Arabella Arnott (Lady Bracknell) Bishop Auckland-based HangFire Theatre is to tour a new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest to six venues next month.
Celebrating 20 years of Performing Arts training
Published: 16 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Top: Chris Hayward, Zac Hamilton, Lorraine Crosby, Marc Ackinfolarin, Jessica Daley. Bottom: Brooke Havana Bailey, Tom Whalley, Annie Guy, Steve Walls, Ian Waller SA Performing Arts Newcastle’s SA Performing Arts (formerly The Sage Academy for the Performing Arts) celebrates its 20th anniversary this month with a Gala Performance featuring present students and former students who have gone on the achieve success in the industry.
Les Mis is coming to Sunderland
Published: 15 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Cameron Mackintosh’s 2009 25th anniversary production of Boublil and Schönberg's Les Misérables will visit Sunderland Empire for the first time from 1 to 19 November this year and tickets go on sale next week.
Aren't words brilliant? (Part 2)
They are! They definitely are! There are even those people who make up their own words. For example, Lewis Carrol in Jabberwocky: ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. What is impressive is that, although so many of these words are totally made up, their sound and their placing in the sentence give a sense of meaning.
Girl in the Machine
Stef Smith Theatre Space NE The Customs House, South Shields (and touring) 10 February 2022 Share: Corinne Kilvington (Polly) - rehearsal photo Lawrence Neale (Owen) - rehearsal photo Lawrence Neale (Owen) - rehearsal photo Corinne Kilvington (Polly) - rehearsal photo Lawrence Neale (Owen) & Corinne Kilvington - rehearsal photo Polly (Corinne Kilvington) is a solicitor. She works from home. Her mobile is constantly announcing the arrival of texts. She’s constantly juggling a number of tablets.
Not the fairytale ending she expected!
Published: 9 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Micky McGregor, Harriet Ghost, Hannah Marie Davis and Kieron Michael She’s a one parent family living in County Durham with her daughter, Stacey. The teenager is kind and smart but her obsession with an app called SnapTok is ruining her school grades and consuming all her attention. This is not the life Cinderella had looked forward to twenty years ago when she married Prince Charming, nothing like it at all.
BRB brings Spain to Sunderland
Published: 8 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of Don Quixote comes to Sunderland Empire next month in a new production choreographed and produced by Carlos Acosta.
Dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault
Published: 7 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: No. 9 Anna Robinson Credit: Ken Robinson Paula Penman Lauren Waine No. 9, a new one-woman play by Anna Robinson about surviving sexual assault is to première at Alphabetti. It’s a tongue-in-cheek yet deadly-serious look at the complexities and contradictions of dealing with the aftermath of a sexual assault, which follows a survivor’s story in the days, months and years post-assault.
A celebration of kite flying is coming to Newcastle
Published: 7 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Kattam Katti, a dance celebration from Pagrav Dance Company of the Uttarayan kite festival in India, in which literally millions of people compete to fly their kite higher than anybody else, is coming to Dance City. Every January millions of people from different cities, religions and social classes come together to fly kites in a unique event marking the transition from winter into spring.
What's on in the North East
Published: 6 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: The Invisible Man (Northern Stage) Drag Me to Love (Live Theatre) How to Live a Jellicle Life (Laurels, Whitley Bay) Friends! The Musical Parody (Gala, Durham, and Billingham Forum) On Sunday, and again on Sunday 27 February, Fascinating Aïda are at Newcastle Theatre Royal. Northern Stage presents its in-house production of The Invisible Man in Stage 3 from Tuesday until 19 February.
Aren't words brilliant? (Part 1)
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Photo from iStock Aren’t words really brilliant? They can tell you things. They can make you laugh. They can make you cry. They can make you angry. They can make you jealous. They can make you excited. They can bore you. They can make you feel loved. They can make you feel hated. They can make you feel anything – everything! Even apart from their meanings, I like the sound of them, on their own and together.
Le Monacle on tour
Published: 3 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Le Monacle Production photo Production photo Le Monacle, the first Made in the North East dance commission from Dance City and eight other venues - Alnwick Playhouse, The Queens Hall (Hexham), Middlesbrough Town Hall, The Witham (Barnard Castle), The Fire Station (Sunderland), Darlington Hippodrome, Hartlepool Borough Hall Theatre and Gosforth Civic Theatre (Newcastle) – will tour throughout the region this month.
What? Bobby Ewing’s coming to Darlo?
Published: 3 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Dallas star Patrick Duffy, who played Bobby Ewing in the US hit TV series and is also known for roles including Mark Harris in NBC’s Man from Atlantis, Frank Lambert in the ABC sitcom Step by Step and Stephen Logan in CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful, is to appear at Darlington Hippodrome next month in a new production of the classic Broadway thriller Catch Me If You Can.
Elevator returns
Published: 2 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Elevator Festival Intergalactic (Petals and Constellations) Kailey The Twenty Seven Club Live Theatre’s Elevator Festival, an opportunity to take a first look at plays by the future theatre makers from the North East and beyond, returns next month from 16 to 26 March.
balletLORENT returns to Newcastle
Published: 2 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: The Lost Happy Endings The Lost Happy Endings The Lost Happy Endings The Lost Happy Endings After having to postpone the tour of The Lost Happy Endings in March 2020 and then restarting it in September 2021, balletLORENT brings the production to Newcastle Theatre Royal at 6:00 on 18 and 19 March before ending the tour at Sadler’s Wells (15 and 16 April).
Theatre news: HERE at last!
Published: 2 February 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: HERE by Lindsay Rodden, which was due to première at Northern Stage from 19 to 28 March 2020 but had to be postponed because of the pandemic, will finally be performed from 4 to 12 March this year in Stage 2.
What's on in the North East
Published: 30 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: The Nutcracker (Newcastle Theatre Royal) Tree (Alphabetti) Beauty and the Beast (Sunderland Empire) Credit: Johan Persson Blood Brothers (Darlington Hippodrome) Credit: Robert Day Scottish Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker is at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Wednesday to Saturday. Northern Stage presents its in-house production of The Invisible Man in Stage 3 from Tuesday until 19 February.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast The Musical
Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton Disney Theatre Productions Sunderland Empire 20 January–19 February 2022 Back in 2005 I went, somewhat reluctantly, to the Empire to see the touring production of Beauty and the Beast and I ended up becoming, if not exactly an enthusiast, at least a fairly warm convert.
Spring in Hexham
Published: 27 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: The Monacle The Invisible Man Wolf! Credit: Von Fox Promotions Jeremiah Aidy the Awesome Hexham's Queen’s Hall Arts Centre has announced its spring programme of theatre, dance, music, comedy and family shows.
Shakespeare on the box: no thanks.
Shakespeare mural by Jimmy C. – Photo by Ungry Young Man from Flickr A friend rang me a few days ago. “I bet you’re excited about BBC4 tonight,” he said. “It’s a real Shakespeare night!” “No,” I said. “I’m not.” He was shocked. How could I not be excited? After all, there’s been a real lack of Shakespearean productions in the NE since the pandemic and not exactly a surfeit before, but I’ve feasted on Shakespeare whenever I could.
Spring at The Hullabaloo
Published: 26 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Out of the Blue A Square World Baba Yaga The Hullabaloo, Darlington’s theatre venue for children and their families, has announced its spring 2022 season. Alongside its free creative play space for everyone aged 0-9 years which includes a brand-new installation, Zen Garden, featuring relaxing soundscapes, sensory play and interactive elements, there will be a performances for a variety of age groups from new-borns to 8-year olds.
What's on in the North East
Published: 23 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Fatal Attraction (Newcastle Theatre Royal) Trails (Dance City) The Russian State Ballet of Siberia (Darlington Hippodrome) Fatal Attraction runs at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday to Saturday. Tree, a new play by Gary Kitching & Steve Byron, runs at Alphabetti from Tuesday until 12 February.
North East Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme placement
Published: 22 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: A NE director/writer, Rebekah (Bex) Bowsher, will have an 18-month residency at Northern Stage and Live Theatre. Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme 18-Month Residencies are paid opportunities for freelance directors and theatre makers to work as a resident assistant director in regional building-based companies.
Special commendation for Open Clasp Original
Newcastle-based women’s theatre company Open Clasp has been awarded a special commendation at the first ever Digital Culture Awards which celebrate the very best digital and tech innovation in arts and culture. Many organisation were in the running for the Content Creation and Distribution award which recognises the development of creative content and innovative uses of digital technology to distribute cultural content, including Complicité, National Theatre at Home and Opera North.
NE writer is national playwriting competition finalist
Published: 19 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: The Women’s Prize for Playwriting Alison Carr Newcastle playwright Alison Carr is one of eight finalists in The Women’s Prize for Playwriting Competition 2021 organised by Paines Plough in partnership with 45North and Sonia Friedman Productions. Her play Birdie was one of the finalists chosen by the judging panel from 850 entries.
Girl in the Machine to tour the North East
Published: 19 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Girl in the Machine Girl in the Machine, written by Steph Smith and produced by Sunderland-based Theatre Space NE, a play which explores the evolving and often unsettling relationship between humanity and technology, is to tour the region in February. It asks what happens when the line between physical and digital rapidly dissipates.
Family shows at Northern Stage
Published: 17 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Pinocchio Credit: Drew Forsyth Zog and the Flying Doctors Oi Frog and Friends Credit: Pamela Raith Photography Handa's Surprise Aidy the Awesome Credit: Pamela Raith Photography Five shows for children and their families are coming to Northern Stage between February and June. 25 February @ 10:00, 2:00 and 4:00 Pinocchio Northern Ballet’s eighth children’s ballet, which premièred in October 2021, is aimed at children aged 3+.
What's on in the North East
Published: 16 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Beauty and the Beast the Musical (Sunderland Empire) First Time (Gala, Durham) Saturday Night Fever (Darlington Hippodrome) SIX runs at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday until Saturday. At the time of writing, the adult panto Sinderella will not be going ahead on Friday and Saturday at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House. We will update if this changes. Dance City is holding a new season launch event at 6:00 on Tuesday.
A Doll’s House postponed
Published: 15 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Durham-based Elysium Theatre Company has postponed its planned tour of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House which would have been the first play to be performed at Sunderland's new venue, The Fire Station, on 17 February and which was planned to visit other venues across the region, from Hexham to Barnard Castle.
Hair today...
Peter Lathan, Close the Coalhouse Door (St David’s Arts Festival) 1974 Oh God! Another downward step in the aging saga; another physical deterioration brought about by advancing years, joining the long-lasting bruises that happen so easily that you don’t even notice them, the clumsiness, the sudden discovery that you no longer enjoy food that you’ve loved for decades, the night-time stumbling to the toilet every couple of hours, the lapse into vacancy for fifteen minutes or more.
January to July at Dance City
Newcastle’s Dance City has announced its performance programme through to July 2022. It begins at 6:00 on 18 January with a Theatre Season Launch Event which includes introductions to the shows by Dance City team members, with video trailers. There will be some surprise live performances as well as drinks and nibbles.
Coming to Washington in spring 2022
Published: 13 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: These Hills Are Ours I, Elizabeth Stitch in Time Hold On, Let Go Arts Centre Washington has announced its programme of performances, workshops and group activities through to March and beyond.
The Black Velvet Band
Memory does funny, even weird, things sometimes. I woke up this morning… That sounds like the beginning of a Blues number, doesn’t it? “Well, I woke up this morning Blues hangin’ round my head. Yes, well, I woke up this morning Blues hangin’ round my head. Felt so awful, I might as well be dead. Yeah.” Sorry. I’m rambling. I get a bit like that sometimes. Age, you know.
What's on in the North East
Published: 9 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: SIX (Theatre Royal, Newcastle) Hairspray (Sunderland Empire) The Snow Queen (Billingham Forum) SIX runs at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday until 22 January. Circus of Horrors: The Witch is at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House on Saturday at 8:00. From Monday to Saturday, Hairspray the Musical comes to Sunderland Empire. On Saturday, Ballet Theatre UK presents The Snow Queen at Billingham Forum.
North East theatre after Christmas
Many theatres take a break after the Christmas show/panto season, with many not restarting until late January or even the beginning of February. Here’s a listing of when NE theatres are presenting their first professional drama or dance shows of the year. The list does not include stand-up, music or tribute acts.
What's on in the North East
Published: 2 January 2022 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Rapunzel (Customs House) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Theatre Royal Newcastle) The Adventures of Robin Hood (Gala Theatre, Durham) Newcastle Theatre Royal’s panto, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, continues until Sunday. Rapunzel, the Customs House panto, continues until Saturday. The Adventures of Robin Hood, the panto at Durham’s Gala Theatre, runs until Sunday.
Meditations on 2022 Eve
Photo by Jaeyoon Jeong on Unsplash Share EmailTwitterFacebook It’s New Year’s Eve 2021 and I’m sitting at my computer writing and watching the digital clock on the Taskbar getting ever closer to midnight. There was a time – and it wasn’t really all that long ago – when I would have been out partying with the best of them, enjoying lots of fizz, loads of food and a lorra, lorra laughs. Now, though, so many of the old crowd have departed, leaving the area or, sadly, life itself.
The state of panto
Cinderella at Darlington Hippodrome www.scottakoz.com The 2021 – 2022 panto season is drawing to a close. For many Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve signalled the time to take off the make-up for another year.
The Best of NE theatre in 2021? Oh, come on!
This is a bit different! I am not listing my normal “Best of North East Theatre” for 2021 because, to be honest, actually putting anything on (and managing to keep it going!) in the ups and downs, ons and offs of a pretty awful year was a major achievement.
The Best of NE theatre in 2021? Oh, come on!
Productions and Performers Every Christmas show, panto or otherwise, needs a villain. Panto audiences (and I’m talking adults as well as kids) love to boo the villain and take enormous pleasure in letting him/her know exactly how they feel. “You horrible, slimy little children. I’m going to melt all the interval ice creams.
North East theatre in 2021
Theatre and me in 2021 On Thursday, 22 April, 2021, I reached my 78th birthday. I’d had my first vaccination in January and the second in March and a little earlier the government had released me and all other Clinically Extremely Vulnerables from the bondage known as “shielding” but I still had no expectation of seeing anything in the way of theatre any time soon – except, of course, for those productions streamed online.
Haddock and Chips at The Customs House
Published: 22 December 2021 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Joe Caffrey and Phillippa Wilson Credit: Matt Jamie Janet Plater’s play Haddock and Chips, a comedy with serious undertones, comes to The Customs House in February. After opening at Gosforth Civic Theatre from 21 – 23 October and touring to a further 13 venues in the region from Berwick in the north to Saltburn in the south and Kendal in the west, the show ended its run on 13 November at The Exchange, North Shields.
More Sorcerer’s Apprentice cancellations
More Sorcerer’s Apprentice cancellations Published: 22 December 2021 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: The Sorcerer's Apprentice All remaining performances of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which was due to run until 31 December at Northern Stage, have been cancelled. All those who have booked tickets will be contacted by the Box Office. It is still possible to see the show online. Go to the Digital Stream page on the website for details.
Mortal Fools are expanding
Published: 22 December 2021 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: Mortal Fools Mortal Fools and YMCA Northumberland Mortal Fools filming in YMCA Northumberland Prudhoe-based theatre, drama and creative learning company Mortal Fools have opened a second base at YMCA Northumberland in Ashington, expanding their youth theatre groups and creative projects into the area.
What's on in the North East
Newcastle Theatre Royal’s panto, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, continues until 9 January 2022. At Northern Stage, the Christmas show, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, runs until 31 December. Because of a COVID outbreak, all performances until 28 December are cancelled. Bonnie and Fanny's Christmas Spectacular, featuring Bonnie and the Bonnettes and Your Aunt Fanny, is at Live Theatre until Thursday.
Covid cancels performances at Northern Stage
Published: 16 December 2021 Reporter: Peter Lathan Share: The Sorcerer's Apprentice Northern Stage has announced the cancellation of performances of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice because of a Covid infection. A statement from the venue: We are very sorry that we have had to cancel some performances due to cases of COVID-19 in The Sorcerer's Apprentice company.
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