Artist-led performance space Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne is a space to experiment, evolve and discover talent. This multi-award winning space produces and playing host to some of the best and newest work from the region and further afield.
2023 will begin with Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light by Allison Davies from 31st January – 18th February. Directed by Karen Traynor, Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light is an immersive, interactive exploration of one woman’s journey of self-discovery. Elsa’s life has never been boring, though it’s often been a struggle. She’s quirky and kind and clever and funny, but school was always a nightmare, and romance was a mystery; until now. Elsa meets Carmen who just seems to ‘get her’. She seems to hold the key to who she is, and why it feels like there’s an octopus living inside her head. Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light is a celebration of the joy and freedom that comes when we live as we truly are.
From 28th February – 18th March, Forest Sounds Theatre and Alphabetti Theatre will present a world premiere of Person Spec. Prepare to meet the next energised and highly-motivated job candidate, applying for an exciting new work opportunity. But this is not a normal theatre show, this is a job interview. And the audience is the panel. This bizarre, hilarious show encourages its audience to maximally evolve, self-disrupt, and autoconference at this unique event. The candidate has worked hard to reach the final stage of the interview process, and it’s time for you to help them succeed… or not.
Cardboard Citizens and Theatre 503 will present a fast-paced comedy full of heart, youth, pan pipes, and celebration of queer community from Tuesday 28th March to Saturday 15th April. Faun follows Ace who is 22, trans, queer and sofa surfing. To keep a sofa requires you to act small, smiling, and polite. But no one is perfect and eventually everyone messes up – which would be a lot easier for Ace if they weren’t also unexpectedly growing fluffy ears, and a tiny tail! Cardboard Citizens creates theatre with, for and about people with lived experience of homelessness, poverty, or inequity, using theatre, art and training to empower individuals to make change in their own lives, and in their communities.
In April, Alphabetti present a North East premiere of Soapbox Racer by Ben Schwarz, a play about teenage love, loss and finding your inner daredevil. Playing from Tuesday 25th April to Saturday 13th May, Soapbox Racer is the story of a teenage girl building a soapbox car in a wild attempt to win back her ex, accidentally reconnecting with her estranged Dad in the process. The winner of Best Production (Theatre) at Buxton Fringe, Soapbox Racer was originally produced by Ameena Hamid, Louisa Sanfey, and Ben Schwarz.
Alphabetti Theatre and Degna Stone will present a world premiere of Degna Stone’s The Lies from Tuesday 23rd May to Saturday 10th June. The people you thought would never lie to you have been lying all along. Everything you thought was true is open to interpretation. Words matter but language shifts and meanings change all the time…How do you even begin a conversation with someone who believes a different theory of truth? Join The Liar as she unravels how we fell into the trap of accepting lies as part of everyday life. From the little white lies we tell our children to the great big whoppers we tell ourselves about who we are as a nation. We’re all complicit, so when are you going to stop lying to yourself?
From Tuesday 20th June to Saturday 8th July, Alphabetti Theatre and WANCs present a world premiere of Chop, Dissolve, Burn by Lisette Auton & Richard Boggie. Directed by Paul James Chop, Dissolve, Burn is a black comedy that relentlessly pokes fun at society’s attitudes towards disability, whilst exposing the terrifying truth about the impacts of inequality on disabled people’s lives. It’s also a love story – two former lovers separated by circumstance and a hasty note written on the back of a receipt are brought back together by a pandemic. The show was initially created through a seed pot commission from Newcastle Fringe Festival in 2021, and has been developed for this co-production.
In July, Newcastle Fringe Festival Ltd and Alphabetti Theatre present 2023 Newcastle Fringe Festival from Tuesday 18th to Saturday 29th July 2023. Over ten jam-packed days of theatre, comedy, poetry and music Newcastle Fringe Festival brings the best of UK touring performing arts to the city. Newcastle Fringe Festival hub is at Alphabetti Theatre, but there are venues across the city, giving audiences time and space to enjoy and be inspired by the incredible programme of work. The accompanying Invigorate programme offers a rich menu of workshops, talks and paid opportunities to develop artists in the region.
Finishing the season in September, Alphabetti Theatre, Danielle Burn and Stan Hodgson present a world premiere of Raven. From the moment Raven was born, her family were forced to live as Shadows, never to be seen or heard again. On the eve of her tenth birthday, strange feelings begin to bubble inside her, and she follows her wild heart away from the safety she has always known. A beautiful and mischievous show focused on children’s mental health for children and their adults, Raven is filled with live music, puppetry, and a talking gargoyle.
