Curtain comes down on Laurels' first act
The North Tyneside theatre is shutting up shop as it plans for an exciting new chapter
After four lively years above a Whitley Bay chicken shop, Laurels Theatre has announced it will leave its original home on Whitley Road at the end of November - but the team assure us this is far from the final curtain.
Co-founded by Jamie Eastlake and Steve Robertson, Laurels opened in 2021 in the midst of the pandemic and immediately made its mark.
From new writing and fringe theatre to stand-up comedy and live music, it brought a raw, independent energy to the region’s cultural scene. Jamie moved on to other projects earlier this year, making way for theatre maker Alison Stanley who now heads up theatre programming.
The intimate venue became the founding home of Gerry & Sewell, which went on to enjoy sell-out runs at Live Theatre and Newcastle Theatre Royal. More recently, Laurels has brought in crowds for productions like T*ts Up, HARD, Blackbird in the Snow and Ian Smith’s Robbed.
Its commitment to nurturing new work continues, with the inaugural Rose Fisher Award - launched to support female writers in the North East – recently revealed its first winner, Alison Carr with her play Opossum.
“When we moved into that semi-derelict old social club (in the middle of a global pandemic), the plan was simple: open the doors, serve a few drinks, and let people stumble across something unexpected,” the team said in a statement.
“Theatre done differently - a place for everyone, a bit rough around the edges maybe but it was home.”
Now a registered charity, Steve says it has outgrown its first space and is seeking a new, more accessible and sustainable venue.
Its final night on Whitley Road will be Thursday, November 28, and the team are inviting everyone who has enjoyed Laurels to come and have another good night at the venue between now and then.
While the search continues for its next home, Laurels will be taking some of its upcoming shows to The Exchange 1856 in North Shields in the coming months. A series of pop up performances across the region are also in the works.
“Don’t worry - the lights are very much staying on,” the statement concluded. “It’s not the end - it’s just the end of the beginning.”
Tickets for Laurels’ final run of shows are available at www.laurelswhitley.co.uk/theatre.
Opening a theatre above a chicken shop during a pandemic takes real committment. The transition from that semi-derelict social club to becoming a registered charity shows remarkable growth. Alison Stanley steeping in to lead programming continuation is promising, and the Rose Fisher Award for female writers is an importan addition to the North East cultural landscape. Looking forward to seeing what the new venue brings once they find a more accesible space.