New season on sale at Live Theatre
Live Theatre unveils a new programme of world premieres, major partnerships, celebrations and regional stories
As Shuggy Boats opened at Live Theatre on Friday (March 6), the Newcastle venue has unveiled the programme that will take it through the rest of 2026 and into spring 2027.
The new season combines world premieres, anniversary celebrations and a major city-wide partnership, alongside the return of development strands aimed at emerging artists and young writers.
In May, Shelagh Stephenson’s much-anticipated Astell & Woolf runs from May 14 to June 6. The play places Newcastle-born philosopher and pioneering feminist Mary Astell in a waiting room in the afterlife with Virginia Woolf. North East-based Karen Traynor is directing.
She said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Shelagh and Live Theatre on this witty, thought-provoking play and can’t wait for you to meet the tireless zest of this utterly tenacious pair.”
Summer sees the return of the Unearthed Festival, Live Theatre’s platform for new talent. This year’s edition has a feminist slant, celebrating female, non-binary and trans performance, and will feature scratch performances, social events and masterclasses with industry figures.
The theatre is also marking 10 years of its Live Tales Creative Writing programme for schoolchildren in 2026, continuing its long-running focus on developing new voices in the region.
Autumn opens with Alison Carr’s All At Sea, (Sept 24 to Oct 10) before transferring to Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, which is also co-producing.
Inspired by the true tale of Anne and John Darwin – the Seaton Carew couple who were convicted of fraud in 2008 after faking John’s death in the North Sea and making false insurance claims - Maria Crocker is directing the new play.
She said: “I’ve been a huge admirer of Alison Carr’s writing for many years and I’m thrilled to be directing this striking new play, inspired by an astonishing local story. Live Theatre is one of very few venues outside of London that is exclusively dedicated to developing new work and it’s really exciting to be a part of that ecosystem.”
As recently announced, October will see Live Theatre collaborating with Newcastle Theatre Royal and Eastlake Productions on the world premiere of Our Friends in the North 1979–84. The production marks 30 years since Peter Flannery’s television series first broadcast and focuses on the Thatcher years depicted in the original drama.
Written by Live’s Artistic Director Jack McNamara and based on Flannery’s screenplays, the play will run at the Theatre Royal from October 15 to 24 and marks the first time Live Theatre has produced a play directly for the Theatre Royal’s main stage.
Elsewhere in the programme, playwrights are celebrated with a 30th anniversary performance of Marie Jones’ Stones in His Pockets in November and a 70th birthday celebration of Richard Bean in June with a special reading of his play Smack Family Robinson - previously performed at Live in 2003.
There will also be a first regional reading of Lenny Henry’s August in England, presented in partnership with the North East of England African and Caribbean Association.
In November, a mini-season will showcase groundbreaking American voices, including a sharing of Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog to mark its 25th anniversary and a presentation of John by Annie Baker.
The programme announcement extends into spring 2027 with Rory Mullarkey’s The Most Famous Tree In The World, which runs from May 6 to 29. The new play explores the impact of the Sycamore Gap felling, described as one of the most high-profile environmental crimes of recent years.
Reflecting on the season Jack said: “We have a lot going on at Live Theatre this season. So much so that we’ve even had to spread out across town to another brilliant theatre in the city!
“Every piece of work on offer feels like a labour of love and I am so excited by the breadth of brilliant and deeply North East talent that will fill our theatre both onstage and off.”
Tickets for all productions are on sale via live.org.uk or the box office on 0191 232 1232.