Preview: Unexpected Item in the Bagging Area at ARC Stockton and Live Theatre
Award-winning actor, writer and Tees Valley Artist of the Year Scott Turnbull is continuing his North East dates with his new comedy-theatre show Unexpected Item in the Bagging Area.
Billed as a hilariously surreal blend of absurdity, physical theatre and dark humour that’s rooted firmly in working-class North East culture, the six-date regional tour began at the GIFT Festival earlier this month.
But there are still five more chances to catch it - at ARC Stockton (May 21-23) and Live Theatre, Newcastle (May 29-30).
The show is set inside The Doghouse, a spooky 24-hour garage on the edge of town. Here, a pair of hapless siblings, ‘Our Mark and Ken’, are trying to keep their dead dad’s petrol station afloat.
But with singing sausages, life-sized cockroaches, and an escaped killer on the loose, the night shift quickly descends into chaos. As the storm builds, “there’s... something unexpected in the bagging area!”
Described as a mash-up of The Mighty Boosh and Vic and Bob, the show, we are promised, features Turnbull’s signature wit, contemporary folklore, pop culture references, and a style that is as playful as it is twisted.
“Creativity and comedy are integral to my very existence,” he says. “I pick up a pen each morning and get lost in space and time. Existing in a world of make believe with characters that do incredible things I can only dream of.
“I use comedy alongside my creativity as an emergency exit from the brutal reality of living in… Stockton-on-Tees.”
He adds: “I love where I live, and I couldn’t think of anywhere better or worse to ply my trade. There are hundreds of small towns in and around England that share our unique peculiarity. I’d like to share those stories through my own unique comedic lens in the very surroundings of where my work comes to life.”
Tickets available via ARC Stockton and Live Theatre Newcastle.