Student theatre festival reaches new stage in Newcastle
InterAct brings emerging performers to Alphabetti Theatre
The Northern School of Art will bring its final-year acting students to Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle for the first time in 2026, as the InterAct Festival expands beyond its long-standing home in Stockton.
The festival showcases contemporary theatre created by students on the School’s BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen degree, with technical support from its Film, TV & Theatre Production course.
Performances will take place across multiple venues between February and April, giving students exposure to new audiences and professional theatre settings across the North East.
InterAct has previously been staged at ARC Stockton Arts Centre, where the festival will continue later in the spring. The addition of Alphabetti Theatre places the student work in the heart of Newcastle’s independent theatre scene, reflecting the festival’s growing scale and ambition.
Three productions will be performed at Alphabetti across February and March.
On February 18, Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile, adapted from Adelle Stripe’s novel about Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar will be brought to the stage. On February 26, audiences will see My Mother’s Funeral: The Show by Kelly Jones, a dark comedy examining grief, class and the cost of death.
The programme concludes on March 18 with Josef K by Tom Basden, a modern reworking of Kafka’s The Trial set in contemporary London.
Jonny Bussell, senior lecturer in acting at The Northern School of Art, which is based in Hartlepool, said: “We are delighted to be performing at Alphabetti Theatre as part of InterAct 2026. This is the first time the festival has taken place across multiple venues and it’s a fantastic opportunity for the students to be working in such a great theatre.
“As the course continues to grow, it’s exciting to build strong relationships with the local theatre scene while continuing our long-standing partnership with ARC Stockton.”
Student Chloe Rattigan, who plays young Andrea in Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile, said the play “raises important issues such as domestic violence, ultimately showing that there is a way out,” describing it as “gritty and authentic”.
Leigha Paige, appearing in My Mother’s Funeral: The Show, said the piece explores “themes of the class system, funeral prices and the creative industry”, while Millie Maxwell, performing in Josef K, described it as “a modern, abstract and darkly comedic retelling of Kafka’s The Trial”.
InterAct 2026 runs at Alphabetti Theatre on February 18 and 26 and March 18, before continuing at ARC Stockton Arts Centre on March 31 and April 2. All performances are offered on a pay-what-you-feel basis.