Preview: Our Friends In The North: The Thatcher Years @ Newcastle Theatre Royal

More than three decades after it became one of British television’s defining dramas, Peter Flannery’s Our Friends In The North returns to the city that inspired it in a major new stage adaptation. Premiering at Newcastle Theatre Royal from 15th-24th October, Our Friends In The North: The Thatcher Years is a co-production between Live Theatre, Eastlake Productions and Newcastle Theatre Royal, with Flannery himself adapting the story for the stage and Live Theatre artistic director Jack McNamara directing. Rather than retelling the acclaimed nine-part series in full, this new version focuses on the pivotal years of 1979 and 1984, charting the impact of political and social upheaval through the lives of four lifelong friends: Nicky, Geordie, Tosker and Mary. As Thatcher’s Britain takes shape and the miners’ strike leaves lasting scars on communities across the country, friendship, ambition, loyalty and class tensions are pushed to the forefront. For those familiar with the original series, famously starring the likes of Christopher Eccleston, Daniel Craig and Gina McKee, the title carries considerable weight, but this production looks beyond nostalgia, using two defining moments in modern British history to explore themes that still resonate today. Featuring a cast packed with North East talent, it’s a fitting homecoming for one of the region’s most celebrated stories.

Trevor Fox, who appeared in the original BBC series and later in the BBC Radio 4 revival, said, “Coming back to Our Friends in the North feels like coming home. I was lucky enough to be part of the original television series, and then to return to Peter Flannery’s world years later for the Radio 4 revival as Felix. To now see the story being brought back to the stage in Newcastle, with a new generation of actors and creatives, is a real privilege. The world has changed since the original series, but the questions at the heart of it – about friendship, politics, class, ambition and the place we call home – still feel incredibly relevant.”

Robert Punchard, who makes his Newcastle Theatre Royal debut in the production, added, “To be making my Newcastle Theatre Royal debut with Our Friends in the North is a really special opportunity. I’ve previously worked with Live Theatre on Fine Lines as part of Live Writes, and with Eastlake Productions on Big Ange, so to now be bringing those connections together in a production of this scale feels like a significant moment for me. The story is rooted in Newcastle and the North East, and there’s something really powerful about seeing local actors telling a story about the people and places we know. I’m really excited to be part of it and to see how audiences respond.”

Tickets are available from Theatre Royal website or via the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.