Preview: Northern Stage @ Roundabout, Harbottle Park

Newcastle theatre Northern Stage has been asking people to get ‘Out On The Toon’ with a programme of outdoor events to reconnect artists and audiences in their neighbourhood, as well as a pop up outdoor theatre in Leazes Park. Continuing with the focus on community and ahead of Northern Stage’s opening at the end of August, Paines Plough’s Roundabout comes to Harbottle Park in Byker. 

Roundabout is Paines Plough’s award-winning portable in-the-round auditorium and 2021 will see it return for the seventh consecutive year from 12-15th August. The programme opens with Welcome to Byker – a live version of Northern Stage Young Company’s Byker Audio Stories inspired by people living on the Byker Wall estate. Other productions include Roundabout’s first ever musical, Black Love by Chinonyerem Odimba; Really Big and Really Loud by award-winning family playwright  Phoebe Eclair-Powell; Hungry – a new play about food, love, class and grief by Chris Bush; Drag Me to Love by North East drag cabaret trio Bonnie & the Bonnettes; a rehearsed reading of Curious Monkey’s HERE by  Lindsay Rodden – set in Byker, it’s about finding sanctuary in the unlikeliest of places and was originally due to  open at Northern Stage in March 2020; What’s In the Box? – a make up your own adventure show for families from improv company The Suggestibles; and Byker Best Summer Ever – a free summer activity programme developed with and for young people. 

Tickets start from £10 and available here.

Welcome to Byker by Northern Stage Young Company – photo by Pamela Raith