Preview: The Unlocked Door @ Seaton Delaval Hall | NARC. | Reliably Informed | Music and Creative Arts News for Newcastle and the North East

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The National Trust presents a new immersive theatre event taking place Tuesday 27th-Thursday 29th September at the iconic Seaton Delaval Hall. Created by November Club with Circus Central, The Unlocked Door delves into the Hall’s history and leads the audience on a journey through the Hall’s spaces, introducing them to a host of characters (some real, some imagined) from 300 years of stories.

The production builds on Seaton Delaval Hall’s rich tradition of theatricality and creating and staging performances. In their Georgian heyday, the ‘gay Delavals’ generation of the family were renowned for producing plays and performances at both the Hall and in London, where parliament once closed early to enable sitting MPs to see a family production of Othello at Drury Lane Theatre.

Joe Hufton is the Artistic Director of November Club, an award-winning performing arts company based in Morpeth, and has been at the helm of the theatre company since 2020, bringing his experience of working with internationally renowned immersive theatre company, Les Enfants Terribles. He is looking forward to his first full production for the company…

“I’m really excited to be working at Seaton Delaval Hall with November Club making The Unlocked Door. This will be the first full production I’ve made for the company since taking over, and I’m looking forward to bringing some original immersive storytelling to this incredible building. It also marks my return to working with National Trust for the first time since creating ‘The Word Defiant’ for Les Enfants Terribles at Blickling Hall.

It’s great to be collaborating with so much new talent on this project, including designer Amy Watts, Circus Central and the Spin City DJ crew and I can’t wait to announce the other names involved in the coming few weeks. I really hope that North East audiences will respond to this contemporary and bold take on Seaton Delaval Hall’s past.”

Seaton Delaval Hall’s General Manager, Emma Thomas, adds…

‘The Unlocked Door is a bold and immersive experience that will showcase the spaces that have so recently been transformed as part of our National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported Curtain Rises project. Working in partnership with November Club is a great way of introducing new audiences to some of the histories of Seaton Delaval Hall. We’re also delighted that Circus Central and the Spin City DJ crew are part of this event.’

The Unlocked Door is at Seaton Delaval Hall from Tuesday 27th – Thursday 29th September. Performances last approximately one hour and are at 6pm, 6:20pm, 6:40pm, 7:20pm, 7:40pm and 8pm and is recommended for ages 16 onwards. All tickets are priced £17.50 and are available here.

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