Goth Weekend to premiere at Newcastle’s Live Theatre
The Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, and Live Theatre, Newcastle, present a co-production of the world premiere of
Goth Weekend
Scarborough Stephen Joseph Theatre: Friday 14th September to Saturday 7th
October 2017
Newcastle Live Theatre: Wednesday 11th October to Saturday 28th
October 2017
Goth Weekend
Written by Ali Taylor
Directed by Paul Robinson
Cast: Jessica Johnson, Sean McKenzie, Gurjeet Singh, and
Amy Trigg
Designer: Helen Coyston
Lighting Designer: Tigger Johnson
Sound Design: Paul Stear
Casting Director: Sarah Hughes
Goth Weekend, a hilarious comedy
written by Ali Taylor comes to Live Theatre, Newcastle this autumn following
its premiere at The Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough in an exciting new
co-production between the two venues.
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Rehearsal pictures
Sean McKenzie as Ken, Amy Trigg
as Anna
Photo: Tony Bartholomew
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Goth Weekend tells
the story of Anna who wants her recently
bereaved dad, Ken, to get out more. To meet people. To start dating again. Then
Belinda comes along. She’s the newly single singer in Belle Epoque,
a Geordie Goth band, with her disgruntled teenage son, Simon (a.k.a. Bram), on
keyboards. She’s a disaster – for Anna.
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Rehearsal pictures
Amy Trigg as Anna, Sean McKenzie
as Ken,
Gurjeet Singh as Simon, Jessica
Johnson as Belinda
Photo: Tony Bartholomew
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Ken has had his head turned and his wardrobe will never be
the same again. Things get worse for Anna when Belinda and Bram, arriving in a
customised purple hearse, move in, to rehearse for a gig at Goth Weekend in Whitby.
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Rehearsal pictures
Jessica Johnson as Belinda, Sean McKenzie as
Ken
Photo: Tony Bartholomew
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In this hilarious comedy with music, Anna has to wrestle
with whether or not to sabotage the band, and Ken and Belinda’s Goth
happiness… Set during the lead-up to Whitby Goth
Weekend, this funny and provocative play is about who we are and what we
pretend to be. Can the members of this new
family learn to accept each other’s identities and overcome more than just
musical differences to live in harmony?
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Rehearsal pictures
Jessica Johnson as Belinda,
Gurjeet Singh as Simon
Photo: Tony Bartholomew
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Goth Weekend features Newcastle based actress Jessica Johnson, most recently seen in Key
Change at Live Theatre and
on tour, and Live Theatre debuts by actors Sean McKenzie, Amy Trigg
and Gurjeet Singh
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Rehearsal pictures
Jessica Johnson as Belinda
Photo: Tony Bartholomew
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Goth Weekend is
directed by Stephen Joseph Theatre Artistic Director, Paul Robinson (who directed Land
of Our Fathers and Here Come The Nightjars, both sell
out successes when they toured to Live Theatre), and written by Ali
Taylor, a playwright, screenwriter and teacher. He is currently on attachment
to BFI/Origin Pictures to develop an original screenplay for BBC Films
and is developing his sitcom Disaster Zones with Big Talk. His
first TV script Pure Evil was developed during the
4Screenwriting programme at Channel 4.
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Rehearsal pictures
Sean McKenzie as Ken, Jessica
Johnson as Belinda
Photo: Tony Bartholomew
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Writer Ali Taylor said: “This is a play that’s
fundamentally about family, about growing up and working out who you are. It’s
full of music, humour, jokes and fun but also, I hope, with a poignant core
expressing what it’s like to be an outsider in today’s
society. I’m thrilled that Goth Weekend has been co-commissioned by
and will be performed at both the SJT in Scarborough and Live Theatre, Newcastle.
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Rehearsal pictures
Gurjeet Singh as Simon, Amy Trigg
as Anna
Photo: Tony Bartholomew
|
“The inspiration came from a trip to Whitby Goth Weekend, which happens in spring and at Hallowe’en each
year. Goths from all over the country come to Whitby to listen to some of the great music from the early 80s and
90s. There are two tribes at Whitby – the real, or trad, goths, and the people
who just like to dress up – in Victoriana and vampire costumes, as steampunks
or undertakers – it’s an amazing event. The play is a warm-hearted comedy
about a family of Goths from Gateshead playing a gig at Whitby Goth Weekend. We’ve got songs, laughs and brilliant costumes.”
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Rehearsal pictures
Sean McKenzie as Ken, Jessica
Johnson as Belinda
Photo: Tony Bartholomew
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Graeme Thompson, the Creative Producer of Live Theatre
said “Rehearsals are well underway for Goth Weekend and I am really looking
forward to this show coming to Newcastle. Jess Johnson, who Live Theatre audiences will recognise from
Open Clasp’s Key Change, is brilliantly funny in this play and is backed up by
a really talented cast. Goth Weekend really does have something for everyone.
It’s a play about two broken families unexpectedly thrown together and a washed
up goth band who may or may not get back together. Its moving, fantastically
witty and has some 80’s power ballads thrown in for good measure. It’s going to
be a great show to come and see.”
Following its World
Premiere at The Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough from Friday 14 September to Saturday 7 October, Goth Weekend transfers to
Live Theatre, Newcastle from Wednesday 11 to
Saturday 28 October.
Events:
Free events at Live Theatre include a Meet the
Writer post show talk after the 2pm show on Saturday 14 October,
a Goth Weekend Party after the 7.30pm show on Saturday 14 October;
a Meet the Cast post show talk after the show on Tuesday 17
October (both the performance and talk are BSL signed that evening); a post
show talk on Goth Identities and Sub Cultures after the 7.30pm
show on Thursday 19 October and a Hallowe’en Fancy Dress Closing Party after
the 7.30pm show on Saturday 28 October. Events are free for ticket holders for
the performance on that day.
Tickets:
Tickets are £10-£22, concessions from £6. For more
information or to book tickets visit www.live.org.uk or contact Live Theatre’s Box Office on (0191) 232
1232.
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