Our spring 2017 theatre and dance programme launches next week when Vici Wreford Sinnott brings Butterfly to the stage.
The new programme will take in performances written and performed by individuals and companies from across the UK and beyond, with some home-grown talent playing a part too.
Butterfly, which was first performed here last year, will open the season on Thursday 26 January. The Saltburn-based disabled artist, theatre director, and Creative Lead for ARC’s Cultural Shift programme, wrote the play to challenge the stigma that surrounds mental health.
Teesside born dance artist Nathan Johnston, who originates from Grove Hill in Middlesbrough, brought his first full dance production to the stage last year which sold out completely. After the success of Sleight of Hands, he will be bringing The Band to the stage on Wednesday 29 March. This is a show about a fame hungry one-hit-wonder singer who makes a big comeback.
Putting the Band Back Together on Wednesday 1 February is a show that is going to do just that. It has been partly devised and performed by Middlesbrough-born Maria Crocker and features Ross Millard of Sunderland band The Futureheads, who will be providing the musical expertise. It is about shower sing-alongs and dust gathering instruments that lie dormant in homes across the country. It is also for anyone who just loves music. There is a chance to take part in a small live musical performance during the show and no previous experience is required. Email [email protected] if you are interested in taking part.
Partus is a show about the everyday miracle of birth on Tuesday 28 February and there is a parent and baby friendly performance on Wednesday 1 March.
Levantes Dance Theatre will be popping up in Stockton town centre to perform their free walkabout show, Canapé Art, to passers-by on Saturday 4 March. The unique pop up explores everyday life with some peculiar twists and stunning visuals that will trigger smiles and happiness all day.
Quarter Life Crisis on Wednesday12 April is one for the millennials. It is about big dreams for 16 – 30 year olds, letting go of your young person’s railcard, zero hour contracts, Youtube tutorials and social media induced stress.
Before the first show of the season, you can also take part in Space for Trees on Saturday 21 January at 1pm in Ropner Park. It is a community focussed free event inspired by Yuri Gagarin, the first human being in space, who planted a tree at the site he would launch from. Since 1961 hundreds of astronauts from all over the world have followed this tradition and planted a tree in the same place. Artists Ella Good and Nicki Kent are replicating this ceremony in Ropner Park, along with community groups and primary schools in Stockton. The event will sit within a programme of workshops and talks about sustainability, and how the idea of leaving Earth helps us look back at how we are living now and how we might live in the future. Join a talk or come along to our celebratory event where we will plant a tree, and discuss the future.
Don’t miss the chance to see ARCADE New Writing Scratch on Tuesday 31 January. This is a unique chance to see rehearsed readings of new short plays, performed and directed by students from Northumbria University’s Theatre and Performance MA course.
This is just a taste of what is coming up this spring. To find out more about all of our upcoming theatre and dance performances, click here. Tickets can be booked online or by calling the Box Office on 01642 525199.
All performances in the season are priced as Pay What You Decide, meaning you pay for your ticket after the performance, based on what your experience was worth. Most of the performances in the season will be BSL interpreted as part of our commitment to making art accessible to everyone.