BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen students from The Northern School of Art will perform at the Live Theatre in Newcastle this November as part of the InterAct Festival 2026, a showcase of bold and exciting contemporary theatre created by the next generation of creatives. The annual festival will run from Wednesday 18th November to Thursday 19th November with three original productions.
Visitors can expect a poetic fable about an impenetrable immigration system that mirrors our own in A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain & Sticks & Stone By Sami Ibrahim, a razor-sharp satirical ensemble piece exploring the power of words and the consequences of how we use them in Sticks and Stones by Vinay Patel and a fun and hilarious re-imagining of George A Romero’s legendary classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE Written by Christopher Bond, Dale Boyer and Trevor Martin and created by Christopher Harrison and Phil Pattison.
Senior Lecturer for BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen Jonny Bussell said, “We are really excited to have the opportunity for our students to perform at Live. We have developed a strong relationship with Live Theatre over the last few years, including alumni Connor Dorrian winning Live’s Young Playwright award and we hope to continue to grow that relationship. The three plays are very different directed by Lauren Waine, Steve Byron and myself. The students are working really hard and it is a great chance for them to showcase their skills.”
21 year-old acting student Anya Siou, from Chester-le-Street, who is playing “B” in Vinay Patel’s “Sticks and Stones” directed by Lauren Waine, describes the production as “a satire that follows “B”, a business person trying to earn a promotion and permanent contract. After they tell an offensive joke in a meeting, the life that once seemed so secure begins to fall apart.”
Reflecting on her experience working on the role she said “Rehearsals have been fantastic. Lauren’s directing style is so fun and joyous; stepping into her rehearsal room is an immediate breath of fresh air and the energy from the group is palpable. The cast is phenomenal; it’s always such a pleasure to perform with my friends. I can’t wait for audiences to finally see all the hard work come together in all three of The Northern School of Art’s plays at Live!”
Fellow student Chloe Totham, 20 years old, based in Leeds who is starring in A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain written by Sami Ibrahim as Elif in said, “This play is about an immigrant called Elif who is seeking sanctuary for her and her daughter Lily. She faces the harsh realities of trying to live within a kingdom that isn’t accepting of her all whilst trying to live her life to the fullest.”
“Our director Jonny has been allowing us to have creative freedom throughout rehearsals so far which I enjoy as I feel like I can play around with anything that comes to mind. Overall, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working on this play so far as all the cast get along so well with each other and it is such a fun atmosphere to be around.”
Maxine McLoughlin, 21 years old ,from Tameside greater Manchester who features in “Night of the Living Dead as Helen said audiences can “expect a good hearty laugh with a few jumps and scares thrown in! Rehearsals are going amazing! The cast and crew are excited to deliver a night of fun! The play is a cinematic piece involving tension and comedy! The story follows a group of survivors navigating a zombie apocalypse in a classic “what if” scenario.”
The Northern School of Art’s BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen degree is designed by working industry professionals to reflect the realities of today’s performance landscape. As a member of the Federation of Drama Schools, the School offers students high-quality drama school training without the need to relocate to London. Find out more HERE