An exciting opportunity to see the work of the theatre-makers of the future is heading to Northern Stage in Newcastle.

Bold new work created by The Northern School of Art’s MA Directing & Theatre Making students is being presented on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 June as part of ‘Collage’.

Different productions and a variety of styles and themes are presented each night, including the exploration of themes of gambling, class, addiction and community.

The plays are created and directed by students from The Northern School of Art’s Hartlepool university-level-campus-based MA Directing & Theatre-Making course with performances by students from the BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen and technical support by students from the BA (Hons) Film, TV & Theatre Production.

‘Current Sea’, one of the performances on Thursday 27 June, is by Jess Jervis-May, a 22-year-old MA Directing & Theatre Making student from Bedford, and “tells the story of a stewardess and a wealthy passenger who find themselves lost, adrift in the ocean.

“They struggle to survive and connect as their situation becomes increasingly dire,” she added.

‘Pulling Teeth’, being performed on Friday 28 June, was created and directed by Phoebe Hunter, a 21-year-old MA student and theatre maker from Darlington.

“It is set in a toxic rehearsal room of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ where a director is fuelled by hate – until the clown, Merri, disrupts the world when he stumbles into the rehearsal room,” she explained.

“The play is about losing yourself in adulthood and being reunited with your inner clown.”

Jonny Bussell, Senior Lecturer for Acting at The Northern School of Art, said: “We are really excited to share these five pieces at Northern Stage.  The students have developed the ideas over the academic year, and it is really good to see them coming together.

“It is a great opportunity for the students to present their work at Northern Stage and it will be two fantastic nights of theatre.”

Phoebe commented that her experience of the MA Directing & Theatre-Making course had helped her to develop her style as a director: “Being given the opportunity to have creative ownership over many different genres of theatre in varying projects, has allowed me to discover where my passions lie within the field. The course has taught me so much, equipping my growth as a director and actor.”

Jess agreed: “The MA course has not only enhanced my directing and writing skills, but also my acting seeing another angle. I have learned how to confidently control a rehearsal room and freely create from my heart. I been guided with various methods in theatre making, including children’s theatre which is new to me.”

The programme for each evening of ‘Collage’ is as follows:

Thursday 27th June

‘Life’s a Gamble’ by LJ Watt

From a fun game to life shattering events ‘Life’s a Gamble’ is a piece that shows the effects of gambling addiction

‘Current Sea’ by Jess Jervis-May

Two individuals working and living on a luxury yacht ‘Gilded’, residence for the super-rich, find themselves adrift in the vast span of the open ocean

Friday 28th June

‘Last Orders’ by Stephen Lister

Welcome to the Golden Pony, one of the oldest pubs in Yorkshire and one of the last to be locally owned by a single landlord in Britain

‘Bounty’ by Kaitlyn Maxfield

Every year sister and brother, Alex and Owen, spend Christmas Day at the family home. For both, each time Christmas Day arrives it feels worlds apart from the last

‘Pulling Teeth’ by Phoebe Hunter

Worlds collide as Merri the clown, stumbles into a film set of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and accidentally becomes the director’s assistant…

‘Collage’ presented by The Northern School of Art’s MA Directing & Theatre Making students is on Thursday 27th and Friday 28th June at 7pm. Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RH. Tickets from £7. To book click HERE