The showcase of work by The Northern School of Art’s final year acting degree students, Interact Festival, is back to in-person performances with a two night run at Stockton’s ARC theatre on 22 and 23 March.

Interact Festival is an opportunity for third year students on the School’s BA (Hons) Acting degree for Stage & Screen to showcase their work ahead of graduation.

Over the two evenings at ARC four brand new pieces of theatre are being presented that are varied, dynamic and thought-provoking. The shows are performed by acting students with technical support from students from the School’s BA (Hons) Film, TV & Theatre Production degree course.

Jonny Bussell, Faculty Leader for Stage & Screen, said that after the success of last year’s Interact festival, which was livestreamed due to Covid-19 restrictions, the students and staff are excited to get back to in-person performances.

He added: “We are also delighted to be continuing our relationship with ARC who offer fantastic support, not just for students on the programme, but also after graduation. We are really excited to present such a wide range of work during the Spring season showing the variety of approaches we encourage on the School’s programme.

“The students have worked incredibly hard and with an excellent collaborative spirit and I can’t wait for the performances. It is great to see to see young theatre-makers creating such bold and varied work.”

Third year acting student Joseph Casling said: “Working on these projects has been brilliant as it really challenged all aspects of my training and brought it together. It also made me begin to consider what work I want to make in the future and look into areas I hadn’t previously considered.”

Fellow final year student Connor Dorrian commented: ‘With every rehearsal presenting a new challenge, everyone has brought refreshing ideas and energy, creating an uplifting and colourful process.”

Final year Film, Tv & Theatre Production student Thalia Martin observed: “‘I would describe the process of working on the Hands Up! production as chaos that is finding a balance to portray to an audience.”

The Interact Festival programme is:

Tuesday 22nd March

• Pornstar Martini devised by Clare Bell, Neyv Gray, India Robertson and Georgia Robson – When paths cross on a night out, will Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth all be able to put their own personal insecurities aside and have a good night out?
• Taking Shower in Lemonade by Eli James – ‘A claustrophobic family drama’

Wednesday 23rd March

• Hands Up! by Hannah Richardson – ‘Jesus Christ, we need a better system!’
• Stole the Show by Connor Dorrian – A play inside a play about a robber who stumbles into an amateur retelling of ‘The Legend of King Arthur’. Will he escape with the money? Or will he leave with something more…

Interact Festival takes place on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 March at 7pm at ARC, Stockton Arts Centre, Dovecot Street, Stockton on Tees, TS18 1LL. Tickets are Pay What You Decide and are available HERE

The third year students will also be performing in their final showcase at ARC in a new piece written by award winning playwright Eve Leigh on 16th and 17th May. This follows a successful collaboration with Eve in the last academic year producing ‘Wildfire Road’ at ARC. For details visit: https://arconline.co.uk/whats-on/acting-showcase/

An anarchic adaptation of John Webster’s classic tragedy ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ is being performed by the School’s second year acting students at ARC on 6th and 7th April. Find out more at: https://arconline.co.uk/whats-on/the-duchess-of-malfi/

To find out more about the BA (Hons) Acting degree for Stage & Screen click HERE