A gift of a show which keeps on giving
Alphabetti festive hit upscales for 2024 Christmas residency at Live Theatre
Five years after opening for the first time, a funny and heartfelt Christmas production is being wrapped up again for audiences in Newcastle.
Written and directed by Ali Pritchard, Present premiered at Alphabetti Theatre in 2019. It was created in collaboration with homeless charity, Crisis Skylight Newcastle and follows the story of one man’s mission to buy his grandson a Christmas present.
The production gathered a stocking full of lovely reviews and returns this year to offer bigger audiences the chance to see it.
Ali, the now outgoing artistic director of Alphabetti, has reworked an extended the script alongside script writer, Tamsin Rees (Cheer Up Slug).
Ali says: “Establishing a transfer route from a small-scale fringe theatre like Alphabetti to one of the leading new writing theatres in Arts Council England’s National Portfolio is thrilling for me as an artist and for the wider North East performing arts community.
“This is a brilliantly ambitious move by Live Theatre, following the commercial success of their co-production last year with Laurel’s, Gerry & Sewell, which has just played to sold out audiences at the Theatre Royal.”
Present will open at Live Theatre in Newcastle for a near three-week run on December 3 and will feature its original leading man, Malcolm Shields (One Off, When The Boat Comes In, Floorboard) as Dave.
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He will be joined on stage by alt folk singer and cellist - and former artist in residence at The Glasshouse - Ceitidh Mac, who will be providing the live soundtrack.
Completing the line-up from the original production, Crisis Skylight, Newcastle, is once again collaborating on the production by providing opportunities for its members and highlighting the importance of philanthropy from the general public, during the winter months.
Further details on a programme of work which will allow audiences to get nmore involved supporting the homeless community in the North East will be announced soon.
Present runs from December 3 to 21. For more details and bookings, go to the Live Theatre website. Live Theatre website.