New season signals new era at Alphabetti
Alphabetti Theatre has unveiled its first new season since the Newcastle venue’s recent changing of the guard.
Following founder Ali Pritchard’s departure, Alphabetti’s new artistic and executive director, Ed Cole said he was excited to announce the programme while thanking staff for making him feel right at home.
The new season blends familiar faces with a host of new ones and reflects the theatre’s enduring commitment to being a welcoming and nurturing space for artists and audiences alike.
Ongoing financial challenges facing the creative sector have forced a change though.
Ed explains: “Our main aim is to avoid a situation where productions have to be delayed, scaled down or cancelled due to lack of funds.
“As such, you’ll spot there are one or two gaps in the programme where we hope we will be able to programme shows but are having to wait on the outcome of funding bids.
“You can rest assured that we’ll be shouting from the rooftops when these shows are ready to be announced.”
Let’s dig into some highlights from what has been announced.
As readers of a recent Curated Culture mailout will know, a tour of the excellent Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light, which premiered at Alphabetti in 2023 made sure there were a couple of dates (three performances) booked in for its old stomping ground (Feb 21 and 22).
Fluff (March 14-15) brings big expectations with it with awards from the Buxton and Birmingham fringes (Best Theatre Production, Best Performance and Best New Piece) figuratively under its arm.
A dark comedy tabling the devastating effects of dementia, audiences are invited to join Fluff as she tries to navigate her memories and piece together her life.
In May (22-24) the theatre will be filled with music and movement thanks to Grounded - a life affirming piece which confronts loss and grief.
The following month, ‘darkly serious’ karaoke theatre mash up, Sh*t Life Crisis (June 5-7) introduces cancer survivor Grace as she struggles with what the disease has done to her and throws a memorial for her chemo buddy.
Also on the Alphabetti new season menu are a quartet of festivals: Newcastle Fringe Festival, Northern Pride, Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival and Classics Fest along with regular events such as Family Discos, Writing Groups and The Big Betti Quiz and a boatload of one-off performances.
Ed says: “Alphabetti, like all independent venues, relies on people making the brave decision to put on a coat, hop on a bus, a bike, or a train, and have a night out.
“We believe this fantastic season of work will mean the decision to spend an evening at Alphabetti is always going to be the right one, and we can’t wait to welcome you in the coming weeks and months.”
And anyone who makes the effort will be greeted by a freshly freshened up bar area (evidence below).
Details of the new season so far can be found on the Alphabetti website.