New show spins a web of twisting tales
A street filled with dark tales and comedy to match offers the setting for Doomgate, which is set to reveal itself in time for Halloween. Sam Wonfor (tentatively) knocks on a few doors
When a young Hannah Sowerby was walking to school in Appleby, Cumbria, she heard a tale which stuck in her mind.
“Someone told me that the street I used to walk down on my way to and from school was the one where convicts used to walk down before they were hanged at Fair Hill,” she says.
The street was called Doomgate.
As it turns out, its grim history seems to have been rooted in very little in terms of actual facts… but that didn’t stop Hannah - who had a successful run at Alphabetti Theatre in 2021 with 10 Things to do in a Small Cumbrian Town - from reaching for it when thinking about a place to set a community of dark tales.
“When I was in my first year of university, I wrote a play and a friend had written a dark comedy play too. I wondered if both plays could be set in the same street - a street full of dark stories and intrigue.”
Almost 10 years - and lots of development - later, Doomgate is set to premiere, just in time for spooky season at Laurels Theatre in Whitley Bay.
Made up of nine short plays all set behind a variety of front doors, it is co-produced by Laurels and Carpet Time Productions, a new theatre company which Hannah founded with fellow writers Jamie McLeish and Lynne Patrick.
“We met on BBC Radio Newcastle’s Grin Up North sketch show that we did for several years,” says Jamie, setting the scene for how the new company and collaboration came about.
“We all had a similar sense of humour and love for dark comedy shows. Being programmed at Laurels has been a milestone for us (as it’s the first production we’re working on as a trio) and we’re sure it will open a lot of doors for us.”
Hannah, Jamie and Lynne have each written three of the stories which will play out courtesy of multi-role performances from Becky Clayburn (Gerry and Sewell), David Foster (BBC’s Grin Up North), Helen Coverdale (Blowing a Hooley) and Lewis Cuthbert.
Set in a small Northumbrian town named Mould-on-the-Wall, the team say they’ve taken inspiration from shows such as Inside No. 9, Tales of the Unexpected and The League of Gentlemen to offer an anthology of tale-twisting stories designed to keep us all on the edge of our seats.
“I’m so looking forward to seeing Doomgate come to life and Halloween week is the perfect time for the eerie-but-funny stories we have for our audience,” says Jamie.
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While jump scares aren’t on the menu, audiences should be prepared to dive into the psychological and supernatural stories including explorations of ‘what happens when you let an over-eager door-to-door salesman into your home, the true cost of giving a friend your kidney and why a middle-aged man can’t leave his train set alone’.
“We have a variety of characters to present – some funny, some sad, some frightening… but hopefully all memorable,” Jamie continues. “The stories sit at the edge of reality but we think there’ll definitely be someone in there that every audience member will recognise.
“Nosey neighbours, awkward and lonely people, daughters with regrets and friends with axes to grind. We’ve tapped into pretty much every human emotion to create some very weird and wonderful characters.”
Promising a journey of ‘fun, frights and feels’, director, Lynne Patrick is also creating the original soundtrack for the production.
Doomgate was one of those in the final running for the Richard Jenkinson Commission - a call out for new stories which offered £10k and a full production to the winner as well as cash, development and creative support for three shortlisted entries.
The first of these, Subterranea recently enjoyed a sold out run at Laurels while the winning play, Seagulls and Sad Sad Stories will open in December.
For Hannah, Jamie and Lynne, the prize made all the difference.
“Without it, Doomgate would still be sitting on our computers going nowhere fast,” says Hannah.
“It’s so important that there is an outlet and goal to strive towards for local creatives. The North East has some of the best and most talented writers, actors and performers in the country and anything that helps tap into that is a massive incentive to help nurture that talent.”
Doomgate plays Laurels Theatre, Whitley Bay from October 29 to November 2. For tickets, visit the website.