Drama teachers from St John’s Catholic School & Sixth Form College in Bishop Auckland visited Northern Stage this festive season to watch former student Conor McCready take centre stage as the Beast in Northern Stage’s Christmas production of Beauty and the Beast.
Conor, who grew up in County Durham, is now starring in one of the region’s most high-profile festive productions after being discovered through Northern Stage’s Summer 2025 open auditions. Following that audition, Natalie Ibu, Artistic Director at Northern Stage personally recommended Conor to this year’s Christmas show director Bryony Shanahan, who went on to audition him for the role, a decision that’s now led to his professional stage debut in a lead role.
Now, just months later, the teachers who helped shape his love of performance as a teenager have visited the Newcastle theatre alongside a group of current drama students to see his journey realised on one of the region’s biggest stages.
Natalie Ibu, Artistic Director at Northern Stage, said, “For children to see people who sound like them and look like them telling big, magical stories, that really matters. Conor’s journey, from a North East classroom to a lead role on our biggest stage, is exactly why we run open auditions and invest so deeply in local talent. This visit from his teachers and students is such a powerful, full-circle moment.”
Natalie Rose, Assistant Headteacher at St John’s Catholic School & Sixth Form College, said “It is wonderful to hear of Conor’s success in pursuing his passion and talent for Performing Arts, and we cannot wait to see him shine in his role of Beast at Northern Stage. Conor was an extremely charismatic student who had a real love of performing, and the fact he has turned this into his career is testament to his drive and commitment. We are so proud of all he has achieved and know he will serve as a huge inspiration to our current students for what can be achieved by following your dreams.
Originally from Bishop Auckland, Conor trained at the Manchester School of Theatre with a focus on both classical and contemporary performance. He appeared in Rough Edges, an independent TV series filmed in Birmingham, and has recently completed work on a contemporary crime drama called Itchy Fingers, directed by Toby Matthews, with Celia Duval as Executive Producer and Neil Fox as Associate Producer. Conor is also developing a TV script set in the North East, inspired by true events and real families from the region. Blending crime, comedy, and working-class life, it is being written with the hope of one day bringing authentic local voices and stories to the screen.
Speaking about his role of the Beast this Christmas, Conor said, “St John’s gave me the opportunity to explore acting – something I had never considered until I chose my options. My teachers opened my eyes to an art form that I have chosen to pursue as a lifelong career. They took us to see shows that sparked my imagination and created a space for us to explore the work we’d seen. Knowing they’ll be in the audience, and that current students will be there too, honestly means the world to me. I hope it shows them that coming from the North East is a strength, not a barrier, and that with hard work and the right support, these opportunities really are possible.”
Northern Stage’s Beauty and the Beast has been praised for putting North East talent centre stage, with a proudly regional cast and creative team bringing new life to the festive fairytale. Conor’s story is just one example of how Northern Stage’s open auditions and artist development programmes continue to open doors for local performers.
Tickets are on sale now. For performance dates, access performances and booking, visit https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/beauty-and-the-beast/ or call 0191 230 5151.