NORTHERN STAGE ANNOUNCES NORTH EAST-LED CAST FOR THIS YEAR’S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS SHOW
Northern Stage, the largest producing theatre in the North East, has announced the cast for its magical reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, arriving on its iconic Newcastle stage this Christmas (4th December – 3rd January).
This Christmas Northern Stage will bring its magical reimagining of Beauty and the Beast to its iconic North East stage. A stolen rose sets everything in motion for Beauty and her unfortunate dad. Two mischievous fairies whisk us through rural France with a Thoughtsnatcher machine and a very helpful rabbit in tow. With live music from the Insect Orchestra, Northern Stage is inviting families to experience this tale as old as time in fresh, funny and unexpectedly touching ways.
In this adaptation, devised by Katie Mitchell and Lucy Kirkwood, directed by Bryony Shanahan with costume and staging by local designer Verity Quinn, Northern Stage will explore this tale as old as time that families know and love.
Northern Stage is proud to announce a cast with deep North East roots:
Newcastle-based performer Bridget Marumo leads the company as Beauty. A familiar face on North East stages, her recent theatre work includes Here Be Dragons (Unfolding Theatre), Wintry Tales (Live Theatre) and We Are the Best! (Live Theatre). On screen and radio she has appeared in Vera (ITV), A Kind of Spark (BBC), Father Brown (BBC) and BBC Radio 4’s I Must Have Loved You. She is joined by Davey Hopper as Father, a South Shields actor who learned his craft at The Customs House, where he played ‘Arbuthnot’ in more than 20 productions. Davey’s recent roles include Pumbaa in The Lion King: Rhythm of the Pridelands (Disneyland Paris) and Baloo in The Jungle Book (S4K International) across the UAE; now back home, he also fronts North East rock band Two Metres Apart. The role of the Beast will be played by Conor McCready, an actor from Bishop Auckland trained at the Manchester School of Theatre, whose screen credits include Rough Edges and the contemporary crime drama Itchy Fingers.
Lucy Doig plays Cecile. A Royal Conservatoire of Scotland graduate with strong North East links via Newcastle Theatre Royal’s Project A, her recent credits include RSC 37 Plays (Northern Stage), The Final Exam (Alphabetti) and Julius Caesar (Bard in the Botanics). Helena Antoniou will play Pink; trained at LAMDA, her theatre credits include Trial By Laughter (Watermill/UK tour), The Snow Queen (Yvonne Arnaud), Bin Juice (VAULT Festival), Love Them to Death (Underbelly, Edinburgh Fringe) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (Theatre by the Lake), with television credits including Call the Midwife (BBC, Series 9) and EastEnders (BBC), and film credits including Love Without Walls (Hidden Door).
Completing the announced cast Maya Torres appears as Lettice; a Newcastle performer and creative, Maya’s stage work includes The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Northern Stage), Raven (Alphabetti/Northern Stage) and Wintry Tales (Live Theatre). On screen she features in the BAFTA-winning How To Be A Person (Channel 4) and BAFTA-nominated Blue Jean (BBC/BFI).
Natalie Ibu, artistic director, Northern Stage, said: ““Beauty and the Beast is a story so many of us know and love, and we can’t wait to share it with families this Christmas. What makes this year extra special is the sheer amount of North East talent on our stage, artists who live, work and train here, bringing heart, humour and that unmistakable regional spirit to our biggest show of the year. Alongside brilliant collaborators from the region and beyond, we’re conjuring real Christmas magic, mischief and music and a big-hearted tale about empathy, courage and seeing beyond appearances.
“Every year we’re overwhelmed by the generosity of our audiences, especially through our Pay It Forward campaign. Thanks to their support, children and young people who might otherwise miss out can join us to share the joy of theatre. That, to me, is the true spirit of Christmas.”
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.