Live Theatre

Down on the Quayside on the Broad Chare (Chare is North-East dialect term for a street) is the Live Theatre. It has a fantastic reputation for being a writing theatre, developing and writing new plays and shows every year and producing its own plays.

The Live Theatre was established in 1973. It was at first a travelling theatre company, which started by telling stories that were relatable to daily life in the North East of England and presented these plays to local people – which it has continued to do to this day.  One of the best examples of this is the 2007 ‘Pitmen painters’ which went on to national fame after a sell-out performance at the Live Theatre.

It was at first a travelling theatre company, which started by telling stories that were relatable to daily life in the North East of England

Since 1982 it has been in its current buildings on the quayside which have been converted from warehouses, an alms-house and an old schoolhouse. These buildings have been converted over the years and adapted to provide the best facilities and spaces.

This investment has helped to continue the Live Theatre’s project of writing and telling the stories of the North East as well as training a new generation in the arts. The plays that are created at the Live Theatre regularly go on to tour the country and are put on in many famous theatres, one famous work being Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour which went on to have a run at the West End in London.

The theatre is always fostering a culture that helps to bring new talent into the arts. They are famous for their education programme which helps to train young people in the arts, from plays to poetry. This is one of the Live Theatre’s innovative ways of generating income, in a sector where many theatres generate income only from ticket and food and drink sales. This means the live theatre is far more resilient than other creative sector venues.

This started in 2006 where the theatre built the Schoolhouse, a hub for digital businesses, and continued in 2014 with the construction of the Live Works which provides office space for Zero-Light – a digital media company. The Live Works also has a built-in stage and Juliet balcony built into the back of the building allowing for outdoor performances in the courtyard behind their theatre.

These partnerships provide revenue to the Live Theatre enabling it to weather financially uncertain times far better than other venues. A trip here will open a whole new world of theatre and art to you, with new plays and stories being created every year it’s very much worth the visit.