Northern Stage will produce a magical new adaptation of family favourite The Sorcerer’s Apprentice this Christmas (27 November – 31 December).
Set in the streets of Newcastle but not quite as we know it, audiences will be treated to live music, puppetry, magic and illusion as they follow the adventures of Hatty Rabbit and her friends after a mysterious letter arrives inviting Hatty to an interview for a sorcerer’s apprentice…
Maria Crocker will direct her first main stage show for Northern Stage.
Adapted by Laura Lindow (The Snow Queen/Northern Stage, Key Change/Open Clasp), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is designed by Amanda Mascarenhas (Run It Back/Talawa Theatre Company, Cuttin’ It/Royal Exchange Theatre), with lighting design by Jai Morjaria (Wuthering Heights/National Theatre & Bristol Old Vic), sound design by Matthew Tuckey (Wolf!/Kitchen Zoo, Repeat Signal/November Club), movement direction by Gavin Coward – a performer, member and collaborator with balletLORENT, and original music by Katie Doherty who has created music for the Royal Shakespeare Company, five family Christmas productions for Northern Stage and the award-winning musical Beyond the End of the Road. Molly Barrett-Manasseh will design and make the puppets, with puppetry direction by Thomas Walton, and associate director is North East dramaturg and director Rachael Walsh – one of two recipients of the 2021 JMK Victoria Wood Bursary.
Magic is a key part of the production, so Dr Will Houstoun has been enlisted as illusion designer and director. As well as numerous theatre credits with the Royal Shakespeare Company, West End shows, Northern Ballet and the Royal Opera House, he has worked on film and TV shows including Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, award-winning BBC drama series Wolf Hall starring Mark Rylance, and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind for Netflix. He says, “I’ve missed theatre enormously during the pandemic, so I can’t wait to be back using magic to help share astonishing moments in magical stories. And The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is full of magic, so I can’t imagine any illusionist who wouldn’t want to try and bring some of that to life on stage!”
Beth Crame from Newcastle will play Hatty Rabbit, the little girl who has a big job to do after she receives a mysterious letter inviting her to an interview for a Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Beth said, “I grew up in the North East and went to Newcastle College to study Musical Theatre so it really is a dream to perform at Northern Stage! Hatty Rabbit can find the positive in every situation, even if things aren’t going her way which I think is a magical power of hers.”
She is joined by Talia Nyathi, Jessica Johnson, Patrick Munday and Alice Blundell.
The show will be filmed by award-winning North East filmmakers Meerkat Films for Northern Stage at Home enabling audiences to watch online, and there will be BSL, captioned, relaxed and audio described performances.
Writer Laura Lindow says, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice has made 2021 a really magical year for me already; Christmas is a chance to make dreams come true right in front of us. To tell stories that can really enchant. To create characters who can really live. Adventures that can really play out. It’s an honour and a privilege to play a part in so many peoples’ Christmases and hopefully offer even more festive sparkle to take away.”
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice runs from 27 November – 31 December. Book online at www.northernstage.co.uk or call the box office on 0191 230 5151.
