Pilot Theatre in association with Northern Stage and York Theatre Royal premiere Zoe Cooper’s new stage adaptation of David Almond’s award-winning novel A Song for Ella Grey.
From Pilot Theatre, the company that brought you Noughts & Crosses, comes the premiere of A Song for Ella Grey, Zoe Cooper’s new adaptation of David Almond’s (Skellig) award-winning novel contemporary retelling of the Orpheus myth.
Produced in association with Northern Stage and York Theatre Royal, A Song for Ella Grey, will premiere at Northern Stage from 2-15 February 2024 and then tour till 22 March.
Claire and her best friend, Ella Grey, are ordinary kids from ordinary families in an ordinary world. They and their friends fall in and out of love, play music and dance, stare at the stars, yearn for excitement, and have parties on the beautiful beaches of Northumberland.
One day a stranger, a musician called Orpheus, appears on the beach, and entrances them all but particularly Ella. Where has he come from and what path will Ella follow?
A Song for Ella Grey is a tale of modern teenagers and ancient forces, a tale told since the dawn of time and told again today.
David Almond is one of the most prolific and highly acclaimed writers of novels for children and young adults. His novels have included Skellig, Kit’s Wilderness, My Name is Mina, Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist, The Tightrope Walkers, The Savage, A Song for Ella Grey, Half a Creature from the Sea, The Colour of the Sun, The Tale of Angelino Brown, The Dam and many more novels, stories, picture books, plays, songs and opera libretti. His work has been translated into over forty languages and has won a string of major awards around the world. In 2022 he was awarded an OBE for services to literature.
Novelist David Almond said: “A Song for Ella Grey is so close to my heart. The novel itself came with great force, demanding to be told. It’s my version of the great Orpheus myth, which has been told many times in many forms and will be told forever more. This version takes place in ordinary north eastern streets, on wild north eastern beaches, among ordinary northeastern teenagers. Hades lies just beneath the city. Orpheus appears on the shores of the North Sea. Ella Grey and her dear friends are drawn rapidly into this ancient tale of love and death, of music and joy. I’m so thrilled that Pilot Theatre and Zoe Cooper are bringing the tale to the stage.”
Zoe Cooper’s recent plays include Out of Water (Orange Tree Theatre/RSC) which was a finalist for the 2020 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and shortlisted for the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright Award, and Jess and Joe Forever (Orange Tree Theatre/UK tour) which won the Most Promising Playwright Award at the Off West End Awards 2017 and was longlisted for the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright Award. Her new adaptation of Northanger Abbey will be co-produced by the Orange Tree, Theatre by the Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Bolton Octagon in January 2024.
Playwright Zoe Cooper said: “Ever since I first read A Song for Ella Grey, I have thought it would make a wonderful stage play. Full of north-east wilderness, infused with the darkness and magic of Greek mythology and possessing all the humanity of all of David Almond’s work, it is something very special. Pilot Theatre produce wonderfully fresh, provocative and precise productions for young people and adults alike. Since collaborating with the company during lockdown on the brilliant Signal Fires, it has been an ambition of mine to make something bigger with them. The opportunity to work on this production, of this book and to open it at Northern Stage, in the city I call home is incredibly exciting!”
A Song for Ella Grey will be directed by Pilot Theatre’s Artistic Director Esther Richardson who said about the forthcoming production: “After our success with our recent adaptations of young adult fiction for mid-scale, it is an honour to be working with David Almond and Zoe Cooper on a new version of David’s masterpiece, A Song for Ella Grey. After the huge upheaval and change of the last few years there isn’t a more apposite moment for Pilot to present this mighty story of teenage love and loss, set in the extraordinary landscapes of Northern England. As always, this work will introduce audiences to thrilling new talent and open rich conversations and reflections about what it means to come of age in 2024”.
Natalie Ibu, Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive, Northern Stage added: “A Song for Ella Grey celebrates the spectacular geography of the North East but captivates readers of all ages with a universal story. David Almond’s writing captures the vibrancy, joy and intensity of first loves and the power of friendship while also beautifully and honestly dealing with grief and surviving tragedy. Zoe Cooper’s adaptation lifts the characters off the page with such grace and energy and it is our privilege to be working with Pilot Theatre to make and launch this production for a new generation of young people across the country.”
A Song for Ella Grey will open in 2024 at Northern Stage, Newcastle (2-15 February) then tour to York Theatre Royal, Hull Truck Theatre, Theatre Peckham and Yvonne Arnaud Guildford. Full listings and ticket information can be found here.
Casting will be announced in the coming months.
