Cast & creative team announced for ROAD - Natalie Ibu's first show as Northern Stage Artistic Director

Photo credit: Mark Savage

Marking the 35th anniversary of Jim Cartwright’s joyous and anarchic masterpiece, the residents of Road are relocated to the North East in Artistic Director Natalie Ibu’s first production at Northern Stage, running from 8-30 October.

Ibu said: “Road is the perfect post-pandemic celebration of community and resilience - the narrator introduces us to residents on the road, who then make their way out of their own houses to their local pub. In fact, all of our Housewarming season productions talk directly to the audience - breaking down the fourth wall to welcome people back, and re-connecting artists and audiences in a way that only live theatre can.

“It’s the dream play for me to direct as my first show for Northern Stage - I directed a scene when I was at university and it has really stayed with me for 17 years. It’s with Road that I found my vision as a director. It helped me articulate that I wanted to tell stories about the blood, sweat and tears it takes to live life, and that I wanted to fill stages with loud, vivid expressions of what it means to be alive.

“Originally set in Lancashire, we’re relocating it to a North East working class community dealing with poverty, unemployment, disappointment and a desperation for change whilst also making the most of who and what they have. It’s about what it is to live, in all of its complexities - looking to the past to understand how we live now, telling forgotten stories about forgotten people. There’s an incredible resilience in this community, a charm; they’re a hoot to be around and I’m excited to be working with a brilliant cast and creative team to explore the intersectionality between race, class and gender and bring Jim Cartwright’s vivid characters back to life, 2021 style.” 

The cast includes Michael Hodgson (The Pitmen Painters/West End & Broadway); Ike Bennett (Curfew/Sky TV); Rosie Stancliffe (Leaving by Paddy Campbell/Curious Monkey); Ryan Nolan (Private Malky in Sam Mendes' award winning 1917); Nicole Sawyerr (Those Who Trespass/Arts Ed & High Tide Festival); Ruby Crepin-Glyne (making her professional theatre debut); Rohit Gokani (Silver Street/BBC Asian Network); Shahbaaz Khan (making his professional stage debut); Philip Harrison (The Duke with Jim Broadbent); and Patricia Jones (West End Girls/Live Theatre).

The production features set and costume design by Amelia Jane Hankin, lighting by Zoe Spurr, and sound by Jon McLeod.

For more information and to book tickets, please click here.