Star cast confirmed for adaptation of
Robert Westall’s The Watch House on North East coast
Olivier Award-winning creative team
confirm the actors who will bring the ghostly tale to life
A trio of
North East stars of stage and screen will be opening their advent calendars on
the North East coast this December as they prepare for the world premiere of The
Watch House.
Donald
McBride, Aoife Kennan and Catherine Dryden have been cast in the first stage
adaptation of Robert Westall’s ghost story, which previews at Laurels Theatre,
Whitley Bay from December 5th
before opening on December 8th in a three week run.
Promising an
alternative serving of Christmas spirit, Olivier Award-winning producers Jamie
Eastlake (Laurels Theatre) and Chris Foxon (Papatango Theatre Company, who has
adapted the book for the stage) have come together to bring audiences the
unsettling tale - just around the corner from where the original story by
Tyneside’s iconic Carnegie Medal-winner Robert Westall was set.
And while a
very busy box office has already prompted the addition of three matinee
performances, at 2pm on each of Saturdays 9, 16 and 23 December, the
confirmation of this stellar North East bred cast looks set to make the
production a festive sell out.
Director of The
Watch House and Papatango Artistic Director, George Turvey, said: “We're
delighted to be working with such an exciting cast to bring Robert Westall's
incredible ghost story to life.
“Aoife,
Catherine and Donald are some of the brightest talent in the North East, with a
wealth of experience on major stages across the country, so audiences are in
for a real treat.”
Set in a
fictionalised Tynemouth, where Westall grew up, The Watch House follows
teenage Anne, who is escaping the trauma of her parents’ ongoing divorce for
the holidays.
She comes to
stay with her mother’s old nanny Prudie, and her brother Arthur, but soon
senses an otherworldly presence in the old coastguard’s Watch House.
Donald
McBride will play Arthur.
A true North
East acting treasure, Donald has spent more than four decades treading the
boards across the region and beyond as well as appearing in iconic dramas like Auf
Wiedersehen, Pet, Spender and Our Friends in the North.
He said:
“I'm glad to be still working after 46 years in the business and delighted to
be back working with Catherine - we did a national tour of The Pitmen
Painters in 2013, which seems like yesterday.
“I’m also glad
to be drawing attention to the appeal of Robert Westall’s wonderful story and of
course looking forward to working with the talented lads at Papatango and
Laurels.”
Joining
Donald on stage will be Aoife Kennan as Anne and Catherine Dryden who will be
bringing a collection of characters to life, including Prudie.
Durham-bred Aoife,
who audiences will recognise from her roles in Vera, The Dumping
Ground and Victoria, said: “I’m really excited to be working with
two such exciting companies like Papatango and Laurels on this funny, touching
and spooky new play!
“It feels
like a real treat to come home and make theatre by the seaside in the run up to
Christmas.”
Catherine,
whose past credits also include Vera as well as the aforementioned The
Pitmen Painters and The Play That Goes Wrong on stage is also
delighted to be returning to her native North East.
She said:
“I'm thrilled to have been cast in this first stage adaptation of The Watch
House. I feel very lucky to be working back in my beloved North East with
such fantastic creatives on this quirky and intriguing story set in Tynemouth,
one of my favourite places in the world.”
Jamie
Eastlake, Artistic Director at Laurels, said: “We’ve been bowled over by the
response to tickets going on sale for our alternative Christmas show, and can’t
wait to get into rehearsals with this ridiculously talented and homegrown
cast.”
Supported by
Arts Council England and The Mouth of Tyne Collective, it has also been
confirmed that the play text will be published by Bloomsbury and can be
pre-ordered here or picked up at Laurels during the
run.
The Watch
House will be performed at Laurels Theatre, Whitley Bay at 7.30pm on Mondays to
Saturdays from December 5th to 23rd (excluding 14th
and 18th and with matinee performances on the 9th, 16th
and 23rd at 2pm). Age recommendation: 12+.
For tickets,
visit the Laurels Theatre website at www.laurelswhitley.co.uk
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