North East Theatre Guide: Preview: Get Carter at Newcastle Northern Stage

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Jack’s Return Home

Get Carter

Newcastle Northern Stage

Friday 12^th February – Saturday 5^th March 2016

Northern Stage are bringing a dark and stylish new adaptation of the classic British crime drama to the stage. Get Carter opens in Newcastle before going on a national tour including Glasgow, Richmond, Coventry, Doncaster, Durham, Salford and Southampton.

Set in 1960s Newcastle, Torben Betts’ adaptation of the novel Jack’s Return Home by Ted Lewis (made famous by the 1971 Mike Hodges film, Get Carter starring Michael Caine) is a hard and uncompromising look at a city’s underworld gang culture and a gripping noir thriller, directed by Northern Stage Artistic Director Lorne Campbell.

Director Lorne explained: “I’m very excited to be bringing this iconic North East story to the stage. Ted Lewis is one of Britain's great crime and thriller writers and this is his masterpiece, in turns brutal and emotional. It's a tragic noir study of a corrupted man struggling to find a way out of a corrupted world. We’ve brought together a fabulous team of North East actors and hope to do justice to the telling of this epic tale.”

Kevin Wathen as Jack Carter

Photo: Mark Savage

The creative team includes set design by Leo Warner/59 Productions, the team responsible for video design at Danny Boyle’s London 2012 Opening Ceremony as well as more than 100 shows across the world at venues including The Royal Opera House, The National Theatre, The Royal Court, The Young Vic, English National Opera and The Metropolitan Opera in New York. 2015 Mercury Prize-nominated singer-

songwriter Nadine Shah will record original music as well as new arrangements of songs by iconic 1960s Newcastle band, The Animals, working with sound designer James Frewer. The production will also feature live music from drummer Martin Douglas (Baghdaddies and The Unthanks).

Writer Torben Betts says, “My adaptation is very much a reaction to the novel the film was based on. The story is in itself quite simple. A gangster goes back to his home town to bury his older brother and he suspects foul play. He trawls around the town’s underworld until he discovers his suspicions are well-founded. What was more interesting was to look at how we could re-imagine this very well-known narrative. To look at Jack’s environment growing up as he did in a brutalised post-war world. I wanted to look at the kind of man Jack Carter is, why he became the way he did.”

Kevin Wathen as Jack Carter

Photo: Mark Savage

Newcastle-born Kevin Wathen will play Jack Carter. Kevin’s theatre credits include Tony Elliot in Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace, London); The Godfather in Quadrophenia (Plymouth Theatre Royal/National Tour); Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Bristol Old Vic); Rosencrantz in Hamlet (Old Vic Theatre); and Michael in Skellig (Young Vic Theatre). Television credits include George Gently (BBC); And Kill Them (Channel 4); Blue Murder (ITV); Silent Witness (BBC); and Judge John Deed (BBC).

After her critically acclaimed role in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2014, Victoria Elliott returns to Northern Stage to play Margaret and Glenda. The Newcastle-born actress is best known for BBC sitcom Hebburn, and has also appeared in Emmerdale and Holby City. Theatre roles include Alice in Two (Royal Exchange); Jill in Cooking with Elvis (Hull Truck); and Kate in Tyne (Live Theatre).

Michael Hodgson will play the roles of Kinnear and Con. Michael has regularly appeared at Northern Stage over the years, including Catch-22, which also toured nationally, and A Christmas Carol, directed by Erica Whyman OBE. Theatre credits elsewhere include Harry Wilson in The Pitmen Painters (Live); Bernard in Death of a Salesman (West Yorkshire Playhouse); and Hodge in The Shoemaker’s Holiday (Royal Shakespeare Company).

Donald McBride will play Albert, Brumby and Gumboots. Best known for TV roles in North East dramas Our Friends in the North, Spender, and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Donald has been a regular at Live Theatre in Newcastle for more than thirty years, including the role of Jimmy Floyd in The Pitmen Painters which went on to tour nationally and internationally.

Amy Cameron will play Jack’s niece Doreen. Originally from Sunderland, Amy has appeared in ITV’s Vera alongside Brenda Blethyn and her stage roles include Helene in A Doll’s House (Royal Exchange) and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hallé).

Kevin Wathen as Jack Carter

Photo: Mark Savage

Benjamin Cawley will play Eric. Earlier this year Benjamin played Kanzo in Dr Who (BBC) and he has appeared on stage at the Barbican and with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Percussionist Martin Douglas (Baghdaddies, The Unthanks) will perform live on drums in the role of Frank, Jack’s dead brother who was a an amateur Jazz drummer throughout his life.

Completing the creative team are award-winning costume designer Imogen Cloet and lighting design by regular Gecko and Cheek By Jowl collaborator Kristina Hjelm.

Cast:

Jack Kevin Wathen

Frank Martin Douglas

Doreen Amy Cameron

Margaret/Glenda Victoria Elliott

Eric Benjamin Cawley

Kinnear/Con Michael Hodgson

Albert/Brumby Donald McBride

Creative team:

Director Lorne Campbell

Writer Torben Betts

Set Designer Leo Warner/59 Productions