Preview: The Hound of the Baskervilles at Newcastle Northern Stage

The Hound of the Baskervilles
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Adapted by Douglas Maxwell 
Newcastle Northern Stage
11 – 23 September 2019

This autumn Northern Stage presents Sherlock Holmes’ most infamous case, adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s gothic classic, The Hound of the Baskervilles. 

Last year, Northern Stage expanded its pioneering NORTH programme beyond actor training to include staging and touring a new production - The War of the Worlds, which had two sell out runs in Newcastle and a successful tour.  As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting and developing new talent in the region, Northern Stage has once again cast four emerging North East actors in a new adaptation of a classic, which will open in Newcastle this autumn before touring.  

This new adaptation is by Douglas Maxwell (Yer Granny, National Theatre of Scotland), with set and costume design is by Amy Watts (West End Girls, Live Theatre/Elevator Festival), music and sound design by Jeremy Bradfield (The Wizard of Oz, Northern Stage), lighting design by Michael Morgan who regularly works with Northern Stage associates BalletLORENT, and directed by Jake Smith.  

Originally from the North East, Jake trained on the National Theatre Directors’ Programme and has held positions as Resident Director at the Almeida Theatre, Resident Director at Chichester Festival Theatre and Creative Learning Facilitator at Hull Truck Theatre. He is the current Artistic Director of the award-winning Petersfield Shakespeare Festival, and last year was assistant director on The Last Ship (Northern Stage and UK tour). 

He said, “It's great to be home in the North East and directing The Hound of the Baskervilles with four talented North East actors shapeshifting through this supernatural thriller. We’re doing Holmes in a way that’s never been done before - our Sherlock finds himself lost and unable to continue solving cases after losing his last. It's going to be a visceral theatrical thriller, blending movement, music and the power of storytelling to transport us to the Moor - the world we’re creating is rooted in its original Victorian setting but we’re hoping to shake off any dust. It's full of folklore, and the battle between the natural and the supernatural in an isolated environment makes for real tension and danger.” 

The cast are James Gladden (Sherlock Holmes, Soldier, Barrymore, Mr Stapleton) – James graduated from BA Acting at ArtsEd where he finished his year playing Mr. Parks in Roy Williams' Play This Is directed by Lynette Linton and has previously worked with director Jake Smith on Hamlet at Petersfield Shakespeare Festival and WormTown at The Customs House; Rebecca Tebbett (Henry Baskerville, Miss Stapleton, Laura Lyons) – Rebecca is a LAMDA graduate who was awarded the Laurence Olivier Bursary whilst training, and recent theatre credits include Jane Eyre (The Watermill) and Fragment (Battersea Arts Centre); Jake Wilson Craw (Dr Watson) – a NORTH participant since 2017, Jake is thrilled to be involved in Hound of the Baskervilles and can't wait to get his teeth into Watson; and Siobhan Stanley (Dr Mortimer, Mrs Barrymore, Mrs Franland) - Siobhan graduated from Northumbria University in 2018 with a First Class Honours Degree in Performing Arts and has recently completed the Northern Stage's NORTH actor programme. 

Tickets 
Tickets start at £10; for more details or to book tickets see www.northernstage.co.uk or call the box office on 0191 230 5151. Tour venues and dates will be confirmed shortly.