Preview: Commonism at Newcastle Northern Stage

British & Norwegian artists collaborate to bring new show to Newcastle as part of a UK tour

Commonism

by Andy Smith and Amund Sjølie Sveen

Newcastle Northern Stage

Saturday 2 November 2019

Commonism is a meeting of two people from different countries in search of some common ground. It’s a performed conversation – a dialogue that asks questions about nationality, internationality, theatre and politics.

Photo: Amund Sjolie Sveen

Andy Smith and Amund Sjølie Sveen are established theatre makers. Andy is originally from the North of England (Carlisle) and teaches at Manchester University, Amund is from the North of Norway. They have known each other for about fifteen years. 

In Commonism they explore nationality and internationality, capitalism and democracy, future and hope, and the need for change. They talk about who we are – and who we could be – in the times we live in and make some suggestions for the future – for our common future.

Photo: Graeme Braidwood

Andy Smith says: ‘ We can’t wait to bring Commonism to the people of Newcastle , as we travel around the country trying to talk about how we can move forward and work out how we can think toward healing rifts and working together in what , at the moment, feels like a pretty atomised and divided nation. Leeds and Preston were, in former lives, major mill towns. Gravesend was the gateway for maritime activity. Newcastle was a major shipbuilding city. These industries have now mostly gone, if not completely. It’s good to take the work to these places because it is in these places that lots of the ideas that Commonism wants to work toward (not return to) found their roots’

8 individuals in the world now own more than the poorest 50%. 8 people – 8 men of course – have more money than 3.5 billion people together.

Tickets:

Commonism appears at Newcastle’s Northern Stage on Saturday 2^nd November, 8pm

Box office: 0191 230 5151 or online from https://www.northernstage.co.uk/Event/communism