News: Live Theatre launch Live Wire and 10 Minutes to…

Live Theatre

Getting back to Live with Live Wire

and 10 Minutes to…Call Home

Live Theatre announced today its exciting new programme Live Wired which will see new work created and produced for online viewing. The first offering in the Live Wired series will be 10 Minutes to…Call Home, a thrilling series of ten minute plays by the hottest new writing talent.

Since the theatre closed its doors in March 2020 and were forced to cancel their planned programme, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Live Theatre has taken time to reflect on its creative and learning programme and practices whilst continuing its dedication to promoting and championing lesser heard and diverse voices as the only new writing theatre outside of London, in England.

Committed to investment and developing theatre projects, Live Theatre extended the time period for open call outs for writers for 10 Minutes To…, Bursary applications and unsolicited full-length script submissions.

The first of these creative opportunities to go forward is 10 Minutes To…, for which there was an incredible response to the call out, with over 300 scripts submitted. The quality of writing was extremely high but after much deliberation the final nine were selected. With the gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions, but still unable to welcome audiences to the theatre at normal capacity levels, 10 Minutes To… will be presented in a new way - the selected scripts will be rehearsed and performed behind closed doors at Live Theatre and recorded to be shared across digital platforms. The plays will have the outstanding performance and production quality that theatre goers have come to expect from Live Theatre shows.
Badged Live Wired, the innovative digital programme will see Live Theatre invest in a greater number of artists and creatives, supporting the freelance sector and opening up new work to much wider and diverse audiences.

Graeme Thompson, Creative Producer at Live Theatre said: “Being able to re-open Live Theatre’s creative activity with the 10 Minutes to… project is really exciting. Of course, it will be different. This time we are filming as opposed to performing live but there is always such a buzz when we do this show and we are certain we can recreate that this time round. We have nine brilliant scripts from a huge range of writers. Some of the writers are new to Live and some we know. For some this will be their first piece of writing put on stage. Because of the opportunities that 10 Minutes to… provides, it’s such an important and vital part of what we do at Live Theatre. Also, it just feels fantastic to be getting some new theatre back out to our audiences.”

Ellen McNally, whose script Off Peak was one of the final nine selected commented: “I’m dead excited to be selected for this project. Apart from being in the best city in the world, Live Theatre is a small-but-mighty powerhouse for producing creative talent in the North East. This year’s theme resonates with me; I was part of Live’s Youth Theatre when I was younger so having my first script produced here really feels special. Writing fiction is a pretty solitary venture. Theatre, however, is a uniquely collaborative art form, shaped by both its production and reception. I’m excited to see how this new digital format influences the story, and to receive input from talented North East creatives.”

The nine pieces present writing that is bold, gritty, poetic, hilarious and fizzing with emotion on a mix of themes including loss of identity, moving on and letting go, journey and escape and intergenerational differences.

The creative teams behind 10 Minutes To… will be rehearsing, performing and recording at Live Theatre over the next few weeks and the performances will be screened FREE to view across digital channels from 29 September.

Live Wired, Live Theatre's exciting new online programme launches September 2020 with 10 Minutes To...This innovative digital programme will allow theatre productions, readings and courses to be shared digitally investing in a greater number of artists and creatives, supporting the freelance sector and opening up new work to much wider and diverse audiences.

Look out for the next thrilling chapter in the Live Wired season and discover more at www.live.org.uk