Creative team to create a spectacular for the World Premiere of David Almond’s The Savage at Live Theatre, Newcastle
An accomplished creative team has been brought together to transform The Savage written by David Almond for the stage, for its World Premiere at Live Theatre from Thursday 30 June to Saturday 23 July 2016.
Carnegie Medal-winning and Guardian award winning author David Almond adapts his much loved novel into a stage play. The Savage is directed by Live Theatre’s Artistic Director Max Roberts, who has been behind Live Theatre productions such as The Pitmen Painters and Tyne, both of which started at the Newcastle based theatre but went onto national and international success.
Max Roberts explains how The Savage fits into the distinctive tradition of Live Theatre’s plays:
“Like a lot of Live Theatre’s plays The Savage has been created by a writer from this region who is inspired by the rich social, political and cultural traditions of our region. Like many of our plays it is set here and now on Tyneside yet speaks to a universal audience. It is also a play that values the role of art as an integral part of our community and society as a whole - and the production seeks to celebrate this through a rich theatrical mix of drama, dance, music, art and storytelling.‘’
The choreography and movement in the show is by longstanding Live Theatre collaborator Lee Proud, who worked on Live Theatre shows Tyne and A Northern Odyssey and is best known for being resident choreographer on Billy Elliot – the Musical in the West End.
Lee said:
“It’s going to be a visual feast, it’s a fun show that celebrates everything about creativity – a little bit like Billy Elliot in that respect except about writing, not ballet. Within The Savage there are many different styles of movement and dance that ranges from traditional to tribal to folk and modern dance. The show itself lends from many different genres of musical theatre, a bit of vaudeville, physical theatre and there is phenomenal music.”
The original music is composed by Northumberland based musician Beth Brennan who draws on her folk background, mixing it with modern scoring techniques.
Audio Visual effects are by Newcastle based company NOVAK, who have previously worked on large scale projection mapping for Lumiere Festival in Durham, London and Derry-Londonderry, and well as for Brighton Festival and music festivals internationally.
Adam Finlay, Studio Director, NOVAK said:
“It’s been exciting to produce the audio-visual design for The Savage. We have been working closely with Alison the set designer to animate her illustrations to bring to life some of the magical aspects of the play that exists in the lead characters imagination.”
Alison Ashcroft previously designed the set for Turning Pages at Live Theatre and has also worked with David Almond previously designing sets for other of his plays.
Alison added:
“The set has lots of different levels with lots of opportunities for a really interesting physical piece. Working with NOVAK on the projected visuals is very exciting. I think it’s going to be very imaginative and beautiful.”
The Savage it is an uplifting contemporary fable about creation and renewal, wildness and civilisation. It shows the importance of creativity in finding consolation, redemption and fulfilment in the world around us. The novel is popular for reading in schools and also used discuss behaviour with young people.
David Almond, said:
"It's a real thrill to be working with the great Live Theatre, to bring this story to vivid life in Newcastle, right on the banks of the river. Tyneside is my literary heartland. It's where my stories, my dreams and my language come from, and it's where the strange, scary, tender savage was born."
Max Roberts, Artistic Director, Live Theatre added:
"It's great to have a writer of David's quality and reputation writing for Live Theatre. I'm very much looking forward to bringing David’s play to fruition moulding his rich lyrical writing with music and beautiful settings that will appeal to a wide age range of audience. We have recruited an exciting ensemble of hugely talented and highly versatile young actors, all originally from the North East who will delight in presenting David’s compelling narrative.”
The Savage stars Dean Bone, a regular at Live Theatre (Rendezvous, Write Stuff and The Heights) playing central character Blue. Other cast members Adam Welsh (War Horse and Skellig – the Opera), Dani Arlington (Soulboy) and Kate Okello make their debut appearances at Live Theatre.
In the play, Blue Baker wants to write a story. After the death of his dad and to escape the unwanted attention of Hopper, the neighbourhood bully, Blue imagines a ‘truely wild’ character - full of anger, adventure and thoughts of revenge. Life is dark and complicated and so is Blue’s story. Helped by his friend Elaine, his mum and baby sister Jess, he tries to discover where life starts and the story ends.
The Savage has been commissioned to coincide with the launch of Live Tales, Live Theatre’s new creative story writing centre for children. This new strand of Live Theatre’s education programme is an extension of its successful playwriting initiatives for young people. Live Tales will offer creative story writing sessions to pupils aged 7-12 from September 2016.
Max Roberts added:
“David’s enthusiasm and support for Live Theatre has been enormous. We have commissioned The Savage to mark the opening of Live Tales, our new children’s writing centre, of which David is a champion.”
The Savage is a family friendly play suitable for ages 9+ and is at Live Theatre, Newcastle from Thursday 30 June to Saturday 23 July. Tickets for The Savage cost £22-£10 full price, £16-£12 over 60s concessions and £15-£6 for other concessions. For more information or to book tickets visit www.live.org.uk or contact Live Theatre’s box office on (0191) 232 1232.
