Stars to roll back the years for theatre company’s 50th anniversary
CAREER: Sheridan Smith
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
A theatre company is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a reunion event this spring.
Northern Theatre Company, which was founded in 1975 by Richard Green and Bryan Williams, will host the gathering at Vox Box in Newland Avenue on Sunday, May 4 from 4pm.
The company is inviting past members, performers and students who took part in shows, helped behind the scenes or attended performing arts classes it ran to come together and reminisce at the celebration event.
INFLUENCE: Richard Green as Scrooge in 2002
As well as working with “thousands” of people over the years, Northern helped launch and shape the careers of many who have gone on to acting or writing success on stage and screen.
They include:
Lucy Beaumont (Meet the Richardsons, Hullraisers)
Sheridan Smith (Cilla, Gavin & Stacy, Funny Girl, The Royle Family)
Liam Mower (original Billy Elliot in the West End, Laurence Olivier Award winner)
Stephen Kynman (voice of Fireman Sam and Robert the Robot in Justin’s House)
Liam Garrigan (24: Live Another Day, Once Upon a Time)
Playwright Richard Vergette
Derren Litten (writer of The Catherine Tate Show, creator of Benidorm)
Marc Pickering (Sleepy Hollow, Calendar Girls, Boardwalk Empire).
The reunion will feature archive footage and photographs from past productions, as well as performances and speeches by former members.
Northern launched with Amy, a musical about Hull’s pioneering aviator Amy Johnson, and quickly became a major creative hub for performers – especially young talent in Hull – producing a diverse range of shows and pushing artistic boundaries.
Unlike many other community theatre companies, NTC was defined by its eclectic mix of productions, staging everything from large-scale musicals at Hull New Theatre to bold, experimental and sometimes challenging pieces at its Studio 2 venue on Madeley Street, Hessle Road.
‘A PLACE TO DREAM’: Lucy Beaumont
Under Green’s direction and Williams’ stage design, the company gained national recognition. NTC’s repertoire included musicals such as Barnum, The Sound of Music, La Cage aux Folles and Annie as well as hard-hitting dramas like Love Kevin, Torch Song Trilogy, A Clockwork Orange and Myra and Me, which often sparked debate – and sometimes controversy.
The company also had a strong presence at the Edinburgh Fringe, where its productions of Sondheim musicals, comedy reviews and original plays earned critical acclaim. Many of its youth theatre productions, including Out of Mind and Sanctus, received awards at national competitions.
Green said: “We never wanted to play it safe – we wanted to challenge, inspire and give young performers opportunities they wouldn’t get elsewhere.
“Seeing what so many of them have gone on to achieve is incredible. We’d love to see as many people as possible at the reunion to celebrate the company’s legacy.”
FRIENDSHIPS: Liam Garrigan
Beaumont credits NTC with shaping her love for performance. “I feel so lucky to have been part of such a wonderful theatre group,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be doing what I do today without Richard Green and the incredible team. NTC gave me a sense of belonging. It was a sanctuary from home and school, a place to express yourself and dream. No wonder so many of us are still connected after all these years.”
Garrigan said: “Richard Green and Northern Theatre are the reasons I do what I do today. My years in the old Madeley Street building shaped everything – what started as a hobby became an obsession, then a career.
“More than that, it gave me my closest friendships. I’ll always be grateful to Richard and everyone who made NTC such a special place.”
To help with planning, attendees are encouraged to RSVP by contacting NTC50@gmx.co.uk. Those interested in performing or sharing memorabilia can also use this email address to get involved.