Epic tale of Sunderland's past and future to be staged at The Fire Station

Rehearsals are underway for Pursuers of the Future, a thrilling new community play being staged by local theatre company, Theatre Space North East.

Funded by Arts Council England and Sunderland Culture, the major new production will be performed at The Fire Station for two performances on Sunday, November, 20

The play, written by playwright Scott Young, was commissioned by Sunderland Culture to bring communities from across Sunderland together to deliver a spectacular show featuring song, movement, puppetry and thrilling storytelling.

The community cast, many of whom have never stepped foot on stage before, will be helped by a full professional crew and creative team to deliver a show rich in Wearside folklore and influenced by numerous discussions and workshops with people in the city.

Steeped in myth, legend and proud history, Sunderland’s past and future will be brought to life by the community cast in a tale that sees monstrous sea creatures, inspired by The Lambton Worm, combined with real world stories of growing up in this former industrial powerhouse.

The participants of the project will be coached by internationally-renowned artists specialising in puppetry, movement, acting and voice, with a talented creative team drawn from all over the UK, all of whom have a special connection to the area.

The project will highlight the often hidden talents the city has to offer and will provide a fitting reflection of the cultural renaissance Sunderland has enjoyed in recent years.

The award-winning company responsible for the hugely popular annual Plays in the Parks season, which sees Shakespeare performed in city parks, Theatre Space North East leads the project with its decades of experience in working within the Wearside community.

Artistic Director of Theatre Space North East Corinne Kilvington said: “Getting the opportunity to work with the talented folk of Sunderland, who we’ve had the pleasure of entertaining in our parks and open spaces for over a decade on such an exciting project is a dream come true for us. The city is a real powerhouse creatively, culturally and socially and we simply can’t wait to showcase that in the city’s newest iconic venue.

“We’ve assembled an incredible creative team who are putting our community cast through their paces and we’re cooking up a number of thrilling surprises to deliver this epic piece of theatre for the city.”

Helen Green, Head of Performance, Sunderland Culture, is delighted to be welcoming the show to the Fire Station, which opened its doors last year as an extension to the Edwardian fire station.

Now in its second season, the venue is playing its role in the cultural renaissance of the city.

Helen said: “Sunderland Culture commissioned Scott Young to write a new community play for Sunderland as part of its Great Place Unify programme back in 2019.

"We are delighted that Theatre Space NE has been able to take the script forward to make a full scale production with members of our community and look forward with anticipation to seeing it on stage in November.”

:: Pursuers of the Future by Scott Young plays The Fire Station, Sunderland on Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets start at £6.60 and are available at sunderlandculture.org.uk