The New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme has teamed up with Northern Broadsides to revive their delectable production of Quality Street this March, written by J.M. Barrie, the beloved writer of Peter Pan. This production’s acclaimed original run in 2020 was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic and has now been revived for 2023.
In Quality Street, Phoebe Throssel runs a school for unruly children. Ten years on after a tearful goodbye, her old flame returns from fighting Napoleon. But the look of disappointment on Captain Valentine’s face when he greets an older, less glamorous Phoebe, spurs our determined heroine to action, becoming the wild and sparkling Miss Livvy, a younger alter-ego who soon beguiles the clueless Captain. As their romance is rekindled, and Miss Livvy melts the Captain’s heart, Phoebe must juggle both personas while trying to avoid scandalizing the town with her deception, or wrecking her future with the man she loves.
The popularity of J.M. Barrie’s romantic comedy was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK’s most loved chocolates: Quality Street™. This sweet and sumptuous show was created with a team of retired workers from the Halifax factory where Quality Street™ chocolates have been proudly made since 1936, wrapping the action in their witty and outrageous observations.
Cast/Team Details
Creative Team:
Director Laurie Sansom | Original Designer Jessica Worrall | Lighting Designer Joe Price | Sound Designer Nick Sagar |
Puppet Maker Beka Haigh | Casting Director Sarah Hughes | Choreographer Ben Wright
Cast:
The 2023 cast includes Jelani D’Aguilar (My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Red Ladder Theatre Company; Planet Caravan, People Zoo) as Fanny Willoughby / Isabella / Sandra; Alice Imelda (Stick Man, Freckle Productions; I Spie, The Telling) as Charlotte Parratt / Jo; Aron Julius (As You Like It, Northern Broadsides and New Vic; A Christmas Carol and Love, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse) as Captain Valentine Brown; Paula Lane (Coronation Street, ITV; Road, Oldham Coliseum) as Phoebe Throssel; Alicia McKenzie (Small Island, National Theatre; Bleak Expectations, The Watermill Theatre) as Mary Willoughby / Lotte; with Alex Moran (War Horse, National Theatre; A Clockwork Orange, Volcano) as Ensign Blades / Arthur / Brenda; Louisa-May Parker (Coronation Street, ITV; Sitcom Stories, Edinburgh Fringe) as Susan Throssel; Jamie Smelt (Macca & Beth, Royal Court Liverpool; Ackley Bridge, Channel 4) as Recruiting Sergeant / Georgy / Lieutenant Spicer and Gilly Tompkins (Murder, Margaret & Me, Tilted Wig Productions; Gangsta Granny, National Tour and Garrick, West End) completing the cast as Patty / Barbara.
How much do the tickets to Quality Street cost?
Tickets are on sale now, priced from £20 – £29.
Concessions: £2.00 off
Group Discounts: £2.00 off for ten or more
Opening Night: Fri, 3 March – All seats £20.00 (no cons)
Part of the Four Plays for £90 package, and Four Friends for £82 offers.
How do I book tickets to Quality Street?
Tickets are now on sale and available from the Box Office, by calling 01782 717962 or visit the New Vic Theatre’s website here.
How long is the show for and what are the timings?
Quality Street will open at the New Vic Theatre on Friday, 3 March and run until Saturday, 25 March 2023 with evening shows at 7.30pm while the matinee shows will be at 2.15pm. There will be Captioned Performance on 21 March and Audio Described Performance on 25 March 2023.
Where is New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme?
New Vic Theatre
Etruria Road
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 0JG
The theatre has a large car park, with a £1.50 charge after 6pm on show days. Only contactless card payment is currently accepted for parking charges.
The theatre café is open 10am to 3pm, Monday to Saturday – then from 5.30pm for pre-show meals.
Booking is required for pre-show meals 5.30pm onwards, via their booking system at this link.
About The New Vic Theatre
Founded in 1962, the New Vic is the producing theatre for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. With around eight major productions a year, its varied programme includes contemporary drama, new commissions, adaptations and classics. Recent productions have toured nationally and internationally, and have transferred to London and Manchester. The New Vic has developed extensive and award-winning community involvement. It works regionally, nationally and internationally through its education department and New Vic Borderlines, which aims to change the lives of the most disadvantaged members of the community. The New Vic is funded by Arts Council England, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
About Northern Broadsides
Northern Broadsides is a unique theatre company with a true northern voice. Their work is characterised by theatrical inventiveness and robust performances from a large ensemble cast of multi-talented and charismatic Northern actors who all perform in their natural voices. For the past 29 years, they have delighted audiences in the UK and internationally with bold, radical and accessible productions of classic and new plays that both reflect the diversity and multiplicity of voices in the north, and act as a catalyst for change throughout the region.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. By 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help deliver this vision.
Keeping you safe
To help you enjoy your visit, the New Vic has put measures in place to help all visitors feel as comfortable as possible:
- Please feel free to wear a face covering while at the New Vic, when walking around the venue and during the performance.
- They ask all guests to be mindful of fellow audience members when at the theatre, who may prefer to continue to keep a distance from other theatregoers while in their spaces.
- They have hand sanitiser stations positioned around the theatre, free to use by all. They are maintaining their high levels of cleanliness throughout the building, ensuring all spaces and contact surfaces are regularly sanitised.
Feeling unwell? If you, or a member of your party, are exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 prior to your visit, they politely ask you do not attend the theatre. If this is the case, please speak to a member of their box office team who will be able to talk you through options to exchange your tickets.
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Photo Credit: New Vic Theatre
