Review: Ladies’ Day at New Vic Theatre*

[Ad-gifted] It’s just one day at the races and how much storytelling can you fit in? Ladies’ Day at the  New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme is a fun-filled dramedy. You will come out of this performance having had a giggle and feeling good.

This is one to watch with your friends and be sure to get dressed ready for the races with your glad rags and your fancy hats on, to really immerse yourself. The play was Directed by Marieke Audsley and having been found by her back in 2019. The play works perfectly in the round and will be at the New Vic until 25th February, so if you want to know what we thought keep reading our latest theatre review.

What we thought of Ladies’ Day at the New VIC 

This is such a feel-good play, we both came out with smiles on our faces having had a good time. But the start for me was a little hard initially to get into. I can’t work out whether it took the four female cast members a little time to warm up or whether the introduction to their characters was slightly lacking. That being said, as it continued the characters grew and as did the warmth and drama of the play. As an audience, I felt that we could empathise with the characters of Jan, Shelley, Linda and Pearl (played by Tanya-Loretta Dee, Annie Kirkman, Jo Patmore and Kate Wood) who all worked in a fish distributor factory in Hull and lived as workers, who didn’t earn much but still wanted so much for their lives.

We had an insight into the lives of working-class women when so often we see the side of working-class men. It was refreshing if not sobering to witness their plight in the round of the New Vic Theatre. At the start the acting felt a little fractured – again, I am not sure if this was down to the way in which they tried to introduce the back story of the characters which for me didn’t quite work. But once the story had bed-in the acting was brilliant and I was especially pleased to see the return of Gareth Cassidy (who feature in Marvellous which we reviewed last year) playing five different characters each completely different from the next.

All in all this is a great watch, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, dotted with genuine heartfelt points throughout the performance. But through some of the poingnant scenes, you are left coming out of the play with a smile on your face and feeling great! So if you want to have a feel-good play to warm you up over this very cold February read on to see where to book and prices of this lovely Ladies’ Day show!

Cast/Team Details

Creative Team:

Director Marieke Audsley | Designer Jessica Curtis | Lighting Designer Jessie Addinall | Sound Designer Damian Coldwell | Movement Director Sundeep Saini | Casting Associate Anji Carroll CDG

Cast:

Gareth Cassidy Joe/Fred/Jim/Patrick/Kevin/Barry; Tanya-Loretta Dee Jan; Annie Kirkman Shelley; Jo Patmore Linda; Kate Wood Pearl.

How much do the tickets to Ladies’ Day cost?

Tickets are on sale now, priced from £20 – £29.
Concessions: £2.00 off
Part of the Four Plays for £90 package, and Four Friends for £82 offer

How do I book tickets to Ladies’ Day?

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?

Ladies’ Day will open at the New Vic Theatre on Friday, 3 February and run until Saturday, 25 February 2023 with evening shows at 7.30pm while the matinee shows will be at 2.15pm.  There will be Captioned Performance on 21 February and Audio Described Performance on 25 February 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.

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.

* We were provided with press tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions are our own.

Photo copyright: New Vic/Andrew Billington