Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne

Northern Stage is a theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, set on King’s Walk beside Newcastle University’s city-centre campus. It sits opposite the students’ union building and forms part of the university’s arts quarter. The theatre began life in 1970 as the University Theatre, designed by Sir William Whitfield as a flexible space with three bars and the Gulbenkian Studio. In 1978 it became the Newcastle Playhouse, then in 1992 it reopened under the name Northern Stage. A £9 million refurbishment in 2006 transformed the building and added an art installation on the roof. The theatre is worth visiting for its programme of local, national and international productions. It runs three stages, the largest seating 447 people, and includes a café-bar for intervals. The company has premiered major revivals such as the first-ever staging of Our Friends in the North in 2007. It has also collaborated with figures like Robert Lepage and staged new adaptations of classic works by Angela Carter and Henrik Ibsen. Recent seasons have featured productions in partnership with Newcastle’s Greyscale theatre company. Inside, visitors find a modern auditorium with adaptable seating and sight-lines. The café-bar opens onto the foyer, where programmes and posters announce the next show. The Gulbenkian Studio hosts smaller performances and events. Outside, the theatre overlooks the busy campus walkway and the nearby students’ union. The rooftop art installation Escapology remains a landmark above the city streets.