Charlie Hardwick to Lead the Cast of SID AND VIV at Theatre503

Charlie Hardwick (Emmerdale, ITV; Cooking with Elves, Live Theatre/Adam Kenwright; Cabaret, Live Theatre) and Patrick Driver (A Tale of Two Cities, Regent's Park Theatre; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Apollo Theatre; The Office, BBC) have been announced as the leads in Philip Correia's exciting, edgy new production Sid and Viv. They will be joined by, Aimee Kelly (Wolfblood and Wolfblood 2 BBC; Care, Warp Films), Joe Blakemore (Stan Lee's Lucky Man; Vera, ITV; The Car, Jamie Childs), Ryan Nolan (Neil, Alphabetti Theatre; Sunshine on Leith, Sage Productions; Road, Project A) and Sarah Balfour (Valhalla, Theatre503; Burning Bridges, Theatre503; Herstory 2, N16).

Everyone says Sid and Viv's house is dangerous, weird and a bit freaky. So why does Dunney think it feels so much like home? Dunney is a young lad who doesn't fit in and to make matters worse he lives in Blyth, Northumberland, voted 'the second worse town to live in Britain 1992'. His school, the police, even his parents don't want him. Nobody does. That is until he meets Sid and Viv. Sid and Viv are pensioners who don't act their age. They introduce Dunney to a side of life he's never seen before. Their house has a secret code, a left-wing dog and a 6ft python. Unbeknownst to Dunney, joining the apparently secretive gang at Sid and Viv's house has consequences he could never have imagined.

Sid and Viv is a story about lost kids and coming of age in an uncertain world - one of post truth, ethical uncertainty, 'broken' families and impending war.

This electrifying play premieres at Theatre503 in London before transferring to Northern Stage in Newcastle in October. Producers NorthSEE Theatre create cutting edge productions which provide opportunities for the best in new and established regional talent.

This is the debut play from Philip Correia, best known for his work as an actor with the National Theatre, West End, regionally and on screen. Philip was a member of the Orange Tree Writer's Collective 2015/16. Sid and Viv was a runner up in the 2015 Papatango Prize and has since been performed as a rehearsed reading at the NT Studio and at the Live Theatre! Newcastle upon Tyne.

Playwright, Philip Correia comments, We've gotten so accustomed to the message of division in the U.K. we've forgotten how to imagine. We can change the message through inclusion. That's the story of Sid and Viv. This play is about community. It's about inclusion and laughter and people. Arts participation in the North East is around 31%. This is a play to change that. Our cast our North Eastern. We're showcasing them in London and then taking them back home.

Tickets are available priced £15 (£12 concessions), Wednesday matinees are £10, Pay What You Can Saturday matinees from Theatre503 Box Office and https://theatre503.com/, 020 7978 7040.

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