Live Theatre Announces Cast for WET HOUSE and COOKING WITH ELVIS

Live Theatre's Artistic Director Max Roberts today announced the cast for his next two 40th birthday productions. The line-up will see Joe Caffrey and Riley Jones, who have just completed a nationwide tour of The Pitmen Painters, take to the stage in both plays.

First they will perform in Wet House, a brand new play by Newcastle based writer Paddy Campbell, before going on to star in the revival of Lee Hall's seminal play Cooking with Elvis, this autumn.

Wet House is the first full length play by 33 year old Paddy who drew on first-hand experience working in a wet house (a hostel for homeless people that caters for alcoholics) to create this dark comedy. Tinged with sadness and tragedy the play questions how do you keep your head when everyone else is off theirs?

When Andy, an idealistic young graduate played by Riley Jones, gets a job in a wet house he is plunged into a twilight world where the rules about what is right and what is normal have become a little blurred. And that's just among the other staff.

Joe Caffrey, who will play hostel resident Dinger, and Riley will be joined by Chris Connel (The Pitmen Painters), Jackie Lye, who made her professional stage debut in C.P. Taylor's And A Nightingale Sang at Live Theatre over 30 years ago, David Nellist (You Really Couldn't Make It Up) and Eva Quinn, who will be starring in her first full length Live Theatre production.

Writer Paddy Campbell, who has been nurtured through Live Theatre's new writing development programme, has been mentored by former Live Theatre writer-in-residence Lee Hall (The Pitmen Painters, Billy Elliot). Lee said:

"It's fitting that in its 40th birthday year Live Theatre have unearthed and commissioned yet another exciting new writing talent. Paddy's play possesses a subject matter that is important and prescient, his characters smack of authenticity and there's a searing emotional depth to the piece that is both arresting and heart breaking. He's also seriously funny - it marks a highly impressive debut."

The world premiere of Wet House will be followed by the return of Lee Hall's provocative and hilarious play Cooking with Elvis which had its world premiere at Live Theatre in 1998. Fifteen years on, the play will again be directed by Max Roberts and actor Joe Caffrey will reprise his role as a paralysed Elvis impersonator. Joe said:

"I am pleased to be heading back to Live Theatre to feature in two plays as part of the Theatre's 40th birthday celebrations. Whilst I am excited to be reprising my role of Dad/Elvis in Lee Hall's Cooking with Elvis, I am also looking forward to the challenge of playing one of the unruly residents in Paddy Campbell's darkly comic play Wet House which we start rehearsing this week."

Cooking with Elvis is a homage to the King of over-consumption and a heartfelt exploration of loss and longing. When an amateur Elvis impersonator is paralysed in a car crash, his wife and daughter (casting to be confirmed) are forced to cope with the aftermath. Jill tried to replace him by cooking. Mam tries to replace him with sex. Unfortunately they both try their talents out on the same man, played by Riley Jones.

Following the recent sell-out success of Max Roberts's last play, Tyne by Michael Chaplin, Live Theatre's Artistic Director is hoping that audiences will join him to help celebrate the rest of the company's birthday year. Max said:

"Cooking with Elvis is one of Live Theatre's greatest hits, so in our 40th birthday year it seemed appropriate to revive it here in Newcastle for the first time since its premiere in 1998. That it has been produced extensively nationally and internationally since our premiere is a testimony to its universal appeal, emotional intensity and wild anarchic humour.

"I am also excited about working with Paddy to bring Wet House, a story about people who become gripped by alcohol, to the stage. The play addresses head on and honestly a really important issue that affects our lives and culture but in an incredibly accessible way. Including tragedy and sadness Wet House is also quite beautiful and hilarious. Being able to use comedy to address important and significant issues is a wonderful gift. Lee Hall has that skill in spades but Paddy also has that ability and that's why I am looking forward to directing his play."

Wet House is on from Wednesday 18 September to Saturday 5 October and Cooking with Elvis takes to the stage from Thursday 17 October to Saturday 23 November. For more information or to book tickets visit www.live.org.uk or contact the box office on (0191) 232 1232.

Notes to Editors:

Wednesday 18 September to Saturday 5 October

Wet House

How do you keep your head when everyone else is off theirs?

"So what brings you to the care industry? And please don't say you want to make a difference."

When Andy, an idealistic young graduate, gets a job in a Wet House, a homeless hostel where residents can drink alcohol, he is plunged into a twilight world where the rules about what is right and what is normal have become a little blurred. And that's just among the other staff.

A comedy tinged with sadness and tragedy, Wet House tells the story of how to keep your head when everyone else is off theirs.

Based on his own first-hand experience, Paddy Campbell's startlingly original first full length play asks who will look after the people that no one else will look after?

DATES: Wednesday 18 September to Saturday 5 October
PERFORMANCES: Tue-Sat 7.30pm

LOCATION: Main Theatre

DURA TION: Approx 2 hours, including interval

SUITABILITY: 14+, contains strong language, scenes of violence and adult themes

TICKETS: £22-£10, £15 - £5 concs

Paddy Campbell

Paddy is a Northern Irish writer based in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2007 he completed Live Theatre's Introduction to Playwriting course and has worked extensively with Live Theatre since. His work with Live Theatre includes Dial a Mate, The Potting Pelaw Python, I Just Feel So Special, Home Help, Angel 2106, The Group, Perjury and Tis The Season. He has also had work produced there in co-productions with National Theatre (The Great Unwashed) and Nabokov (The Nest).

Paddy has also worked as a dramaturg on Live Theatre's young writer's projects, First Draft and Write Stuff.

His plays for other companies include Flowerpet (GIFT Festival), My New Favourite Place (a children's play for Theatre Auracaria), Breaking Point (Northumbrian Touring Theatre), The Conceptualist's Mam (Ink Festival) and School Run (Sage Gateshead).

Wet House is Paddy's first full length play.

Thursday 17 October to Saturday 23 November

Cooking with Elvis

Sex, food and a paralysed Elvis feature in this hugely popular play by Lee Hall (The Pitmen Painters, Billy Elliot). Premiered at Live Theatre to great acclaim and subsequently performed all over the world Cooking with Elvis has been revived in a brand new production as part of Live Theatre's 40th birthday celebrations.

Jill's fanatical about food. Mam still thinks she's a peach and dad's a vegetable.

When an amateur Elvis impersonator is paralysed in a car crash, his wife and daughter are forced to cope with the aftermath. Jill tried to replace him by cooking. Mam tries to replace him with sex. Unfortunately they both try their talents out on the same man.

Part knockabout farce, part cookery course, and part philosophical investigation, Cooking with Elvis is a homage to the King of over-consumption and a heartfelt exploration of loss and longing.

In this provocative and hilarious play, tragedy rubs shoulders with a farcical love triangle, classic 70's Elvis songs, and the odd fry up.

DATES: Thursday 17 October to Saturday 23 November

LOCATION: Main Theatre
PERFORMANCES: Tue-Sat, 7.30pm
MATINEES: Sun 10 Nov, 4pm, Thur 14 Nov, Sat 16 Nov, Thur 21 Nov & Sat 23 Nov, 2pm

DURA TION: Approx 2 hours, including an interval

SUITABILITY: 18+

TICKETS: £22 - £10, £10 - £5 concs

Let's Be Friends

The support of the Friends of Live Theatre helps Live Theatre to continue to develop creative talent, unlock the potential of young people through our education and outreach programmes and create new plays of a world class quality into the future.

The money raised contributes towards one Live Theatre production annually. This year, Paddy Campbell's Wet House is the production supported by the Friends of Live Theatre.

Our Friends receive exclusive benefits including discounted tickets, behind-the-scenes access, invitations to special events and a discount at the Atrium Bar. All from as little as £5 a month.

As a registered charity we can also claim Gift Aid on memberships, which makes our Friends support go further.

About Live Theatre

From its base on Newcastle's quayside, Live Theatre produces work as varied and diverse as the audiences it engages with. To do this it:

• Creates and performs new plays of world class quality
• Finds and develops creative talent
• Unlocks the potential of young people through theatre.

Founded in 1973, the theatre was transformed in 2007 via a £5.5million redevelopment. The result is a beautifully restored and refurbished complex of five Grade II listed buildings with state-of-the-art facilities in a unique historical setting, including a 160 seat cabaret style theatre, a Studio Theatre, renovated rehearsal rooms, a series of dedicated writer's rooms as well as a thriving café and bar.

In 2013 Live Theatre celebrates 40 years of making plays. A special year-long relationship with Port of Tyne to support its 40th anniversary programme recognises Live Theatre's own strong connections to the river, the Port and the trading heritage of the region.

Live Theatre is grateful for the support of Arts Council England and Newcastle City Council.

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