New music theatre show A Street Like This to make premiere this June

New music theatre show A Street Like This is to make its premiere this June.

Unfolding Theatre have announced the piece, written by Alison Carr with original music by Ross Millard (The Futureheads), will open at The Fire Station, Sunderland on 29 June before touring this autumn.

Co-created with local residents in Sunderland, A Street Like This explores what unifies people in a city, where division exists, and what keeps people apart.

One normal street, three different people, one massive sinkhole.

A Street Like This takes us from the everyday to the extraordinary, in a music filled theatre production that reminds us we’ve got more in common than divides us.

Director Annie Rigby said: “I’m incredibly excited to direct A Street Like This. Alison Carr’s writing is brilliant at weaving together the everyday and the extraordinary. It’s a show that is full of surprises, laughter, music and huge amounts of joy. Set on a ’normal’ street, where people feel disconnected and stuck in their routines, it shows how big, unexpected events can open up new possibilities.”

Writer Alison Carr (Until It’s Gone, Stellar Quines/Traverse Theatre, Finalist for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2022) added: “It’s been a long-time ambition to work with Unfolding Theatre, so I’m thrilled it’s finally happening. I’m loving working with the team and the community cast. Everyone involved has been so generous with their ideas and so open to trying things out. It wouldn’t be the show it is without all of the contributions, and I’m enjoying being a part of making and shaping it. I look forward to welcoming audiences along to our street!”

Ross Millard has co-written original music for A Street Like This, following his first collaboration with Unfolding Theatre on Putting the Band Back Together. He said: “Getting the chance to follow-up with the group formed during Putting the Band Together and moving into co-creation territory has been really appealing to me. We’ve gained some new members along the way, and it has been great to see the collective confidence of the group grow and grow. We’ve had an impressive number of song submissions and workshop-generated material and seeing that come to life as part of this brand new musical show will be very satisfying.

“It’s about community, ambition, dreams and routines made by an actual community, with disparate voices, opinions and ways of seeing the world. The group have supported one another throughout the process to write and perform and, particularly coming out of the pandemic, some of the conversations we’ve had along the way have felt really pertinent – I think that will certainly come across in the show.”

The creative team also includes award-winning Designer Imogen Cloët who has worked with heritage, theatre and film companies including Channel 4 Films, Northern Stage, the BBC and the National Trust.

The cast are Karen Traynor (Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light, Alphabetti Theatre), Kylie Ann Ford (Blue Jean, BBC Films) and Alex Elliott (Putting the Band Back Together, Unfolding Theatre).

For more information and tickets, visit www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/whatson