Cast revealed for Our Friends in the North stage adaptation at Newcastle Theatre Royal
The full cast has been announced for the new stage adaptation of Peter Flannery’s acclaimed BBC drama Our Friends in the North, which runs at Newcastle Theatre Royal from 15 to 24 October. This production marks a major collaboration between Live Theatre, Eastlake Productions and Newcastle Theatre Royal, focusing on two pivotal years in the story.
Our Friends in the North (1979–84) is being adapted for the stage by Live Theatre artistic director Jack McNamara, who co-wrote the script with the original writer Peter Flannery. The production concentrates on the years 1979 and 1984 rather than the full nine-part television series, capturing the era’s political and social shifts.
Ryan Nolan will play Nicky, Scott Turnbull takes the role of Geordie, Jack Robertson stars as Tosker, and Sam Neale portrays Mary. An ensemble cast including Meena Al-Nawrasy, Chris Connel, Jane Holman, Leo James, Cooper McDonough, Jude Nelson and Robert Punchard also joins the production.
Originally broadcast in 1996, Our Friends in the North followed four Newcastle friends through three decades of post-war Britain. The television series was widely praised for its exploration of friendship, politics and social change, launching the careers of actors such as Daniel Craig, Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee and Mark Strong.
Set against the backdrop of a new political era beginning in 1979, the stage adaptation sees Nicky drawn into Westminster politics, Tosker embarking on a transformative romance, and Geordie becoming involved in Newcastle’s criminal underworld. By 1984, the friends confront the personal and political turmoil of the miners’ strike.
Jack McNamara highlighted the regional talent involved, stating that the casting process attracted hundreds of actors from across the North East. He praised the diversity of experience in the cast, from established performers to members of Live Theatre’s Youth Theatre, describing the group as “an ensemble to die for.”
This new production brings the iconic story firmly back to its home city, providing a fresh theatrical look at a defining moment in British cultural and political history.
