Our Friends in the North (1979-84) at Newcastle Theatre Royal – review

The latest iteration of Peter Flannery’s televisual window into Northern life focuses on the Thatcher years for this special two-hour stage show from Live Theatre, Eastlake Productions and Newcastle Theatre Royal. 

Through sepia tones and nostalgic nods, the audience is introduced to the setting of 1970s Newcastle as it comes under the yoke of the Conservative government, and bears the painful consequences of the decline and systematic dismantling of the city’s industries.

Under the direction of Jack McNamara, local acclaimed actors Ryan Nolan, Sam Neale and Jack Robertson bring beloved characters Nicky, Mary and Tosker to life for a modern audience, supported by an impressive cast of homegrown talent.

Through a mesh of industrially-inspired dynamic stagecraft, self-aware narration threaded through vignette-esque dialogue, and powerful musical punctuation of poignant moments, the story of the gang’s trials and tribulations is told during the rise of Tory power and the violent clashes of the miners’ strike.

The inclusion of original TV cast member Trevor Fox in multiple brilliantly executed roles – including the wry knowing narrator and the disillusioned patriarch Felix Hutchinson – pays off, and accounts for the majority of the show’s levity as well as its pathos. This dichotomy is echoed by Scott Turnbull’s Geordie Peacock, whose tragic trajectory is expertly peppered with sparks of native wit befitting his namesake.

Jude Nelson also impresses as both the smitten Elaine and the formidable Claudia Seabrook, the latter of whom feels like a living apparition of Maggie herself. As two very different women who embody the outcomes of questionable choices made in the personal and political arenas, Nelson seamlessly and deftly moves between the two.

What the incredible individual performances add to the piece, some of the more stylised moments jostling for attention take away, though. The use of slow motion and spotlights in scenes with the most emotive potential, while technically adept, run the risk of transporting the audience out of the brutal reality of the era rather than immersing them in it.

The play does also occasionally fall into the trap of undercutting local lyricism with heavily exposition-laden dialogue that even this seasoned cast find themselves stumbling over. When it comes to pacing, some moments linger on too long while others pass too quickly, and it feels difficult to truly connect with the highs and lows of the characters as they navigate their complex lives.

For audiences unfamiliar with the setting, the production may serve as a somewhat compelling first glimpse into this pivotal time in the region’s history. However, for North East natives raised on a uniquely cultural diet of gritty storytelling that retreads the same historic local rage and discontent, this production may have missed an opportunity to uncover new perspectives and explore more stark comparisons that could have been drawn with today’s socioeconomic landscape.