Different Stages: 24 days and counting...

With a month to go until Different Stages begins we're beginning to gather together some exciting acting talent from across the North East and beyond to star in the many readings and illustrated talks taking place during the festival.

Later in the week the Office 925 team will be visiting Live to hold some castings for their unique participatory piece – I look forward to finding out who will be recruited to work in their ‘office’ and aid the development of this exciting new work-in-progress.

Last Thursday saw the first reading of Shelagh Stephenson’s A Northern Odyssey in Live’s Studio Theatre. The play was really well received and the reading process proved to be a useful experience for all involved in the development of Shelagh’s script. To hear more about this process and ask Shelagh your own questions on playwriting, don’t miss her Q&A on Thursday 11 March.

Tonight Gez Casey (Literary Manager), Rosie Kellegher (Literary Officer) and I will be catching up with the Live Writers’ Group who are in the process of redrafting their own scripts for the rehearsed readings featured in New Plays from the 2010 Writers’ Group.

On the favourite play front, Wittgenstein on Tyne is currently in the lead with 41% of the votes. However with three weeks to go anything can happen. Don't forget to cast your vote and book tickets to come along to the festival’s closing event on Sunday 21 March to watch a rehearsed reading of the winning play.

Next week it’s the turn of Gez to update you on all things 'festival-like', but in the meantime find out more by visiting Live’s website.

Tess