‘This house isn’t unfit for habitation. We’re inhabiting it. It’s been habitated for 100 years!’

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1951 saw a third of County Durham’s villages classified as ‘D’. They were no longer deemed worthy of investment and were expected to die quietly. But they wouldn’t.

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A Way Home is a new play rooted in the stories and memories of the very people who called those D villages home. A County-wide fight lasting over 25 years becomes a 12-month journey at Bet’s kitchen table as she confronts what loss really looks like.
 

With humour, tenderness and not a small amount of grit, A Way Home speaks of fighting to be heard when no one’s listening, telling a story just as significant today as it was 70 years ago.

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Performed by: 

Jacqueline Phillips, Jackie Lye, Jude Nelson, Lawrence Neale, David Raynor, Luke Maddison

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Creative Team:

Direction by JonLuke McKie

Design by Alison Ashton

Composer Roma Yagnik

Lighting Design Simon Cole

Sound Design Rachel Glover

Stage & Production Manager Andrea Scrimshaw

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Tour Dates & Venues

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• Tuesday 7 June 7.30pm Gala Theatre

• Wednesday 8 June 7.30pm The Witham

• Thursday 9 June 7.30pm Arts Centre Washington

• Friday 10 June 7pm Clara Vale Village Hall

• Saturday 11 June 2pm & 7pm Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

• Monday 13 June 7pm St Mark’s Church

• Tuesday 14 June  2pm & 7.30pm Alnwick Playhouse

• Wednesday 15 June 7pm Trimdon Grange Community Association

• Thursday 16 June 7.30pm Binchester Community Centre

• Friday 17 June 7pm Hamsteels Community Centre

• Saturday18 June 3pm St. John’s Hall Meadowfield

• Monday 20 June 7pm Toft Hill Community Centre

• Tuesday 21 June 7pm Hamsterley & Low Westwood Community Hall

• Wednesday 22 June 7.30pm Queen’s Hall Arts Centre

• Thursday 23 June 2:30pm & 7.30pm Live Theatre

• Friday 24 June 7.30pm Live Theatre

• Saturday 25 June 7pm Coundon & Leeholme Community Centre

• Sunday 26 June 7pm Witton Park Village Hall

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The Covid-19 pandemic meant that, like so many other projects, A Way Home was put on hold. After a long two year wait, we are thrilled to be sharing the show with you at last. A huge thank you for your patience and to our funders (Arts Council England, Sunday for Sammy, Catherine Cookson Trust and Newcastle University) for their support. 

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Production shots by Matt Jamie.