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I love the play Shakers by John Godber and so it was great to hear that a new production is on its way to the North East, arriving in Sunderland, Alnwick and Hexham in the next couple of weeks.
Shakers began its life in 1984 presented by the Hull Truck Theatre Company. As the John Godber Company says on its website:
“[The women] work in a bar that is worse than hell! Welcome to the 80s, where every town has its Shakers, the oh so trendy cocktail bar where everyone wants to be seen, from the checkout girls to the chinless wonders, from the luvvies to the local lads tittering at the thought of a ‘long slow comfortable screw’.”
Shakers has been performed all over the world and has had a few updates along the way. The new production, Shakers Under New Management is produced by Theatre Royal Wakefield and the John Godber Company. The play opens in Wakefield and then goes on tour in the next few weeks.
Meet the cast
Nicky is played by Yasmin Dawes, a Midlands-born actor and creative. She trained at Rose Bruford College and spent a semester as an acting major at Syracuse University in New York State. Her theatre credits include: Underwater Love (Futures Theatre), Wicked Women (Tmesis Theatre) and May Queen (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry).
Adele is played by Jazmine Franks who is best known for playing the role of Esther Bloom
in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks. Her other credits include DCI Banks (ITV), Shameless (Channel 4) and The Street (ITV).
Mel is played by Rebecca Tebbett who graduated from LAMDA in 2017 and was awarded the Laurence Olivier Bursary whilst training. Rebecca’s TV credits include: Call the Midwife (BBC) and Murder Maps (UKTV). Her theatre credits include: Nutcracker Re-Miced (Durham Gala); Hound of The Baskervilles (Northern Stage); Jane Eyre (The Watermill) and Fragment (Battersea Arts Centre).
I can’t wait to see what they have done in the new production!
North East dates (click links for more information and to book)
Tuesday 20 September The Fire Station, Sunderland
Wednesday 21 & Thursday 22 September Alnwick Playhouse
Friday 23 & Saturday 24 September Queens Hall, Hexham
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