Big Ange, Live Theatre Newcastle Review
Written by Stacy for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Big Ange at Live Theatre doesn’t just tell a story...it invites you in, addresses you, holds you to account. From its early moments, the production breaks the barrier between stage and audience, with characters looking out and calling us to join in.
Jamie Eastlake’s script has a punchy rhythm that keeps everything moving with a plot rooted in ordinary life, yet it never stops reaching for something bigger. It has sharp political edges, but there is a warmth underneath that makes the darker moments land harder. The result is a production that feels both grounded and surprisingly stirring, with action that moves from football through to fractured communities.
Joann Condon leads the cast as Angela, and she is tremendous. From dinner lady to junior football coach of a group of boys with uncertain and messy futures - she is the linchpin. Condon gives Ange a mix of stubborn pride, big laughs and emotional depth. I loved the way she lets Angela wobble, fail, try again and still somehow keep her belief that ordinary people matter more than any blaring headline. Condon never pushes too hard, which makes the character feel wonderfully real.
Curtis Appleby gives Steven a restless energy. You can sense a storm brewing in him long before the plot reveals why he feels cornered. Appleby keeps him human, not a symbol, and that choice makes his journey far more affecting. Erin Mullen, as Caroline, brings a protective loyalty that gives the story weight. She nails the complicated bond between siblings who love each other but speak in short, sharp bursts that hide everything important.
Lucy Eve Mann brings a chill to the stage with a recruiter who smiles too neatly and watches everyone too closely. She never overplays it, which makes her scenes even more unsettling. Gavin Webster’s Dirk has the odd charm of a man who has seen too much and learned too little, and his presence adds both humour and tension. Ashen Hazel, in his professional debut, gives the Boy a softness that lifts the whole ensemble. His scenes feel honest, and it is impossible not to root for him.
The staging is simple but alive with motion, and the whole cast uses the space in clever ways that keep the atmosphere tight. The story looks straight at resentment, anger and the easy answers offered by dangerous movements, yet it never loses sight of the possibility of change.
The visual and audio world of the show is vivid. There are projected housing estates collapsing, graffiti glaring like signs, and an eclectic soundtrack, including Neil Diamond moments popping in and out, giving the action an unlikely mood but one that somehow juxtaposes perfectly.
This show certainly does not pretend that fixing a broken community is easy, but it makes the case that one determined voice can start a shift. For a play about anger and division, Big Ange leaves you with something much more valuable. It's fearless, warm and alive with energy - proof that a single courageous soul can light up a whole audience.
Big Ange plays at Live Theatre, Newcastle until 22 November
★ ★ ★ ★
