TYNE – the play about the river and its people – was “serendipity” says writer Michael Chaplin. A number of factors came together in the run-up to the production, seen at Newcastle’s Live Theatre last year and now revived both north and south of the river in South Shields and Newcastle.

The initial idea came out of hisbook, Tyne View, as writer-in-residence for the Port of Tyne, one of the partners in the production. “When I was writing the book I could see a way of making a play out of it with a fictional centre,” he explains.

“It was pointed out it was Live’s 40th anniversary season and I thought if we did a play it should involve other Live writers before me who’ve written about the Tyne.

“The play was an opportunity to embrace all that as part of the Festival of the North-East and the idea of celebrating the North-East’s distinctive culture. It fitted like a glove.”

Tyne the play maps the epic history, atmosphere and soul of the mighty river in story, music and images.

It dramatises extracts from his book, together with stories from North-East writers, including Tom Hadaway, Julia Darling, Alan Plater and Sid Chaplin.

Kathryn Tickell, one of the movers behind the Festival of the North- East, is the show’s musical director.

She’s compiled music inspired by the river including from Sting’s most recent album The Last Ship, songs by Jimmy Nail and Alex Glasgow, and traditional folk songs. All are sung and performed with live musical accompaniment by the cast.

Both Customs House executive director Ray Spencer and Theatre Royal chief executive Philip Bernays saw the original show and talks about touring it to their venues followed.

“That wasn’t the original plan, but you always hope when you do a production that it might have another life. It’s obviously great from Live’s point of view to have it in two more theatres,” says Chaplin.

Some changes have been made for the new dates. That fact that Live Theatre is situated in a former bonded warehouse was used in the original production.

“I spent a day around the Customs House, which is near the river in an area with a very long and rich maritime connections. So I rewrote the second scene with a song.

“The Theatre Royal doesn’t have many maritime connections, so I’ve made some changes. I’ve added a song, Sally Wheatley, by 19th Century songwriter Joe Wilson.

“There are two changes of cast and one of them, Michael Lumley, who’s playing the father in the story, is a fantastic singer, so we thought it would be good to give him a song of his own. The changes have also enabled choreographer Lee Proud to put in a dance.”

The new venues are very different to the small, intimate feel of Live.

“The Customs House seats more than Live but it’s an intimate space, but I don’t think you can say that about the Theatre Royal although as big theatres go it’s a good space and the acoustics are absolutely fantastic.

I like to think that the music and kind of movement in the piece means it will work there too,” says Chaplin.

The pieces in the play by other writers address elements of the story of the Tyne. “I didn’t feel I was trying to shoehorn them in. It seemed natural to have them there as an aspect of the celebration,” he says.

“Celebration is in the very DNA of the play. Even though there are some very sad parts to the real history and fictitious story of the family, the general atmosphere is celebratory and it’s timeless.”

The first play with which Michael Chaplin was involved at Live featured a very different subject matter, but the elements used were not that different to Tyne. In Blackberry Time was an adaptation of his father’s unpublished stories by Alan Plater, who asked Michael Chaplin “as a play rookie” to work with him on it. That had lots of stories and narratives too.

“One of the things I learnt from Alan is when you’re putting these things together is not to make it overcomplicated.

Simple is good in my book,” says Chaplin.

Tyne

  • South Shields Customs House until Saturday. Box office 0191- 4541234 and online customshouse.co.uk
  • Newcastle Theatre Royal, March 4-8. Box office 08448- 112121 and online theatreroyal.co.uk