Alphabetti Theatre is based in Newcastle Upon Tyne and was created by Ali Pritchard. We create, produce and program new original work from emerging artists across the performing arts, working in Music, Theatre, Comedy and Poetry.

Our ambition is to create performances that can be enjoyed by all. We strive to make theatre that is accessible and relatable; it will amuse and yet still leave the audience thinking at the end.  We are constantly looking for new ways to challenge ourselves, physically, mentally and conceptually – we believe that by challenging ourselves we inevitably challenge the audience. 

We champion the fringe culture of Newcastle upon Tyne being an entry point for artists and audiences alike.

Alphabetti

In austerity comes opportunity, Alphabetti found their current home ironically to the recession - in the basement of an old office block. Since the business moved out the basement has been many things: an illegal underground nightclub, a film set, a workshop and dance studio and now a FRINGE THEATRE!

Alphabetti Theatre have now been here since 1st March 2015 and if all parties are happy their contract will be renewed each year until the owners decide to knock the place down! Alphabetti have an alcohol license for the space meaning that the bar profits pay for the work.

History

Alphabetti launched in 2012 to take their debut production of Teeth in Eggcups to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, performing on the top deck of The Laughing Horse Comedy Bus. The production was at the fringe for 16 nights filling every performance and receiving praise from reviewers and audiences alike. The company thought it was made; they had battled the fringe and come out victorious! However upon returning to Newcastle upon Tyne Alphabetti soon grew irritated at the lack of opportunities to perform for emerging artists. So in early 2013 they decided to open their own venue. On a shoestring budget the company transformed a derelict, dejected room above The Dog & Parrot pub into Newcastle’s first multi-purpose fringe performance space. The company ran this space for 18 months, creating over 3,000 opportunities for emerging artists and receiving two grants for the arts from Arts Council England to aid their work.

In September 2014 we decided to move out on in search for a new space that would enable us to have our own bar and a bigger performance space. Whilst on this quest Alphabetti had four sell out performances in Live Theatre's studio and a near capacity audience at The Stand comedy club.

In December 2014 Alphabetti found a new venue, in the basement of 18 New Bridge Street, which has been open since March 2015. Since that time we have become embedded in the city's cultural scene giving a home to hundreds of local artists as both a place to socialise and to showcase their work. As a company in our own right we have produced in-house productions which have been both well-received and critically acclaimed and have established us within the region as an exciting and well-respected theatre company producing high-quality work and comissioning talented new writers.