Gerry & Sewell – Newcastle Theatre Royal

Writer and Director: Jamie Eastlake

Based on the Book by: Jonathan Tulloch

Geordies are a passionate lot, and Newcastle United boasts one of the most fervent set of fans in football. Every match day, St James’ Park is packed with up to 52,000 Maggies, there to support the Toon Army. For those not familiar with this vernacular, it may all seem a bit confusing, but to the supporters of NUFC, it borders on a religion, and everything connected, even tangentially, with their team becomes a big deal.

That leads us to The Season Ticket, a 2000 book written by Jonathan Tulloch and charting the misadventures of two under-privileged lads in the North East whose only desire is to get season tickets for Newcastle United. It’s a tale of friendship and hardship, and was very successfully turned into the film Purely Belter. Over the past 24 years, both the book and the film adaptation have gained a following, not least from the fans of the football team it centres around, which has led to this stage adaptation of the original book that also includes knowing (and sometimes literal) winks to the movie.

Gerry & Sewell follows the titular characters and their close friendship which keeps them going through tough times. Gerry is the “brains” of the team, while Sewell is slow-witted but kind-hearted, drawing close parallels with George and Lenny from Of Mice and Men but with more equality within the relationship. Their mission to save enough money to buy their tickets leads them to cross paths with a collection of funny and sometime frightening characters, as well as face up to the hardships that their difficult lives throw at them.

As the central duo, Dean Logan (Gerry) and Jack Robertson (Sewell) are excellent and display a chemistry that never makes one doubt their close friendship. Robertson’s Sewell is very much the comedy relief and his performance is a master class in timing and delivery. Whether he is stuffing his face with food, struggling to understand the simplest of concepts, making meta comments about the action on stage, or delivering a glitzy rendition of a Barry Manilow classic, this is a superb performance that stands out in a sea of exceptional talent. Logan has a lot more dramatic lifting to do in the role of Gerry, and effortlessly delivers a well-rounded performance that balances the Geordie comedy with the heart-breaking tragedy of the character. His delivery of a couple of heart-wrenching monologues is sublime and he ably displays the heart that anchors the piece.

There are only four other performers in the main cast, and each delivers perfectly. Michelle Heaton is Gerry’s mother, a set-upon spouse who is struggling to keep her family going and doing whatever it takes to keep a roof over their heads while avoiding her villainous estranged husband played by Bill Ward. Ward’s character is a lurking presence for much of the show, and although the reason for his estrangement is never explicitly explained, the script does an excellent job of leaving the audience with no doubt as to his crimes. Both Heaton’s and Ward’s characterisations perfectly convey the abusee/abuser relationship that the characters have even when they share little time together on stage, her as vulnerable and nervous as he is confident and arrogant. This too goes for Erin Mullen who plays Gerry’s runaway sister Bridget, a tragic figure who floats around the edges of the story until coming into focus in the closing scenes. Mullen beautifully plays the object of Gerry’s love who quickly disappoints when reality kicks in. Almost every other character from a local “radgie”, to Gerry’s nana, to an eccentric local scrap merchant and a well-spoken social worker, and even including Sewell’s dog, is played by the startlingly versatile and talented Becky Clayburn. Displaying a rich intensity and well as a flair for comedy, Clayburn is the glue that holds this entire show together, acting almost like a Greek chorus as she delivers impassioned verse to the audience and quickly physically transforming into different characters with the minimum use of costume.

The fixed set, built by The Set Guise to look like a couple of Tyne and Wear’s famous Metro stations, is fantastic. It even includes a Metro train that pulls in and out of the station, as well as a filthy looking caravan that is the scene of some questionable (but thankfully not shown) activities. This is perfectly complimented by Nathan Reynard’s outstanding lighting, and although there were some issues with sound and balance, these will no doubt be ironed out for subsequent performances.

Gerry & Sewell is clearly a passion project for writer/director Jamie Eastlake and it not only touches on the local people’s love of their home team, but also the downs that come when that team struggles both internally and on the pitch, as well as the hard time that the North East always has when austerity kicks in. Eastlake addresses all of the social issues very well, and sugars the pill with a very healthy scoop of wit and good old fashioned North Eastern humour. Meanwhile his direction is equally assured and powerful, juggling the many characters and locations seamlessly with the use of a limited cast and set. This is an amazing calling card for an obviously hugely talented young man.

The crowd on press night went wild for Gerry & Sewell. It went down an absolute storm with the Newcastle Theatre Royal audience, and earned a multitude of laughs, cheers and a well-deserved standing ovation. However, one cannot help but wonder if this play will be able to travel. The story is universal, but the thick layer of regional references and the massive over-arching presence of NUFC, may make this a difficult one to sell outside of Tyneside. Of course, these elements could be toned down for subsequent productions, and a little show called Billy Elliot did quite well in other parts of the world. Let’s hope that Gerry & Sewell has legs, it is definitely worthy of a wider audience.

One thing is for certain, this will never play on Sunderland Empire!

Runs until 5th October 2024