Ballet Lorent

08/10/2026

🍭 JUST THREE WEEKS TO GO! 🍭

Three weeks today, Hansel & Gretel and the Witch opens at Northern Stage in Newcastle!

On 29 October, audiences in the North East will be the very first to experience our brand-new fairytale before it tours nationally in Spring 2027.

Created and rehearsed right here at our studio at the John Marley Centre in West Newcastle, this is a very special moment for a production that has been made right here in the North East.

You might know the story.

But you definitely don’t know it like this.

Expect sugar-glass houses, an all-you-can-eat merry-go-round, a regenerating witch, two giant chickens, spectacular costumes and a feast of knitted and crocheted treats.

And there’s a twist in the tale… former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy has written a brand-new ending that might not be quite what you expect.

Murray Gold, the acclaimed composer best known for his work on Doctor Who, returns with an evocative new score.

Set designer Mayou Trikerioti, lighting designer Malcolm Rippeth and costume designer Nazir Mazhar create a richly imagined world under the direction and choreography of Liv Lorent.

With nine professional dancers, a young community cast and narration by Gina McKee, this is a fairytale like you’ve never seen it before.

📅 29 October–1 November 2026
📍 Northern Stage, Newcastle
👧 Ages 5+
🎟️ Tickets from £12

Three weeks. One brand-new fairytale. And a very unusual Witch.

Be among the first to see Hansel & Gretel and the Witch before it tours nationally in Spring 2027.

🎟️ Book your tickets:
https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/hansel-gretel-and-the-witch/

📸 Luke Waddington Photography

Dancer: Berta Admetlla

07/10/2026

Who doesn’t like dancing as if no one is watching?

A jukebox of songs. Dancers from different generations. A glitter ball, mirrors, lights, costumes, props and a dance floor.

Best Worst Dances is an unpredictable night of music, movement and performance. Dancers step into the spotlight, take risks, try new things and give themselves over to the music.

It’s about the freedom to move, the pleasure of being together and the sheer joy of losing yourself on the dance floor.

Human, funny, sexy and real. A celebration of individuality, spontaneity and the irresistible urge to dance.

“Glitter ball, mirrors, lights, bar, jukebox… the unmistakable signs of balletLORENT in After Dark mode. Life-affirming.”
David Whetstone, Cultured North East

And when the show is over, the dance floor is yours.

Stay for a drink, meet the dancers or get up and join in.

LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE

THURS 3, FRI 4 & SAT 5 DECEMBER
Doors 7.15pm • Show 8pm • Close 10.30pm

balletLORENT John Marley Centre, NE15 6TT
Tickets £20 • 16–25 £15 • Pay bar

Dance like nobody’s watching this Christmas.

Book your tickets: https://www.balletlorent.com/productions/best-worst-dances

05/10/2026

HANSEL, GRETEL AND THE WITCH

Join us for a special matinee performance of Hansel, Gretel and the Witch on Saturday 31 October.

Step into an enchanted forest and follow Hansel and Gretel on a magical adventure filled with mystery, music, fun and a few surprises along the way.

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to enjoy this much-loved fairytale with all the family.

Saturday 31 October
Matinee performance 1.30pm

Come along, bring the family and enjoy an afternoon of theatre, magic and adventure.

Book your tickets now: https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/hansel-gretel-and-the-witch/

Photo Luke Luke Waddington Photography
Dancers: Montaine Ponceau, Gavin Coward, Berta Admetlla

05/10/2026

Community central: balletLORENT in five voices

Community casts have been part of balletLORENT’s work for more than 30 years, bringing people of different ages, backgrounds and experience onto the stage alongside our professional dancers.

In a article for Animated magazine earlier this year, Artistic Director Liv Lorent talks about why community performers are such an important part of how we make our work.

You can also hear from four people who have taken part in our community casts over the years – from Ebony, who first performed with balletLORENT aged eight, to Helen, who joined the cast of Best Worst Dances at 51.

From children appearing on stage for the first time to adults rediscovering their creativity, their stories show what being part of a balletLORENT community cast can mean.

Read the full article on our website. https://www.balletlorent.com/news/community-central-balletlorent-five-voices

Dancers and their babies on stage in Rapunzel 2024

Photographer: Luke Waddington Photography

02/10/2026

Just four weeks to go until the premiere of Hansel & Gretel and the Witch!

We’re counting down to 29 October, when our brand-new fairytale arrives at Northern Stage in Newcastle – and the North East will be the first audience to see it before it tours nationally in Spring 2027.

Created and rehearsed here at our studio at the John Marley Centre in West Newcastle, this is a special moment for a production that has been made right here in the North East.

You might know the story. But you definitely don’t know it like this.

Expect sugar-glass houses, an all-you-can-eat merry-go-round, a regenerating witch, two giant chickens, spectacular costumes and a feast of knitted and crocheted treats.

And there’s a twist in the tale… former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy has written a brand-new ending that might not be quite what you expect.

With nine professional dancers, a young community cast, narration by Gina McKee, music by Murray Gold, and direction and choreography by Liv Lorent.

29 October–1 November 2026
Northern Stage, Newcastle
Ages 5+
Tickets from £12

Be among the first to see Hansel & Gretel and the Witch before it tours in Spring 2027.

Book your tickets: https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/hansel-gretel-and-the-witch/

Photo Luke Luke Waddington Photography
Dancers: Montaine Ponceau, Gavin Coward, Berta Admetlla

30/09/2026

BEST WORST DANCES
Who doesn’t like dancing as if no one is watching?

A jukebox of songs, adult dancers from different generations, a glitter ball, mirrors, lights, costumes, props and a dance floor.

Best Worst Dances is an unpredictable night of music, movement and performance — dancers step into the spotlight, take risks, try new moves and put themselves out there. Succeeding and failing in equal measure.
“Glitter ball, mirrors, lights, bar, jukebox… the unmistakable signs of balletLORENT in After Dark mode. Life-affirming.”
David Whetstone, Cultured North East

Human, funny, sexy and real. A joyful, no-perfectionist riot where losing yourself on the dance floor is far more delicious than trying to be cool.

And when the show is over, the dance floor is yours. Stay for a drink, meet the dancers or get up and join in.

LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE
THURS 3, FRI 4 & SAT 5 DECEMBER
Doors 7.15pm • Show 8pm • Close 10.30pm
balletLORENT John Marley Centre, NE15 6TT
Tickets £20 • 16–25 £15 • Pay bar

Dance like nobody’s watching this Christmas.
Book your tickets: https://balletlorent.pembee.app/activity/69fddfedf6fd9b4181e7bea2

30/09/2026

30/09/2026

We’re pleased to share some good news: balletLORENT has been awarded £45,000 over two years from the Garfield Weston Foundation.

The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded grant-maker supporting charities across the UK that make a positive difference within their communities. Since it was established in 1958, the Foundation has awarded nearly £1.7 billion in grants to charities across the UK.

This funding will help us move forward with some of our plans for the next two years – strengthening the work we do from our home at the John Marley Centre in West Newcastle and across the UK.

It will support our work creating new dance theatre and developing opportunities for children, young people and adults to take part in dance and creative activity, including our Youth Academy, community classes and Community Cast programme for Hansel & Gretel and the Witch, touring nationally in Spring 2027.

We’re very grateful to the Garfield Weston Foundation for supporting balletLORENT and helping us continue to create opportunities for people to experience, take part in and be inspired by dance.



Luke Waddington Photography
Hansel & Gretel and the Witch - Dancers: Montaine Ponceau, Toby Fitzgibbons

29/09/2026

New dates are live for Professional Class at balletLORENT

Are you a graduate or professional dancer based in the North East?

Our company class is open to local dance artists, offering a welcoming space to train, connect with other professionals and develop your practice alongside the balletLORENT company.

📅 New dates:
11 & 12 November
18 & 19 November
25 & 26 November

📍 balletLORENT Studio, John Marley Centre, Newcastle
💫 Free to attend
🎟️ Advance online booking required

Tuesdays: 9.30–10.30am
Thursdays: 10–11am

Each class reflects the company’s practice and current artistic work, so no two sessions are quite the same.

Book your place: https://balletlorent.pembee.app/activity/6a6c7abd5a6517e2836a3de2

Please check the booking page for the latest times, as these can occasionally change.

29/09/2026

From Doctor Who to Hansel & Gretel…

The composer behind the music of Doctor Who, Gentleman Jack, Q***r as Folk, Shameless, Years and Years and A Very English Scandal has created the original score for balletLORENT’s brand-new Hansel & Gretel and the Witch.

Murray has worked with balletLORENT since 2012, composing the music for all of our fairytale productions. In fact, when we were looking for the next story in our fairytale series, Murray suggested Hansel & Gretel. He loved the story and thought it would make a great balletLORENT production.

Now that suggestion has made its way onto the stage — with Murray’s music taking us into a world of sugar-glass houses, giant chickens, a regenerating witch and an all-you-can-eat merry-go-round.

Murray has been nominated for five BAFTAs and his music has been performed around the world, including at the Royal Albert Hall.

Come and hear his latest score at the world premiere of Hansel & Gretel and the Witch.

📍 Northern Stage, Newcastle
📅 29 October–1 November
🎟️ Tickets from £12
Ages 5+

https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/hansel-gretel-and-the-witch/

Northern Stage

Photo Luke Luke Waddington Photography
Dancers: Montaine Ponceau, Gavin Coward, Berta Admetlla