

hello
I'M
Ali PritChard.
Writer.
Director.
Creative.
Online work.
Alphabetti Theatre and Woven Nest Present
Love From
Written & Directed By Ali Pritchard
Premiered: Monday 21st December 2020
Age recommendation: Suitable for all the family
Running time: 55 mins
Alphabetti Theatre and Woven Nest present a new Christmas show for you to enjoy online. Originally intended for single household performances the team have adapted to bring you something really special online. Created by Alphabetti’s award-winning Artistic / Executive Director (Ali Pritchard) comes a mesmerizing show created for these unfamiliar times. Despite the global pandemic production partners Woven Nest have been running workshops outside, online and anyway they can with West Rainton Primary School, Springfield Lodge Care Home, Carr Hill Community Primary School, and Hotspur Primary School to devise details and colour that writer Ali Pritchard has weaved into a script. With a villain who only eats raw turnips and rat stew – subsequently needing to douse themselves in sickly-sweet tropical perfume to her invisible gargoyle subordinates; this is a online production suitable for all the family.
Released as an audio experience as well.
For more info visit - www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk
Coracle Theatre present
Semicolon
Written by Ali Pritchard
Directed by Matt Jamie
Premiered: Monday 21st December 2020
Age rec: 16+ (contains themes of suicide & self harm)
Running time: 13 mins
A true story about how a walk home over the High Level Bridge might have made the difference between life and death.
Originally part of "How Did We Get To This Point" produced at Alphabetti Theatre in 2016, directed by Ben Dickenson and supported by Arts Council England and HomeGroup.
Alphabetti Theatre presents
Meat Factory
Written By David Raynor
Directed by Ali Pritchard
Premiered: Wednesday 19th August 2020
Age recommendation: 16+
Running time: 22 mins
Meat Factory was a short play that featured in the 2016 award winning promenade performance - The Rooms, at Alphabetti's old venue on Newbridge Street West. Working with videographer Adam Goodwin, Alphabetti re-imagined this dark satirical short play into a new short film.
“Both men (Byron & Kitching) excel in complex roles that are never allowed to slide into easy caricature. Director Ali Pritchard ensures the piece balances its strands of dark – often very funny – comedy and black, bleak tragedy, and keeps it from tipping too far into its own absurdism.” Exeunt 2019
Alphabetti Theatre & The Worriers presents
Bacon Knees & Sausage Fingers
Written & Performed By Gary Kitching & Steve Byron
Directed by Ali Pritchard
Premiered: Wednesday 21st October 2020
Age recommendation: 16+ (This show deals with extremely difficult issues from the start and throughout.)
Running time: 53 mins
Bacon Knees & Sausage Fingers is a harrowing, heart-warming and hilarious play written and performed by Gary Kitching and Steve Byron, directed by Ali Pritchard; it tells the tale of a meeting between two social outsiders and their new bizarre friendship.
A music video for Dansi
Clearly
Directed by Ali Pritchard
Premiered: Sunday 24th Jan 2016
Running time: 5 mins
This is the only music video I have directed. Although I enjoyed the process. It is for Newcastle based folk bad Dansi. Camera work and editing by Matt Jamie, actor is Sally Collett.
Who Am I?
I am an award-winning writer and director based in Newcastle upon Tyne - who works predominantly in theatre.
I am currently Artistic / Executitive Director of Alphabetti Theatre which I founded in 2012, at the age of 22, making me one of the UK’s youngest artistic directors running a building. Under my leadership Alphabetti Theatre has grown to become a crucial part of the arts ecology in the North East. In 2020 Alphabetti Theatre was shortlisted for The Stage Award's Fringe Theatre of The Year.
I am a visiting lecturer at a number of higher educational institutions across the North East, and in 2013 following a yearlong graduate fellowship at Northumbria University, I won the “Best Postgraduate Lecturer” award.
“Beautifully written and powerfully performed, this alternative Christmas fable is packed with humour and heart.” The Stage
“Ali Pritchard’s sparsely staged production does a skilful job of keeping the audience off balance with abrupt changes in tone. The audience is invited to laugh at comic misfortune one minute, and then made choke on that laughter the next.” The Stage
“Another fantastic production.” North East Theatre Guide
“Keeping grass-roots culture well and truely alive in the North East”
Giggle Beats
“Essential to the North East” British Theatre Guide
“Ali Pritchard, Alphabetti’s AD, directs with sensitivity and a light touch” British Theatre Guide
“Director Ali Pritchard ensures the piece balances its strands of dark – often very funny – comedy and black, bleak tragedy, and keeps it from tipping too far into its own absurdism.” Exeunt
“The simplicity of Pritchard’s sparsely-staged production – there’s no costumes or set to speak of, aside from a cluster of small screens serving up flash card-type imagery throughout – means there’s nothing to distract us from what we’re hearing and makes it all the more powerful.” Only In Newcastle
Shortlist on Fringe Theatre of the Year 2020 Stage Awards
Highly Commended in Creating Safer LGBTQ Learning Spaces 2019 LGBTQ North East Awards
2017’s Best Children’s Show Award, British Theatre Guide NE
2016’s Experimenting with form Award, British Theatre Guide NE
2016’s Best New Play Award, North East Theatre Guide
2016’s Best New Writing Award, North East Theatre Guide
2015’s Best New Writing Award, North East Theatre Guide


CREDIT: Matt Jamie 2020
CREDIT: Von Fox Photos 2020
CONTACT
To get in touch with Ali directly regarding freelance work or anything else, send an email to ali(dot)pritchard(at)yahoo(dot)com Alternatively, you can fill in the contact form.
If you would like to discuss anything to do with Alphabetti Theatre please contact: ali(at)alphabettitheatre(dot)co(dot)uk