Ali Pritchard is an award winning theatre maker, he founded Alphabetti Theatre in 2012 at the age of 22, making him one of the UK’s youngest artistic directors running a venue. Under Ali’s innovative leadership, Alphabetti have become a crucial part of the arts ecology in the UK, with the venue winning the prestigious awards of Best North East Cultural Venue of 2023 and The Stage Fringe Theatre of the Year 2023.  He has a degree in Drama and Scriptwriting from Northumbria University, and a Higher Diploma in Contemporary Vocals from The Academy of Contemporary Music. Ali is a visiting lecturer at a number of higher educational organisations across the North East, and in 2013 was awarded ‘Best Postgraduate Lecturer’ following a year-long graduate fellowship at Northumbria University.

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In 2019 Ali founded Newcastle Fringe Festival, a city wide festival running for two weeks every summer. Ali is now a co-director along with Chloe Stott. For more information please visit: https://www.newcastlefringe.co.uk/ 

 

Ali was named as one of the Rising Stars of the UK theatre industry in The Stage 100, 2023.

 

Ali has been involved in every Alphabetti Theatre production. His directing credits include: The Frights, The Rooms, Bacon Knees & Sausage Fingers, Trolley Boy, Walter, Present, Opolis, Song of the Goblins and Puddle.

His producing and writing credits include: How Did I Get to This Point?, How Did We Get to This Point?, Present, Opolis, Song of the Goblins, Puddle, and children’s book, Keeping Time, all for Alphabetti Theatre.

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“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

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“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

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“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

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Winner of Best Museum or Cultural Venue in the 2023 North East Culture Awards

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Winner for Fringe Theatre of the Year 2023 Stage Awards

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Runner up for the Best Museum or Cultural Venue in the 2022 North East Culture Awards

Runner up for 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