Remember Purely Belter? Football-mad friends head back to Newcastle for Theatre Royal appearance

Two fictional football-mad friends who rose to fame in the cult Geordie film Purely Belter are heading back to Newcastle for a performance on stage.

The tale of Gerry and Sewell follows the Newcastle United fans, from Gateshead, as they pursue their one goal - getting their hands on a season ticket.

The 2000 film Purely Belter was based on Jonathan Tulloch’s novel The Season Ticket - and so too is the stage production Gerry and Sewell.

After sell-out runs at the Laurels Theatre, in Whitley Bay, and the Live Theatre, on Newcastle's Quayside, it will take to the stage at the Theatre Royal in the city in October.

Among the cast of local actors is actress and former Liberty X star Michelle Heaton, who told ITV Tyne Tees on Tuesday (13 August) that she fondly remembered the story.

"It brought back a lot of youth memories for me and I remember relating a lot to the film itself, and the book," said Michelle. "It felt like a really good fit for me to audition for this."

The story encompasses a number of famous North East landmarks like St James Park, the Angel of the North and the Stadium of Light.

It also makes a virtue of the Tyne-Wear rivalry, as the narrative includes Gerry being bribed by a social worker to attend school with the promise of football tickets.

The Mags fan however is horrified when he is given them, as he discovers they are for a Sunderland match.

The adaptation is by Olivier award-winning Jamie Eastlake, from Blyth.

The writer director said the play was "for the audiences of the North East".

He added: "The North East feels like a standalone place where we don't get represented well across the country so it was always incredibly important to have actual people from the North East involved in this production in an actual north east building.

The upcoming production marks the home-stage debut for many of the cast members, including Erin Mullen - one of Newcastle Theatre Royal’s actor training course Project A graduates.

Also in the line-up is actor Bill Ward, who has previously been in Coronation Street, who said the play had shades of light and dark.

He said: "Expect a few laughs because it's funny funny funny. But there's a darkness lurking in there and a few home truths to be told."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...