Newcastle Qualifier
5th-7th Jun 2026
Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne
KEY INFORMATION
We’re excited to be running our Newcastle qualifier at the wonderful Northern Stage (Stage One). The competition will run for three days: Friday 16:00–21:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00–21:00. Our judges are eager to see all the talent emerging from the North East.
THE VENUE
Northern Stage is the largest producing theatre company in the North East and a genuine powerhouse for culture. Located right in the city centre on the Newcastle University campus at Barras Bridge, it’s widely considered a European centre for the performing arts. We’ll be competing in "Stage One," their main house, which offers a large-scale professional performance space and seats roughly 450 people. This venue is modern, vibrant, and the perfect stage for the incredible talent coming out of the region.
DIRECTIONS
Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne
Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RH
Walking There
Northern Stage is located right in the city centre on the Newcastle University campus. It faces the Kings Road/Barras Bridge junction and is directly opposite the Newcastle University Student Union. It’s just a two-minute walk from the Haymarket area.
Public Transport
The venue has excellent transport links. It’s a two-minute walk from both Haymarket Metro Station and Haymarket Bus Station. If you are arriving by train into Newcastle Central Station, it’s a quick ten-minute walk up Grainger Street or just two stops on the Metro to Haymarket.
Car & Parking
There is no public parking on the university campus itself. We recommend using the nearby multi-storey car park at the Civic Centre (accessible via Sandyford Road) or the street parking on Claremont Road near the Great North Museum.
MEET THE JUDGES
Steph Archer
Performer & Creative
Steph Archer
Performer & Creative
Steph is a performer and creative originally from South Shields. Most recently, she served as Dance Captain and Swing in Ballet Shoes at The National Theatre.
Her extensive performance credits include Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands (New Adventures) and International Tours of The Bodyguard and Kiss Me Kate as a Swing. At The Watermill Theatre, she played the role of Mother while also acting as Dance Captain and Associate Choreographer for Whistle Down the Wind. She also performed in Emma Rice’s Wuthering Heights as Zillah/The Moors and Swing, a production that toured the USA, Amsterdam, Australia, and Asia.
On screen, Steph has appeared as a dancer in Disney’sBeauty and the Beast, Anna Karenina, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
As a creative, Steph has choreographed Kiss Me Kate for Emil Dale Academy, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Lucky Stiff for The Arden. For television, she assisted on Season 9 and subsequently choreographed Season 10 of Grantchester (ITV & PBS). She also served as the Children’s Repetiteur for the West End transfer of Oliver!
Terence Rodia
Founder of YOU Management & Producer
Terence Rodia
Founder of YOU Management & Producer
Terence Rodia is the Founder and Managing Director of the global entertainment brand YOU, which includes YOU Management, YOU Talent Agency, YOU Casting and YOU Productions. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Terence transitioned from a successful international performance career into a leading figure in talent management and production, dedicated to guiding artists and producing major theatrical works.
His extensive performance credits include Wicked, We Will Rock You, Grease (Sonny), West Side Story (Chino), and A Chorus Line (Mike). On the creative side, Terence has choreographed for AIDA Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, and Princess Cruises, and directed numerous industry showcases for drama schools across London. As Executive Producer for YOU Productions, his notable credits include Sunset Boulevard starring Nicole Scherzinger (West End & Broadway), Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club (Broadway), Moulin Rouge! The Musical (World Tour), Curtains (Wyndham’s Theatre/UK Tour), White Christmas (Dominion Theatre), The Last King of Scotland (Sheffield Crucible), and Kim’s Convenience (Park Theatre/Riverside Studios/US National Tour 2025).
In 2023, Terence was honoured with the Forty Under Forty Most Successful Entrepreneur in the UK award and was a finalist for the Service Industries Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2024 Great British Entrepreneur Awards. In 2025, he briefly returned to the stage, performing at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway for the 50th Anniversary Gala of A Chorus Line.
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