Its been a while since the last post but that does not mean things have been quiet at Avanti HQ, quite the reverse. In 2022 we were approach to pitch for a commission to create a large scale work to commemorate the bi-centenary of the first passenger railway that ran between Darlington and Stockton. After a couple of rounds our project was selected. Bill Palmer began by putting together a creative team and for this project we have been joined by Bryan Tweddle, Andy Plant and Steve Gumbley, later by Chris Squire and Jane Revitt. An impressive team with years of know how and a shared sly sense of humour. Since those early days we have developed and dreamed our way from sketches and simple models to scale models and CAD plans, then on through feasibility and structural engineering, until now we stand poised to deliver this epic project. The three years have seen us doing engagement work with all the primary schools in Darlington and work across five departments at the Northern School of Art. We have recruited a composer and a band and we have brought in some of the most experienced and exciting performers from across the U.K. Finally we have partnered with the Walk The Plank, surely the most experienced producers of large scale arts events in the UK. This is a wide and deep project and certainly the most ambitious work we have ever made. So on the 20th September we will present ‘The Departure’ in Darlington, a series of seven specially commissioned ‘carriages’ that will take to the streets of the town later forming into a parade to travel to Hopetown the railway museum. A week later we will play the Arrival part of the project, a large scale show for 10,000 on the riverside in Stockton-On Tees, home of the amazing SIRF. Ghost Train has been an epic undertaking and promises to be an epic show. Hope to see you there. Here are some of the key people apologies to any I have missed.

Darlington ‘The Departure’

For Avanti:

Bryan Tweddle

Andy Plant

Chris Squire

Jane Revitt

Lizzie Lockhart

Steam and Whistles carriage creator and performer: Dougie Nicholson

Space Telescope carriage creator and performer: Graeme Leake

For Walk The Plank:

John Wassel

Alice Carter

Gareth Jones

Helen Gorton

Richard

Sarah Du Toit

Performers:

Mandy Rose

Patrick Toms

Peter Finnegan

Adam Griffiths

Garth Williams

Megan Brooks

Steve Gumbley

Paschale Straiton

Mark Tillotson

Peadar Long

Daz Jones

Stockton ‘The Arrival’

Bryan Tweddle

Andy Plant

Chris Squire

For Walk The Plank:

John Wassel

Alice Carter

Gareth Jones

Helen Gorton

Richard

Sarah Du Toit

Composer: Sarah Llewellyn

Head of Costume: Jane Revitt

Costume Assistant: Lizzie Lockhart

Lighting Design: Steven Page DBN Audile 

AV Designer: Nick Sparks

Steam and Whistles carriage creator and performer: Dougie Nicholson

Performers:

Semay Wu

Mandy Rose

Patrick Toms

Peter Finnegan

Adam Griffiths

Garth Williams

Megan Brooks

Mark Tillotson

Paschale Straiton

Musicians:

Peadar Long

Daz Jones

Dave Insua-Cao

Brian Acton

Graeme Leak

Performing arts students from Northern School of Art

Head of NSA Stuart Drummand