Wormtown | 30th May 2025 | The Customs House, South Shields
Review by Stephen Stokoe
It was a pleasure to return to The Customs House for my first visit this year and since their annual festive pantomime. It was also a delight to see the foyer and bar thronging with people of all ages stocking up on their refreshments for the latter stages of the annual takeover festival.
This is an arts festival dedicated to opportunities for and by emerging and new talent in the region which I am proud to say we have in abundance. Long may this festival and other ventures of its kind support and nurture the young artists and performers of the future. In 2025 the festival is supported by The Gillian Dickinson Trust, The Hays Travel Foundation and W A Handley Trust for which the team offer their grateful thanks.
Wormtown draws its inspiration from the folklore and history of the region, and more specifically County Durham whence I hail, so I was very interested to see this modern take on the ancient legend of the Curse of John Lambton, heir to the Lambton Estate.
In this version John is replaced by a disaffected young man called J (Josh Kay) who believes he is, at least in part, responsible for his mother’s death and is haunted throughout by her memory. As the story begins we learn that he has barely left his flat for some time despite his friends contacting him to do so.
The friends in question are a motley crew made up of Scrum (Jamie-Leigh Price), Batter (Harrison Rowley-Lynn), and Kezzy (Tyler Gracie), who eventually get J out of his ennui to watch yet another of the high rise towers in his beleaguered town be razed to the ground.
Inextricably linked to the depressed J is a spiritual character called Cassie or Scary Mary depending on which cast member you ask, who also acts as a narrator for the piece.
It is a story which touches on some deeper aspects of teenage life including depression, hopelessness, deprivation and grief intertwining the cautionary tale of doing the right thing and not being led into the darkness from the original folk story. The play written by Reece Connolly does this very effectively.
The stage is cleverly adorned to resemble an impoverished estate but also to reflect the disorganisation in J’s mind as he grapples with his demons throughout the story. The lighting at the start is dark and foreboding which also added some intrigue.
There was a lot of energy on the stage and the friends were all personable and endearing in their own ways. It was easy to recognise the personalities of the youngsters as kids you might see on any north east estate.
Trying to take control of his son’s agoraphobia is dad (|Sol Taibi) who commands the stage and was excellent as his soul was taken over by the mythical worm after being bitten by the vermis terribilis later on in the show. The cast was completed Ava McGonnell and Melissa May who played multiple parts including customers, doctors and reporters to keep the action moving.
Andrew Dawson’s professional debut as director was frenetic and never let up from the start to the end. The soundscape and music was effective and haunting in places which perfectly fitted the piece however I felt that some of the dialogue was rushed. I know the geordie accent is very quick but have a care for people to whom it is not familiar.
Wormtown is a fascinating exploration of an ancient tale steeped in the history of the north east. It is a worthy addition to the takeover festival at Customs House, South Shields. Very well done to everyone involved.