This is a play about us.
It’s about our brains.
And it’s about you.
It’s about our brains.
And it’s about you.
Mortal Fools’ Ensemble Young Company presents Brainstorm - an honest, funny, and thought-provoking theatre show diving into the messy mechanics of the teenage brain!
Every day, 86 billion neurons connect, crash, collide, and clash. It’s a cocktail of chaos and constant change.
Brainstorm is a fast-paced exploration of the imperfectly perfect teenage brain, told by 11 talented young performers going through the highs and lows of the teen experience right now. Join them in discovering their relationships, needs, hopes, dreams, fears, and frustrations, in a whole new light.
Using a script developed by Ned Glasier, Emily Lim, and Company Three, in collaboration with neuroscientists and including brand-new devised content from our Ensemble Young Company cast and creative team, Brainstorm is a must-see for teenagers, young people, and the adults who support and work with them.
Brainstorm has some strong language and recommended for ages 11+.
Performed by arrangement with Nick Hern Books.
Every day, 86 billion neurons connect, crash, collide, and clash. It’s a cocktail of chaos and constant change.
Brainstorm is a fast-paced exploration of the imperfectly perfect teenage brain, told by 11 talented young performers going through the highs and lows of the teen experience right now. Join them in discovering their relationships, needs, hopes, dreams, fears, and frustrations, in a whole new light.
Using a script developed by Ned Glasier, Emily Lim, and Company Three, in collaboration with neuroscientists and including brand-new devised content from our Ensemble Young Company cast and creative team, Brainstorm is a must-see for teenagers, young people, and the adults who support and work with them.
Brainstorm has some strong language and recommended for ages 11+.
Performed by arrangement with Nick Hern Books.
BRAINSTORM TOUR
Mortal Fools’ Ensemble Young Company are taking Brainstorm on tour and tickets are available now! #Brainstorm2025
Click here for Performance and accessibility information
Performance and Accessibility Information
We are so excited to welcome you to #Brainstorm2025 !
- All ticketholders will receive pre-visit information via email, designed to help audience members feel comfortable attending.
- At each show, we will have accessibility information and resources available, including printed scripts, a programme, and fidget toys.
- Brainstorm is approximately 70 minutes long. The show is currently being made, so an updated run time will be provided closer to the time.
- There is no interval - however, all Mortal Fools shows are relaxed, so you can leave and return at any point.
- Brainstorm is for young people aged 11 yrs+ and socially engaged adults that are interested in young people’s issues.
- Brainstorm is a funny, poignant, fast paced, exciting, and empowering show.
- Brainstorm contains themes prevalent in teenage lives – puberty, growing up, navigating friendships and relationships, making life choices, feeling overwhelmed, confused, and anxious, risk-taking, identity exploration, society and peer pressure, the education system, stereotyping, and general day-to-day teenage life.
- There are 11 members in the Brainstorm cast; you will see 11 people on stage, aged 13 – 18 years old, from Northumberland. You can meet them by scrolling to the “Meet the Cast” section of this page.
- Brainstorm has a contemporary soundtrack featuring songs selected by the cast, and there will be music during the show to complement what’s happening on stage.
- During Brainstorm there will also be some lighting effects - including different lighting states, flashing lights, and a few short blackouts.
- All tour venues are accessible, with step-free access and a small on-site car park.
- All tour venues have disabled toilet facilities and an allocated gender-neutral toilet. All toilets will be clearly signposted.
- When you arrive at your venue, enter via the marked entrance and approach our Box Office welcome table – a member of the Mortal Fools team will be there to greet you.
- Seating is unreserved unless you are a wheelchair user or have made a seating request to enable attendance and/or ensure sightlines for BSL interpretation.
- Team Mortal Fools will open the performance space 15 minutes before start time – this is an opportunity for you to find a seat, get comfortable, and look at the staging.
- You can bring drinks and snacks into the space to enjoy during the show.
- During the show you can stim, react, fidget, and express yourself in a way that makes you feel comfortable and able to concentrate on the show.
Our Brainstorm accessibility contact is Rachel Horton – you can email her via [email protected] to:
- Talk about the performance ahead of attending.
- Let us know any information that may make you more comfortable at a performance.
- To request a carer ticket or wheelchair space.
- To give us accessibility feedback and recommendations.
Newbiggin Sports and Community Centre
Address: Newbiggin Sports and Community Centre, Woodhorn Road, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, NE64 6HG
Date and Time: Sunday 30th March, 6pm
Tickets: £6 for adults, £4 for concessions/students/freelancers/under 25s
Date and Time: Sunday 30th March, 6pm
Tickets: £6 for adults, £4 for concessions/students/freelancers/under 25s
Click here for Newbiggin Sports and Community Centre VENUE INFORMATION
Newbiggin Sports and Community Centre - Venue Information
- Facilities include:
- Step-free access
- Café
- Car park
- Accessible toilets
- Gender neutral toilet
- Quiet spaces
- Baby changing station
- Accessible changing place
- Assistance dogs welcome
- Click here to visit the venue website for more information
- Finding the venue:
- Click here to find the venue on Google Maps
- What3Words: flown.advancing.reboot
- Venue accessibility contact: [email protected]
Gosforth Civic Theatre
Address: Gosforth Civic Theatre, Regent Farm Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3HD
Dates and Times:
Dates and Times:
- Sunday 13th April, 7pm (BSL interpreted by Caroline Ryan)
- Monday 14th April, 7pm
Click here for Gosforth Civic Theatre Venue Information
Gosforth Civic Theatre - Venue Information
- Facilities include:
- Step-free access
- Café
- Car Park
- Accessible toilets
- Gender neutral toilet
- Quiet spaces
- Baby changing station
- Accessible changing place
- Assistance dogs welcome
- Click here to visit the venue website for more information
- Finding the venue:
- Click here to read the venue's travel guidance
- Click here to find the venue on Google Maps
- What3Words: beats.flying.farms
- Venue accessibility contact: [email protected]
- Please email venue directly to secure carer tickets, wheelchair spaces, and to reserve seats for BSL sight lines.
Arts Centre Washington
Address: Arts Centre Washington, Biddick Lane, Washington, NE38 8AB
Date and Time: Wednesday 16th April, 7.30pm
Tickets: £8 for adults, £6 concessions/students/under 25s
Date and Time: Wednesday 16th April, 7.30pm
Tickets: £8 for adults, £6 concessions/students/under 25s
Click here for Arts Centre Washington Venue Information
Arts Centre Washington Venue Information
- Facilities include:
- Step-free access
- Café
- Car Park
- Accessible toilets
- Gender neutral toilet
- Quiet spaces
- Baby changing station
- Assistance dogs welcome
- Click here to visit the venue website for more information
- Finding the venue:
- Click here to read the venue's travel guidance
- Click here for the venue's detailed access information page, including social story and walk through video
- Click here to find the venue on Google Maps
- What3Words: planet.stews.tests (car park junction), shut.chief.crops (entrance door)
- Venue accessibility contact: [email protected]
Feedback
Our tour audiences will be invited to share what they thought of the show. You can do this in three ways:
- At the venue, after the performance. Tell a Mortal Fools member of staff and/or fill in our evaluation forms.
- For those that may prefer some time to reflect – after the show, you will receive a post-show email with a link to a short evaluation survey.
- You can let us know what you thought on your preferred social media platform, by using the hashtag #Brainstorm2025 and tagging us (@mortalfoolsuk).
PREVIOUS ENSEMBLE YOUNG COMPANY PROJECTS
Ahead of attending a Brainstorm show, you may like to watch or read about other Ensemble Young Company work, to give you a flavour of what to expect:
Inevitable? - Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company returned to the stage in Spring 2024 with a brand-new contemporary theatre show, devised and performed by a group of Northumberland young people - showcasing an original soundtrack, bold set design, and their incredible talent, insights, and lived experiences of growing up.
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Flux - 12 unique young voices come together on film, to explore what it means to question your identity in a world that feels determined to put you in a box. Devised and performed by the young people living through this reality right now.
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My People - Four bitter-sweet, poignant film shorts from Mortal Fools’ Ensemble Young Company, following a group of young people navigating the reality of friendship in the modern world. What if growing up means growing apart?
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MEET THE CAST
Ensemble Young Company 24/25 consists of 11 Northumberland young people from Ashington & Tyne Valley - some returning members (eagle eyes may recognise a few faces from Inevitable? & Flux) and some brand-new members.
The cast have been working hard on Brainstorm (through our co-creation devising process) since September 2024. The cast meet weekly, have fortnightly Sunday rehearsals, and take part in school holiday intensives. They do this alongside all the other things busy teenagers have going on in their lives.
ABOUT BRAINSTORM
Brainstorm is a unique theatrical investigation into how teenage brains work, and why they're designed by evolution to be the way they are. Created by Ned Glasier and Emily Lim with Company Three, in collaboration with neuroscientists Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and Dr Kate Mills, Brainstorm is designed to be created and performed by a company of teenagers, drawing directly on their personal experiences.
It exists as a blueprint with a devising guide and script template that enables any group to make their own version of the play. You can access the Brainstorm Blueprint via Company Three’s website.
Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company made one of the first versions of Brainstorm in 2018. It was the first time we took Ensemble out on tour across the North East to paying audiences at professional venues.
Due to the contemporary nature of the Brainstorm show themes, its relevance continues to grow - and in discussion with our 2024/25 cast, we decided to use the blueprint once again, and to create a brand-new version.
Since September 2024, Ensemble Young Company have been going through our Mortal Fools co-creation process and devising a new script. Our cast’s lived experience and personalities are at the heart of this version of Brainstorm.
We are delighted to be bringing our new version of Brainstorm to audiences across the North East in March and April 2025.
If you’re curious about the research and science behind Brainstorm, the following short videos may be helpful:
It exists as a blueprint with a devising guide and script template that enables any group to make their own version of the play. You can access the Brainstorm Blueprint via Company Three’s website.
Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company made one of the first versions of Brainstorm in 2018. It was the first time we took Ensemble out on tour across the North East to paying audiences at professional venues.
Due to the contemporary nature of the Brainstorm show themes, its relevance continues to grow - and in discussion with our 2024/25 cast, we decided to use the blueprint once again, and to create a brand-new version.
Since September 2024, Ensemble Young Company have been going through our Mortal Fools co-creation process and devising a new script. Our cast’s lived experience and personalities are at the heart of this version of Brainstorm.
We are delighted to be bringing our new version of Brainstorm to audiences across the North East in March and April 2025.
If you’re curious about the research and science behind Brainstorm, the following short videos may be helpful:
ABOUT MORTAL FOOLS
ENSEMBLE YOUNG COMPANY
Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company offers Northumberland young people aged 13 – 19 (School Years 9+) the opportunity to develop their artistic skills and create high-quality youth-led theatre throughout an exciting year-long programme.
Across 2024/25, they are working on Brainstorm. The Autumn and Spring term is all about devising a new version of the show, ahead of taking it on tour across the North East in March and April. In the Summer term, the group will be focused on completing Arts Awards and developing digital Brainstorm content, that will be released across the Summer and Autumn - so watch this space!
Our Ensemble Young Company make theatre and films through the process of co-creation, where young people and professional artists work together to contribute their ideas, skills, and opinions to create brilliant, original theatre. If you’re interested in learning more about Mortal Fools' co-creation process, check out Sparked, our video series all about it.
Across 2024/25, they are working on Brainstorm. The Autumn and Spring term is all about devising a new version of the show, ahead of taking it on tour across the North East in March and April. In the Summer term, the group will be focused on completing Arts Awards and developing digital Brainstorm content, that will be released across the Summer and Autumn - so watch this space!
Our Ensemble Young Company make theatre and films through the process of co-creation, where young people and professional artists work together to contribute their ideas, skills, and opinions to create brilliant, original theatre. If you’re interested in learning more about Mortal Fools' co-creation process, check out Sparked, our video series all about it.
If you know/are a young person interested in becoming an EYC member and taking part in future project, we recommend registering your interest by dropping us an email at [email protected]