Hadaway Harry is back. It’s been ten years since this show first stormed stages across the North East and London, winning actor Jamie Brown the accolade of ‘performing artist of the year’ at the North East Culture Awards

Before Association Football, rowing was the sport of the people…and Harry Clasper was David Beckham.

Hadaway Harry is an incredible true story charting the rise of Victorian sporting superstar Harry Clasper—from working-class pitman in Jarrow, to multiple Rowing Champion of the World. Harry was rightly crowned King of the Thames and the Tyne, ‘The Blaydon Races’ was written for him, and later 130,000 people would attend his funeral.

Weaving a socio-political, historical trail with high-octane story-telling and puppetry, this one-man presentation has garnered standing ovations across the country and is frequently branded a ‘tour-de-force’ – not least due to an arduous second act showdown that has become something of North East theatre folklore.