Lost Teenagers review

Lost Teenagers is a musical co-created by pupils from Callerton Academy in Newcastle, working with Emily wiseman, Kema Kay and Liz Corney. I saw the show at Northern Stage in April 2025, with a packed audience of students and parents. I didn’t know what to expect from this show. All I knew was it was being performed by young people, and it was set in Newbiggin Hall Estate, where I currently live.

The play followed five unlikely friends, who were all instantly recognisable. We met Leah, May, Jasper, Ellis and Matthew, who were familiar for their love of Shakira and Tik Tok, and their age-old desire to just fit in and be understood. The musical touches on themes of social media, family conflict and friendship.

The show started with the friends in their everyday world and followed them as they were thrown in to an AI simulated universe. In this alternate world the players had to complete a set of levels to return to their reality. This included a sing-off which required the players to sing in harmony, hacking the game to escape and answering some big questions about which reality they prefer.

What I really loved about the show was the representation of teenage struggles, even when they’re different from one another, showing the pupils in the audience how to be kind and inclusive. It captured the estate at its best and less-best, commenting on the asbestos in the ceilings, and using recognisable ‘Geordie’ phrases and slang. The show made me think about young people who are constantly on their phones or are only socialising through online platforms, teenagers who become trapped in the idea that digital fame is something to be obtained.

As well as being light-hearted, the show also highlighted some important issues in teenage society such as autism awareness, an unpredictable or unstable home life and parental pressures. It was an amazing thing to witness as it’s not something you see every day.

The performance sparked giggles and laughter within the crowd of pupils and peers, who were engaged throughout and enjoying this full-length play. The young performers where phenomenal in not only co-creating the show but performing it flawlessly, never stumbling once. A spectacular bunch of brave and talented individuals. I left Northern Stage conflicted – not only had I been entertained, but the show had also held up a mirror to my own social media (over)usage.

Chloe Adams,
Writer and Young Resident of Newbiggin Hall Estate