STEAM

Commissioned for S&DR200, STEAM was a large-scale outdoor dance theatre production by Southpaw Dance Company.

The production was performed twice on Stockton High Street, with the town’s iconic Stockton Flyer as a centrepiece, and again in Shildon’s Hackworth Park as part of the Anniversary Picnic celebrations. Across all performances, STEAM drew huge crowds and brought history vividly to life.

The show told the story of the world’s first passenger railway and the extraordinary people who built it – celebrating the ingenuity of George Stephenson, the determination of Edward Pease, and the engineering brilliance of Timothy Hackworth, who played a vital role in developing the locomotives that powered this new era.

Through a powerful mix of contemporary dance, dramatic narrative, and a cast of around 80 performers – uniting local community members with Southpaw’s professional company – the production captured the energy and optimism of an age when steam power was transforming lives.

STEAM was a true celebration of Stockton and Shildon’s place in railway history, and Southpaw was proud to share it with communities across the region as part of the S&DR200 commemorations.