Our Friends in the North writer says stage version still resonates today

Peter Flannery, the writer behind the acclaimed 1990s television drama Our Friends in the North, has said a new stage adaptation of the story will strike a chord with contemporary audiences despite the show's origins nearly three decades ago.

Our Friends in the North originally aired on BBC Two in 1996, following four friends from Newcastle across three decades of political and personal upheaval, from the 1960s to the 1990s. The series tackled themes including political corruption, housing policy failures, police misconduct and the long-term consequences of idealism curdling into disillusionment. It became one of British television's most highly regarded dramas and helped launch the careers of several of its lead actors.

Flannery said the issues at the heart of the original story, including questions of trust in institutions and the gap between political promises and their delivery, remain relevant to audiences watching a stage version today. He suggested the themes have not lost their resonance simply because the setting is now a period one.

Details of the new production, including cast, director and venue, were not given in the announcement, but the adaptation marks a fresh attempt to bring the sprawling, multi-decade narrative to a new medium and a new generation of audiences.

Flannery's comments position the stage version as more than a nostalgic revival, framing it instead as a story whose concerns about power, betrayal and the erosion of ideals continue to speak to present-day politics and society.