Curated Culture 04.03.25
Our weekly recommendations round up from North East stages and cultural venues
Hello and step right in to this week’s Curated Culture mailout - a big dollop of Tuesday inspiration for your inbox, offering a pick ‘n’ mix goodie bag of what’s on suggestions and signposts from all over the North East.
If you’re a new reader *SO lovely to have you*, stick with us. Veterans can skip on down past the bullet points.
Every Tuesday, this newsletter provides:
At least 10 (there’s usually more) featured listings of things we think are worth getting in front of and/or along to over the next couple of weeks;
A round up of things from previous Curated Culture mailouts which are STILL SHOWING; and
The NOW BOOKING section, which looks to draw your attention to events, gigs, shows, festivals and what-have-you which are happening later in the year… think of it as a pair of cultural binoculars.
This mailout is also where you can get amongst our weekly newsletter prizedraw -giving Cultured. North East subscribers an exclusive chance to win tickets to something great.
This week, we’ve got a pair of tickets to see Queen Of The Night – A Tribute to Whitney Houston at Billingham Forum Theatre on April 13, 2025.
All the details and information on how to enter can be found at the bottom of the newsletter… but hey, take your time getting there - there’s all manner of delights to survey on the way.
See you soon and thanks as always for your support.
Sam and Dave*
*Like Chas and Dave but with less hair and better accents
PS: If you haven’t liked/followed/high fived us on our socials, you can rectify that on Facebook, Instagram and Blue Sky
THEATRE: Bangers
Where: Live Theatre
When: March 11-13
Bookings and info: live.org.uk
Billed as ‘an exhilarating night of original music, lyrical storytelling, and pure UK garage vibes’, Danusia Samal’s acclaimed gig theatre show - which has enjoyed much-applauded runs in London and at the Edinburgh Fringe - takes a tuuuuuuneful look at how the bangers we grew up listening to shaped the people we have become.
Featuring original tracks inspired by early noughties and present day R&B and garage sounds, the show introduces us to two strangers who are struggling with their respective pasts while steaming towards the future.
It sounds like something not to be missed.
Look out for our interview with Danusia Samal this week
Read more: A month in Classics - March
EXHIBITION: Unravelling, Samantha Cary
Where: Granary Gallery, Berwick
When: Saturday, March 8 to May 18
Info: maltingsberwick.co.uk
An exhibition in her home town features a new body of work by Samantha Cary developed over the past three years and marking a development in her artistic practice.
“Moving between painting, mono prints, etchings and woodcuts, and through a process of addressing, examining and transforming strong emotions, the works build to create a series of complex, layered and often darkly humorous images,” states the exhibition literature.
“Referencing music, television, films, fairytales, art history and celebrities including Beyoncé, Jay Z and Elton John, they tackle subjects including jealousy, the career isolation of artists, dating and heartbreak. They are both intensely personal and entirely made up.”
Cary, whose interest in Palaeolithic art is often referenced, holds a BA in fine art from Sunderland University and an MFA in fine art from Newcastle University.
She has exhibited widely over the past 20 years and has also worked as a curator for The Maltings in Berwick and has lectured at Northumberland College.
James Lowther, head of visual arts at The Maltings said: “We are delighted to present this new exhibition of work by Samantha Cary and, as she pushes her work in new directions, to support her at this important point in her career.”
Read more: Live’s season springs to life
MUSIC: Fish Farewell Tour - ‘Road To The Isles’
Where: Newcastle 02 City Hall
When: March 6
Bookings and info: academymusicgroup.com
The legendary progressive rock icon, Marillion front man and singer songwriter, FISH is playing his final farewell show at Newcastle City Hall this week, nearly half a century since he first came down from Scotland to catch one of Lindisfarne’s Christmas gigs.
His Road to the Isles tour was designed as a final goodbye to the music industry following four decades of music and all the memories which came with it.
Read Simon Rushworth’s interview with the man himself.
Read more: Culture Digest 28.02.25 - our latest news round up
COMEDY: Louise Young - Feral
Where: Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle
When: March 14
Bookings and info: tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk
Geordie comic, Louise Young, is on home turf with her debut stand-up show.
Class, chaos and coming out are all covered - and attracted enough attention at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe to secure a sell-out run and a Best Newcomer nomination.
Read more: Berwick Parade wows audiences
CLASSICAL: The Marsyas Trio
Where: Alnwick Playhouse, Northumberland
When: March 9
Bookings and info: alnwickplayhouse.co.uk
Flute, piano and cello is a combination that a surprising number of composers have written for since Haydn’s day.
The Marsyas Trio perform a concert of works entirely by women composers at Alnwick Playhouse on March 9. Farrenc, Musgrave and Hilary Tann’s In the Theatre of Air, which the group have recorded, feature on the bill.
Read more: BRILLIANT scheme launched for Lumiere 2025
EVENT: Holi Festival of Colours
Where: Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
When: Saturday, March 15, 12 noon to 4pm
Info: baltic.art
Baltic has teamed up with Gateshead neighbour GemArts to celebrate the Hindu festival of spring, love and renewal at a time when even a tiny bit of any of that wouldn’t go amiss.
But it’s an event intended for all people, of any faith or none, because it’s also a celebration of cultural diversity and of people coming together.
It’s free and you can just drop in to take part in the Festival of Colours through creative workshops, henna stations, dance, music and food.
There will be things happening throughout the building. Visitors can join exhibition tours and see contemporary artists exploring South Asian art forms.
The climax will come at 3pm when (weather permitting – rain will stop play) ticket holders will gather outside to throw colourful pigment to celebrate the arrival of spring.
The organisers advise: “This bit is fun and messy, so please wear something you don’t mind getting dirty.”
Note also that colour throwing tickets are also all gone now. Should be quite a spectacle, though.
Read more: Inspirational women at Town Hall
DANCE: Dragons
Where: Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: March 14-15
Bookings and info: theatreroyal.co.uk
Described as ‘a joyful riot of dance, music and non-stop movement’, South Korean choreographer Eun-Me Ahn has created a show that brings together a mix of dance styles from across Asia.
The performance is set to a backdrop of vibrant projections and an evocative soundtrack, which blends contemporary pop with a traditional score.
Eun-Me Ahn is one of South Korea’s most important artists, having performed at major festivals all over the world, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup in her home country.
Read more: Forum Cinema fundraiser to secure Hexham treasure’s art deco appeal
THEATRE: The Moth
Where: Laurels Theatre, Whitley Bay (and then touring around the region)
When: March 6-8 (various North East dates to Apr 8)
Bookings and info: elysiumtc.co.uk
The North East tour of Elysium Theatre’s production of The Moth continues at Laurels this week.
A ‘thought-provoking drama about race, war, the weight of history, redemption, and the limits of forgiveness’, the play - written by Paul Herzberg - is based on an award-winning short monologue.
Three decades after a chance and life-changing meeting on a train between a Black British activist and and white South African soldier, the two men meet again to share their story.
Read more: Celebrating the piano in style - Newcastle Piano Festival
COMEDY: Ahir Shah - Ends
Where: Gala Theatre, Durham
When: March 7
Bookings and info: galadurham.co.uk
The latest show from Edinburgh Comedy Award winner and TV regular, Ahir Shah spans six decades, three generations, and two continents, ‘synthesising past and present in search of hope for the future’.
But don’t let that put you off - there’s loads of laughs too.
It bagged the 2023 award at the Fringe and has since enjoyed a sell-out run at London’s Soho Theatre.
MUSIC: Landermason
Where: Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham
When: Thursday, March 13, 8pm
Bookings & Info: queenshall.co.uk
With their names neatly conjoined, Northumbrian duo Fiona Lander and Paul Mason have been demonstrating their musical versatility and sharing their enthusiasms for more than 20 years, always to appreciative audiences.
Jazz, folk and blues feed in to their distinctive repertoire, and Fiona also draws on a classical music education and youthful experience in a close harmony singing group.
She is also a talented composer and will be joined at this concert by the women’s choir, Dark Sky Voices, which she directs.
At the Queen’s Hall the two multi-instrumentalists and the choir will each perform a varied set of their favourite pieces before coming together for some specially arranged collaborative numbers.
THEATRE: Night Classes
Where: Gosforth Civic Theatre
When: March 14
Bookings and info: gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk
Unfolding Theatre are delving into a world which asks ‘whether the grown-up goal of independence is all it’s cracked up to be’.
Inspired by insights from deaf and disabled people, Night Classes has created a ‘joyous’ and ‘immersive’ production which inspires us to wonder what it would be like if we celebrated inter-dependence too.
Featuring one deaf and two hearing performers, Night Classes is performed in a mixture of spoken word and BSL. All content is interpreted.
STILL SHOWING
Big screen: Expo Sunderland Pavilion, Keel Square, Sunderland, throughout 2025
Theatre: Hangmen, People’s Theatre, Newcastle, until Mar 8
Classical: Newcastle International Chamber Music Series - Cuarteto Quiroga, The Glasshouse, Mar 8
Music: Howay The Lasses, Chapel at Gibside, Rowlands Gill, Mar 8
Comedy: Lou Sanders - No Kissing In The Bingo Hall, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle, Mar 6
Opera: The Magic Flute / The Flying Dutchman, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Mar 6-8
Music: Seven Drunken Nights – The Story of The Dubliners, Stockton Globe, Mar 9
Exhibition: Pieces of Woman, RePUBlic Gallery, Blyth, until Mar 15
Exhibition: Northumberland Open Exhibition, Woodhorn Museum, until June 1. Read David Whetstone’s full preview of the exhibition.
Theatre: Champion, Live Theatre, Newcastle, until Mar 8
Exhibition: Between Land and Sea, Hartlepool Art Gallery, until March 29
Exhibition: Spellbound, The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, Northumberland, until April 6
Exhibition: Sustainable Clay, Hatton Gallery, Newcastle, until May 3. Read our review.
Exhibition: Sheila Fell - Cumberland on Canvas, Tullie House, Carlisle, until Mar 16, 2025 (coming to Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens after it closes
Music: Nerina Pallot, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, March 21 and 22
Exhibition: Romance to Realities: The Northern Landscapes and Shifting Identities, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, until April 26, 2025
Exhibition: Ted Holloway - A Bevin Boy Remembered, Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland, until June 8, 2025
Exhibition: Magna Carta and the North, Durham Cathedral Museum, Jul 11 until Nov 2
NOW BOOKING
Music: Danny & the Champions of the World, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle, Mar 22
Film: Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival, various venues, Mar 27-30
Music: Ocean Colour Scene, Stockton Globe, Mar 28
Music: The Blow Monkeys, Alnwick Playhouse, Apr 4
Event: Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds - Alive on Stage, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Apr 5
Theatre: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Sunderland Empire, Apr 22-27
Comedy: Omid Djalili - Namaste, Middlesbrough Town Hall, Apr 25 (also Tyne Theatre and Opera House on Oct 11)
Theatre: Dogs on the Metro, Live Theatre, Newcastle, May 1-17
Theatre: BLACKBIRD in the Snow, Laurels Theatre, Whitley Bay, May 6-17
Comedy: Durham Comedy Festival, various venues, May 26
Theatre: &Juliet, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jun 2-7
Festival: Come Together, Newcastle Town Moor, June 4-8
Theatre: Diana -The Untold and Untrue Story, Live Theatre, Newcastle, July 9-12
Music: Nearly Dan in Concert, Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Sept 13
Theatre: Eddie Izzard - Hamlet, Northern Stage, Newcastle (Sept 20) ARC Stockton, (Sept 25)
Theatre: Friends - The Musical Parody, Sunderland Empire, Sept 23-27
Music: Wishbone Ash, ARC Stockton, Oct 1
Theatre: Mary Poppins, Sunderland Empire, Oct 1-25
Comedy: Suzi Ruffell, The Juggle, Gala Theatre Durham (Oct 15); Northern Stage, Newcastle (Oct 16)
Music: Rick Wakeman - The Return of the Caped Crusader, Part 2, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Oct 18
Theatre: Uncanny - Fear of the Dark, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Nov 9
Music: Five, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Nov 14
Comedy: Laffs 4 Kids, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Dec 14
2026
Comedy: Chris Ramsey, Newcastle 02 City Hall, April 17-19
COMPETITION TIME
Welcome to our latest newsletter prizedraw, offering our subscribers an exclusive opportunity to win tickets to see or do something great.
This week, we’ve got a pair of tickets to see Queen Of The Night – A Tribute to Whitney Houston at Billingham’s Forum Theatre on April 13, 2025.
Following last year’s arena tour and sold out shows at the Royal Albert Hall and London Palladium, the production is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025 with a HUGE UK tour.
Taking audiences through three decades of hits from one of the world’s most successful and admired female singers, Adenike Adewale is promising to bring Whitney’s legacy to life in stunning fashion.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody, I’m Every Woman, How Will I Know, I Will Always Love You and The Greatest Love Of All are just a few of the classic tracks you can expect to hear in the show which aims to pay homage to a true superstar.
Other North East venues on the tour are Yarm Princess Alexandra Auditorium (May 31); Playhouse Whitley Bay (July 24); and Stockton Globe (Oct 16). Visit the show website for details.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: Will someone dance with me? by (12pm) on Sunday, March 9, 2025.
The winner, who will be selected at random, will be notified within 48 hours of the entry deadline.
Terms and conditions: Only subscribers to the Cultured. North East newsletter are eligible to enter the Newsletter Prize Draw competition. Prizes are as stated - subject to availability - and non-transferable. No cash alternatives will be offered. You must be over 18 years of age to enter. The Editor’s decision is final.