Curated Culture 14.01.25
Our weekly round-up of what's on suggestions, spotlighting some of what's happening across North East stages and cultural attractions and venues.
Hello and welcome to this week’s Curated Culture - a collection of featured listings and signposts to to shows, events and whatnot, which we think you might want to get in front of over the next fortnight.
This is also the newsletter that serves as a reminder of everything from Curated Cultures gone by - as long as they’re STILL SHOWING - as well as a place where you can find stuff happening in the coming months, which is NOW BOOKING.
Tuesday’s mailout is the one which exists to point you in the direction of things well worth ring-fencing some time for.
This week’s newsletter prizedraw - which offers Cultured. North East subscribers an exclusive chance to win tickets to something great - we’ve got a pair of tickets to see Holly and the Reivers at Gosforth Civic Theatre on January 31.
Scroll down to the bottom for all the details and entry instructions… but make sure you make time to notice everything which you’ll find between here and there.
See you soon and thanks as ever 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, X/Twitter and Blue Sky
EXHIBITION: Magna Carta and the North
Where: Durham Cathedral Museum
When: July 11 until November 2
Bookings and info: durhamcathedral.co.uk
Eagle eyed observers among you will notice that this exhibition is a long way past the next fortnight… but we’re pretty sure tickets will be flying out for it, and they’ve just gone on sale.
The exhibition will be built around three copies of the Magna Carta which are going on show at Durham Cathedral for the first time since 2017.
The exhibition opens later this year but January 14 was chosen for bookings to open because it’s Heritage Treasures Day when the National Lottery Heritage Fund makes a bit of a song and dance about our rich national heritage.
Among the many projects the Heritage Fund has helped to realise is Durham Cathedral Museum to which it donated £3.9m ahead of its opening in 2016.
COMEDY: Ben Elton - Authentic Stupidity
Where: Darlington Hippodrome
When: January 22
Bookings and info: darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
Five years ago, Ben Elton returned to live comedy via an acclaimed and sold-out tour.
Back on the road for 2025, the 65-year-old stand-up and writer (The Young Ones, Blackadder, We Will Rock You, Upstart Crow) has been collecting cracking reviews for his latest one-man-and-his-mic outing in which he argues Authentic Stupidity is more of a threat to us than Artificial Intelligence.
He’s also playing Gala Theatre Durham on January 21 - returns only.
EXHIBITION: Spellbound
Where: The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, Northumberland
When: January 18 until April 6
Bookings and info: thesill.org.uk
The wonderful wildlife art of Jackie Morris and the words of poet and author Robert Macfarlane are returning to The Sill in a new exhibition opening at the venue in the Northumberland National Park.
It draws on their two earlier exhibitions, The Lost Words and The Lost Spells, which came out of a decision by the compilers of a children’s dictionary in 2007 to remove nature words from their next edition because they were being used less frequently than words relating to Pokémon.
The Lost Words, celebrating nature in words and pictures, began the fight back and The Lost Spells, invoking the magic of British nature and wildlife, followed on.
The books and exhibitions proved hugely popular and this new exhibition, Spellbound, gives visitors the best of both of them.
MUSIC: The Glenn Miller Orchestra in Concert
Where: Sage One, The Glasshouse
When: January 19, 3pm
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
The enduring appeal of the music of Glenn Miller continues to power one of the world’s most popular big bands.
Bound for Gateshead this weekend, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, directed by music legend Ray McVay, promise ‘a truly dazzling musical extravaganza’.
EXHIBITION: Sustainable Clay
Where: Hatton Gallery, Newcastle
When: February 1 to May 3
Bookings and info: hattongallery.org.uk
An upcoming exhibition at Newcastle University’s Hatton Gallery will showcase an exhibition of work by 12 contemporary artists at different stages of their careers, along with highlights from the ceramics collections of the Laing and Shipley art galleries.
Sustainable Clay explores the environmental impact of this naturally occurring material and how artists are adapting their work in response to it.
THEATRE: Birdsong
Where: Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: January 21-25
Bookings and info: theatreroyal.co.uk
A new production telling Sebastian Faulks’s epic story of love and loss marks the 30th anniversary of the best-selling novel.
Beginning in pre-war France, the play follows one man’s journey through an all-consuming love affair and into the horror of the First World War.
Starring award-winning actor Max Bowden, (Eastenders’ Ben Mitchell), James Esler (Litvinenko) and Charlie Russell (BBC’s And Then There Were None), this critically acclaimed play promises a mesmerising story of love and courage.
DANCE/EVENT: Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour
Where: Utilita Arena, Newcastle
When: January 22-23
Bookings and info: utilitaarena.co.uk
Prepare to dip yourselves in sequins - or at least be dazzled by them. The annual arrival of the Strictly Come Dancing live arena incarnation is upon us once more.
While the latest winner, blind comedian Chris McCausland who blew viewers away, navigating the dancefloor in amazing fashion with his pro-partner Dianne Buswell, won’t be in attendance (see the next featured listing to see where he will be instead), audiences will be treated to a lovely line up of past contestants and professionals.
Shayne Ward, Tasha Ghouri, JB Gill, Montell Douglas, Wynne Evans, Sarah Hadland and Jamie Borthwick will all perform alongside the likes of Michelle Tsiakkas, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones and Aljaž Škorjanec.
Meanwhile a full quote of judges: Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood will also be in attendance.
COMEDY: Chris McCausland - Yonks
Where: Middlesbrough Town Hall
When: January 28
Bookings and info: middlesbrough.gov.uk
As you’ll have seen above, the winner of the latest Strictly Come Dancing contest isn’t on the live tour… because he’s got a big tour of his own to fulfil.
When comic Chris McCausland decided to sign up for Strictly, he had to reschedule a stand up tour he had planned. Then when he went and won it, he understandably decided that he couldn’t mess around with the dates for a second time.
Hence, he’s not on a North East dancefloor… he’s on stage at Middlesbrough Town Hall with his latest laugh-filled show.
Chris has got more dates around the region, sprinkled throughout the year. See his website for up to date details.
STILL SHOWING
Theatre: Jack and the Beanstalk, Beamish Museum, weekend performances until Feb 16
Theatre: Murder on the Orient Express, Newcastle Theatre Royal, until Jan 18
Theatre: And Then There Were None, People’s Theatre, Newcastle, until Jan 18
Theatre: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sunderland Empire, until Jan 19
Event: Day Fever, The Boiler Shop Newcastle, 3pm-8pm, Jan 18, (also Feb 15)
Music: Brundibar Arts Festival opener, St James’ United Reform Church, Newcastle, Jan 18
Music: The London Symphonic Rock Orchestra, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle, Jan 18
Music: The Pasadena Roof Orchestra, The Fire Station, Sunderland, Jan 22
Comedy: Mark Thomas - Gaffa Tapes, Alnwick Playhouse, Jan 31 and The Witham, Barnard Castle, Feb 1
Theatre: The Whirlgig of Time, Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham Jan 31
Exhibition: We all came here from somewhere, BALTIC, until Feb 9
Exhibition: Sheila Fell - Cumberland on Canvas, Tullie House, Carlisle, until Mar 16, 2025 (coming to Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens after it closes
Exhibition: Framing Fashion, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, until Mar 2, 2025
Exhibition: Romance to Realities: The Northern Landscapes and Shifting Identities, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, until April 26, 2025
Exhibition: Hannah Perry - Manual Labour, BALTIC, until Jan 19, 2025
Exhibition: Ted Holloway - A Bevin Boy Remembered, Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland, until June 8, 2025
NOW BOOKING
Feb 10-22: Only Fools and Horses the Musical, Newcastle Theatre Royal
Feb 13: Kai Humphries - Gallivanting, Darlington Hippodrome
Feb 14: Jazz Sabbath, Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Gateshead
Feb 26: Fat Dog, Boiler Shop, Newcastle
Mar 5-8: Rupture, Live Theatre, Newcastle
Mar 6: Neurotypicals Don’t Juggle Chainsaws, Gosforth Civic Theatre
Mar 7: Joel Dommet - Happy Idiot, Northern Stage, Newcastle (also at Gala Theatre Durham on Mar 8)
Mar 13-15: Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Cinderella, Sunderland Empire
Mar 21: The Darkness, Newcastle 02 City Hall
Apr 2: Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, Utilita Arena, Newcastle
Apr 6: John Simpson - Leaders and Lunatics Tour, Tyne Theatre and Opera House
Apr 11: Imelda May, The Fire Station, Sunderland
Apr 15-17: Just Between Ourselves, Darlington Hippodrome
May 13-17: Handbagged, Northern Stage, Newcastle
May 15-31: The Sunderland Story, Sunderland Empire
May 15: Lauren Pattison - Big Girl Pants, The Witham, Barnard Castle
May 17: balletLORENT’s Snow White - The Sacrifice, Darlington Hippodrome
May 19: Nish Kumar - Don’t Kill My Vibe, The Stand Newcastle
May 20-24: Boys from the Blackstuff, Newcastle Theatre Royal
May 22-June 21: The Bench, various North East venues
June 3: Martha Wainwright, The Fire Station, Sunderland
June 6: The Christians, ARC Stockton
June 12: The Robert Cray Band, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Gateshead
June 17-Jul 26: Hamilton, Sunderland Empire
June 21: Jack Dee, Gala Theatre Durham
Oct 6: Deacon Blue, Utilita Arena, Newcastle
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 for Holly and the Reivers at Gosforth Civic Theatre on January 31. The gig has been programmed as part of Independent Venue Week.
The band: Holly Clarke, Merle Harbron and Bertie Armstrong formed in 2017 via a love of singing together… and it seems it was a love destined to endure.
While they describe themselves as being firmly rooted in the folk song tradition, the trio’s output also brings together each of their individual influences within old-time music, Welsh songs, supernatural ballads, political takes and Scottish fiddle.
The result is a storytelling soundscape - with a strong leaning towards folk horror cinema narratives - you’re going to want to hear again and again.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: HOLLY before midday (12pm) on Sunday, January 19, 2025.
The winner, who will be selected at random, will be notified within 48 hours of the entry deadline.
The tickets will be for a performance of your choice, subject to availability,
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.