Curated Culture 15.04.25
Our weekly recommendations round up from North East stages and cultural venues
Hello there – and welcome to your Tuesday dose of cultural goodness - our latest gathering of what’s on inspiration from across the North East: performances, exhibitions, festivals, events – the lot.
Think of it as a cultural cheat sheet, delivered straight to your inbox.
A warm welcome to our new subscribers! Before we jump in, a quick 1-2-3 of housekeeping notes for you.*
*Long-time readers can skip ahead to news of this week’s prize draw.
Here’s what to expect each week:
A generous helping of handpicked cultural listings for the next couple of weeks
A look back at what’s STILL SHOWING from Curated Cultures gone by
A lens into the future with our NOW BOOKING section – perfect for planning ahead
And make sure not to miss your chance to enter this week’s Cultured. North East prize draw, which regularly gives subscribers the chance to win tickets to excellent things.
This week, we’ve got a Family Unlimited Pass for Beamish Museum - perfect for some time travelling Easter frolics…. and unlimited visits to the County Durham attraction for a whole 12 months thereafter.
All the details can be found at the end of the newsletter… enjoy the journey down there - there’s loads to explore and get excited about en route.
See you soon and thanks as ever for your support
Sam (Wonfor) and Dave (Whetstone)*
*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
MUSIC: Joan as Police Woman
Where: Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Gateshead
When: April 23
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
A career-spanning gig is on the cards at The Glasshouse from Joan As Police Woman.
Known for her unique mix of soul, indie, and rock, Joan Wasser started out as a classically trained violinist and has worked with the likes of Rufus Wainwright and Lou Reed. Since her first album in 2006, she’s been winning fans with her warm voice, honest lyrics, and creative sound.
Her music is emotional and full of personality, and her live shows are always something special - raw, heartfelt, and full of energy. Ticket-holders are in for a treat.
THEATRE: RUM
Where: ARC, Stockton
When: April 24-26 (Also at Live Theatre Jun 6-7)
Bookings and info: arconline.co.uk
Touring the UK following a successful run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe 2024, RUM is a piece of one-man theatre inspired by personal experience in the building trade.
This solo debut explores society’s expectation of men via Danny - a plasterer who’s not scared of anything and is rushing to finish a job after an all nighter before having to give ‘the speech of his life’.
Written and performed by plasterer and actor Joe Mallalieu, the play explores what happens when you lack the language or tools to speak about your emotions.
Theatre/Music: Public Record
Where: The Fire Station, Sunderland
When: April 25-27
Bookings and info: thefirestation.org.uk
A bold new theatrical event will see Sunderland sing its heart out.
Public Record, a major new production from the National Theatre’s Public Acts programme, delivered in collaboration with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire, will transform city centre venue The Fire Station into a live recording studio from April 25-27.
Over four performances, a company of more than 100 local community members will join forces with professional musicians and dancers to create something truly original - a musical portrait of Sunderland and its people.
CONCERT: Nick Cope – I’ve Lost My Bobble Hat
Where: Gala Durham
When: Friday, April 25, 11am and 2pm
Bookings and info: galadurham.co.uk
Older folk might remember Nick Cope as lead singer with The Candyskins, an Oxford band that emerged during the 1990s Britpop era and was compared to Radiohead and Supergrass.
Now Nick is known as a children’s entertainer with long experience of performing what he calls “family songs” in schools and theatres and at festivals. He has a TV following from his CBeebies show Nick Cope’s Popcast.
He’s a grandad now, still living in Oxford but currently on the road with his ‘Bobble Hat’ show (which you can also catch at The Glasshouse, Gateshead, at 11am on October 29).
Stave Lamacq, of BBC Radio 6 Music is a fan. “In the pantheon of British songwriters he’s become the Ray Davies for the pre-teen generation,” he said. “If you’re going to trust your child’s musical education to anyone, make it Nick Cope.”
MUSIC: 100% Soul! - Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir
Where: Wylam Brewery, Newcastle
When: April 20
Bookings and info: Wylam Brewery website
World HQ’s legendary 100% Soul..! night returns to Wylam Brewery this Easter Sunday with a full live show featuring the incredible Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir, complete with live band and horn section.
Expect a night brimming with Motown, soul, and gospel anthems from the '60s and '70s - high-energy, feel-good classics that will make it impossible to stay off the dance floor.
MUSIC: Neil Cowley Trio
Where: Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Gateshead
When: Saturday, April 26, 8pm
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
Neil Cowley, one-time classical pianist, segued into soul and funk in his teens and was keyboardist for Brand New Heavies, Gabrielle, Emile Sandé and others (that’s him you hear on Adele’s first song, Hometown Glory).
He founded his trio in 2005 and produced six well received albums over 12 years, until he “pressed pause” in 2017 to focus on electronica and “solitary music making squeezing emotion from an armoury of synths”.
Missing the “human connection” he revived the trio last year with bassist Rex Horan and drummer Evan Jenkins. They produced a new album, Entity, ahead of their comeback at a sell-out London Jazz Festival gig and the Entity tour is now on the road.
“An album in which joy and sonic beauty abound,” wrote the reviewer for UK Jazz News. It will feature in the Gateshead gig along with Cowley classics from past releases.
THEATRE: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Where: Sunderland Empire
When: April 22-27
Bookings and info: atgtickets.com
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is landing at Sunderland Empire with a fresh take on the classic family favourite. This new version stars Ore Oduba as lovable inventor Caractacus Potts, alongside Liam Fox as Grandpa Potts and Charlie Brooks as the creepy Childcatcher. It’s packed with all the songs we all know and love - Toot Sweets, Hushabye Mountain, Truly Scrumptious, and of course, its rousing title track.
Based on Ian Fleming’s original story and the much-loved 1968 film, the show follows the Potts family as they bring an old racing car back to life, with extra flying and floating abilities. Cue a wild adventure with villains, far-off lands, and plenty of heart.
IN CONVERSATION: Natasha Brown
Where: Culture Lab, Newcastle University
When: Thursday, May 1, 7pm
Booking and info: ncl.ac.uk
Natasha Brown studied maths at Cambridge University and worked in finance before bursting onto the literary scene in 2021 with her debut novel, Assembly.
Focusing on the pressures faced by a successful young Black British woman in a predominantly white corporate environment, it won rave reviews and awards.
Now comes Universality, recently published by Faber and hailed in The Guardian as “a terrific second novel” and “an incisive exploration of the power dynamics of storytelling”.
It begins during lockdown when a young man is bludgeoned almost to death with a gold bar at an illegal rave on a Yorkshire farm and a journalist sets out to uncover the truth behind the attack.
Natasha will be talking about her new novel to Preti Taneja, professor of world literature and creative writing at Newcastle University and director of Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts.
THEATRE: Kinky Boots the Musical
Where: Stockton Globe and Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: April 29-May 3 and May 6-10 respectively
Bookings and info: kinkybootstour.com
The hit Broadway and West End musical Kinky Boots is heading to Stockton Globe in a dazzling new production with a star-studded cast including Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe*, Dan Partridge (Grease), Courtney Bowman (Six), Scott Paige (The Addams Family), and Newtion Matthews (Get Up Stand Up!).
Featuring uplifting songs by pop icon Cyndi Lauper and a heartwarming, hilarious book by Harvey Fierstein, Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price, who finds unexpected inspiration in drag queen Lola as they work to save his family’s failing shoe factory.
*Johannes Radebe will not appear in the matinee performances on May 1 when the role of Lola will be played by Newtion Matthews.
EVENT: Newcastle Puppetry Festival
Where: Northern Stage and various venues across the city
When: April 19-27
Bookings and info: movingpartsarts.com
It’s the region’s most heart-warming festival with strings attached (but sometimes not). Newcastle Puppetry Festival is returning for its sixth edition over the Easter holidays.
Proceedings will begin with free outdoor theatre performances on Northumberland Street and a spectacular 2pm parade.
You will hardly be able to miss the giant puppets mingling with shoppers, including a larger-than-life deer, a baby elephant called Delilah and what the organisers describe as a fantastical Jabberwocky with wandering accordionist.
The following nine days will feature a wide range of ticketed theatre and performance events, workshops and films and while much of it is aimed at children and families, there are also shows and workshops for teen and adult audiences.
COMEDY: Richard Herring - Can I Have My Ball Back?
Where: The Stand Newcastle
When: April 27
Bookings and info: thestand.co.uk
Back in 2021, comic and podcaster, Richard Herring noticed something odd - his right testicle was getting bigger. A trip to the GP confirmed it was testicular cancer, and a month later he was in hospital having it removed. For a man who once did an entire show about penises and wrote a book on toxic masculinity, it felt like life was playing a very on-the-nose joke.
Now, after six years away from stand-up, he’s finally back on stage with new 2025 tour dates. Expect sharp, honest comedy as he talks b******s - literally - and lots more besides.
STILL SHOWING
Event: Theatre Royal Open Day, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Apr 17, 10am to 3pm
Film: Stepney Western, Newcastle Contemporary Art, High Bridge, until Apr 26
TV: The Feud, Your living room (or wherever you get your telly), continues Apr 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 (and available on catch up)
Family: Dinosaurs Live!, Stockton Globe, Apr 16, nd info:
Exhibition: Shakespeare Recovered, Palace Green Library, Durham, until Nov 2
In Conversation: David Haldane & Ed Waugh, Lit & Phil, Newcastle, Apr 23, 6pm
Audio-Visual: The Mother Goose Series, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, until July
Exhibition: Richard Hobson retrospective, South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, until Nov 2
Music: Songs of the North East, various venues across the North East until May 23: Princess Alexandra Theatre, Yarm (April 29); The Customs House, South Shields (May 8); The Exchange, North Shields (May 9); Arts Centre Washington (May 21); and Ponteland Methodist Church (May 23). Another date in September at Redhills in Durham is TBC. Read our review.
Exhibition: Sheila Fell – Cumberland on Canvas, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Apr 10-Jun 28
Exhibition: Sunlight. Shadow, RePUBlic Gallery, Blyth, until April 19
Exhibition: Ali Cherri/Laura and Lancaster, BALTIC, until Oct 12
Comedy: Lee Kyle - Bottle It, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle, April 18
Exhibition: Joséphine: A Woman of Taste and Fashion, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, until March 2026
Exhibition: Unravelling, Samantha Cary, Granary Gallery, Berwick, until May 18
Exhibition: Northumberland Open Exhibition, Woodhorn Museum, until June 1. Read David Whetstone’s full preview of the exhibition.
Exhibition: Sustainable Clay, Hatton Gallery, Newcastle, until May 3. Read our review.
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
Music: The Young’uns Big Boro Bash, Middlesbrough Town Hall, Nov 15
Big screen: Expo Sunderland Pavilion, Keel Square, Sunderland, throughout 2025
NOW BOOKING
Theatre: Dogs on the Metro, Live Theatre, Newcastle, May 1-17
Theatre: Blackbird in the Snow, Laurels Theatre, Whitley Bay, May 6-17
Music: Across the Evening Sky - Josienne Clarke sings the songs of Sandy Denny, Gosforth Civic Theatre, May 15
Dance: Kontemporary Korea: A Double Bill of K:dance 2025, Dance City, May 15
Comedy: Lauren Pattison - Big Girl Pants, The Witham, Barnard Castle, May 15
Comedy: Patrick Monahan - The Talkinator, Darlington Hippodrome, May 17
Theatre: Boys from the Blackstuff, Newcastle Theatre Royal, May 20-24
Theatre: RUM, Live Theatre, Newcastle, Jun 6-7
Festival: What A Wonderful World Festival, based at Alnwick Playhouse, Jun 26-29
Dance/Music: Oti Mabuse - Viva Carnival, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Jun 13
Theatre: Josie Lawrence in What Next? Live Theatre, Newcastle, Jun 20-21
Festival: Mouth of the Tyne - UB40 and Soul II Soul, Tynemouth Priory, Jul 10
Comedy: Edinburgh Preview Day, Queen’s Hall Hexham, Jul 27
Music: The Futureheads and special guests, The Fire Station Summer Parties, Sunderland, Aug 2
Theatre: The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Aug 27-31
Festival: Lindisfarne Festival, Beal Farm, Northumberland, Aug 28-31
Comedy: Scummy Mummies - Hot Mess, The Fire Station, Sunderland, Sept 9
Theatre: Inside No. 9 - Stage/Fright, Sunderland Empire, Sept 16-20
Theatre: Showstopper! Darlington Hippodrome, Sept 18
Music: Lindisfarne, ARC, Stockton, Oct 3
Music: Seth Lakeman Trio, Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Oct 12
Theatre: The Remarkable Ben Hart, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Oct 17
Music: Bastille, Newcastle Utilita Arena, Nov 12
2026
Theatre: Fawlty Towers - The Play, Sunderland Empire, Feb 3-7 and Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jun 30-Jun 4
Comedy: Greg Davies - Full Fat Legend, Newcastle Utilita Arena, Mar 21
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, our friends at Beamish Museum have kindly given us a Family Unlimited Pass to pass on to one of our lovely subscribers.
And what a cracking time to win it as one of the region’s most popular attractions shifts into Easter mode, blending its immersive time-travel experience with seasonal traditions from across four historical eras.
All the way through the holidays to April 27, visitors can step into the past and discover how Easter was celebrated in the 1820s, early 1900s, 1940s, and 1950s—with all the charm, craft, and character Beamish is known for.
Rather than modern egg hunts and chocolate bunnies, the museum invites families to try their hand at old-fashioned games like egg jarping, take part in springtime crafts, and follow Easter trails through the 1900s Town - including a patchwork bunny hunt for the kids. Food plays a big role too, with traditional Easter treats like Simnel cake and hot cross buns served alongside live cooking demos.
Beyond Easter, Beamish continues to offer its award-winning glimpse into the North East’s past, with new exhibits like a 1950s high street, Georgian pottery, and much more to explore… you’ll need a year to get around it all!
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: Take Me Back In Time (12pm) on Thursday, April 17, 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. The family (2+2) Beamish Unlimited Pass prize admits two adults and two children to Beamish Museum, Beamish, County Durham, DH9 0RG. Passes are valid for daytime events only. Passes will be valid for one year from date of issue. The prize is non-exchangeable, non-transferable, and is not redeemable for cash or other prizes. T&Cs apply. beamish.org.uk for information.
You must be over 18 years of age to enter. The Editor’s decision is final.