Review: Songs of the North East, Consett Empire
Rob Lawson reports back from an evening filled with warmth, humour and fantastic performances
They may be international opera singers, but Graeme Danby and Valerie Reid’s latest show will warm the hearts of very local audiences.
The hugely talented husband and wife team are currently touring the region with Songs of the North East, a charming, humorous and poignant evening of songs that celebrate our special part of the world.
The show features songs from local writers old and new – from Joe Wilson to Sting and from Eric Boswell to Mark Knopfler. Local poet and playwright Tom Kelly, and writer and producer Graeme Thompson MBE have developed the show and written the clever script which threads the songs together.
To a background of film and still photographs Graeme’s rich bass voice and Valerie’s perfect mezzo-soprano easily filled the Consett Empire, wrapping an appreciative audience in a warm hug of nostalgia.
The juxtaposition of music and slides was particularly effective and moving during Deep Into The Ground from Billy Elliot - sung in front of photographs of mines long closed and pitmen long gone.
Valerie’s version of Blow the Wind Southerly and a brilliant, emotional version of the stunning Only Remembered produced similarly strong emotions, tugging at the heartstrings while never getting overly sentimental. The songs portrayed the region’s best-known heavy industries – shipbuilding and mining – as they were, and not as romanticised versions of what were harsh working conditions.
But the show is more than just a heartfelt echo of the past. There’s plenty of humour, especially when Graeme or Valerie are performing numbers from Eric Boswell’s prolific songbook. The couple were great friends of Boswell, and last year went on the road with a show purely focused on his songs.
For this show the pair milked the humour of Boswell’s A Geordie Love Song and Playing Hard to Get for all they were worth, while the Social Security Waltz was a particular joy.
It helps that both Graeme and Valerie are natural storytellers and their diction and delivery superb, ensuring each word and nuance are perfectly clear. Pianist Andrew Richardson is also a vital part of the show, providing perfect accompaniment and even joining in the singing.
Further highlights for me were the haunting Water of Tyne and the brilliant Sally Wheatley and Katie Was There.
The Consett Empire helped provide an intimate atmosphere. It was like a night with friends and family - indeed there were several members of Consett-born Graeme’s family in the audience. His link with his hometown was emphasised further when Graeme dedicated Rap er Ta Bank to Joyce Shaw, a stalwart of Consett’s music scene who died recently aged 80. Joyce was particularly known as a choir leader for Consett Citizens Choir.
The hugely enjoyable evening closed with two Geordie standards – Keep Ya Feet Still and Blaydon Races, with the audience providing the chorus with real gusto, echoing the passion that Graeme and Valerie clearly have for the north east.
Writers Graeme Thompson MBE and Tom Kelly are adapting the show for a couple of venues, with minor amendments made to localise the script and set list for ultra-local audiences.
Songs of the North East will be at the following venues in 2025:
Queens Hall, Hexham Friday, April 11, queenshall.co.uk
Princess Alexandra Theatre, Yarm Tuesday April 29, boxoffice@thepaaonline.org
The Customs House, South Shields Thursday May 8, customshouse.co.uk
The Exchange1856, North Shields Friday May 9, theexchange1856.com
Arts Centre Washington Wednesday May 21, artscentrewashington.co.uk
Ponteland Methodist Church Friday May 23
Redhills Miners Hall, Durham at a date to be confirmed in September.