Hello, and thanks for joining us for another Curated Culture.

Ahead lies our latest handpicked selection of cultural distractions from around the North East - from gigs and exhibitions to theatre, comedy and a few things you might want to get booked in sharpish.

At the end of the newsletter, you’ll also find details of this week’s subscriber prize draw: a pair of tickets to see Nadine Shah with the Royal Northern Sinfonia as part of this year’s BBC Proms programme at The Glasshouse.

Happy reading/booking.

Sam (Wonfor) and Dave (Whetstone)
Professionally pre-occupied with North East culture

EXHIBITION: Norman Cornish – A Life in Sketchbooks
Where: Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle
When: June 27 to January 3, 2027
Bookings and info: thebowesmuseum.org.uk

The latest exhibition dedicated to one of County Durham’s best loved artists is described as an intimate affair with the focus on his sketchbooks.

They are to be displayed alongside paintings and, say the Bowes teasingly, a “significant new acquisition” – all aiding an exploration of his working imagination.

During his life (1919 to 2014), Cornish filled 269 sketchbooks, capturing the streets, people, and communities of the Durham coalfield with distinctive insight and warmth.

It was his belief that sketchbooks should “have a life of their own… to teach people to look at things” and the intention with this exhibition is to bring that idea to life.

That new acquisition, strengthening the museum’s Cornish collection, was made possible with the legacy funds of the Friends of the Bowes Museum.

THEATRE: Operation Mincemeat
Where: Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: June 22-27
Bookings and info: theatreroyal.co.uk

If you like your history with a generous helping of chaos, comedy and astonishing true-life absurdity, Operation Mincemeat should be firmly on your radar.

Winner of the 2024 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, this wildly inventive production has become the most reviewed show in West End history, racking up 113 five-star notices and earning a Tony nomination on Broadway.

Set in 1943, it tells the extraordinary true story of the secret mission that helped turn the tide of World War II - involving a stolen corpse, a fake love letter and Ian Fleming.

FESTIVAL: What A Wonderful World Festival
Where: Alnwick Playhouse and various venues
When: June 25-28
Bookings and info: whataww.org

Bellowhead frontman Jon Boden heads to Northumberland this month as the headline act for the 2026 What a Wonderful World Festival. His performance, which also includes a Q&A with Dr Adam Holden from Durham University, will showcase his acclaimed album collection, The Floodplain Trilogy.

The concert on June 27 is part of a wide-ranging festival programme celebrating music, nature, creativity and community across Alnwick and beyond.

Evidence from previous festivals promises an uplifting and thought-provoking event with plenty to discover and enjoy.

We’ll be taking a deeper dive into the full programme and sharing our interview with Jon ahead of his appearance later this week.

MUSIC/MOVEMENT: CAT Make Music Day
Where: Dance City, Newcastle
When: Sunday, June 21, 3.30pm
Bookings and info: dancecity.co.uk

Every year, June 21 is Make Music Day – a global celebration of music that originated in France with a 1981 survey which revealed that while five million people in the country claimed to play an instrument, very few ever took part in any musical event.

With a view to creating performance opportunities, France’s Fête de la Musique took place the following year and was soon taken up around the world.

The first Make Music Day in the UK took place in 2012 and now features hundreds of free community-led concerts, workshops and open jam sessions in public spaces, parks and venues.

This event, which is free but ticketed, brings together the talented young musicians who study at The Glasshouse’s Make Music Weekend School and the young dancers from Dance City’s Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) programme.

A lively showcase of emerging talent is in store.

MUSIC: Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra
Where: Darlington Hippodrome
When: June 19
Bookings and info: darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

TV and music treasure, Jools Holland is making his first touring visit of the year with a gig in Darlington and - as ever - he’s bringing his excellent Rhythm and Blues Orchestra along with him.

A joyful mix of jazz, boogie-woogie, blues, soul and swing will undoubtedly be served up as well as special guest Roachford and guest vocalists Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall and Sumudu Jayatilaka.

Note: Never get bored of watching this clip from a banging concert film my dad (Geoff Wonfor) made with Jools in Blackpool 10-or-so years ago.

Since presenting The Tube from Tyne Tees TV in his early 20s, Jools - who has since clocked up more than three decades presenting music telly institution Later… - has retained a great affection for the region and never fails to include it generously on his touring schedule.

To prove the point, he will be back in the region in December with gigs at the Stockton Globe (Dec 2) and Newcastle o2 City Hall (Dec 3). Visit his website for more details and booking.

EXHIBITION: Mourning Tea Tyne & Lost Frequencies
Where: Globe Gallery, North Shields
When: Thursday, June 18, from 6pm (preview)
Bookings and info: globegallery.org

The Mügge brothers, Sebastian and Christoph, were born in Bonn, Germany, in the early 1980s but are now based in Sweden.

They have worked collaboratively since 2017, creating – say the Globe - “ambitious installations that draw on local histories, found objects, archives and community participation to explore themes of memory, loss, belonging and the traces people leave behind”.

Their most recent projects have come to fruition in Hanover, Vienna, the Italian city of Brescia, Copenhagen and the Faroe Islands.

But recently they’ve been resident in North Shields, based at the gallery on Howard Street, building up to this exhibition – or “immersive environment” - with its extraordinary title.

The brothers have created, through domestic objects, forgotten collections, old photographs, handwritten notes, souvenirs, household oddities and everyday clutter, the imagined home and archive of an imaginary person who has died.

THEATRE: Smack Family Robinson (reading)
Where: Live Theatre, Newcastle
When: June 19
Bookings and info: live.org.uk

Live Theatre is marking playwright Richard Bean’s 70th birthday with a special one-off reading of Smack Family Robinson, his darkly comic Whitley Bay-set play which premiered at the Quayside venue in 2003.

The cast for the performance includes Denise Welch and her son Louis Healy, appearing together alongside Trevor Fox, Beth Crame and Luke Maddison.

Best known for the smash-hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors, Bean has enjoyed a long association with Live, making this anniversary event a fitting celebration of his work - and a chance to revisit one of his sharpest and funniest North East stories.

COMEDY: Rachel Fairburn and Chris Cantrill (Work in Progress)
Where: The Stand Newcastle
When: June 27
Bookings and info: thestand.co.uk

Edinburgh preview season is upon us, and this double bill offers the chance to catch two sharp comic minds road-testing new material before they head north for the Fringe.

Rachel Fairburn - known from Live at the Apollo and hit podcast All Killa No Filla - will be trying out work from her new show Vexy Beasts while three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Chris Cantrill will be working out his show, Rewilding, a darkly funny tale of countryside calm, community justice and mushrooms.

CLASSICAL: RNS Summer Tour
Where: Carlisle, Hexham, Hartlepool, Cullercoats
When: June 25, 26, 27, 28
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org

Never let it be said grass grows under the feet of Royal Northern Sinfonia musicians.

They’re off on a tour of churches this month with violinist Charlotte Scott directing.

The itinerary includes St Cuthbert’s Church, Carlisle (June 25, 7.30pm), Hexham Abbey (June 26, 7.30pm), St Hilda’s Church, Hartlepool (7.30pm) and St George’s Church, Cullercoats (June 28, 3pm).

A programme of “radiant musical sunshine” comprises Dvořák’s Czech Suite, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and Schubert’s Symphony No. 5.

Meanwhile, RNS musicians will be at Arts Centre Washington on Wednesday (June 17, 7.30pm) to premiere a new work by Sunderland composer Ben Lunn who will also conduct.

Anna Marra Missa, commissioned by RNS with support from the Royal Philharmonic Society, is a song cycle inspired by the epic poem of the same name by the late William Martin.

It will be performed by soprano Rosalind Dobson and Sinfonia musicians directed by Bradley Creswick.

The concert will also feature Concerto Grosso Op. 4 No. 1 by Newcastle-born Charles Avison (1709-70) and Symphony No. 8 ‘Sunderland’ by William Herschel (1738 to 1822) who was first violin for a time in Avison’s orchestra.

MUSIC: Midsummer Party with Matthias (Superluminal)
Where: Cobalt Studios, Ouseburn
When: June 20
Bookings and info: cobaltstudios.co.uk

Italian-born and Berlin-based DJ and producer Matthias heads to the North East for a midsummer set built for serious dance music lovers.

Known for DJ sets drawing on his “vast discography”, he has earned a loyal following on Europe’s underground scene.

Prepare for a night of immersive rhythms, subtle shifts and expertly selected sounds from an artist with a clear love of the craft… and obviously do not forget your dancing shoes.

POETRY: New collections
Where: Lit & Phil, Newcastle
When: Wednesday, June 17, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: litandphil.org.uk

New collections by two notable poets are being launched in this free (but ticketed) event.

Linda Anderson’s second collection, Against Falling (Pavilion Poetry), was inspired by the random jottings in her notebooks and the surprising links they brought to mind.

At its heart, we are told, is an exploration of time and ageing.

It is a Poetry Book Society recommendation.

Linda, emeritus professor of English at Newcastle University, founded the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts in 2009 and Newcastle Poetry Festival which is being resurrected as an independent charity after the university stopped funding it.

(Its first event features poet Denise Riley in conversation with Prof Deryn Rees-Jones, editor of Pavilion Poetry, at The Common Room, adjacent to the Lit & Phil, on June 27 at 2pm.)

Wednesday’s other new collection is The Green Parcel (Bloodaxe), the second by John Challis, formerly of Tyneside but now living in York where he teaches creative writing at York St John University.

The book’s “rural terrain” explores history, class and work, as well as our relationship to the natural world and cycles of growth and decay.

FILM: Fear Eats The Soul (cert. 12A)
Where: Baltic, Gateshead
When: Thursday, June 25, 6.30pm
Bookings and info: baltic.art

Next up in the Baltic Cinema season is a Rainer Werner Fassbinder classic coming appropriately on the heels of Refugee Week (June 15-21).

Set in former West Germany, it tells of the romance between a 60-year-old widow, Emmi, who works as a cleaner, and a much younger Moroccan man, Ali, a ‘guest worker’ in the country.

He asks her to dance in a Munich bar frequented by immigrants, where she has gone to escape the rain, setting in train “a heart-on-sleeve melodrama of a doomed romance across racial and age divides”.

The film, a double winner at Cannes in 1974, the year of its release, was critically acclaimed at the time and remains one of Fassbender’s most highly regarded films.

Neither Fassbinder nor any of the principals is still alive.

Emmi was played by Brigitte Mira, who won a leading actress award for her performance, and Ali by Moroccan actor El Hedi ben Salem who at the time was in a relationship with Fassbinder which was doomed to end rather less well than the film.

It is in German with English subtitles. A pop-up cinema bar will be open from 6pm.

STILL SHOWING

Music: Pitmen Poets, various North East venues, Jun 27-Jul 12
Music: An Evening with The Futureheads, The Fire Station, Sunderland, Jun 20
Dance: This is Rambert, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jun 16-17
Theatre: Mother?, ARC, Stockton and Live Theatre, Newcastle, Jun 18-19 and Jun 30 respectively
Festival: Alnmouth Arts Festival, Alnmouth, Northumberland, Jun 20-21
Exhibition: Joan Eardley, Granary Gallery, Berwick-upon-Tweed, until Oct 11
Theatre: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Sunderland Empire, until Jun 27. Read our review
Exhibition: Wild Africa, Gallerina, 1 Victoria Road, Darlington, until Jul 25
Exhibition: The Visitors, The Storehouse, Berwick Barracks, until Jun 27
Screen: The Fortune, Channel 5, from Jun 2, 9pm
Screen: Smoggie Queens, BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, available now
Screen: This Is Not A Murder Mystery, UTV and streaming on Channel Four, available now.
Exhibition: Foundation Press – Starting Lines, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, until Aug 30.
Exhibition: The Graduates, National Glass Centre, Sunderland, until Jul 31.
Radio: Si King on Desert Island Discs, BBC Sounds/iPlayer
Exhibition: Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, until Sept 6
Exhibition: Following the Eagle, Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend, until Oct 3
Exhibition: Picture This: Someone Like Me, Great North Museum: Hancock, until Jan 2027
Exhibition: Portrait Award 2025, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, until Sept 5
Exhibition: Enigmas, RePUBlic Gallery, Blyth, ongoing
Exhibition: Rebel Women of Sunderland, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, until Aug 1
Screen: Torvill and Dean - The Last Dance, streaming on ITVX
Screen: Jools Holland’s New Orleans Jukebox, BBC iPlayer
Radio: Tom and Lauren Are Going OOT!, BBC Sounds
Exhibition: Out of the Darkness, Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland, until December

NOW BOOKING

Comedy: Lasses x The Girlie Show, Live Theatre, Jul 4
Screen: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (40th anniversary) + Tarquin Gotch Q&A, Tyneside Cinema, Jul 7
Theatre: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jul 7-11
Theatre: The Karate Kid The Musical, Sunderland Empire, Jul 14-18
Comedy: Edinburgh Preview Day, Queen’s Hall Arts, Hexham, Aug 1
Music: Kula Shaker, The Fire Station Parade Ground, Sunderland, Aug 2 (Part of the Summer Parties programme)
Comedy: Things We Didn’t Know Podcast Live (with Jason Cook and Carl Hutchinson), The Customs House, South Shields, Aug 14. Tickets on sale Jun 19.
Music: Northern Soul All Dayer, The Glasshouse concourse, Aug 30
Festival: Lindisfarne Festival, Beal Farm, Northumberland, Sept 3-5
Event: Jon Ronson - Enter the Castle, Gala Durham, Sept 17
Event: Caitlin Moran - How To Be Hopeful, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Sept 27
Music: Crash Test Dummies plus Special Guests, Wylam Brewery, Oct 1
Comedy: Your Aunt Fanny - Crease, ARC Stockton, Oct 10
Music: Soul II Soul, Newcastle o2 City Hall, Oct 23
Music: Megson, The Witham, Barnard Castle, Oct 29
Music: The Script, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Nov 5
Comedy: Harry Enfield and No Chums, Darlington Hippodrome (Nov 11); Stockton Globe (Nov 21); Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle (Mar 20, 2027)
Event: Miriam’s Full English Live, Darlington Hippodrome, Nov 18

2027

Music: Stornoway, The Fire Station, Sunderland, Feb 18
Theatre: Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Feb 23-27
Comedy: Mike Wozniak - The Bench, Gala Durham, Mar 19
Music: Gabrielle, Newcastle o2 City Hall, Apr 3
Theatre: The Most Famous Tree In The World, Live Theatre, May 6-29
Classical: Thomas Zehetmair conducts Mozart, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Jun 4
Theatre: Starlight Express, Sunderland Empire, Jul 14-31

COMPETITION TIME

Welcome to our latest newsletter prize draw - 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 Nadine Shah with the Royal Northern Sinfonia as part of this year’s BBC Proms programme at The Glasshouse.

South Tyneside-born Nadine will be making her Proms debut by playing a special gig on the concourse with the venue’s resident orchestra - conducted by Ellie Slorach - as well as special guest, Newcastle jazz-fusion outfit, Knats.

When the BBC Proms’ North East programme was announced earlier this year, the Mercury Music Prize-nomintaed singer songwriter said: “This summer, I’ll be making my proms debut with Royal Northern Sinfonia.

“The performance will take place in the North East at our finest establishment, The Glasshouse in Gateshead. It’s high art, it’s fancy, call me ‘Nadine Shah lah-de-dah’. It’s about time, on the Tyne.”

Audiences should expect songs form each of Nadine’s albums, as well as new music too.

This will be the fifth year BBC Proms has programmed performances in the region - and this is its biggest selection yet.

As well as a packed programme at The Glasshouse, concerts are also happening at The Fire Station in Sunderland (Royal Northern Sinfonia: Mozart and Mendelssohn, directed by violinist Maria Włoszczowska on July 25) and Middlesbrough Town Hall (The Unthanks and RNS on July 23).

Visit The Glasshouse website for full BBC Proms programme details.

HOW TO ENTER:

To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: ‘Would I like to see Nadine at the BBC Proms? Shah thing!’ by 5pm on Sunday (Jun 21)

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.

Hello and welcome to this week’s Cultured. On Sunday.

As ever, we’re rounding off the week with a mix of stories from across the North East’s cultural landscape - some celebrating new beginnings, others reflecting on journeys which have reached significant milestones.

David Whetstone reports on important recognition for The NewBridge Project and the return of the Northern Chords festival.

Tony Henderson shines a light on a new Bishop Auckland exhibition and unearths some musical history, and we’ve got reviews from stages in Sunderland and Newcastle.

Elsewhere, Forum Books offers this week’s reading inspiration, while Michael Telfer is firmly back in Slough House thanks to the first trailer for Slow Horses series six.

Meanwhile, the final curtain call for Gerry and Sewell got me thinking about the remarkable journey which took it from a tiny attic theatre in Whitley Bay to the West End.

Happy Sunday!

Black, White and Beyond… Gerry and Sewell always told a story about chasing the dream. Off stage, the team behind it did exactly that. And caught it. Sam Wonfor reflects on a remarkable journey.

Supping on my Purely Belter-branded beer after Thursday’s gala performance of Gerry and Sewell, I realised this show has offered me a cultural PB I can’t see myself topping. (Unless Matilda The Musical is still going when the grandkids come along).

Never before have I seen a piece of theatre seven times. A quick rundown.

• Twice at Laurels in Whitley Bay, because after seeing it once, I immediately took a mate who I knew would love it.

• Twice at Live Theatre, partly because my son was in the hooligan chorus and took great pleasure in giving his parents a full and enthusiastic breakdown of his newly acquired hand gesture vocabulary.

• Once during its first run at Newcastle Theatre Royal.

• Once in the West End.

• And then one final time on Thursday back at the top of Grey Street during its final season of performances.

While that might seem excessive, the truth is that seeing Gerry and Sewell - Jamie Eastlake’s stage adaptation of Jonathan Tulloch’s novel The Season Ticket and the film (Purely Belter) it inspired - never really felt like seeing the same show twice.

True, it has always been raw, funny, moving, sharp and full of heart. It has also always told a story that feels deeply rooted in this region while also saying something much bigger about friendship, hope and what it means to keep reaching for something that feels out of grasp.

What has changed is the scale.

Watching this production grow from a 60-seat attic theatre in Whitley Bay to Live Theatre, then Newcastle Theatre Royal, then all the way to the Aldwych in London has been a real privilege.

Read full column

This week’s thrilling recommendation comes from Forum Books founder Helen Stanton. You can pick it up at Forum Books in Corbridge, or one of its sister shops, The Bound Whitley Bay and The Accidental Bookshop in Alnwick.

Abir Mukherjee’s last thriller, Hunted, rightly won the Crime and Thriller of the Year gong at The British Book Awards 2025.

He is also known for the historical Wyndham and Banerjee series. His new contemporary page-turner The Pinnacle is a piercing satirical thriller - think The White Lotus meets The White Tiger - a place where murder meets luxury and the world’s most privileged depend on the most desperate.

When Bollywood star Sweet Sahota is found murdered in Mumbai’s most exclusive skyscraper, her washed-up American actor husband George Abercrombie is the obvious suspect. But as George scrambles to piece together a drunken night, others in the building are covering their tracks – a blackmailed assistant, a servant who knows too much and neighbours with everything to hide…

Propulsive, twisty, slick and so damn funny too… The Pinnacle is high-octane stuff. I loved it!

Abir will be at the bound on Wednesday (June 17) as part of Independent Bookshop Week (June 13-20) tickets here.

Every week, Michael Telfer – aka Mike TV – recommends a box set to crack open. This week’s choice is a cross between Tinker Tailor and The Office

If television spy dramas make you picture sharply dressed agents living in the shadows, seamlessly exchanging files in airports or placing high-stakes bets in casinos while casually smoking, then you are in for a change of pace with Apple TV’s Slow Horses.

Apart from the smoking, of which there is plenty, the main characters eschew many of the traits you might expect to find in a Le Carré adaptation, or indeed hope to find in those tasked with guarding our nation’s secrets.

They are impulsive, reckless, sometimes incompetent and nearly always damaged goods.

The series is based on the brilliant books by Newcastle-born Mick Herron, which follow the inhabitants of Slough House, a run-down office above a Chinese takeaway where MI5 agents that screw up (nicknamed Slow Horses) are sent to serve out their careers in administrative purgatory until they quit or die of boredom.

They are ‘managed’ by Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), a cold war legend of the service who now exists on whisky, knock-off cigarettes, suspicious-looking takeaways and the unhappiness of the unlucky agents assigned to him.

Fortunately for us, life is never as boring in Slough House as it’s supposed to be…

Read more

If television spy dramas make you picture sharply dressed agents living in the shadows, seamlessly exchanging files in airports or placing high-stakes bets in casinos while casually smoking, then you are in for a change of pace with Apple TV’s Slow Horses.

Apart from the smoking, of which there is plenty, the main characters eschew many of the traits you might expect to find in a Le Carré adaptation, or indeed hope to find in those tasked with guarding our nation’s secrets.

They are impulsive, reckless, sometimes incompetent and nearly always damaged goods.

The series is based on the brilliant books by Newcastle-born Mick Herron, which follow the inhabitants of Slough House, a run-down office above a Chinese takeaway where MI5 agents that screw up (nicknamed Slow Horses) are sent to serve out their careers in administrative purgatory until they quit or die of boredom.

They are ‘managed’ by Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), a cold war legend of the service who now exists on whisky, knock-off cigarettes, suspicious-looking takeaways and the unhappiness of the unlucky agents assigned to him.

Fortunately for us, life is never as boring in Slough House as it’s supposed to be…

The first five seasons closely follow Herron’s books, and find our accident-prone heroes caught up with far-right groups, Russian sleeper agents, terrorist attacks and endless power battles within MI5.

Gary Oldman is incredible as the cantankerous Lamb, and he is blessed with some of the best put downs ever shown on television, and some of the finest flatulence.

Jack Lowden stars as River Cartwright, a young agent who is transferred to Slough House after a botched training exercise but still believes he’ll make it back to Regent Park some day.

Elsewhere in the stellar cast Kristin Scott Thomas is chilling as the icy head of MI5 Diana Taverner, Saskia Reeves is perfectly cast as Lamb’s long-suffering assistant and Jonathan Pryce plays River’s grandfather and retired spook David Cartwright.

It’s no surprise that a show that pairs Apple’s chequebook with Herron’s novels is worth watching, but Slow Horses is even better than fans of the books (including myself) could ever have dreamed.

The only slight downside is that like many UK shows, each season is only six episodes. Thankfully Apple knock them out more often than Jackson Lamb changes his socks, and having released five seasons in just over three years, they have now shared the teaser for the sixth season, which will drop this September.

Which gives you plenty of time to catch up with one of the best shows currently on television.

Slow Horses is on Apple TV.

Supping on my Purely Belter-branded beer after Thursday’s gala performance of Gerry and Sewell, I realised this show has offered me a cultural PB I can’t see myself topping. (Unless Matilda The Musical is still going when the grandkids come along).

Never before have I seen a piece of theatre seven times. A quick rundown.

• Twice at Laurels in Whitley Bay, because after seeing it once, I immediately took a mate who I knew would love it.

• Twice at Live Theatre, partly because my son was in the hooligan chorus and took great pleasure in giving his parents a full and enthusiastic breakdown of his newly acquired hand gesture vocabulary.

• Once during its first run at Newcastle Theatre Royal.

• Once in the West End.

• And then one final time on Thursday back at the top of Grey Street during its final season of performances.

While that might seem excessive, the truth is that seeing Gerry and Sewell - Jamie Eastlake’s stage adaptation of Jonathan Tulloch’s novel The Season Ticket and the film (Purely Belter) it inspired - never really feels like seeing the same show twice.

True, it has always been raw, funny, moving, sharp and full of heart. It has also always told a story that feels deeply rooted in this region while also saying something much bigger about friendship, hope and what it means to keep reaching for something that feels out of grasp.

What has changed is the scale.

Watching this production grow from a 60-seat attic theatre in Whitley Bay to Live Theatre, then Newcastle Theatre Royal, then all the way to the Aldwych in London has been a real privilege.

I remember Jamie standing on the stage at Laurels as he launched its opening season and telling the audience that something they saw on that stage would end up in the West End.

It was a huge statement to make. Not least in a venue small enough to ensure everyone knew what flavour crisps everyone else had opted for.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest dreamers I know, and I mean that in the best possible way, Jamie dreams big and quite rightly doesn’t apologise for it. But even knowing that - and with an Olivier Award on his shelf - I’m not sure he genuinely expected to be able to scratch that promise off his to-do list inside five years

And yet there we were in January, watching the top of the Strand turn black and white as Gerry and Sewell took its place at the Aldwych.

A fiercely Geordie production, built around a beloved North East story and wearing its voice, its humour and its identity as proudly as Sewell wears his NUFC bench coat, had somehow made the leap from fringe theatre to the West End without losing any of the things which made people fall in love with it in the first place.

That doesn’t happen often. And I’m confident that it’s never happened when the team behind it have had just eight weeks to pull it together.

Maybe that’s partly why the parallels between the story on stage and the story off it have felt so tangible.

At its core, Gerry and Sewell is about two lads chasing a dream while the odds stack up against them. It’s about refusing to stop hoping, even when experience, logic and everyone around you tells you to lower your sights.

That idea has never felt far from what has been happening behind the scenes with this production.

There’s something quite brilliant about the fact that while we leave Gerry and Sewell still striving for their dream, the people who brought their story to life have been living theirs.

Not that this has all unfolded like some neat theatrical fairytale.

Behind every standing ovation and every “what a journey” headline have been sleepless nights, difficult conversations, enormous financial pressure and a huge amount of risk.*

*A documentary is in the making, courtesy of film maker Meg Jepson

While Jamie has been the driving force from the start, Gerry and Sewell’s journey has also been shaped by the people and organisations who recognised what it could become and got behind it. Newcastle Theatre Royal stepping in as co-producers after the move from Live Theatre was a huge moment, bringing not just belief but invaluable expertise, resources and support.

Even with that backing, the run-up to the West End transfer felt faintly bonkers. Raising the money needed to make it viable while simultaneously dealing with all the creative and logistical demands of moving a production of that scale to London was, by any sensible measure, ridiculous.

But they did it - and then brought it back home for the on stage equivalent of an open top bus encore.

Far from an ending though, Gerry and Sewell feels like a big beginning.

Eastlake Productions has a brimming slate of work in development, and this show now stands as an unequivocal statement of what they can do - not just creatively, but in terms of sheer ambition and belief.

They have shown that big ideas from the North East do not need to think small.

They have shown that stories from here can fill major stages while staying true to themselves.

And they have shown that sometimes the seemingly impossible thing is only impossible until someone decides to do it anyway.

Northern Chords is back this month with three concerts of exceptional quality, all indicative of festival founder Jonathan Bloxham’s wish to swell the audience for the classical music he loves.

If you’re aged 25 or under, or a student, you can get in free to all of them (assuming there are tickets left).

At a time of spiralling costs, that’s a jaw-dropping offer. The musicians visiting the region over this long weekend regularly perform in some of the world’s major concert halls.

Even relative oldies pay only £15 for the first two concerts, at St Mary’s Church, Whickham, and The Common Room (formerly the Mining Institute) on Westgate Road, Newcastle, while tickets for the grand finale at St James’ and St Basil’s Church, Fenham, will set you back only an extra fiver.

Speaking from Switzerland, where he is music director of the historic opera house in Lucerne, Jonathan explains: “We want to encourage people who’ve never been to a classical concert before.

“We discussed the pricing a lot with the board but we really want to make sure there are no barriers.

“These are tough times and people are having to make choices about what they spend their money on and we wouldn’t want anyone to think they weren’t welcome.

“I don’t think we’ve increased ticket prices for several years but we’re lucky to have the support (principally from the Scops Arts Trust and the Sir James Knott Trust) that enables us to do that.”

Pianist Martin James Bartlett has long been a festival regular so it comes as something of a surprise to see that he’s still only 29.

He started early, though, winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2014 and performing at the BBC Proms the following year.

Now signed to Warner Classics, he will be at the keyboard in the opening gala concert which features Schubert’s Trout Quintet – which will also give concert-goers a rare opportunity to see Jonathan playing the cello.

Although he’s best known these days as a conductor, this was the instrument which won him over to classical music as a young primary school pupil in Whickham and at which he excelled.

“Northern Chords is one of the very few times each year when I bring out the cello,” he says.

“The conductor is meant to be the silent musician, unless they’re grunting, so it’s a joy to have that tactile experience again, sitting down and performing with an instrument.”

Also performing will be violinist Benjamin Baker, with whom Jonathan has just recorded Mozart’s violin concertos for a CD later this year, American viola player Natalie Loughran and tenor Ben Johnson, another festival stalwart.

Concert number two, at The Common Room, with the heading Nature and Folk, features Vaughan Williams’ ever popular The Lark Ascending, Elgar’s Serenade for Strings and, after the interval, Tchaikovsky’s folk-inspired Violin Concerto in D major with Benjamin Baker in the spotlight and Jonathan conducting the Northern Chords Festival Strings.

An unknown quantity to some will be message between trees by Greek composer Konstantia Gourzi.

“I recently worked with Konstantia who is better known on the continent than in the UK although she has been commissioned by the BBC,” says Jonathan.

“This is a wonderful piece for solo viola and strings, a sort of ethereal prayer to trees and nature. I conducted it in Bremen a few months ago but this might be the first time it’s been performed in the UK.

“I think it’s important to include work by living composers.”

Concert number three – “the highlight in a way,” says Jonathan – features Handel’s Messiah, following on the heels of last year’s “incredibly popular” semi-staged performance of Dido & Aeneas, by Handel’s British near contemporary, Henry Purcell.

“It’s an unseasonal Messiah but this is a piece of art that’s perfect for any time of year and we wanted to do it semi-staged,” says Jonathan.

“We’ve got dancers involved (James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight who have performed with the acclaimed Wayne McGregor Dance Company) and it’s a slightly shorter version… all the highlights basically.”

The soloists include Ben Johnson, who will also direct, mezzo soprano Lily Mo Browne, winner of the coveted Kathleen Ferrier competition in 2025, and Weimar-based French soprano Adèle Clermont, another rising star.

“We also have a stellar group of string players - hand-picked, as always, for the Northern Chords orchestra,” says Jonathan. “And it’s fantastic that Voices of Hope (the award-winning North East choir) are back with us again.”

The concert offers another chance to hear Martin James Bartlett, this time performing Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in D minor.

It all adds up to a 17^th Northern Chords festival oozing quality.

As Jonathan’s career has developed, so have those of the musicians who regularly support his festival – conceived to give something back to the region which nurtured his own musical talents.

Demand for the performers’ services increases year on year, making their visit to the North East ever more covetable. And as Jonathan works with ever more exciting young musicians, the Northern Chords talent pool becomes deeper.

The wonder is that he finds the time.

Along with his opera house duties in Lucerne, where he lives with wife Mimi and 10-month-old son Samuel, he is also chief conductor of a symphony orchestra over the border in Germany, the North West German Philharmonic, and principal conductor and artistic advisor to the London Mozart Players.

Add to that guest conducting engagements around the world and his schedule appears dizzying.

He doesn’t deny it.

“Once a young lad from Gateshead, who picked up a cello in school, I’m now able to look ahead at lots of exciting plans. My diary is pretty full for the next two or three years.

“That’s a very fortunate position for a musician to be in. I have trips to the States and New Zealand coming up. I could pinch myself sometimes.

“I’m lucky to have two management teams that I work with, one here and one in London, and they do a fantastic job of organising my travel plans.

“Typically I might do a concert one night in Germany, go back to conduct an opera in Switzerland, return to Germany the next night to conduct another concert and then go back to Switzerland to conduct a different opera.

“There are lots of early morning starts with the alarm going off at 3.30am to get a taxi to an airport.

“I must say that I am looking forward to my summer holiday which starts the week after Northern Chords.”

But the good news for us is that Jonathan remains touchingly committed to the festival. Next year’s dates are already in his diary and he has plans to extend the educational activities which always accompany it.

Northern Chords 2026 is from June 26 to 28 (Friday to Sunday). For tickets, go to the Northern Chords website.

New warehouse venue launches in Ouseburn

A cultural venue is opening in Ouseburn this weekend, adding another creative string to the bow of one of Newcastle’s most creative neighbourhoods.

Ouseburn. Event. Space. on Lime Street, is a new warehouse and yard venue bringing together a mix of independent food, drink and creative businesses, including Wylam Brewery, Nomad Kababi and Deep North.

This weekend’s launch offers visitors a first chance to explore the space, meet the resident businesses and get a flavour (or let’s make that flavours) of what’s to come.

Organisers say the venue is designed to celebrate the independent spirit and creative energy which has helped make Ouseburn one of the city’s most popular destinations.

And there’s plenty already in the pipeline.

Upcoming events include a solo exhibition by Newcastle artist Marcus Reed, live football World Cup screenings and the recently announced Smoove & Turrell gig.

That’s a wrap for Sarnies

Filming has finished for a new comedy short written by Smoggie Queens star Elijah Young and produced by Gateshead-based Candle and Bell.

Commissioned by BBC Comedy and shot over a week in the North East, the project brings Elijah’s long-developing sitcom idea to life, with a cast including Denise Welch and Izzy Sorby of comedy sketch troupe Your Aunt Fanny - as well as the creator himself.

Set in a sandwich shop in Newcastle’s Bigg Market, Sarnies follows aspiring manager Sharon as she tries to keep her staff – and a new recruit – out of trouble.

Posting on social media, Candle and Bell founding producer Maria Caruana Galizia said the team had “loads of fun” making the film, thanking cast, crew and North East Screen for their support.

We await to be filled in when it comes to a transmission date.

Taking the case for regional theatre to Westminster

Newcastle Theatre Royal was in Westminster this week as a new alliance of independent regional theatres took its case directly to government.

Representatives from the Theatre Royal joined leaders from four other major venues at a parliamentary reception on Wednesday (June 10) to officially launch the Regional Independent Theatre Alliance (RITA) and press for greater recognition of the sector’s economic and cultural value.

The alliance – which also includes Birmingham Hippodrome, Leeds Heritage Theatres, Norwich Theatre and Marlowe Canterbury – is calling on government to better recognise what it describes as theatre’s “third way”: independent, not-for-profit venues operating between the subsidised and commercial sectors. Read more

Heritage, whisky… and now more silverware

Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery has picked up another tourism accolade, winning Silver in the Small Visitor Attraction of the Year category at the 2026 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

The latest honour is the Wooler venue’s 21st award and follows last year’s national Gold for Best New Tourism Business, as well as a recent win at the North East Tourism Awards.

Since opening, Ad Gefrin has welcomed almost 197,000 visitors – outperforming early projections - with its blend of museum, distillery and visitor experience.

Doctor Who fans battle it out for a share in late enthusiast’s vast collection

A Doctor Who fan’s collection has sold on Tyneside for a total of £49,000 including fees.

The collection belonged to Newcastle United season ticket holder and former Workington FC chairman Dale Brotherton, who died in 2024 aged 54.

The Newcastle sale at Anderson and Garland auction house featured 142 Doctor Who lots spanning more than six decades of television history, from William Hartnell to Ncuti Gatwa.

The top-selling lot was a replica of the Doctor Who vehicle Bessie, which achieved £4,200. A Warriors of the Deep costume and a futuristic prop handgun each sold for £2,210, while a full-size licensed Dalek model from Remembrance of the Daleks realised £1,700.

Collectors also competed for vintage toys, with a 1965 Bells Toys “Astro Ray” Dalek Gun selling for £750 and a set of seven Doctor Who character jugs fetching £400

A summer with Matisse in Stockton

Preston Park Museum will host a major exhibition celebrating French artist Henri Matisse this summer.

Matisse: Drawing with Scissors runs from July 15 to October 15 and features 35 lithographic prints of his iconic cut-outs, including The Snail and the Blue Nudes.

The exhibition explores Matisse’s groundbreaking late work, created during the final years of his life, and will be staged in the museum’s new Spence Building, designed to host major touring exhibitions.

Your backstage pass to the music industry

Aspiring musicians from across the North East are being invited to Sunderland next week for a free conference offering practical advice, industry insight and the chance to learn from some of the biggest names working in music today.

A to B, a new event aimed at early-career musicians and music enthusiasts, will take place at Sunderland City Hall on June 20 as part of Summit Week Sunderland.

Organised by Sunderland Music City in collaboration with We Make Culture, Music Connects Sunderland and The Bunker, the conference promises a day of panel discussions, workshops, live music and networking opportunities.

Among the headline speakers is Grammy Award-winning mixing engineer and producer Eduardo De La Paz, who will share behind-the-scenes stories from his work with artists including Noel Gallagher, Self Esteem and New Order.

Other sessions will explore topics ranging from social media and music careers to international touring and getting music placed in film and television.

Hands-on DJ workshops and live performances will run throughout the day, while Sunderland’s Roker Records will set up a pop-up record shop in the venue foyer. Read more

Last kick of the ball for Gerry and Sewell

The final run of hit Geordie stage show Gerry & Sewell is nearing the final whistle at Newcastle Theatre Royal this weekend.

The beloved show, adapted by Jamie Eastlake from Jonathan Tulloch’s novel The Season Ticket, returned to Tyneside this week following its successful West End transfer to London’s Aldwych Theatre back in January.

Thursday night saw a gala performance draw a crowd featuring both devoted repeat visitors and first-timers keen to see what all the fuss is about.

Produced by Eastlake Productions and Newcastle Theatre Royal, the production has enjoyed a remarkable journey, growing from performances in an attic fringe space in Whitley Bay to one of the North East’s biggest stages, via sell out runs at Live Theatre and then the West End.

There are two performances on Saturday (June 13). Tickets from the website.

A headcount for the Farnes’ biggest crowd-pullers

Puffin numbers on the Farne Islands are under the spotlight once again as rangers begin their annual census of the much-loved seabirds.

The National Trust islands off the Northumberland coast, which attract around 45,000 annual visitors, are home to one of the UK’s most important puffin colonies, with tens of thousands of breeding pairs returning each year.

Recent years have brought major challenges, including avian influenza, extreme weather and shifting marine conditions, with the 2025 census showing a decline in numbers.

Ranger Tom Hendry said the monitoring work was vital to understanding how puffins are coping “in a rapidly changing world”.

He added: “Seabirds like puffins are a key indicator of the health of our wider marine environment. The Farne Islands are internationally important for breeding seabirds, and the data gathered through this census contributes to a much bigger picture - helping inform conservation efforts not just here, but across the UK and beyond.”

Mining heritage vision takes shape

Directly opposite a fort site where hundreds of Roman soldiers were based, centuries later ranks of miners toiled in one of Tyneside’s best-known pits.

The remains of Wallsend B pit next to Segedunum fort were uncovered by archaeologists in 1997 – one of several shafts of Wallsend Colliery which originally opened in 1780.

Now sculptor Dr John O’Rourke has brought together both historical eras.

Since graduating from Northumbria University with a Master of Fine Arts in 1989, John’s works have included Sentius Tectonicus – a 2.8-metre Roman centurion at Segedunum, marking the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall.

And his latest project honouring the North East’s mining heritage will be shared with the public at Woodhorn Museum’s Northumberland Miners’ Picnic this weekend (June 13). Read more

Hook, line and High Force

Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse have been spotted filming at High Force for a future episode of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.

The comedy duo were seen at the County Durham beauty spot recently, shooting scenes for the much-loved BBC series.

Free family fun for carers at Auckland Palace

Carers and their families are being invited to a free medieval-themed day out at Auckland Palace tomorrow (June 13) as part of National Carers Week.

Mini Medieval Mayhem, running from 10.30am-4pm, will feature crafts, live medieval music from The Ran Tanners and a bird of prey display. Organised by The Auckland Project, Hearth and Durham County Carers Support, the event aims to offer unpaid carers a chance to relax, connect and enjoy a rare family day out.

A new exhibition exploring the human cost of war has opened at The Story, shining a light on how conflict has shaped lives and communities across County Durham.

A Debt Beyond Words focuses on the experiences of people connected to the Durham Light Infantry while also examining the wider impact of war on families, friendships and life on the home front.

Running until January 2027, the exhibition brings together objects, documents and photographs drawn from The Story’s own collections as well as loans from Ben Uri Gallery and Museum, Kirkleatham Museum and Beamish, The Living Museum of the North.

Rather than focusing solely on battlefield history, the exhibition centres the personal stories behind conflict - from acts of bravery to romance, resilience and devastating loss.

Among the items on display is a partially exploded German artillery shell collected by the 4th Battalion DLI after a submarine bombardment at Seaham Harbour in 1916, a wedding dress made from parachute silk and worn by RAF officer Mary Dawson in 1943, and artworks depicting the Nuremberg Trials by official war artist Dame Laura Knight.

Visitors can also see the notebook of Alice Sharp, whose entries document her husband’s military service from enlistment to his death in the First World War.

Councillor Karen Allison said: “War is more than a series of military conflicts in distant lands; its impact extends into the very heart of our communities.

“In this exhibition, we have set out to show how war has shaped the people and landscapes of County Durham.

“It’s about telling the stories of everyday people, from shining a light on extraordinary acts of bravery to delving into the romances that blossomed, the friendships forged and the losses that devastated so many families.”

The exhibition is free to visit. For more information, visit The Story website.

A comedy short by a team of Northumbria University graduates has won national recognition at the 2026 Royal Television Society Student Awards in London

What Now?, a comedy about an inept robber, won the Best Entertainment and Comedy prize, beating student productions from across the UK and Ireland.

The film was made by graduates Ben Pywell, Thomas Crawley, Luke Bean and Matthew Rawston, alongside their wider production team.

The national win follows success at the regional RTS Student Awards earlier this year, where the film came out top in the Student Entertainment and Comedy Drama category.

Originally conceived as a thriller before taking a sharp comic turn, What Now? evolved into what Ben has described as an absurdist comedy, drawing inspiration from Monty Python and Key & Peele.

The production also had its fair share of behind-the-scenes challenges.

After multiple knockbacks from shop owners, the team eventually secured a Newcastle corner shop as their filming location, shooting the entire film across three early-morning sessions.

Congratulating them on their win, Graeme Thompson, chair of RTS Education and chair of the RTS North East & Borders annual awards, said : “There are more than 700 student films (undergraduate & post graduate) in contention across the UK & Ireland.

“Making it into the top three in their category is impressive. So winning is a proper achievement - and the film is genuinely funny.”

The Glasshouse and Dance City are teaming up to celebrate World Music Day later this month with a free performance showcasing young North East talent.

Taking place at Dance City on June 21 at 3.30pm, the one-off event will bring together young musicians and dancers aged 12 to 18 from the organisations’ Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) and Make Music programmes for a collaborative performance of live music and contemporary dance.

The performance will feature Nu Groove, a band made up of 16 young musicians from The Glasshouse’ performing alongside three contemporary dance groups from Dance City.

The Make Music programme has delivered more than 230,000 music lessons since 2004 and created millions of learning opportunities for young people across the region.

Susanna Mogaji, director of creative learning at The Glasshouse, said: “World Music Day is the perfect opportunity to showcase the incredible young musicians and dancers we have here in the North East.

“Through programmes like Make Music and our Centre for Advanced Training, we’re supporting young people to develop their skills, build confidence and access opportunities they might not otherwise have.”

Lorna Chadwick, Dance City’s CAT manager, says: “By working together, we’re not only supporting creativity and inclusion, but also helping young people develop clear pathways into professional arts careers while strengthening the region’s vibrant cultural and creative industries.

“This partnership also brings music and dance together in a meaningful way, giving young artists the chance to collaborate, build confidence, gain valuable performance experience, and develop the creative skills that will shape their future.”

Chris Caygill, aged 17, musician from Nu Groove said: “Being part of Make Music has really helped me grow in confidence and meet other young people who love music as much as I do. Performing at Dance City for World Music Day feels like a huge opportunity and I’m really excited to be part of it.”

Free tickets for the performance are available via Dance City’s website.

Newcastle Theatre Royal was in Westminster this week as a new alliance of independent regional theatres took its case directly to government.

Representatives from the Theatre Royal joined leaders from four other major venues at a parliamentary reception on Wednesday (June 10) to officially launch the Regional Independent Theatre Alliance (RITA) and press for greater recognition of the sector’s economic and cultural value.

The alliance – which also includes Birmingham Hippodrome, Leeds Heritage Theatres, Norwich Theatre and Marlowe Canterbury – is calling on government to better recognise what it describes as theatre’s “third way”: independent, not-for-profit venues operating between the subsidised and commercial sectors.

The Westminster launch saw RITA set out three key asks, including formal recognition within government policy, improved data-sharing and a national co-investment strategy to help future-proof theatre buildings.

New figures released by the alliance suggest its five founding members generate 2.6 million annual attendances, more than £83 million in gross income and a projected £781 million economic impact over five years.

Marianne Locatori, chief executive of Newcastle Theatre Royal, said: “Our theatres are rooted in the communities they serve. The work on our stages and the impact of our creative engagement programmes reflects the places and people around us, creating far-reaching social and economic value.

“At Newcastle Theatre Royal, we see every day how investment in the ‘third way’ supports jobs, skills, confidence, and pride of place, helping our city and region to thrive.

“Our theatres are more than performance venues; they are cultural hubs that bring people together and strengthen communities. While RITA is not asking for ongoing subsidy, we do need recognition, support and co-investment to future-proof our buildings, so they remain fit for purpose for generations to come.”

While RITA is not seeking ongoing subsidy, the alliance says greater recognition and strategic capital investment are essential if major regional venues are to remain sustainable for future generations.

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP said: “This launch is about bringing an awareness of RITA’s Third Way model to Westminster and demonstrating how independent theatres are self-sustaining community pillars.

“RITA’s members are driving growth across the UK, creating jobs outside of London and powering cultural hotspots. I’m excited for the future of this alliance.”

It was all happening in 1839. The first British-China Opium War broke out, Charles Goodyear successfully vulcanised rubber and the first recorded use of “OK” occurred in the Boston Morning Post.

In the same year the announcement of the daguerreotype process marked the birth of commercial photography - and a special lamb called Bluecap was born in the North of England.

This year is the 150th anniversary of the naming of the descendants of the ram lamb as the Wensleydale breed at the 17th Great Yorkshire Show in 1876.

Now photographer Elaine Vizor has brought together photography and the sheep in a new exhibition to celebrate the milestones.

Commissioned by Durham County Council, the Following Ewe display by photographer Elaine is at Bishop Auckland Town Hall until August 29 (open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday).

Elaine, who grew up in Bishop Auckland, said: “I see my work as a way to explore the extraordinary in the ordinary, to find interest in the hidden world, to tell a story, and to share that with others.”

Her latest exhibition illustrates some of the work involved in rearing the rare breed of sheep.

The Wensleydale is a very large sheep, one of the heaviest of UK native breeds, and has a distinctive deep blue head and ears.

A luxury wool producer, the wool is highly sought after for a range of textile crafts and offers natural sustainability in a throwaway world.

Coun Karen Allison, Durham County Council Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “This will be a delightful exhibition from a County Durham photographer who clearly has a great passion for her craft.

“The Wensleydale breed is rare, and, by commissioning this exhibition, we are happy to help promote it.”

Elaine studied at Bishop Auckland College, and received her MA in Photography at University of Sunderland where one of her final portraits was displayed in the National Gallery as a Taylor Wessing Photographic Portraiture Prize finalist.

Her image of the fabrication of IN OUR IMAGE, County Durham’s tallest sculpture, was also shown in the Palace of Westminster and inspired Elaine’s love for public art.

The 16-metre-tall Hillier steel sculpture takes the form of a gigantic head and shoulders at the southern entrance to Newton Aycliffe Business Park.

The jukebox juggernaut Moulin Rouge! has landed in Sunderland this month, fabulously transforming the Empire Theatre into the famous Parisian nightclub until 27 June.

And while subtlety is very much left at the stage door, this dazzling touring production largely delivers exactly what you’d want from Moulin Rouge!: spectacle, excess and a relentless barrage of pop bangers wrapped in velvet, sequins and absinthe.

The award-winning stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film features a slightly tweaked story and, more importantly, an updated playlist which folds songs by Fun, Rihanna, Gnarls Barkley and Regina Spektor into the already hit-heavy score.

It is, at times, gloriously ridiculous.

The story revolves around a love triangle featuring showstopping headliner Satine (Verity Thompson), idealistic songwriter Christian (Nate Landskroner) and aristocrat The Duke (James Bryers), whose wealth could be the salvation of the struggling cabaret club.

Satine must choose between security and freedom: a future as The Duke’s prized possession or one last shot at stardom through a new musical built around Christian’s love songs.

But if we’re honest, nobody is really here for the tuberculosis-flecked love triangle.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is unquestionably at its best when it stops worrying about plot and lets the cast rip through its absurdly entertaining musical mash-ups. If there’s a Now That’s What I Call Love Songs compilation somewhere, the track listing would serve as a pretty good bingo card for the show.

The flipside of stuffing the production with some of the greatest love songs ever written is that Christian’s own compositions suffer by comparison. Come What May is a perfectly serviceable musical theatre number, but after he wins Satine over with Elton John’s Your Song, it feels like a noticeable downgrade.

The romance itself also hits the odd bum note. Relationships are sometimes rushed between musical set pieces, leaving emotional beats with little room to breathe. And it doesn’t reflect especially well on Christian that he appears to be the only person in the theatre unable to notice Satine’s increasingly obvious battle with tuberculosis.

Still, narrative shortcomings matter less when the show looks and sounds this good.

The production quality is outstanding throughout. The choreography is among the strongest I’ve seen at the Empire in recent years, and when the ensemble is operating at full tilt, it becomes a genuinely thrilling spectacle.

Both 70-minute halves fly by - no small feat for a production this technically ambitious.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical may not always convince as a great love story. But as a night of unapologetic theatrical escapism, however, it’s spectacular.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is at the Sunderland Empire until June 27.

Directly opposite a fort site where hundreds of Roman soldiers were based, centuries later ranks of miners toiled in one of Tyneside’s best-known pits.

The remains of Wallsend B pit next to Segedunum fort were uncovered by archaeologists in 1997 – one of several shafts of Wallsend Colliery which originally opened in 1780.

Now sculptor Dr John O’Rourke has brought together both historical eras.

Since graduating from Northumbria University with a Master of Fine Arts in 1989, John’s works have included Sentius Tectonicus – a 2.8-metre Roman centurion at Segedunum, marking the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall.

And his latest project honouring the North East’s mining heritage will be shared with the public at Woodhorn Museum’s Northumberland Miners’ Picnic this weekend (June 13).

Over the last three years a scale ‘maquette’ or model of a proposed sculpture has been produced in the university’s engineering workshops, with students involved going on to build careers on the strength of the experience.

The work features the figure of a miner surrounded by pit village houses and industrial structures.

John said: “This sculpture is about the people of this region – their history, their labour, their transition into a new future – and it has taken a community effort to bring it this far.”

The full sculpture would be made from Corten steel, the same material as the Angel of the North, and would stand at 12.3 metres tall, making it one of the most significant public artworks in the region.

A site near Bedlington on the River Blyth has been identified as a possible location for the structure, with funding now being sought to make the project a reality.

Undergraduate engineering students have been involved in producing the maquette – creating detailed 3D CAD models of the different components from John’s original drawings and scale models.

One is Ali Alamin, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering student due to graduate later this year.

He said: “Being involved in a project of this scale, one that speaks to the history and culture of the region, gives you an enormous sense of pride.

“Applying principles I’d studied at university to real technical challenges developed my skills in ways that classroom learning alone couldn’t. Hands-on experience like this is invaluable for students.”

Also among those who contributed is Christos Katsidis, who now works as a design engineer at Morfabrication in Washington.

He said: “The Northumbrian Miner helped me massively when looking for a job.”

John O’Rourke said: “I’m enormously grateful to Northumbria University, to the students who brought my drawings to life, to the technical team in the workshops, and to Professor Martin Birkett for making our residency and the internship programme possible.”

Dr Heather Robson, pro vice-chancellor at Northumbria University, said: “This project is a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when creativity and a deep sense of place come together.

“Watching our students apply their skills to something so rooted in the identity of this region is exactly why meaningful, experiential learning matters. We are proud that Northumbria University has played a part in bringing this vision closer to reality.”

Jo Raw, Northumberland venues manager, North East Museums, said: “The Northumberland Miners’ Picnic is one of the region’s longest-running and best-loved events, bringing together music, performance, arts and culture for a day of remembrance, community and celebration of the region’s industrial past.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to explore stories from our mining communities and connect with our shared heritage through the creativity, culture and community spirit that continue to shape the North East today.”

It is estimated that the proposed full sculpture would cost around £3 million. One suggested location would be near the recently opened Northumberland Line, visible to an estimated 500,000 passengers a year.

The interior of the sculpture will include hidden chambers, with a large space within the ribcage. Members of mining communities will be invited to have their words and memories engraved on its interior walls.

The project is currently seeking a regional champion and funding partners to bring the full sculpture to life. Contact colin.herron58@gmail.com.

A guitar used in recording a song which is part of Tyneside music and football history is to be sold.

It is one of two rare 1962 Fender Stratocasters, and will be offered for sale at an auction in Newcastle on June 17.

Released in 1976 to mark Newcastle United reaching the League Cup final, the song United, Newcastle United was penned by Jarrow-born singer-songwriter Mike Mason.

Players who featured were Alan Kennedy, Frank Clark, Malcolm MacDonald, Terry Hibbitt, Pat Howard, Paul Cannell and John Tudor, as well as singer Bobby Webber, who autographed some of the copies of the record. Newcastle lost the final against Manchester City 2-1.

The guitar, estimated at £6,000-£8,000, accompanied Mason throughout a career spanning thousands of performances across the country and was used extensively for songwriting, recording sessions and television appearances.

Mason, whose real name was Michael McNally, was a well-known figure on the North East club circuit and enjoyed considerable success with his family act, Mike Mason & The Little People – who were his sons Tony and Michael.

Contemporary photographs accompanying the lot include images of Mason with Newcastle United players during the recording sessions, as well as the band performing in front of Penshaw Monument (below).

A second 1962 Fender Stratocaster, estimated at £4,500-£5,500, was previously owned and played by Norman Levey, lead guitarist of Gateshead beat group The Playboys.

It comes complete with an archive of period material, including a 1965 issue of Beat Instrumental magazine, a programme from North Tyneside’s Christ Church Youth Centre and a Tyne Tees Television script featuring the band.

During the early 1960s, The Playboys built a reputation as one of the North East’s leading beat groups and were chosen by rock and roll performer Vince Taylor to act as his backing band.

The group toured France, Belgium and Holland, performing to thousands of fans and appearing on television in both Britain and Europe.

Vince Taylor, best known for his 1959 hit Brand New Cadillac, which was later covered by The Clash, enjoyed success across France and continental Europe during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Known for his leather-clad image, dramatic stage performances and increasingly eccentric behaviour, he became a cult figure within the music industry.

David Bowie later cited Taylor as an inspiration for his alter ego Ziggy Stardust.

Music journalists of the time praised The Playboys for forging their own musical identity rather than following contemporary trends, helping establish them as one of the region’s most respected groups during the height of the beat boom.

Nigel Smith, head of music at auctioneers Anderson & Garland, which is looking after the sale, said: “Vintage Fender Stratocasters from 1962 are among the most desirable electric guitars ever produced. What makes these two instruments especially appealing is the strength of their North East provenance.

“Mike Mason’s guitar played a part in the soundtrack of regional popular culture, from working men’s clubs to Newcastle United’s cup final record, while Norman Levey’s Stratocaster recalls the vibrant ‘Geordie Beat’ scene that flourished across Tyneside during the 1960s.

“These guitars are tangible pieces of North East musical history.”

The two guitars form part of Anderson & Garland’s Music Auction featuring more than 350 lots of musical instruments and equipment. The sale includes over 200 guitars by makers such as Fender, Gibson, Gretsch and PRS, alongside vintage amplifiers, brass and woodwind instruments, concertinas and Northumbrian pipes.

Public viewing takes place at Anderson House, Newcastle, on Tuesday June 16 from 10am until 3pm.

It may be a much delayed wake, but glasses will be raised to almost 40,000 individuals buried under what is now a public green space in Newcastle.

For the last two years a project has investigated the Ballast Hills burial site between the Tyne and the Lower Ouseburn valley.

The oldest recorded gravestone was dated to 1708 and the site closed to burials in 1853, with Westgate Hill Cemetery replacing it.

Ballast Hills was the first such site open to the public for burials of people of all faiths and social backgrounds.

“Most people don’t know the site is a burial ground but it is not just a forgotten burial site. It is such an important location in the history of Newcastle and Gateshead. The lives of those buried there provide a vivid insight into the social history of the region,” said project leader and Newcastle University researcher Dr Myra Giesen.

Now that funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council has run its course, a public meeting will be held on Monday, June 15 to reveal what has been discovered about the site.

The event will be held at the Brinkburn Brewery in Ford Street adjacent to the site and next to the former “pagoda” architecture Ouseburn School.

Brewery founder Lee Renforth is a backer of the project and the meeting will see the launch of Ballast Hills Brown Ale.

“We are happy to support the project and raise its profile,” he said.

The bottled beer’s label says: “Ballast Hills Brown Ale pays tribute to Newcastle’s long brewery history, including the brewers, maltsters, publicans, coopers, factory workers and their families. Some of those now rest at Ballast Hills.”

The event from 5.30pm-8.30pm will also include a panel discussion and a performance of Beneath This Ground, written and performed by musicians Maurice Condie and Marina Dodgson and poet Harry Gallagher.

Volunteers have gathered data from gravestones which have been used in the past to create a circular pathway around the green site, and follow-up archival work.

The stones are social documents, providing names, ages and dates of death, occupations and family members, and creating a picture of Tyneside in the past.

“We have so much new information which has a lot to say about those times and there is much more to come,” said Myra.

“It is not the end of the project, but a chance to share what has been learned, recognise the many people who have contributed, and look ahead to the next stage of work.”

Anyone wishing to book a place at the event can do so here.

The site is owned by Newcastle City Council and is one of the largest UK non-conformist burial grounds outside London.

It had more interred bodies than all the churchyards in Newcastle combined, with an average of 599 interments annually from 1820 to 1825. Newcastle Corporation received a sixpence for each burial and in 1824, out of the 1,454 burials in Newcastle, 805 were at Ballast Hills.

In 1903, 920 gravestones were reported at the site, which it is believed may once have covered three acres before development gathered pace in the area.

Aspiring musicians from across the North East are being invited to Sunderland next week for a free conference offering practical advice, industry insight and the chance to learn from some of the biggest names working in music today.

A to B, a new event aimed at early-career musicians and music enthusiasts, will take place at Sunderland City Hall on June 20 as part of Summit Week Sunderland.

Organised by Sunderland Music City in collaboration with We Make Culture, Music Connects Sunderland and The Bunker, the conference promises a day of panel discussions, workshops, live music and networking opportunities.

Among the headline speakers is Grammy Award-winning mixing engineer and producer Eduardo De La Paz, who will share behind-the-scenes stories from his work with artists including Noel Gallagher, Self Esteem and New Order.

Other sessions will explore topics ranging from social media and music careers to international touring and getting music placed in film and television.

Hands-on DJ workshops and live performances will run throughout the day, while Sunderland’s Roker Records will set up a pop-up record shop in the venue foyer.

Michelle Daurat, chief executive of Sunderland Music City, said: “This conference day is about giving people genuine access to the music industry. They’ll hear directly from world-class professionals, building connections, and developing practical skills.

“We want attendees to leave not just inspired, but with real insight into how the industry works and how they can find their place within it.”

Eddie Scott, producer and programme lead at We Make Culture, said the event had been shaped by feedback from emerging musicians.

“A to B really aligns with the continued work we have been doing in the city as a member of the PRS Talent Development Network and this feels like a fantastic opportunity to cultivate all of that into one amazing day!” he said.

The free event is open to anyone aged 16 and over, with tickets available online.

A to B forms part of a wider programme of activity surrounding the Music Cities Network Summer Summit (June 18-20), which will see Sunderland become the first UK city to host the international gathering of music leaders and industry professionals.

The three-day event - which will be rounded off in fine fashion with An Evening with The Futureheads at The Fire Station, marks the culmination of Sunderland’s Year of Music, a 12-month celebration of the city’s rich musical heritage and contemporary scene.

A film illustrating County Durham’s defiance during the Miners’ Strike is to have its premiere in a location which symbolises the region’s pit heritage.

The documentary exploring the legacy of the 1984–85 strike in County Durham is to be screened at Redhills Durham Miners Hall - the historic heart of the Durham coalfield.

Defiant: County Durham – The Miners’ Strike and its Legacy tells of resilience, community and political struggle, charting the profound impact of pit closures and the enduring strength of mining communities.

Written, directed and produced by County Durham-based Lonely Tower Film & Media - an independent production company led by Marie Gardiner and Mark Thorburn - it captures the experiences of those who endured one of the most significant industrial disputes in modern British history, and explores not only the devastating social and economic consequences of the strike, but also the solidarity networks and collective spirit it generated.

In a statement, Marie Gardiner and Mark Thorburn. said: “This is a landmark film about a struggle that still defines us. It documents the fight for jobs, communities, and dignity. It is our hope that this film shows what happens when people stand together.

“With the Battle of Orgreave inquiry finally moving forward, it’s time to confront the fact that state violence was used against working people without any consequences. The mines have closed, but the people of these villages haven’t gone anywhere.

“We are still proud, we are still here, and we refuse to be ignored.”

The premiere event on July 5 will be followed by a live Q&A between audiences, the filmmakers and some of those who contributed to the film.

Following the screening, the film will be embarking on a community tour of the coalfield - those interested in hosting a local screening should contact Vonni@redhillsdurham.org.

The screening forms part of Redhills’ growing cultural programme as the building continues its transformation into a base for community, creativity and shared heritage.

Since re-opening in 2025 after a major restoration, the former headquarters of the Durham Miners’ Association - boasting the ‘Pitman’s Parliament’ chamber - has re-emerged as a national centre for culture, heritage and social action.

It hosts a diverse programme of activity including guided tours, exhibitions, performances, community events and conferences, welcoming visitors not as a traditional museum, but as an active civic space rooted in County Durham’s past and present.

From July 26, Redhills will also launch Redhills Sundays - a weekly opening inviting people to explore the building through a programme of talks, tours, films, music, creative activities, food and drink.

Andrew McIntyre, chief executive officer, Redhills said: “Redhills was built on collective action, solidarity and shared community wealth - values that sustained mining communities through the strike and beyond.

“Defiant County Durham reflects that legacy and sits within our growing programme of events, including the launch of Redhills Sundays this July.

“Together, these are about opening Redhills as a living space where people come together to rebuild community wealth for the future.”

Gallery of Sanctuary status has been awarded to The NewBridge Project in Shieldfield, Newcastle, in recognition of its support for refugees and asylum seekers.

In gaining this recognition from City of Sanctuary UK, the artist-led studio complex joins Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead and the Hatton Gallery in Newcastle.

Newcastle-based D6: Culture in Transit is also part of the City of Sanctuary UK network as are the amenities managed by North East Museums (which include the Hatton).

The timely announcement comes just ahead of Refugee Week (June 15 to 21).

A City of Sanctuary UK spokesperson said: “The commitment that The NewBridge Project has made to welcoming people with lived experience of seeking sanctuary is phenomenal.

“We can’t wait to see more of the work to come.”

Rebecca Huggan, director of The NewBridge Project, welcomed the endorsement, saying: “We’re delighted to have been recognised for the work we do to create a welcoming and inclusive space here at NewBridge.

“Shieldfield is an amazing place and since relocating here we’ve co-created a range of programmes in response to people’s needs and interests.

“This includes our much-loved coffee mornings, Saturday socials, memory café and Shieldfield Youth Programme, where people come to meet others, make friends, take part in creative activities and learn new skills.

“We celebrate the many cultures that shape and strengthen our community, with recent events for Eid al-Fitr, Enkutatash and Ethiopian Gena.

“Alongside our local partners, we will keep creating inclusive opportunities and programmes with our communities - the friends and neighbours who are making Shieldfield a great place to live and work.”

Programme director Frances Stacey added: “We want NewBridge to be a genuine community resource, working in partnership with local people and organisations to support Shieldfield as a flourishing, intercultural neighbourhood.

“Our work is rooted to the belief that art can create space to experiment, play, gather, listen and build solidarity.”

Dan Goodman, the newly appointed communities producer, said NewBridge had worked hard to achieve its new status.

“I’m incredibly proud to be part of the organisation, especially with Refugee Week in June, and I’m looking forward to building on these successes alongside our neighbours and with the support and expertise of the Gallery of Sanctuary network”

Meanwhile Kaltouma Hassaballah, local artist, chef and NewBridge communities facilitator, said: “We must fight against the loneliness and isolation experienced by women who now call Shieldfield their home.

“We must celebrate our unique cultures, share experiences and empower the next generation to be proud.”

Abundance, the recently opened new exhibition at The NewBridge Project, reflects the Gallery of Sanctuary ethos.

Created by artist and choreographer Lizzie Klotz and designer Bethany Wells, and inspired by conversations with Shieldfield residents, it runs until August 15.

Newcastle’s street art portfolio has expanded with new additions to its urban gallery as it extends further from Forth Lane onto adjoining Pink Lane.

You’ll find a leopard and a mouse have joined the tigers and other wonders already emblazoned across the walls… and one dark alley now mimics a colourful woodland glade.

Rain or shine, there’s no denying things are more interesting at pavement level in these lanes around Newcastle Arts Centre that trace ancient pedestrian thoroughfares off Westgate Road.

The new artworks mark the latest phase in the drive to brighten up this characterful corner of the city.

Driving the initiative is Creative Central NCL, funded by the North East Combined Authority and Newcastle City Council to realise the potential identified in a defined creative zone to the west of the city centre.

Some Government ‘levelling up’ money from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has also gone in to the Pink Lane improvements in which NE1, the city’s business improvement district, has also played a part.

More than just beautifying the public realm, the hope is that revitalising the area will generate employment opportunities. But there’s no denying it presents a more appealing face to locals and visitors.

And for that we have creatives like Bobzilla, Cack Handed Kid, VanGoth and Mark One87 to thank. (In this artistic outdoor realm, the names – or tags – are as colourful as what’s produced.)

Entering Pink Lane now from the top end, near Pink Lane Bakery, you’re greeted by that leopard, languorously posing in a window painted above a sign saying Pink Lane Arcade.

It’s the work of Lara whose artist name is Keeper of Kitsune (Kitsune being the name of her dog) and she makes sculptures, prints and stencil works inspired by mythology, fantasy creatures and folklore.

She used to work in a Newcastle cat café which is soon to become an art gallery, she told me at the official unveiling, and is also studying animal management at East Durham College.

“It’s very fitting for me that I got to do a leopard,” she said. “I was very happy about that.”

The arcade theme, inspired by Newcastle’s Central Arcade where history and 21^st Century retail converge, was devised by Mark One87 and VanGoth who recruited suitable artists.

Lara, who works with VanGoth (fellow stencil artist, aka Shane) as Vanguard Gallery, said this was easily her most prominent street art creation so far.

“There was a nail bar nearby so that’s why the leopard’s hanging out of the window with its little claws out,” she explained.

“It’s waiting to get its nails painted.”

Having enjoyed her mural experience, she said: “I’ve got the itch for it and I really want to do more.

“Everyone walking by seemed to enjoy it too. A little kid showed a drawing he’d done so that was really cute.”

That’s a word several people used to describe Immy’s contribution to the Pink Lane Arcade, Immy being Imogen Clarke, graduate (first class honours) of the Northern School of Art

While street art can be loud and lairy, her pretty little mouse florist looks as if it’s stepped from a children’s picture book.

“It took two days to paint on the wall but loads of people were asking for photos,” she said as the rain fell from a cheerless grey sky.

You can see Immy’s work in various North East locations – there’s a large one in Sunniside, Sunderland – but this, she said, was her first in Newcastle.

Nearby is the alley transformed by Toby Heaps, an experienced street art and graffiti practitioner who responded enthusiastically to his landscape brief.

“I love the idea of light coming through trees,” he said, recalling recent trips to Thornley Wood, near Rowlands Gill.

“My first effort here was a bit dark so I played with the colour wheel and messed around with paint to make the place a bit more inviting to walk through.

“I tried to make it as bright, fun and cheerful as possible.

“The lovely thing about doing these outside is all the people you get to talk to. You always get their opinions and they’ll tell you about the history and everything that’s going on.

“You end up feeling part of the community. Of course, you always get some adverse comments but I’d much rather people express their opinions.”

Anthony Downie has painted a new Pink Lane mural and Mark One87’s work graces the walls of the Chinese Christian Church. The Mosaic Tap watering hole now boasts a striking mural by SHELDO (aka Laura Sheldon) who also has work on Forth Lane.

Bobzilla has embellished the entrance to Pink Lane Coffee and overhead at both ends, as ‘gateway installations’, are the ribbon and lighting effects created by the Raskl art and architecture studio for MawsonKerr Architects.

There were launch day speeches at Newcastle Arts Centre where Streets Alive, an exhibition celebrating the urban galleries, was entering its final days.

Amid all the thankyous it became clear just how complex a process it is, bringing colour and cohesion to an area full of history and with a multitude of vested interests.

But it seems to have come together nicely.

Mike Tilley, founding director of Newcastle Arts Centre, has seen the good and the bad of this part of the city and can reflect on other well-meaning initiatives whose effects have not proved long-lasting.

To this latest initiative, though, he gave his blessing.

“We have been happy to be involved in bringing colour and civic pride to these once tired and neglected lanes and take pleasure in seeing that the artwork is now well respected by those with spray cans who have regarded it as their territory,” he said.

It does appear that these artworks have escaped the attentions of those who seem to take pleasure in defacing such things.

But several of the artists alluded to the special coatings that provide some level of protection and Mike Tilley and his team have also been vigilant.

Vikki Leaney, Creative Central NCL project manager, looked brightly to the future.

“There are still some artworks to come but we feel what’s happened here will continue evolving long after our project is complete,” she said.

“That’s the ultimate goal really, a testament to the creative impact of art in the public realm.”

There are all sorts of reasons, on the face of it, why Mark Haddon’s wonderful, bestselling novel shouldn’t have been obvious theatre material.

That title would be the least of them (Lloyd Webber surely had marketing in mind when he came up with Cats).

The story, though beautiful, is largely cerebral. Most of the time we’re in the head of protagonist Christopher Boone, seeing the world as he sees it.

Nothing screams ‘song-and-dance number’. There’s a lot of maths (perhaps I’m biased – never could master the subject) and since Christopher – although it’s never stated – is on the autism spectrum, poetry and metaphors are akin to lies.

To cap it all, there’s a dead dog centre stage in the opening scene with a garden fork stuck in it.

About a decade ago I sat in a rehearsal room at the National Theatre and watched as the cast and director of the first production, an adaptation by Simon Stephens, showed why there’s no such word as ‘impossible’ in theatre – just challenges to be overcome.

The National smashed it with a worldwide hit, a telling of the tale which brought a lump to my throat both times I saw it.

This week I was confounded again – and deeply impressed at how an amateur company (albeit the accomplished People’s) have delivered the Stephens adaptation so faithfully and effectively.

Young Christopher, kneeling beside the body of Wellington, neighbour Mrs Shears’ late dog, is the initial suspect but he says he didn’t do it and Christopher literally can’t lie.

Deciding to crack the mystery of who killed Wellington, he stumbles on a mystery even closer to home which his mind, open to evidence but not suspicion, is even more ill equipped to solve.

In Zachary Douglas, director Sam Burrell has found the perfect Christopher, a young actor able to convey every nuanced look and gesture of this delicately drawn character.

Even the frizzy hair seems right – and in a winning performance he misses neither beat nor word (no mean feat, especially in the enthralling postscript which often eluded West End audiences scrambling for the exits).

Christopher lives with his dad who tells him his mother is dead (Judy, embodied by Sara Jo Harrison, will return like the Biblical Lazarus, though with more panache). Not given to displays of grief, the boy instead asks pertinent medical questions.

Dad Ed, neither parent being a flawless role model, finds love for his son tempered by exasperation, which Sean Burnside conveys beautifully.

Christopher confides in patient teacher Siobhan (Alison Carr) about his actions and intentions, although perhaps ‘confide’ isn’t the right word since he’ll tell anyone the truth if they ask.

He exists, this clear-eyed if literal-minded 15-year-old, in a world of obfuscation where adults hide behind meaningless language and catch only shadowy glimpses of reality.

When he sets off to London to find his mum, equipped with a postcode and his pet rat, the clash of outlooks is comical but you’ll root for Christopher every time.

The set builders have done an amazing job, seeming to have doubled the size of the stage. Every surface is scrawled with algebraic equations, mimicking Christopher’s mindset, and it’s a masterclass in what can be done with a few white boxes.

No choreographer is credited but there’s lots of movement and the ensemble cast appears to have been well drilled.

The ingredients all come together in a moving and thoroughly entertaining show.

Don’t just take my word for it. In the auditorium on opening night there was that intangible sense of an audience deeply engaged and hanging on every word.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is at the People’s Theatre until Saturday, June 13. Tickets from the box office.