Cultured. On Sunday 03.05.26
Our weekend edition for longer reads and cultural recommendations
Hello and welcome to another very busy Cultured. On Sunday in which I meet the artists behind two new Creative Central NCL commissions set to bring poetry and interactive sound to The Late Shows 2026.
David Whetstone sits down with electronic artist Max Cooper following his recent masterclass at The Glasshouse, ahead of a visually ambitious live show later this month.
Dave has also been down at Live Theatre to hear more about Shelagh Stephenson’s new play Astell and Woolf as it heads towards its world premiere.
Elsewhere, there’s a tribute to pianist and conductor Jean-Bernard Pommier from former Northern Sinfonia musician Ron Thorndycraft, while My Life Through a Lens sees Newcastle-based live music photographer Sam Wall share stories behind 10 images from his archive.
We’ve also got a feelgood TV recommendation making a welcome return and, as ever, something delicious for Sunday: this week’s recipe comes from The Engine Room, the bar and restaurant attached to The Fire Station in Sunderland.
Tuck in and enjoy the long weekend!
Follow the words, find the sound
For nearly two decades, The Late Shows has invited people to see Newcastle and Gateshead differently - not through daytime routines, but through after-hours exploration.
This year, more than 60 venues will once again open late across May 8 and 9, offering a choose-your-own ‘culture crawl’ through galleries, studios, heritage sites and performance spaces across the Ouseburn (Friday), Newcastle city centre and Gateshead.
Alongside the established programme, in recent years a series of event-specific artist commissions have become part of the mix.
Funded by Creative Central NCL - five-year initiative working to establish a thriving cultural and creative zone in Newcastle city centre - these works are rooted in place, asking artists to respond to the city itself.
For 2026, two commissions in particular offer distinct but complementary ways of experiencing Newcastle: through poetry and through sound.
Cue two dead feminists with sherry and a stuffed parrot
It’s 10 years since Shelagh Stephenson took a plaque on Tynemouth Front Street and turned it into a sparkling, funny play called Harriet Martineau Dreams of Dancing.
Martineau, a writer who campaigned against slavery and for women’s rights, came to Tynemouth and took to her bed while supposedly receiving treatment from her mild-mannered brother-in-law, Dr Thomas Greenhow, who proved no match for her powerful personality.
Or at least, that’s how it was in this telling (and a re-reading of the play will remind you how clever it is, having a little fun at Martineau’s expense without diminishing her achievements).
Even more years have passed – 16, in fact - since A Northern Odyssey, in which Shelagh speculated tantalisingly about the American artist Winslow Homer’s 19th Century love affair with Cullercoats, just along the coast.
And now comes Astell & Woolf, the (long ago) promised third play which was “supposed to be part of that trilogy but it isn’t because I couldn’t think of a third one”, says the playwright with refreshing candour.
Live Theatre artistic directors have come and gone since that initial loose arrangement of some two decades ago.
“I think like most writers – me, anyway – you have to get yourself into a state of panic, like it’s got to be delivered in a minute, before you can actually do it,” muses Shelagh in a studio at Live Theatre.
Max Cooper on his plans for an audio-visual spectacular
Max Cooper, it says on The Glasshouse website, “will interact with our venue this May”, which is a departure from the usual wording relating to musicians who just rock up and perform.
But then he’s a little different to musicians who come with a pre-determined set.
You’ll know this if you’re familiar with the club or rave scenes where Max Cooper made his name, or if you caught his previous performance here last February.
Back at The Glasshouse recently to deliver a masterclass, he confirmed that every gig is different.
“My performance system is that there’s no pre-defined structure. I can play anything at any time.
“There will be a loose structure, in that I know certain things link together nicely and certain visuals go with certain music, but the path through it can really vary.
“I don’t decide until the day what I’m going to play and even then only decide what I’m going to start with.
“I’ll then play something else and see how it goes, so the early part is trying to feel what works. Then I might play something more intense, a bit more techno, and if people start screaming then I know they want more.
“Or if no-one reacts, I go, well, that’s not the way to go and I’ll try something more ambient. I’m feeling my way. That’s my background as a DJ, trying to interact with people.”
Pianist and conductor Jean-Bernard Pommier (1944 - 2026) remembered
North East classical music lovers will be saddened by news of the death on April 23 of Jean-Bernard Pommier, the great French concert pianist and conductor, following a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 81.
He was principal conductor and artistic director of the Northern Sinfonia (not yet ‘Royal’) from 1996 to 1999 but he had already worked with the orchestra for over two decades.
Thus Jean-Bernard put in 35 years of high quality musical contribution to this region of which he’d become truly fond.
We’ve been asking asking North East-based photographers to open up their archives and select two handfuls of images which encapsulate life as they’ve captured it.
For Sam Wall, photography is rooted in energy - the kind found in crowded venues, on festival fields and in those fleeting, high-intensity moments in front of the stage.
It’s a sensibility that runs through the 10 images he’s selected from his archive for this week’s My Life Through a Lens.
Now based in Newcastle and working as lead music photographer for Darkus Magazine, Sam’s artistic instincts started early. “I’ve always been creative in one way or another, playing instruments, drawing and painting since my early teens,” he says.
His introduction to photography came through a simple gift, but one that quickly became all-consuming.
“One year on my birthday I was given a digital camera and instantly connected with it and what I could create with it,” he says. “I used to take it everywhere I could.”
Every week, Michael Telfer – aka Mike TV – recommends a box set to crack open. This week’s choice is back-of-the-net guaranteed to make you feel all warm inside.
By now, almost six years on from the first season of Ted Lasso being released, I would suggest there are three cohorts of people who haven’t watched it yet:
Those who don’t have Apple TV
Those that don’t like football; and
Those that do like football but don’t want to watch a silly comedy about it.
For me the subscription to Apple TV pays for itself even if you only watch Ted Lasso and Severance, but I’m not Martin Lewis and you’re not here for budgetary advice.
For those that don’t like football, you genuinely don’t have anything to worry about.
All you need to know is that it’s a team game played on grass and the top players are mostly pampered millionaires, and you’re ready to go. Ted Lasso is about football in the same way The Office is about selling paper; it’s what they do all day but it’s certainly not why you watch it.
The Sunday Plate sees chefs from kitchens across the North East share a recipe for you to try at home - a taste of the region’s food scene, one dish/treat at a time.
This week, Logan Anthony from The Engine Room in Sunderland city centre serves up a dish that blends classic comfort with a modern twist.
Tomato Risotto with Goat’s Cheese, Basil & Hot Smoked Salmon
A comforting yet refined dish, this vibrant risotto pairs the sweetness of tomatoes with fragrant herbs, creamy goat’s cheese, and the rich depth of hot smoked salmon. Perfect for an indulgent supper or an impressive dinner party main.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
400g chopped tomatoes (tinned)
1 litre vegetable stock
Knob of butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200ml dry white wine (Sauvignon or Pinot will do)
1 rosemary sprig, finely chopped
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
260g risotto rice
300g cherry tomatoes
100ml red wine vinegar
100g white sugar
Small bunch fresh basil, roughly torn
4 tbsp grated Parmesan
Juice of 1 lemon
100g goat’s cheese, crumbled
320g hot smoked salmon, flaked
Table salt, to taste
Method
Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C.
Prepare the tomato stock by tipping the chopped tomatoes and half of the vegetable stock into a blender or food processor and pulsing until smooth. Pour into a saucepan with the remaining stock and the white wine. Bring gently to a simmer and keep warm over a low heat.
In a wide, heavy-based pan, melt the butter with 1 tbsp of the olive oil over a gentle heat. Add the finely chopped shallots and cook slowly for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, rosemary and thyme, and cook for a further minute until fragrant.
Add the risotto rice to the pan, stirring to coat each grain in the buttery mixture. Cook for around 1½ minutes, allowing the edges of the grains to turn slightly translucent.
Begin adding the warm tomato stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring regularly and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Once half of the stock has been incorporated, add the white sugar and red wine vinegar. Continue adding the remaining stock in stages, maintaining a gentle simmer, for 20–25 minutes, until the rice is tender with a creamy consistency.
Place the cherry tomatoes on an oven tray, toss with the remaining olive oil, and season with salt. Roast until the tomatoes begin to blister. Once ready, turn off the oven and leave the door ajar to keep the tomatoes warm.
Remove the risotto from the heat and allow it to rest briefly. Stir through the grated Parmesan, lemon juice, and torn basil.
Divide the risotto between four bowls. Arrange the roasted cherry tomatoes on top in a circular pattern, then scatter over the crumbled goat’s cheese followed by large flakes of hot smoked salmon. Finish with a generous twist of freshly ground black pepper.