Curated Culture 02.06.26
Our weekly round-up of recommendations from North East stages and cultural venues
Hello and thanks for joining us for this week’s Curated Culture.
A quick note before we begin: if our interview with Midge Ure landed in your inbox earlier today, it escaped a little ahead of schedule. Can we add it to the ever-increasing list detailing the ‘unexpected bonuses which apparently came built in with Sam’s new varifocals’? Thanks!
And now onto Tuesday night business. We’ve once again been rummaging through the region’s brimming cultural cupboards to pull together a selection of things we think deserve your attention over the days and weeks ahead.
You’ll also find our latest subscriber prize draw, with a pair of tickets up for grabs to see Teddy Thompson at The Fire Station in Sunderland on June 9. Details at the end.
We’ll step aside and let you get browsing.
Thanks as ever for your attention and support.
Sam (Wonfor) and Dave (Whetstone)
Professionally pre-occupied with North East culture
MUSIC: Lily Allen
Where: Utilita Arena Newcastle
When: June 16
Bookings and info: utilitaarena.co.uk
Just three months after a sold-out theatre show at Newcastle o2 City Hall, Lily Allen is heading back to Tyneside as part of the biggest headline tour of her career.
Rather than dipping in and out of her back catalogue, this theatrical show sees the singer-songwriter play chart-topping album, West End Girl in full, exactly as it appears on the record - offering a rare chance to experience a major pop album as a complete live work.
THEATRE: Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Where: Sunderland Empire
When: June 5-27
Bookings and info: atgtickets.com
As part of its first-ever World Tour, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is en route to Wearside as I type.
The multi-award-winning production - adapted from Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar-winning film - brings its trademark spectacle, romance and high-energy musical mash-up to the North East, featuring a score spanning more than 160 years of music.
A 10-time Tony Award winner, including Best Musical, we feel confident in predicting audiences are in for a treat with a perfectly-styled cherry on top.
BALLET: Sleeping Beauty
Where: Gala Durham
When: Wednesday, June 10, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: galadurham.co.uk
Ballet Cymru return to the region – they were at Dance City, Newcastle, before Christmas with Giselle – with their new production of Sleeping Beauty which premiered in May at their home venue in Newport, South Wales.
It’s a reimagining of the classic fairytale by Ballet Cymru artistic directors Amy Doughty and Darius James.
“Exploring themes of love, acceptance and what it means to be different, this captivating ballet is swept along by Tchaikovsky’s iconic score,” they say.
“Featuring innovative choreography, exceptional dancing, distinctive costumes and immersive projections, Sleeping Beauty offers a truly magical theatrical experience.”
The company, established in 1986 by Darius James, is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary by taking ballet far from its home base.
Also coming up at Gala Durham is Durham University Ballet Company with its production of Swan Lake and yet another Tchaikovsky score (June 19 and 20, 7pm).
MUSIC: Midge Ure - A Man Of Two Worlds Tour
Where: The Glasshouse
When: June 5
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
More than four decades after helping define the sound of the 1980s, Midge Ure is still finding new ways to surprise audiences.
His latest tour, A Man Of Two Worlds, arrives at The Glasshouse alongside his first album of new material in 12 years.
Inspired by a lockdown deep dive into instrumental composition, we are told the show is split into two distinct halves, weaving atmospheric new pieces together with songs from across an extraordinary career.
From Ultravox classics and solo favourites to music shaped by glam rock, punk, synthpop and orchestral influences, this promises a fresh perspective on a catalogue that has rarely stood still.
CLASSICAL: Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto
Where: Darlington Hippodrome
When: Thursday, June 4
Bookings and info: darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
Royal Northern Sinfonia heads for Darlington this week for a concert conducted by the Lithuanian Izabelė Jankauskaitė, a rising star in the classical music world.
It’s predominantly a Mozart programme with Julian Bliss the soloist for the popular Clarinet Concerto, a piece he performed (as you’ll see in the YouTube recording) at the BBC Proms in 2012 when he, too, was a rising star in his early twenties.
Now that his star has pretty much risen, he’s in demand all over the world as soloist and chamber musician.
The programme also includes the Mozart symphonies No. 1 and No. 41 ‘Jupiter’ but the opener is Sinfonietta by the Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-69) who was also of Lithuanian heritage.
There will be another chance to hear Julain Bliss perform Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto when he will again join Royal Northern Sinfonia for a concert at The Sands Centre, Carlisle, on November 12 at 7.30pm.
MUSIC: NASUWT Riverside Band
Where: Gala Theatre, Durham
When: June 13
Bookings and info: galadurham.co.uk
Brass bands are woven into the cultural fabric of the North East, and few have a story as long or distinguished as NASUWT Riverside Band.
Founded in Pelton Fell in 1875, the band celebrates its recent 150th anniversary with a special concert bringing together some of the brass world’s biggest names.
Joining Riverside for the occasion are the legendary Black Dyke Band and acclaimed euphonium soloist David Childs, with conducting duties shared by Professor Nicholas Childs and Richard Marshall.
The concert is both a celebration of a remarkable milestone and a reminder of Riverside’s enduring presence, from Durham Brass Festival and Miners Hymns performances to collaborations with Richard Hawley and Public Service Broadcasting.
COMEDY: Kelly Rickard: Burning Love
Where: The Stand, Newcastle
When: June 14
Bookings and info: thestand.co.uk
Having recently made a triumphant debut as the MC for the Sunday for Sammy fundraising concerts, Kelly Rickard describes her new show as an hour of stand-up built around a “sliding doors moment” that saw her join an Elvis theatre tour for what she calls the “most rock and roll summer of my life”.
At the centre is the show’s Elvis impersonator - remembered as a “big old hunk of rhinestones and misogyny” - and the long tail of that experience.
Blending storytelling with sharp observations, the audience will be let into a web of revenge which is “what happens when you’re Welsh and a Scorpio”… and willing to bide your time for 15 years.
THEATRE: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Where: People’s Theatre, Newcastle
When: June 9 to 13, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: peoplestheatre.co.uk
Mark Haddon’s brilliant novel was adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens and became a mega-hit for the National Theatre where it premiered in 2012 before transferring to the West End.
Both book and play tell of 15-year-old Christopher whose grim discovery of a dead dog sets him on a quest to find out whodunit – for this is a dog who quite clearly was not an accident victim.
It’s assumed, though never stated, that Christopher is autistic. He interprets situations in singular fashion and we travel with him and root for him despite the obstacles he faces.
It’s a brave undertaking by the amateurs of the People’s Theatre, following in the paw prints of what many might regard as a definitive production.
But the People’s never shirks a challenge… and theatre allows for infinite interpretations.
“See the world in a whole new light in this moving and funny exploration of family, trust and what it means to be different,” they say. Who could resist?
EXHIBITION: The Visitors
Where: The Storehouse, Berwick Barracks
When: June 11 to 27
Bookings and info: maltingsberwick.co.uk
The Visitors was a performance by artist Lewis Hetherington which took place over the weekend in Berwick town centre and Spittal promenade.
It featured dramatic costumes and giant sculptures and was part of Berwick Shines, the Living Barracks cultural engagement programme produced by The Maltings.
A joint effort by the artist’s creative team, Maltings Youth Theatre, local schools and community participants, it attracted people in large numbers.
“What made The Visitors so special was the way local people embraced the project and helped shape it,” said Hetherington.
“Seeing these creatures move through Berwick and Spittal surrounded by such curiosity, warmth and excitement from the public was genuinely moving.
“The weekend became a celebration not only of imagination and performance, but of the people and places that inspired the work in the first place.”
Lauren Velvick, creative producer at The Maltings (Berwick) Trust, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people coming together to experience something playful, imaginative and rooted deeply in our local landscape and community.”
Props, costumes and other material will feature in this free exhibition at The Storehouse (Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 4pm).
COMEDY: Mark Watson - Before It Overtakes Us
Where: Queen’s Hall, Hexham, The Witham, Barnard Castle; Alnwick Playhouse
When: June 11, 12, 13
Bookings and info: markwatson.seetickets.com
Busy Bristol-born comedian Mark Watson has performed on a ferry, in a stream, on steps outside a theatre and in a vaccination queue. When is he not performing?
His current Before It Overtakes Us tour embraces more conventional venues, including the Queen’s Hall, The Witham and Alnwick Playhouse.
He also has a couple of dates in Cumbria – The Old Fire Station, Carlisle (June 10) and Brewery Arts, Kendal (June 18).
Known to BBC Radio 4 and YouTube audiences alike, he’s back on the road after seasons at the Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Edinburgh comedy festivals.
In what is billed as “a typically frantic and fun-packed new show”, he will range over various subjects, each arising from the last… or not.
We’re told a recent encounter with a stranger caused him to consider humanity’s uncertain future.
That dealt with, he will mull over the worst word he’s ever uttered in public, the state of the UK sausage industry and even more pressing matters.
EXHIBITION: Wild Africa
Where: Gallerina, 1 Victoria Road, Darlington
When: June 13 to July 25
Bookings and info: gallerina.co.uk
Dramatic images by wildlife photographer Peter Haygarth, from Bishop Auckland, will feature with bronzes by Lake District artist David Cemmick.
The 62-year-old has loved African wildlife since he was a boy when he would spend pocket money on animal figures and watch TV shows such as Tarzan and Daktari.
While working for Durham Police he studied for a City and Guilds in photography at Bishop Auckland College.
His first trip to Africa, in 2007, was to the Masai Mara, in Kenya, during the wildebeest migration, and he has since travelled extensively.
At a private game reserve in South Africa, he got one of his best shots, of a spat between a cheetah and African wild dogs.
It was highly commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, one of a hundred among 48,000 entries, and was displayed subsequently at 10 Downing Street.
Since retiring from the police, Peter has become a qualified drone operator and videographer. He is the official photographer for Kynren, Bishop Auckland’s outdoor stage spectacular. But Africa is where his heart lies.
THEATRE: Gerry and Sewell
Where: Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: June 9-13
Bookings and info: theatreroyal.co.uk
Black and white flags are flying at the top of Grey Street ahead of the imminent return of the hit Geordie stage show.
Returning to a Tyneside stage following sell-out North East runs and a successful West End transfer, the production reunites Dean Logan and Jack Robertson as the title pair alongside Becky Clayburn (Tyneside) and Erin Mullen (Bridget McCarten) and new cast members Sammy T. Dobson, Angela Lonsdale and David Nellist.
Adapted by Olivier Award winner, Jamie Eastlake from Jonathan Tulloch’s novel The Season Ticket as well as the film it inspired, Purely Belter, the show follows two Gateshead lads from the wrong side of the Metro tracks, determined to get season tickets for Newcastle United.
Featuring live music, lots of laughs, an iconic puppet dog and buckets of heart, producers say this will be the last chance audiences get to see the production which was last on stage at the top of Trafalgar Square. So if you’ve been meaning to catch it - diven’t hang aboot, like.
STILL SHOWING
Screen: The Fortune, Channel 5, from Jun 2, 9pm
Theatre: A Sudden, Disturbing To Do List, Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle, Jun 3-4
Comedy: Richard Ayoade - Afterthoughts, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle, Jun 9
Theatre: Toto Kerblammo! Live Theatre, Newcastle, Jun 9
Music: Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, Jun 4,
Theatre: From Dialogue to Monologue, Tyneside Irish Centre, Jun 5
Comedy: Rich Hall - Chin Music, Where: Queen’s Hall, Hexham; The Fire Station, Sunderland; Alnwick Playhouse; and Darlington Hippodrome, Jun 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively
Theatre: The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, The Playhouse, Horden, County Durham, until Jun 6. Read David Whetstone’s review
Classical: The Dream of Gerontius, Hexham Abbey, Jun 6
Theatre: Astell & Woolf, Live Theatre, until Jun 6
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: Eugene Schlumberger, RePUBlic Gallery, Blyth, until June 13
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: For All At Last Return and first major UK exhibition by filmmaker and artist Saodat Ismailova, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, until Jun 7, 2026
Exhibition: Out of the Darkness, Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland, until December
NOW BOOKING
Theatre: Smack Family Robinson (Reading), Live Theatre, Newcastle, Jun 19
Festival: In The Park, Exhibition Park, Newcastle, Jul 8-12
Theatre: Karate Kid, The Musical, Sunderland Empire, Jul 14-18
Event: Kynren, Bishop Auckland, July 18-Sept 12
Music: Classical season at The Fire Station, Sunderland, Jul-Jun 2027
Music: Papa Shango, The Cluny, Ouseburn, Jul 25
Theatre: 9 to 5 The Musical, Darlington Hippodrome, Aug 4-8
Music: The Waterboys, Cliffe Park, Sunderland, Aug 13
Theatre: Mrs Doubtfire, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Sept 23-Oct 11
Comedy: Robin Ince - Let the Quiet Ones Rise, The Stand Newcastle, Sept 27
Music: African Soul Rebels, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Oct 9
Festival: Beyond the Moor, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Oct 10
Music: Paul Heaton, Newcastle Utilita Arena, Oct 29 (Tickets on sale 9.30am, June 5)
Music: Cloudbusting - The Music of Kate Bush, Queen’s Hall, Hexham, Nov 14
2027
Comedy: Omid Djalili - Namaste, Darlington Hippodrome, Jan 20
Opera: Dead Man Walking, Opera North at Newcastle Theatre Royal, Mar 13
Music: Metropolis in Concert, The Glasshouse, May 8
Theatre: Pretty Woman The Musical, Sunderland Empire, Jun 29-Jul 3
Theatre: Six, Stockton Globe, Sept 21-25
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 two tickets to see Teddy Thompson at The Fire Station, Sunderland on June 9.
Born into folk-rock royalty as the son of Richard and Linda Thompson, Teddy has long since established a musical identity all of his own.
His songs draw on folk, country, Americana and classic pop influences, delivered with a warmth and understated charm that has earned him a devoted following on both sides of the Atlantic.
This tour sees him showcasing material from his acclaimed new album, Never Be The Same, a collection of songs exploring love, loss, memory and the way time reshapes our lives.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: TEDDY!, by 5pm on Friday (Jun 5)
The winner, who will be selected at random, will be notified within 24 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.