Curated Culture 12.05.26
Our weekly round-up of recommendations from North East stages and cultural venues
Hi and thanks for opening this week’s Curated Culture.
Below awaits another carefully assembled mix of exhibitions, gigs, theatre shows, festivals and assorted cultural distractions from around the North East, alongside a look at what’s Still Showing and a handful of things worth getting booked in early.
We’ve also got a subscriber prize draw to win tickets to Life After Hours at the Life Science Centre on June 4 from 6pm.
And now we’ll get out of your way and leave you to scroll
Thanks as ever for your attention and support
Sam (Wonfor) and Dave (Whetstone)
Professionally pre-occupied with North East culture
CONCERT: Tinariwen
Where: The Glasshouse, Gateshead
When: Tuesday, May 19, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
They’re in France tonight before heading off to Bulgaria and then Greece. They perform the second of five UK gigs in Gateshead before going to Ireland, Scandinavia, Japan and Canada.
Tinariwen is a collective of Tuareg musicians from an area of the Sahara encompassing southern Algerian and northern Mali. Their nomadic instinct is certainly reflected in the current tour schedule.
The group was born out of trouble and strife, founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib having witnessed his father’s execution during an uprising in Mali in 1963.
Today the group, with its guitar-driven ‘desert blues’, is world renowned. It performed at the Royal Albert Hall during a BBC Proms concert in 2024.
But fame doesn’t guarantee safety and members of the group fled their homes in northern Mali recently because of ethnic conflicts fuelled by Russian mercenaries.
The 10th and most recent album, Hoggar, released in March, is named after the Hoggar Mountains in southern Algerian which have been a place of refuge for the Tuareg people.
Tinariwen, say The Glasshouse, are “rock ’n’ roll rebels, drawing people into their growling vocals, spacey guitar lines and clapping rhythms”.
MUSIC: Brass Picnic at The Story
Where: The Story, Durham DH1 3TQ
When: Sunday, May 17, 10am to 5pm
Bookings and info: thestorydurham.org
Eleven brass bands will compete in the Durham County Brass Band Association competition in its 80th year.
They include Bearpark and Esh, Billingham Silver, Craghead Colliery, Dunston Silver, EDMG Peterlee, Felling, Ferryhill Town, Spennymoor Town, Trimdon and Valley Brass.
As well as this feast of music, the café at The Story will be open and catering vans will be on site.
The event is free and visitors are invited to take a picnic blanket (fingers crossed for good weather) and also explore The Story. There will be activities for youngsters such as face painting.
Councillor Karen Allison said: “We’re delighted to bring families and friends together for the 80th year of the Durham County Brass Band Association’s competition.
“This year, as we prepare to mark 20 years of Durham BRASS Festival (in July), it’s a great opportunity to celebrate a remarkable milestone of music and heritage at The Story.”
Association chair Julie Carmichael said: “This event will showcase brass at its best.”
Free parking at Howlands Park and Ride, a five-minute walk to The Story.
SCREEN: Tyneside - Sam Fender video maker
Where: Tyneside Cinema
When: May 14
Bookings and info: tynesidecinema.co.uk
Music videos by Sam Fender* will be screened at Tyneside Cinema as part of a special one-night celebration of the artform on May 14.
The Music Video Preservation Society event will feature a selection of the North Shields singer-songwriter’s videos alongside a discussion with Semera Khan and music video commentator David Knight.
Polydor creative director Semera who has overseen Sam’s videos since 2018, will offer behind-the-scenes insight into shaping the visual identity of one of the UK’s biggest music stars.
The evening will also explore five decades of music video culture.
COMEDY: Washy Comedy Festival
Where: Arts Centre Washington
When: May 21-23
Bookings and info: sunderlandculture.org.uk
A strong line-up of North East comics is taking over Arts Centre Washington for three days of stand-up later this month.
There are headline shows from Alex Redman, Elaine Robertson and Matt Reed, alongside a Babes in Arms comedy club hosted by Nicola Mantalios and Lee Kyle’s reliably chaotic family show.
With multi-buy ticket deals available, it’s a good chance to catch a stack of local comedy talent across one long weekend rather than just dipping in for a single night.
FESTIVAL: A Stone’s Throw
Where: Venues across North Shields
When: May 23, from 12pm
Bookings and info: astonesthrowfestival.co.uk
The one-day coastal music trail, which calls itself A Stone’s Throw Festival returns to North Shields for another rammed day of live music spread across the town’s pubs, clubs and independent venues.
Now in its fourth year, the coastal festival has built a reputation for mixing exciting emerging artists with a relaxed, community feel.
This year’s line-up includes Working Men’s Club, Chalk, Panic Shack and LUVCAT, performing across venues including The Exchange 1856, King Street Social, The Engine Room and Salt Market Social.
Plenty of wandering, new discoveries and a soundtrack stretching from early afternoon into the night is what’s on offer. Sounds like a no-brainer to us.
MUSIC: Finn Forster
Where: Independent, Sunderland
When: May 23
Bookings and info: independentsunderland.com
Middlesbrough singer songwriter, Finn Forster has been steadily building momentum far beyond his Teesside roots.
Backed by BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2, the North East artist has spent the past year supporting acts including Stereophonics, JADE and Bastille, while also making appearances at festivals including Reading and Leeds, Latitude and SXSW Austin.
His songs draw heavily on his North East upbringing, pairing anthemic indie melodies with sharp, personal storytelling about youth, ambition and escape.
With millions of streams already behind him, this hometown show feels like a chance to catch a rising artist before things get even bigger.
THEATRE: Glorious!
Where: Darlington Hippodrome
When: May 12-16
Bookings and info: darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
There are bad singers… and then there’s Florence Foster Jenkins.
Dubbed “the worst singer in the world”, the famously off-key performer is at the heart of GLORIOUS!, the hit comedy returning in a new 20th anniversary production and arriving in Darlington this week.
Starring Wendi Peters (Coronation Street) as Florence and Matthew James Morrison (Eastenders) as her long-suffering accompanist Cosme McMoon, the play follows the unlikely rise of a woman whose passion and self-belief far outweighed her musical ability.
Written by Peter Quilter, a warm, funny and touching story - which also inspired the 2016 film starring Meryl Street and Hugh Grant - about chasing joy regardless of what the critics say is promised.
A post-show cast Q&A follows Wednesday’s performance.
DANCE: Burnt Offering
Where: Dance City, Newcastle
When: Monday, May 18, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: dancecity.co.uk
This is the latest piece from 99 Art Company which was founded in 2014 by a group led by choreographer Hye-rim Jang.
It focuses on expressing Korean traditions through contemporary stories.
Burnt Offering, which was judged best production at the second Seoul Arts Awards, invites us to consider what new rituals we need, what we might pray for and how we can draw on the traditions of the past.
It is based on a traditional dance called seungmu and incorporates traditional Korean music and movement.
As the dancers gather at the altar and offer sacrifices, clouds of incense seep across the stage, envelope their senses and stir their imagination.
In a world that grinds us down, they say, this is a ‘burnt offering’ in return for meaning, beauty and peace.
The piece, to be performed by four dancers and two musicians, comes to Newcastle as part of A Festival of Korean Dance 2026, presented by The Place and the Korean Cultural Centre UK in partnership with regional dance centres including Dance City.
MUSIC: Amateur Ornithologist album launch
Where: Pop Records, Sunderland
When: May 16
Bookings and info: poprecs.co.uk
North East collective Amateur Ornithologist return with a new album promising to be steeped in gothic atmosphere, post-punk textures and folk storytelling.
The Haunted Life of Architecture, released on May 15, explores themes of memory, fear and legacy across a sound which shifts between chamber pop, indie folk and art-rock.
Built from a community of artists from across the region, including multiple neurodivergent musicians, the band has been gathering momentum through sold-out local shows, including a Halloween performance in Newcastle’s Victoria Tunnel and appearances at Durham Brass Festival, Summer Streets and Marrapalooza.
They launch the album at Pop Recs, Sunderland on May 16 with support from Faye MacCalman, Madeleine Smyth and Small Town Brass.
THEATRE: Great Granda Apicius
Where: Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle
When: Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: alphabettitheatre.co.uk
Abby Walker’s idea for a play inspired by a famous Roman cookbook was chosen as the winner from among the entries to a ClassicsFest competition.
It was the latest success for a young writer from Bishop Auckland who has also had a play on BBC Radio 4 and was recently a winner in the North East Playwriting Award at Live Theatre.
ClassicsFest, which runs from May 14-16, has the theme this year of food and feasting in antiquity.
Writers entering the play competition were asked to respond to the recipes supposedly favoured by a 1st Century AD Roman gourmet and extravagant entertainer called Apicius.
Abby, in her brief treatment for the judges, cleverly brought the story of Apicius into the present day, introducing the characters of Elsie and her influencer grandson, Josh.
Her now full-length comic play, performed by Judi Earl and Elijah Young and directed by Alphabetti artistic director Ed Cole, will unfold at Alphabetti as one of the highlights of the third annual ClassicsFest, details of which can be found on the Lit & Phil website.
STILL SHOWING
Theatre: Little Shop of Horrors, Northern Stage, until May 23
Theatre: Split Ends, Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle, May 13-14
Theatre: The Prince of Egypt, Gala Durham, until May 16
Theatre: Astell & Woolf, Live Theatre, May 14 to Jun 6
Screen: Smoggie Queens, BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, from May 15
Festival: ClassicsFest, Lit & Phil and various venues, May 14-16
Comedy: Stewart Lee Vs The Man-Wulf, Stockton Globe, May 16
Screen: This Is Not A Murder Mystery, UTV and streaming on Channel Four, available now.
Music: James Morrison, Newcastle o2 City Hall, May 15
Exhibition: Eugene Schlumberger, RePUBlic Gallery, Blyth, until June 13
Screen: Sunderland Shorts Film Festival, David Puttnam Media Centre and various other venues in the city, May 11-17
Theatre: Legally Blonde - The Musical, Newcastle Theatre Royal, until May 17
Theatre: Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Queen’s Hall, Hexham, and elsewhere May 12 (Hexham) and on tour to North East venues until May 31
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
Comedy: Rich Hall: Chin Music, The Fire Station Sunderland (Jun 4); Darlington Hippodrome (Jun 6)
Theatre: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Sunderland Empire, Jun 5-27
Theatre: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jul 7-11
Music: The Fire Station Summer Parties, Jul 31-Aug 30
Music: Kula Shaker, The Fire Station Sunderland, Aug 2
Theatre: The Last Laugh, Darlington Hippodrome, Aug 18
Music: Saint Etienne, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Sept 24
Comedy: Chris Ramsey - Here Man, Stockton Globe, Sept 30
Theatre: Our Friends in the North 1979-1984, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Oct 15-24
Music: Slade, O2 City Hall Newcastle, Dec 2 (Tickets on sale May 13)
Music: Amelia Coburn, Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Dec 5
Music: Smoove & Turrell Xmas Party, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Dec 11
Comedy: Mark Thomas 40 in Stand-Up Years, The Stand Newcastle, Dec 13
2027
Music: Jim Moray, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Feb 12
Theatre: Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Feb 23-27
Comedy: Amy Gledhill - Thanks for Having Me, The Stand Newcastle, Apr 22; ARC Stockton, Apr 23
Theatre: The Most Famous Tree in the World, Live Theatre, Newcastle, May 6-29
Music: Metropolis in Concert, The Glasshouse, May 8
Theatre: Pretty Woman - The Musical, Sunderland Empire, Jun 29-Jul 3 (Tickets on sale May 15)
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 for Life After Hours at the Life Science Centre on June 4 from 6pm.
The award-winning Newcastle attraction in the city centre is throwing open its doors for a grown-ups-only evening of science, spectacle and stomping great dinosaurs.
The one-night offer gives adults the chance to explore the centre later in the evening, with hands-on exhibits, a full-dome immersive show and the UK debut of The Great Dinosaur Escape, featuring more than 25 moving dinosaurs including a towering nine-metre T Rex.
There’s also the chance to brave Europe’s highest tornado tower, test reflexes in the sneaky feet challenge and grab a drink from the pay bar, which will be serving throughout.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: I’d like a late night at Life, by 5pm on Sunday (May 17)
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.