Curated Culture 13.01.26
Our weekly round-up of recommendations from North East stages and cultural venues
Hello and welcome to this week’s Curated Culture - your once-a-week guide to some of the best arts and culture activity to get amongst across the North East.
January has hit its stride and we’re relieved to report the listings are beginning to resume normal service after the Christmas festivities.
If you’re new here, this is how the Tuesday mailout usually unfolds:
🗓️ Top Picks – a selection of standout shows and events over the next fortnight
📌 Still Showing – listings from previous weeks you can still catch
📅 Now Booking – future dates worth getting ahead of
🎁 Subscriber Prize Draw – this week, 2 x tickets for Transatlantic Sessions at The Glasshouse on February 4.
Thanks for reading - your attention span is appreciated!
Sam (Wonfor) & Dave (Whetstone)
Always on the North East culture beat
You can also like/follow/high five us on our socials, on Facebook, Instagram and Blue Sky
CONCERT: ECHO Rising Stars Festival
Where: The Glasshouse, Gateshead
When: Saturday, January 24, 10am to 7.15pm
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
ECHO is the European Concert Hall Organisation, of which The Glasshouse is a member (vice president is Abigail Pogson, its erstwhile chief executive now running London’s Barbican Centre).
For 30 years its Rising Stars programme has identified and supported exceptional young musicians, offering commissions and concert platforms.
Some of the select 2025-26 cohort will be sharing their brilliance with audiences at The Glasshouse during this day-long festival.
As well as the concerts – five of them, one each per rising star – they will host masterclasses for youngsters who receive tuition at The Glasshouse and give free performances on the concourse.
Past ‘rising stars’ include guitarist Sean Shibe (returning to the venue next month) and sax player Jess Gillam, well known to North East music fans, so they’re a twinkling bunch indeed.
On festival day this month you will hear Áron Horváth, from Hungary, who plays a stringed percussion instrument called the cimbalom; Icelandic soprano Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir; pianist Giorgi Gigashvili who was born in Tbilisi, Georgia; Austrian cellist Valerie Fritz; and the Amsterdam-based Maat Saxophone Quartet.
EXHIBITION: Indivisible
Where: Vane, Gateshead NE8 2AP
When: January 16 to 24
Bookings and info: vane.org.uk
Fourteen artists contribute to the first exhibition of 2026 at Vane, the art gallery you’ll find at the Gateshead end of the Tyne Bridge (look left for the Orbis Community sign as you cross from Newcastle).
All are MA or MFA students at Newcastle University and this is part of a module about exhibition-making.
They’re a diverse bunch, as you’ll see from the Vane website.
Amy Coyne is a felt artist and filmmaker whose work “explores the tropes and controversies within horror and crime cinema”.
Lauren Cavagan “explores the realm of folklore and fairy tales in her illustrative oil paintings”.
Mark Bletcher “creates dream-like scenes that are staged in uncanny compositions from observational drawings”.
Diverse but, as the title suggests, indivisible.
Lending thematic unity is the EarthFlag, a flag for the whole planet created in 2015 by Swedish designer Oskar Pernefeldt as “a symbolic act of love to unite humanity”.
Clearly this is a timely exhibition. All are welcome to attend a preview on January 15 (5-8pm).
THEATRE: Weird
Where: Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: January 28, 30 and 31
Bookings and info: theatreroyal.co.uk
Michael Harrison’s Macbeth-inspired musical takes the Shakespeare gore-fest into uncharted waters, making the three witches the sassy stars of the show.
These ‘weird sisters’ (Macbeth, act one, scene two) are called Phoenix, Luna and Angelique, which you won’t find in the Shakespeare text.
But this is something new, doing for the Bard perhaps what Six did for history and Henry VIII.
“There’s weirdness in all of us,” said Wallsend-born producer Harrison, quizzed about the show a year ago. “Weird is actually the new cool.”
And his witches, he teased, might even be beautiful.
Playing the cauldron stirrers in this world premiere production, directed by Tim Jackson, are Gabriela Benedetti, Hope Dawe and Kingsley Morton whose CVs highlight appearances in Hamilton, Grease and Heathers: the Musical rather than anything staged at Stratford.
Lots of North East schoolchildren will be seeing the new show. They are the shrewd barometers whose response will determine whether it outruns Macbeth’s ultimately thwarted ambition.
All four performances are during the day and two are sold out – so mount your fastest broomstick if you want to witness the action.
MUSIC: Joanne Shaw Taylor
Where: The Fire Station, Sunderland
When: January 29
Bookings and info: thefirestation.org.uk
Joanne Shaw Taylor plays The Fire Station, Sunderland this month, presenting material from her recent album Black & Gold alongside songs from across an ever-evolving back catalogue.
First spotted as a teenager by Sunderland native - and Fire Station favourite - Dave Stewart, Taylor has since built a career that moves comfortably between blues, rock, soul and pop without settling into any single lane.
Big fans will be interested in a particularly special VIP meet and greet upgrade which includes a private acoustic performance as well as the usual photo and merch gubbins.
FILM: The Voice of Hind Rajab
Where: Tyneside Cinema
When: January 16 to 22
Bookings and info: tynesidecinema.co.uk
It’s unlikely anyone will sit through this new release with dry eyes.
Directed by Tunisian film-maker Kaouther Ben Hania, it recalls the horrific killing in Gaza in 2024 of six-year-old Hind Rajab, six members of her family and two paramedics who attempted a rescue.
The film won the grand jury prize at the Venice Film Festival last year, prompting a 23-minute standing ovation, and is Oscar-nominated.
It relates the incident from the perspective of Palestine Red Crescent Society volunteers who took a call from Hania’s 15-year-old cousin, Layan Hamadeh, saying their car was being attacked by an Israeli tank.
After Layan was killed, the volunteers rang back and Hind, by then the only one still alive, answered, telling them: “I’m so scared. Please come.”
In the film, actors play the volunteers but the voice of the terrified child on the phone is actually that of Hind Rajab. She did not survive.
The killings provoked international outrage. The film keeps the matter in the public eye.
After the 5.50pm screening on January 19 there will be a Q&A session with Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees who plays call centre volunteer Omar.
BOOKS: Beyond Planet Corona book launch
Where: Lit and Phil, Newcastle
When: January 15, 7pm
Bookings and info: litandphil.org.uk
Playwright, poet, publisher and journalist, Peter Mortimer returns with Beyond Planet Corona, a second collection of columns originally written for The Journal, following on from his 2021 volume Planet Corona.
Where the first book responded directly to the shock and confusion of the pandemic’s early months, this new collection turns its attention to what lingers after - socially, politically and emotionally… all with a signature side of satire and dry humour.
Written in the same personal, non-technical style, the book is described as “a satirical look at how we as a nation, and sometimes as a planet, are coping with the aftermath of the corona devastation”.
MUSIC: Paul Jones and Dave Kelly
Where: The Witham, Barnard Castle
When: January 24
Bookings and info: thewitham.org.uk
Founder members of The Blue Band, Paul Jones and Dave Kelly bring a stripped-back acoustic set to The Witham, drawing on decades spent deep inside the blues tradition.
Both musicians have long histories with the form - not only studying its canon, but playing alongside many of its defining figures, from Howlin’ Wolf to John Lee Hooker.
With Jones, a longtime BBC Radio 2 R&B broadcaster, and Kelly, widely regarded as one of Europe’s leading blues guitarists, audiences can expect expect beautifully-worn songs, original material, and top drawer performances shaped by a lifetime of experience.
THEATRE: The Mirror Crack’d
Where: People’s Theatre, Newcastle
When: January 20 to 24 (Tuesday to Saturday)
Bookings and info: peoplestheatre.co.uk
The talented amateurs of the People’s begin the year in traditional style by dipping into the Christie canon.
Miss Marple gets into super-sleuthing mode when a deadly poisoning takes place in her normally sleepy village shortly after a Hollywood film star takes up residence.
The original Christie novel, titled The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, after a line from Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott, was published in 1962.
A film version, starring Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple, was released in 1980.
This adaptation of the story by Rachel Wagstaff (you might have seen her Birdsong adaptation at the Theatre Royal a couple of years ago) premiered at Salisbury Playhouse in 2019 and had its first American airing last year.
Say the People’s: “As suspicion spreads and secrets surface, Miss Marple must use all of her wits to piece together the truth behind a crime rooted in jealousy, obsession and tragedy.
“Can she get to the truth before it’s too late?”
They promise that mounting suspense and Christie’s trademark twists will keep us on the edge of our seats.
EVENT: Day Fever
Where: Boiler Shop Newcastle
When: January 31
Bookings and info: boilershop.net
If your new year’s resolution was to do more dancing - but still get a decent night’s kip - then you’re going to want to start following Day Fever on their socials.
Spearheaded by Line of Duty actor, Vicky McClure, filmmaker Jonny Owen and Reverend and the Makers frontman, Jon McClure, these events are getting quite the following across the UK - and are returning to the Boiler Shop, inviting us all to dance away any January blues which may have been festering.
You can also request your favourite song before you arrive… beats the eighties disco trend of waiting in a queue to shout at a non-plussed DJ.
MUSIC: Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana
Where: Newcastle 02 City Hall
When: January 31
Bookings and info: academymusicgroup.com
Hold onto your jumpsuit fringes, the extraordinary hybrid of Elvis-era rock ’n’ roll and 90s grunge is en route to Newcastle 02 City Hall.
Built around the delightful idea of Elvis Presley fronting the songs of Nirvana, the set draws heavily on Nirvana’s catalogue while sprinkling in some of The King’s most distinctive flavours.
The atmosphere tends to be part singalong, part mosh pit, with a frontman who treats crowd-surfing and jumpsuit changes as standard practice.
Beneath the chaos though is sharp musicianship and careful arrangement. We concur wholeheartedly with the reviewer who called the show “bafflingly brilliant”. It’s a spectacle for sure, but one very much grounded in knowing performance rather than throwaway novelty.
BALLET: Varna International Ballet
Where: Darlington Hippodrome
When: January 25, 26 and 27
Bookings and info: darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
Fans of classical ballet know to grab every performance opportunity they can for touring productions are invariably thin on the ground.
Varna International Ballet hails from Bulgaria (Varna is the country’s third largest city) where it was founded in 1947.
It has just embarked on another UK tour with three productions – of Swan Lake (Jan 25), The Nutcracker (Jan 26) and Cinderella (Jan 27) – which gives a sense of the company’s commendable industry.
A reviewer for Northern Review awarded Swan Lake four stars this month after catching a performance at Liverpool Empire and enthusing about a “memorable and rewarding evening”.
There are three to look forward to in Darlington where the company performs three of the great classical ballets in quick succession accompanied by a live orchestra.
“We are thrilled to be bringing our highly talented company of dancers and musicians back to the UK,” said artistic director Daniela Dimova ahead of the tour organised by RG Live (formerly Raymond Gubbay Ltd).
“We can’t wait to perform for British audiences again and to bring these magical ballets to life on stage.”
MUSIC: Martyn Joseph
Where: Gosforth Civic Theatre
When: January
Bookings and info: gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk
For more than four decades, Martyn Joseph has followed his own path, working largely outside the mainstream while building a substantial and committed audience. Initially signed to a major label in the early 1990s, he later became an early advocate for independent release and direct connection with listeners.
His songs are rooted in close observation - of politics, personal relationships and everyday injustices.
Recent years have seen new studio releases, including 2024’s This Is What I Want to Say, broadcast commissions and continued touring, but the core approach remains unchanged: songwriting that responds to the moment and live performances which linger.
STILL SHOWING
Classical: The Light Within, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, Jan 17
Exhibition: Between Work and Play, Globe Gallery, 97 Howard Street, North Shields, Jan 17-Feb 14
Theatre: The Rocky Horror Show, Sunderland Empire, Jan 19-24
Event: NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week, restaurants all over Newcastle, until Jan 18
Exhibition Tours: The Light of Days Past, Granary Gallery, Berwick, Jan 17 and Feb 7
Comedy: Sara Pascoe - I Am A Strange Gloop, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle; Gala Theatre Durham, Feb 5 and Mar 27, respectively
Event: Uncanny - Fear of the Dark, Darlington Hippodrome, Feb 8
Theatre: Matilda The Musical, Sunderland Empire, Feb 11-28
Music: The Friday Night Club With The Unthanks, Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Feb 13
Event: Sunday for Sammy, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Feb 15
Comedy: Chris Ramsey - Here Man, Stockton Globe and Newcastle 02 City Hall, Feb 26-27 and April 17-19, respectively
Theatre: The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle, Mar 5
Theatre: Hidden Biscuit, Queen’s Hall Hexham and Live Theatre, Newcastle, Mar 20 and Apr 2, respectively
Screen: Torvill and Dean - The Last Dance, streaming on ITVX,
Exhibition: Going Back Brockens, Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, until Jan 31 (10am to 5pm)
Music: Crocodile Shoes by Jimmy Nail, Live Theatre, Newcastle, Jan 13-18, (Returns only)
Exhibition: Desire Lines, MIMA, Middlesbrough, until Apr 12, 2026
Theatre: I, Daniel Blake, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Mar 20 to April 4
Theatre: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Apr 6-11
Screen: Jools Holland’s New Orleans Jukebox, BBC iPlayer
Radio: Tom and Lauren Are Going OOT!, BBC Sounds
Exhibition: Tom Hume - Retrospective, Ushaw Historic House, Chapels & Garden, until January 18, 2026
Exhibition: Miniature Worlds - Little Landscapes from Thomas Bewick to Beatrix Potter, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, until Feb 28, 2026. Read our report.
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: The Light of Days Past, Granary Gallery, Berwick, until Feb 22, 2026
Exhibition: Three Artists: Zac Weinberg, Joanna Manousis, and Anthony Amoako-Attah, National Glass Centre, Sunderland, until Jan 10, 2026
Exhibition: Joséphine: A Woman of Taste and Fashion, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, until March 2026
Big screen: Expo Sunderland Pavilion, Keel Square, Sunderland, throughout 2025
Comedy: Cally Beaton - Namaste Mother F*ckers, Northern Stage (Feb 7); Alnwick Playhouse (Feb 17); Queen’s Hall, Hexham (Feb 19)
Exhibition: Works by Nathan Coley, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, until Mar 1, 2026
Exhibition: Pippa Hale: Pet Project, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, until March 1, 2026
Theatre: Sunny Afternoon, Stockton Globe, April 14-18, 2026
NOW BOOKING
Music: James Arthur, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Feb 6
Theatre: Matilda the Musical, Sunderland Empire, Feb 15-28
Event: Sunday for Sammy, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Feb 15
Music: Martin and Eliza Carthy, Redhills, Durham, Feb 20
Family: Cinderella Ice Cream Seller, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Feb 21, 11am and 2pm
Theatre: Our Little Hour, Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle, Mar 5-7
Comedy: Bridget Christie - Jacket Potato Pizza, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle, Mar 14
Music: Cat Burns, NX Newcastle, April 11
Music: Kate Rusby, The Fire Station, Sunderland, Apr 28
Theatre: Moulin Rouge The Musical, Sunderland Empire, Jun 5-27
Comedy: James Acaster, Newcastle 02 City Hall, Jun 7-9
Comedy: Mark Watson - Before It Overtakes Us, The Witham, Barnard Castle, Jun 12
Music: The Pitmen Poets, multiple North East dates from Jun 26 to Jul 12
Event: Enter The Castle with Jon Ronson, Gala Theatre Durham, Sept 17
Comedy: Sam Campbell - Kid Giblet, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle, Oct 15
Music: The Proclaimers, The Globe Stockton and Newcastle 02 City Hall, October 24 and 25, respectively
2027
Theatre: Dirty Dancing, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Feb 9-13
Theatre: Back to the Future, Sunderland Empire, Apr 13-May 8
Comedy: Alan Carr - Have I Said Too Much?, Stockton Globe (Nov 12) and Newcastle 02 City Hall, Nov 13-14
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 Transatlantic Sessions, which returns to The Glasshouse on February 4, bringing its well-established live format back to the North East.
Developed through an award-winning BBC series and long associated with Celtic Connections, the show centres on high-calibre musicianship and carefully crafted arrangements drawn from folk, Americana and roots traditions on both sides of the Atlantic.
This edition features Darrell Scott, Kathy Mattea, Karine Polwart and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh - four singers with distinct voices and repertoires, moving between original material and traditional songs shaped by place, language and lineage.
At the core is the Transatlantic Sessions house band, led by Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas, whose precision and experience give the evening its structure and momentum. Balancing intimacy with scale, expect standout individual performances alongside richly layered ensemble moments
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: Sessions by noon, (12pm) on Sunday, January 18, 2026.
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.