Curated Culture 13.05.25
Our weekly recommendations round up from North East stages and cultural venues
Hello! Hope your week has got off to a smashing start and you’ve been able to replenish your Vitamin D stocks while the sun’s headgear remains happily in place.
Following last week’s belated mailout, we’re happy to say this week’s newsletter is landing in your inbox right on time, offering a its usual pick ‘n’ mix selection of some of the gigs, exhibitions, theatre, festivals and events which we think are more than worth your time.
We like to think of ourselves as an arts-loving sidekick, or possibly the cultural town crier - perhaps pick your favourite image and go with that.
While veteran subscribers might want to skip past the delightful emoji-styled bullet points, our new sign ups (absolutely thrilled to have you!) might want to stick around to get a rundown of what to expect on a Tuesday night from us…
🗓️ A fresh batch of featured listings for the fortnight ahead
📌 A STILL SHOWING section highlighting stuff we’ve spotlit in previous mailouts which you’ve still got time to catch
📅 A NOW BOOKING roundup for things we think you might want to get booked in across the coming weeks and months
🎁 And a weekly chance to win tickets to something lovely in our newsletter prizedraw
This week, we’re giving away a family ticket (two adults and up to three children) for your choice of film at the open air Royalty Cinema which will be pitching up at Gosforth’s Central Park on the weekend on June 7 and 8.
You’ll find all the details - and how to enter - at the end of the newsletter.
So take a breather, scroll through at your leisure, and let us help fill your diary with the good stuff.
And as ever, thank you for reading, sharing, and sending us your lovely feedback
Sam (Wonfor) and Dave (Whetstone)*
*Like Chas and Dave but with less hair and better accents
PS: If you haven’t liked/followed/high fived us on our socials, you can rectify that on Facebook, Instagram and Blue Sky
Folk: The Rheingans Sisters – Start Close In
Where: Queen’s Hall, Hexham
When: May 22
Bookings and info: queenshall.co.uk
The Rheingans Sisters bring their distinctive blend of experimental folk to Hexham with a live show built around their latest album Start Close In - praised by The Guardian and MOJO as one of 2024’s standout folk releases.
Mixing traditional ballads, drone textures and unexpected sounds (including the use of phone voicenotes as improvisational jumping off points), the performance offers a fresh take on folk that’s both rooted and forward-looking. Presented by Saltburn Folk Festival.
SHOW: Something In The Water
Where: Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: May 18
Bookings and info: theatreroyal.co.uk
Hosted by Steph McGovern and presented by Joe McElderry, Something In The Water is billed as a fast-paced cabaret-style celebration of North East talent. Featuring stars like Rosie Ramsey, Lorraine Crosby, Danny Adams and funk-soul supergroup Groovetrain, the setlist blends comedy, music, theatre and doubtless some surprised.
Proceeds will support Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust and NEMO CIC, which work to help young people access music and performing arts across the region.
COMEDY: Mark Steel - The Leopard in My House
Where: The Gala Durham
When: May 15
Bookings and info: marksteelinfo.com
BAFTA-nominated comic, Mark Steel is back with a new show shaped by a throat cancer diagnosis - and the unexpected joy that came with it.
The Leopard in My House blends sharp political observation, personal storytelling and sharp delivery in his signature style. Promising to be honest, a bit chaotic, and very funny - if you like your comedy with heart (and the occasional rant), this one’s worth your time.
He’ll be back in the region for gigs at The Fire Station, Sunderland (May 28); and Darlington Hippodrome (Oct 10).
THEATRE: ClassicsFest Competition Finale
Where: Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle
When: Saturday, May 17, 2pm
Bookings and info: alphabettitheatre.co.uk
ClassicsFest was launched last year by producer and theatre director Cinzia Hardy to blow the cobwebs off Ancient Greece and Rome and show how the classics are still relevant.
The second ClassicsFest – theme: Why Cicero Matters - begins on Thursday (May 15) with a programme of events taking place mostly at the Lit & Phil.
But on Saturday afternoon at Alphabetti you have the chance to hear the shortlisted entries to this year’s ClassicsFest competition performed either by the writers themselves – who responded to the challenge to write a monologue in the style of the great Roman orator (106-43 BC) – or by actors.
And, like the emperors in the Colosseum, you will get the chance to vote for your favourites, with the winning writers going on to be involved in the ClassicsFest Finale at the Lit & Phil on Saturday evening.
In contention (selected by a panel judging blind) will be: In Toga Candida by Michael Brandon; Carefree by Teresa Kirby; By The Pricking of my Thumbs by Laura Burdon; Imagination for the People! by Martyn Halsall; Please mind the Generation Gap by Laura Burdon; Be careful what you wish for by Paul Stott; A Literary Crisis by Sarah Bond; and Neo-Ciceronianus and the Ape of AI by Daniel James Taylor.
ART: North East Emerging Artist Award
Where: Seaton Delaval Hall
When: Wednesday, May 14 until June 22
Bookings and info: nationaltrust.org.uk
This is the chance to see the proposals by the eight shortlisted contenders in this year’s North East Emerging Artist Award competition – and to vote on them.
Three winning proposals will then be fully realised for display at the National Trust property next year.
Head to the property’s Georgian stables to see proposals by Azeez Aromasodun, Max Cooper-Clark, Bethan Harris, David Kenny, Paulina Malowaniec, Joanna Manousis, Suzanne Smith and Wilfred Sears.
In September visitors will be able to see the completed pieces by last year’s winners, Jordan Edge, Phoebe Scott and Lucy Waters.
Seaton Delaval Hall is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, during term time and seven days a week during half term week. Last admission is 4pm and standard admission applies.
EVENT: Food Festival: British Street Food Awards – Northern Heat
Where: The Fire Station, Sunderland
When: May 23-25
Bookings and info: thefirestation.org.uk
Hairy Bikers star Si King joins a top-table panel to judge nine vendors battling it out in Northern heat of the British Street Food Awards, being held in Sunderland this month.
Expect bold flavours, live audience feedback, and a public vote. Dishes range from South African soul food and Greek gyros to Asian fusion and gourmet burgers. With local favourites and a shot at the European finals in Munich, it’s a must for street food fans. Entry is free, but tickets and tastebuds ready to be treated are essential.
Also judging: Terry Laybourne (21 Hospitality Group), Siân Byerley (Restaurant Pine), Adam Riley (Riley’s Fish Shack), Chris Jewitt (Food and Drink North East), and awards founder Richard Johnson.
MUSIC: Kylie – Tension Tour 2025
Where: Utilita Arena, Newcastle
When: Saturday 17 May 2025
Bookings and info: utilitaarena.co.uk
Kylie’s back - and she’s turning up the Tension on Tyneside via an evening of pure pop spectacle.
Expect glitter, drama, big bangers from the new album, and plenty of classic crowd-pleasers. It’s the Australian pocket0sized superstar’s biggest tour since 2011, and she’s promising “beautiful and wild moments” plus a whole lot of Padaming.
Lights, camera, glitter cannon - all things are pointing to this being Kylie in full icon mode. Who wants to miss that?
DANCE: Kontemporary Korea
Where: Dance City, Newcastle
When: Thursday, May 15, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: dancecity.co.uk
This is a double bill designed to open our eyes to the delights of what those in the know call K-dance.
It’s part of A Festival of Korean Dance supported by the Korean Cultural Centre UK and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange and presented by Dance City – celebrating its 40th anniversary this week - in partnership with equivalent organisations around the country.
Showcasing “two of the freshest new proponents of K-dance”, it seems a good place to start if you’re not in the know.
First up is an experimental piece called A Complementary Set: Disappearing with an Impact by award-winning choreographers Min-sun Choi and Jin-an Kang (aka Choi x Kang Project) who regularly collaborate with representatives of other artforms.
Then comes 0g (zero grams) by Melancholy Dance Company which was founded in 2016 by choreographer Cheol-in Jeong.
It’s a piece inspired by seeking meaning in daily routines, the latest from a company known for exploring human life through variations of speed, rhythm and weight.
EXHIBITION: With These Hands
Where: Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
When: Saturday, May 17 until September 27
Bookings and info: laingartgallery.org.uk
Opening this weekend is the new ticketed exhibition at the Laing which looks at how craft is represented in paintings, drawings and prints.
It’s about making and mending, whether as organised labour, domestic pastime or essential war work – and it’s about the joy of creation.
Images produced in Britain and Europe from the 1750s onwards reflect a society undergoing immense change.
You’ll see paintings and prints by artists including Mary Cassatt, G.F. Watts, Stanhope Forbes, Harold Knight, Evelyn Dunbar and Ralph Hedley.
And the exhibition also explores traditional techniques and contemporary approaches to embroidery, metalwork, ceramics, basketry and the like.
Loans from Tate, V&A, Royal Academy of Arts, Imperial War Museums and regional galleries appear alongside treasures from North East Museums’ collections.
Theatre: The Sunderland Story
Where: Sunderland Empire
When: May 15-31
Bookings and info: Sunderland Empire website
Back by popular demand, The Sunderland Story returns with fresh updates and the same big heart. Told through the Carter and Thompson families during a wake that turns into a journey through Sunderland AFC’s proud past, the show blends music, comedy, and drama with terrace favourites like Cheer Up Peter Reid and Sunderland Till I Die.
With ‘73 legends on stage after every performance, this one’s for the fans - past, present and future.
THEATRE: Grounded
Where: Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle
When: May 21-24
Bookings and info: alphabettitheatre.co.uk
Grief, music, and quiet resilience come together in Grounded, a new play by Ruth Raynor.
Created with input from people who’ve experienced loss, it blends live performance, sound, and storytelling to explore how we keep going when life and loss knocks us sideways.
Directed by Meghan Doyle and performed by Christina Berriman-Dawson and Zoe Lambert, this promises to be a tender, thoughtful piece that finds strength in small moments and shared stories.
STILL SHOWING
Theatre: Boys From The Blackstuff, Newcastle Theatre Royal, May 20–24. Read our preview.
Music: Across the Evening Sky: Josienne Clarke sings the songs of Sandy Denny, Gosforth Civic Theatre, May 16
Choral: Hexham Orpheus Choir, Hexham Abbey, May 17
Theatre: Mother Courage and her Children, Horden Methodist Church, County Durham, May 14 to 24
Theatre: Talking About the Fire, ARC, Stockton, May 15 and 16
Event: The Late Shows, various venues across Newcastle and Gateshead
When: May 16 and 17, from 6pm
Theatre: Unearthed Festival, Live Theatre, Newcastle, May 20-31
Theatre: Blackbird in the Snow, Laurels Theatre, Whitley Bay, until May 17. Read our review.
Theatre: Dogs on the Metro, Live Theatre, Newcastle, until May 17
Theatre: Handbagged, Northern Stage, Newcastle, until May 17
Exhibition: With These Hands, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, May 17 to September 27
Comedy: Unexpected Item in the Bagging Area, ARC Stockton and Live Theatre, Newcastle, May 21-23; and May 29-30, respectively
Theatre: RUM, Live Theatre, Jun 6-7
Exhibition: Shakespeare Recovered, Palace Green Library, Durham, until Nov 2
Audio-Visual: The Mother Goose Series, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, until July
Exhibition: Richard Hobson retrospective, South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, until Nov 2
Music: Songs of the North East, various venues across the North East until May 23: Arts Centre Washington (May 21); and Ponteland Methodist Church (May 23). Another date in September at Redhills in Durham is TBC. Read our review.
Exhibition: Sheila Fell – Cumberland on Canvas, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, until Jun 28
Exhibition: Ali Cherri/Laura and Lancaster, BALTIC, until Oct 12
Exhibition: Joséphine: A Woman of Taste and Fashion, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, until March 2026
Exhibition: Unravelling, Samantha Cary, Granary Gallery, Berwick, until May 18
Exhibition: Northumberland Open Exhibition, Woodhorn Museum, until June 1. Read David Whetstone’s full preview of the exhibition.
Exhibition: Ted Holloway - A Bevin Boy Remembered, Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland, until June 8, 2025
Exhibition: Magna Carta and the North, Durham Cathedral Museum, Jul 11 until Nov 2
Music: Nick Cope – I’ve Lost My Bobble Hat, The Glasshouse, Gateshead at 11am on Oct 29
Theatre: Mary Poppins, Sunderland Empire, Oct 1-25
Music: The Young’uns Big Boro Bash, Middlesbrough Town Hall, Nov 15
Big screen: Expo Sunderland Pavilion, Keel Square, Sunderland, throughout 2025
NOW BOOKING
Comedy: Metroland Comedy, Live Theatre, Newcastle, May 27
Theatre: HARD, Laurels Theatre, Whitley Bay, Jun 17-27
Classical: Royal Northern Sinfonia plays Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, touring various venues across the North East, Jun 19-29
Theatre: Carrying David, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jun 21-22
Comedy: Tim Minchin - Songs the World Will Never Hear, Newcastle 02 City Hall, Jun 24-25
Music: Levellers, The Fire Station, Sunderland, Jul 11
Event: Domination - The Fall and Rise of an Empire with Alice Roberts, Middlesbrough Town Hall, Aug 25
Music: Classic Album Live performs The Beatles’ White Album, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Sept 11
Comedy: Steffen Peddie - Should Know Better, ARC Stockton, Sept 13
Comedy: Looking for me Friend - The Music of Victoria Wood, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Sept 18
Comedy: Russell Kane - HyperActive, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle, Sept 20
Theatre: Mary Poppins, Sunderland Empire, Oct 1-25
Theatre: Miss Saigon, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Oct 4-25
Comedy: Alan Davies - Think Ahead, Stockton Globe, Oct 9
Theatre: Myra’s Story, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Oct 11
Event: Mercury Music Prize, Utilita Arena, Newcastle, Oct 16
Comedy: Stevie Martin, Gala Theatre Durham, Oct 23
2026
Music: Elvana - Elvis Fronted Nirvana, Newcastle 02 City Hall, Jan 31
Music: Waterloo - A Tribute to ABBA, Utilita Arena, Newcastle, Jan 23
Theatre: Matilda the Musical, Sunderland Empire, Feb 11-28
Theatre: Legally Blonde, Newcastle Theatre Royal, May 12-17; and Sunderland Empire, Nov 30-Dec 5
COMPETITION TIME
Welcome to our latest newsletter prizedraw, offering our subscribers an exclusive opportunity to win tickets to see or do something great.
This week, we’ve got a family ticket (two adults and up to three children) for the winner’s choice of film at the open air Royalty Cinema which will be pitching up at Gosforth’s Central Park, Newcastle on the weekend on June 7 and 8.
The popular pop-up community cinema, which made its debut in 2023 and takes its name from the picture house which used to sit on Gosforth High Street, will be showing films on a giant screen across the weekend.
Moana 2, Paddington in Peru, Top Gun, Despicable Me 4, Inside Out 2, Wicked and The Dark Knight are all on the movie menu - as is the Andorra vs England match.
Audiences can enjoy the screenings from deckchairs - or can also take their own camping chairs and blankets.
All the proceeds from the weekend will go towards improvements to the Gosforth Play Park. You can book tickets here.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: Fresh air Films by noon, (12pm) on Sunday, May 18, 2025.
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.