Curated Culture 15.07.25
Our weekly recommendations round up from North East stages and cultural venues
Hello or Geia chará!
This week’s what’s on mailout is brought to you once again from a continually sunny and very beautiful Rhodes, where I (Sam) am soaking up my final 24 hours on a variety of beaches.
Spirits are high, suncream supplies are low, and there's a definite touch of holiday-ending melancholy in the air - not least because our flight times mean we’ll just miss tomorrow’s Queen tribute at the local amphitheatre.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t let a small matter like international travel stop this week’s cultural dispatch from landing in your inbox. Too much good stuff going on to take the week off - and frankly, pulling it together has been a welcome distraction from suitcase-Tetris and the heartbreak of Bohemian Rhapsody echoing into the night as the wheels leave the runway.
If you’re new here, a warm wave from across the Aegean Sea (it’ll be coming from the Tyne again next week!) Each Tuesday, you’ll find the following landing thoughtfully in your inbox:
🗓️ Top Picks – Featured events on the fortnightly horizon
📌 Still Showing – A recap on listings from Curated Culture’s past which remain available for your enjoyment
📅 Now Booking – A heads up on stuff you might want to get in your longer term planner
🎁 Subscriber Prize Draw – A bonus at the bottom, just for our mailing list members
Speaking of which – this week’s giveaway is four tickets to The Lightning Thief on August 27 at Newcastle Theatre Royal.
Entry details are at the end of the newsletter - but for now, happy scrolling. There’s loads to enjoy (and procrastinate with) on the way.
Thanks, as always, for reading, sharing, and sending lovely replies. It means a lot.
Sam (Wonfor) & 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
FESTIVAL: Durham Fringe
Where: Venues around Durham
When: July 23 to 27
Bookings and info: durhamfringe.co.uk
The fifth Durham Fringe Festival offers a packed and varied programme with more than 270 performances spanning genres including theatre, music, stand-up, dance and circus.
The action’s spread over seven city venues including the Gala Theatre Studio, the Assembly Rooms Theatre, the Fonteyn Ballroom at Durham University Students’ Union and the ‘stretch tent’ on Palace Green where you will also find food and drink on sale.
Acts include Durham-based magician Tom Bolton, singer-songwriter Isabel Maria, a BBC ‘One to Watch for 2025’ performer and comedians Jake Donaldson and Phil Green.
The festival’s 26 different theatre productions, include Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew in a modern verse translation, an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Bodysnatcher and Night-Light Theatre CIC’s Queen of the Quack.
One act hard to ignore on Palace Green will be punk/indie rock band Jam Tub. Michael Stott (vocals/guitar), Freddie Dobby (vocals/bass) and Fergus Hamill (drums) only formed in 2023 but already have a following that they’re keen to expand.
The programme includes 42 acts suitable for families with young children.
Festival founder and director Dr Stephen Cronin says: “It’s undoubtedly an exciting time for us and we’re incredibly proud to be bringing to life such a diverse programme.”
FESTIVAL: Newcastle Pride ’25
Where: Times Square and elsewhere
When: July 19-20
Bookings and info: northern-pride.com
The noisiest elements of this year’s “unapologetically visible” celebration will take place at the Pride Arena on Times Square (in the embrace of the International Centre for Life).
Top main stage billing goes to pop princess Pixie Lott with fashion guru and presenter Gok Wan, North East drag performer Michael Marouli and Eurodance group Livin’ Joy among many others scheduled to appear over the weekend.
There will also be a Dance & Cabaret stage to provide some competing volume.
The weekend begins at 12 noon on Saturday with a rainbow-hued march from Newcastle Civic Centre, taking in John Dobson Street and Blackett Street before returning to the point of departure via Percy Street and Barras Bridge. More than 16,000 people marched last year.
The Theatre Royal becomes the Family & Youth Zone on Saturday afternoon, with an array of free activities including face painting, storytelling and a Curious Arts ‘lip sync battle’ (no booking required).
There will be a Market Village at Grey’s Monument, a Platform Stage for new acts on Granger Street and more to see in the Grainger Market, at Screen on the Green (Old Eldon Square), at Alphabetti Theatre and at other city locations.
And when it all goes quiet on Sunday night at about 9pm, there will be a candlelit vigil at Times Square, with gates opened 10 minutes previously so all can attend.
But to get in the mood, why not attend the Pride Pub Quiz at Northern Stage hosted by Stephen Sullivan (July 17, 7pm)?
MUSIC: Kasabian
Where: Newcastle 02 City Hall
When: July 21
Bookings and info: academymusicgroup.com
Kasabian head to Newcastle City Hall for a warm-up show ahead of their summer festival slots.
Known for their big, swaggering sound and explosive live energy, this is a chance to catch the Leicester band in a more intimate setting than usual. Whether you’ve followed them since the early days or just fancy something loud and lively on a Monday night, this is one to strongly consider.
EVENT: Kynren - An Epic Tale of England
Where: Bishop Auckland, County Durham
When: Saturdays from July 19 to September 13
Bookings and info: kynren.com
The 10th anniversary season of Bishop Auckland’s outdoor spectacular kicks off next week.
Once again offer a visually rich journey through 2,000 years of British history, legend and folklore, the production unfolds on a vast stage, combining mass choreography, dramatic scenes, stunts and special effects - all set before an 8,000-seat audience arena.
The show boasts a committed volunteer cast and crew of over a thousand people… and that’s to say nothing of the parade of animals who also take their many slices of the spotlight.
CLASSICAL: Eeshar Singh with Royal Northern Sinfonia
Where: The Glasshouse, Gateshead
When: July 18, 8pm
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
Two classical music traditions converge in Blossoming, one of the highlights of this year’s Masala Festival of South Asian arts and culture.
Leeds-based Eeshar Singh started playing the santoor – described as a hammered dulcimer with a raw, resonant sound - at the age of seven as a pupil of maestro Ustad Harjinderpal Singh Ji.
He has since performed widely and in major venues and is fascinated by blending the ancient formalities of Indian classical music with modern sound design… and also by stories.
He is also, incidentally, a biomedical engineering graduate of King’s College London and co-founder of Adrak Studios, dedicated to bringing stories to life through film.
Blossoming, his debut EP, came out last year. On stage at The Glasshouse he will be joined by percussionist Jeevan Singh, multi-instrumentalist Sirrjan Singh and the string section of Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Concert-goers are promised a “mesmerising live performance” that seamlessly weaves Indian classical instrumentation with Western orchestration and neoclassical textures.
OPEN DAY: Lit & Phil 200
Where: Lit & Phil, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle
When: July 19, 9.30am to 4pm
Bookings and info: litandphil.org.uk
If you’ve been curious about the old building on Westgate Road, Lit & Phil Open Day would be the time to venture inside.
Among the former banks and office blocks around it, the Lit & Phil is rare in having been in continuous use for its intended purpose.
It is the largest independent library outside London with some 200,000 books, a renowned music collection and many intriguing corners to explore.
As part of the bicentenary celebrations, various special attractions have been lined up for Saturday.
The Cabinet of Curiosities is a drop in session for all ages hosted by naturalist Michael Turner (9.30am to 3pm), you can explore 200 years of Lit & Phil experiments with scientists Neil and Diane Downie (10-11.30am), hear storyteller Chris Bostock tell The Mouse House at 12.30pm (suitable for young children and families) or attend the 2.30pm performance of Peter and the Wolf with Yoshie Kawamura and Philip Harrison.
The following week will see biographer Henrietta Heald lecture on Lord Armstrong’s Lit & Phil associations (July 21, 6pm), lecturer Gail-Nina Anderson recall Oscar Wilde, one of many exalted Lit & Phil visitors (July 22, 6pm) and join a newly devised walk taking in the previous meeting places of the Lit & Phil Society before it commissioned its permanent home (July 24, 11am).
THEATRE: Waiting for God
Where: People’s Theatre, Newcastle
When: July 15 to Saturday, July 19, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: peoplestheatre.co.uk
Michael Aitkens’ TV sitcom, set in the fictional Bayview Retirement Home, was a BBC hit in the early 1990s, starring Stephanie Cole and the late Graham Crowden as challenging residents Diana and Tom.
It ran for five series (47 episodes) and was nominated for a Bafta.
A few years ago Aitkens wrote this stage play, also featuring Diana and Tom, which the People’s are calling “a celebration of living life unapologetically and growing old disgracefully in the era of the silver surfer”.
Sam Hinton directs this last People’s production of the current season while Karen Elliott is cast as “feisty battle-axe” Diana Trent and Jim Boylan as new resident Tom Ballard, set to become her “sparring partner and ally”.
NB: Not to be confused with the Samuel Beckett play of the very similar name!
OPERA: Dido and Aeneas
Where: The Fire Station, Sunderland
When: Thursday, July 17; Saturday, July 19, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: thefirestation.org.uk
The young North East singers of the Samling Academy have proved many times that they can put on a show, tutored as they are by the best in the business.
Joining them in this first venture of a new partnership with The Fire Station, will be the acclaimed Dunedin Consort on their period instruments.
For its latest opera production, directed by Miranda Wright, the Academy turned to 17th Century composer Henry Purcell and his account of the affair between Dido, Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan hero, Aeneas.
It falls to Tia Radix Callixte to sing the part of Queen Dido and therefore to tackle the famously heartrending Dido’s Lament.
Tia joined the Academy, which offers an intensive training programme, from her Tyneside state school. She went on to the Royal College of Music on a full scholarship and is about to embark on a Master’s degree there.
Fellow Samling Academy graduate Max Robbins, who studied at Durham University, will sing the role of Aeneas.
Karon Wright, artistic and executive director of the Hexham-based Samling Institute for Young Artists, is pleased that 10 more of the 18-strong cast are also state educated.
Music education budgets in the state sector having been squeezed, Samling Academy provides a path into classical singing for the region’s talented youngsters.
The rest of the cast are students or recent graduates of Durham, Newcastle or Northumbria universities.
STILL SHOWING
Festival: Newcastle Fringe, Alphabetti Theatre and various venues across the city, Jul 22-Aug 2
Festival: Durham Brass Festival 2025, various venues across Durham, until Jul 20
Festival: GemArts Masala Festival, Various Tyneside venues, until Jul 20
Event: The 11th Annual Cluny Duck Race, The Cluny, Ouseburn, Newcastle, Jul 20, 11am to 3pm
Exhibition: Three artists, National Glass Centre, Sunderland, until January 10, 2026
Exhibition: Pursued By Bulldozers, Gateshead Central Library, until Sept 27
Classical/Folk: Music at Paxton Festival, Paxton House, Berwick, Jul 18 to 27
Music: Katie Doherty and the Navigators, Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle, Jul 26
Theatre: A Room of One’s Own, Alnwick Playhouse, Jul 17
Exhibition: Magna Carta and the North, Durham Cathedral, until Nov 2
Exhibition: Where Were You Last Summer? Arts Centre Washington, until Aug 30
Screen: Transaction, ITV2 and ITV X, Full series now available
Exhibition: Works by Nathan Coley, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, until Mar 1, 2026
Exhibition: Light Takes The Tree, RePUBlic Gallery, Blyth, until Aug 7
Screen: 28 Years Later, Cinemas all over the place, on general release now at most cinemas. 🎥 Read our report from Newcastle gala screening
Exhibition: The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists, Ushaw Historic House, Chapels & Gardens, near Durham, until Aug 31
Musical: Hamilton, Sunderland Empire, until Jul 26. 🎭 Read our review.
Exhibition: Guiding Entities, MIMA, Middlesbrough, until Nov 23
Exhibition: Cedric Morris, Artist, Plantsman & Traveller, Granary Gallery, Berwick-upon-Tweed, until Oct 12
Exhibition: The Coal Town Collection – Mik Critchlow Gallery, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington, permanent display
Exhibition: With These Hands, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, until September 27
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
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
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
Festival: Gosforth Beer Festival, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle Aug 1-3
Music: The Kane Gang - Aided and Abetted by Field Music, The Fire Station, Sunderland, Aug 1
Theatre: Chicago, Sunderland Empire, Aug 4-9
Festival: Hardwick Festival, Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, Aug 15-17
Event: Susie Dent - Word Perfect, Darlington Hippodrome, Aug 20
Music: Day Fever, Middlesbrough Town Hall (Sept 6); Boiler Shop, Newcastle (Sept 20) - Tickets on sale on Thursday, Jul 17
Comedy/Music: Grace Petrie - This is No Time to Panic, Queen’s Hall, Hexham, Sept 25
Comedy: John Bishop, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Oct 8
Comedy: Omid Djalili - Namaste, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle, Oct 11
Theatre: Noel Coward’s Private Lives, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Nov 4-8
Theatre: Dear England, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Nov 11-15
Music: Howard Jones - Dream Into Action, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, Nov 19
Event: Winter Lights at The Alnwick Garden and Lilidorei, Nov 20-Dec 24
Comedy: Laffs for Kids, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Dec 14
2026
Music: Justin Hawkins Rides Again, The Fire Station, Sunderland, Jan 20
Comedy: Justin Moorhouse: The Greatest Performance of My Life, Queen’s Hall, Hexham, Jan 31
Theatre: Noughts and Crosses, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Feb 27-Mar
Comedy: Desiree Burch - The Golden Wrath, The Stand Newcastle, Mar 5
Comedy: Greg Davies - Full Fat Legend, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Mar 21
Theatre: RSC - Hamlet, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Mar 31-Apr 4
Music: Seven Drunken Nights - The Story of the Dubliners, Sunderland Empire, Apr 21
Music: John Power - Cast, The LAs and Me, Gala Theatre Durham, May 8
Music: Midge Ure - A Man of Two Worlds Tour, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Jun 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 four tickets to The Lightning Thief at Newcastle Theatre Royal (Aug 27-31).
Myth meets modern teen chaos in this high-energy stage adaptation of The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan’s blockbuster tale of gods, monsters, and one very confused demigod.
When 16-year-old Percy Jackson discovers he’s the half-blood son of Poseidon, his world turns upside down. Between battling mythological beasts, controlling powers he never asked for, and facing a destiny he’s not quite ready for, Percy’s summer holidays are… intense.
Bringing the epic scale of the bestselling books (and hit films and Disney+ series) to the stage, this production promises heart-racing action, sharp humour and a whole lot of heroism. Expect a fast-paced, family-friendly adventure that proves 'normal' is highly overrated.
Long-time Percy fans and curious newcomers are welcome - whether they’re gods or mortals.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: I'm sorry, Ms. Jackson, OOH by noon, (12pm) on Sunday, July 20, 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.