Curated Culture 18.08.26
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.
With the August Bank Holiday approaching, we’ve pulled together another handpicked selection of things to see, hear and experience across the North East over the coming fortnight.
As usual, there’s also a look back at previous recommendations which are STILL SHOWING, alongside a selection of things NOW BOOKING if you want to plan a bit further ahead.
This week’s subscriber prize draw is a little different. A recent clear-out in the Wonfor household unearthed a spare full set of Sunday for Sammy DVDs – including the Best Of… compilations – and we thought they deserved a new home.
It’s quite the pile, spanning 25 years of the much-loved fundraising shows which have entertained thousands while raising money to support young North East performers and creatives. So, perhaps it’s time to blow the dust off the DVD player.
Details of how to enter can be found at the end of the newsletter, but don’t forget to enjoy a leisurely scroll on the way
Thanks as ever for your continued attention and support.
Sam (Wonfor) and Dave (Whetstone)
Professionally preoccupied with North East Culture
MUSIC: Dave Stewart
When: The Fire Station, Sunderland
When: September 14 and 15
Bookings and info: thefirestation.org.uk
We’re straying slightly beyond our usual two-week window for this one, but we reckon waiting might mean missing out. Sunderland-born Dave Stewart returns home for two intimate nights at The Fire Station on September 14 and 15, ahead of the release of his new ‘spontaneous’ album, The Way It Was Back Then.
The 10-track album - which will only be available on CD and vinyl - features songs written, performed and produced by Dave (who will celebrate his 74th birthday on September 9) in his Bahamas studio.
The majority of the recordings were spontaneous, one-take performances with pre-written lyrics nowhere to be seen or heard.
Of the album, Dave says: “There is a lot of looking back, and I suppose everyone goes through this at different times in their life... especially at my age, but this is not looking back in a soft nostalgic way. These songs are about memory, survival, love, loss, damage, loyalty, betrayal, and the strange feeling of still being here after all of it.”
We’re told the shows will combine storytelling with songs from the deeply personal new record and highlights from a career which took him from his North East roots to global success with Eurythmics and beyond.
All in all, a special opportunity to see one of Sunderland’s most successful musical exports up close and back on home turf. Don’t tarry.
MUSIC: Northern and Modern Soul All Dayer
Where: The Glasshouse, Gateshead
When: August 30, 1pm-1am
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
Twelve hours of Northern Soul, Motown and Modern Soul are on the cards as Tyneside Soul Promotions takes over The Glasshouse for a full 12 hours.
Organised by lifelong North East soul promoter Paul Conroy, the event brings together respected DJs including Colin Curtis, Simon Hunt and John Kane alongside a strong contingent of local selectors.
The music will range from Northern and Modern Soul to jazz funk, soulful house and sounds spanning the 60s to Y2K. Running from 1pm to 1am, it also marks 50 years of Conroy promoting soul music and keeping Tyneside dancefloors busy.
FAMILY: Big Summer Carnival
Where: Baltic, Gateshead (10.30am or 1pm)
When: Thursday, August 23
Bookings and info: baltic.art
One of the many family-orientated events happening at Baltic over the summer, this is one designed to create an upbeat mood as the school holidays near their end.
During each of the 90-minute sessions, children will be able to make headdresses and props fit for a parade in the company of North East artists Polly Ord and Yves Ngoo.
They will also be taught by Hannabiell & Yilis, better known as musical duo Ladies of Midnight Blue, how to turn mundane everyday objects into extraordinary instruments.
You can either take something along to the session from your home recycling or borrow one of Baltic’s own ‘found-sound’ creations in order to join the day’s special Rhythm from Rubbish Band.
The grand finale of each session will be a carnival parade when participants will make their way in celebratory style from Level 1 down to Baltic’s Ground Floor.
No musical experience is needed, insist Baltic, who merely ask for “your curiosity, your creativity and plenty of carnival spirit”.
FESTIVAL: Coast Fest
Where: Percy Park RFC, North Shields
When: Aug 28-30
Bookings and info: coastfest.co.uk
Coast Fest returns to the North Tyneside coast (where else?) for three days of very different Bank Holiday sounds.
Friday’s Pop Party is headed up by Boyzlife – Boyzone’s Keith Duffy and Westlife’s Brian McFadden – before Saturday turns up the tempo with Kelly Llorenna, Hixxy and a host of North East DJs.
Sunday switches to indie, with The Ordinary Boys joined by The Rolling People, Harriet Rose and North East three-piece, Bear Park.
LITERATURE: Cathy Rentzenbrink in Conversation
Where: Gala Durham
When: Tuesday, September 1, 7pm
Booking & Info: galadurham.co.uk
Agatha Christie died half a century ago but the literary world’s ‘Queen of Crime’ continues to enthral and inspire.
Cathy Rentzenbrink turned to her for solace during a difficult period in her life (a 50th birthday, the end of a marriage), having loved her books since childhood.
Delving into Christie’s life story, she became fascinated with the personal crisis that resulted in her mysterious disappearance in 1926 that made headlines around the world.
It became the inspiration for Rentzenbrick’s latest book, The Agatha Christie Cure (subtitle: What Reading the Queen of Crime Taught Me about Life) which is to be published on September 10 and is described as both a literary detective story and a memoir of finding hope in reading.
Rentzenbrink’s previous books include her highly regarded 2015 memoir, The Last Act of Love, which became a Sunday Times bestseller.
This is an event presented by Collected Books, the Durham bookshop, in partnership with Gala Durham and there will be copies of the book on sale on the night which the author will be happy to sign.
CONCERT: The Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain
Where: Tyne Theatre & Opera House
When: Friday, September 4, 8pm
Bookings and info: tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk
They’ve been at it for 40 years, “spreading their irrepressible magic from Australasia to the North Pole, from Windsor Castle to Carnegie Hall,” as the Tyne Theatre website puts it.
A lot of people’s musical journey begins with the uke, supposedly a relatively easy instrument from which to wrest a tune.
But a surprising number stick with it, seduced by its distinctive qualities and undeniable versatility, and some – like the members of this orchestra – become accomplished performers.
It’s an orchestra that doesn’t take itself too seriously, placing its appeal “somewhere between punk and classical sensibilities, between serious musicianship and restrained British humour”, and attributing its acclaim partly to accident.
A mammoth 40th anniversary tour begins in Dumfries on September 3 and Newcastle is to be gig number two.
That’s quite a coup and not to be missed by North East uke fans – for the tour then zips back to Scotland and then on to Germany before crossing the Atlantic later in the year.
EVENT: Newcastle Mela
Where: Grey’s Monument (Aug 29) and Exhibition Park
When: August 29-31
Bookings and info: newcastlemela.co.uk
Newcastle Mela returns to Exhibition Park over the August Bank Holiday weekend, bringing two days of music, food, performance and family activities to the city.
The free festival celebrates Pakistani, Bengali, Indian and other South Asian cultures and regularly attracts more than 40,000 visitors - not surprising when you consider what’s on offer.
Visitors can expect live music and dance from artists near and far, circus performances, arts and crafts and plenty of opportunities to browse stalls selling clothes, jewellery and gifts… and then there’s the incredible selection of food.
Organised by Newcastle Asian Arts and Music (NAAM), Mela has been bringing communities together in the city since the 1990s and is not to be missed.
SCREEN: Poised
Where: STV player
When: Available now
Info: player.stv.tv
North East-made documentary Poised has travelled the international festival circuit – and now it’s available to watch free in the UK on STV Player.
Directed by North East filmmaker Toby Robson and produced independently by Two Yanks and a Brit, the film follows Sunderland community activist and MMA coach Steven France as he works with a group of young people facing challenges including poverty, unemployment, drugs and illness.
Rooted in France’s own experience of finding purpose through mixed martial arts following personal tragedy, Poised asks whether the sport can offer others a similar route forward. The film has screened at Raindance, Doc Edge and Cinequest.
GUITAR: Northumbrian Gathering of Guitar & Voice
Where: Alnwick Playhouse
When: August 28-30 (Friday to Sunday)
Bookings and info: alnwickplayhouse.co.uk
If you love the sound of a guitar, want to improve your skill on the guitar or love a guitar-based yarn, Alnwick Playhouse is the place to be at the end of the month.
Robbie McIntosh is a versatile session guitarist who was a member of The Pretenders for five years in the 1980s and later joined Paul McCartney’s band.
John Goldie is an acoustic guitar maestro and, wrote one press reviewer, “one man acid jazz band”. He has collaborated with many of the world’s great guitar players and has toured the world.
The pair will join forces to open proceedings with a gig on the Friday (7.30pm).
The Saturday evening gig (7pm) will be a family affair with celebrated classical guitarist Richard Durrant joined by son Django, a folk/alt-rock artist, and daughter Daisy, a singer-songwriter.
Guitarist Anna Massie will perform on Sunday (2.30pm) followed (at 7pm) by comedian and singer-songwriter Boothby Graffoe and Italian guitarist Antonio Forcione, teaming up for an evening of music and comedy.
Check the website for the programme of talks and workshops that runs alongside the gigs.
COMEDY: Felt Nowt at the Edinburgh Fringe
Where: The Alchemist, George Street
When: Until August 31
Bookings and info: feltnowt.co.uk
We’re straying beyond our usual North East footprint for this one, but if you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe this month, there’s a little corner of home waiting. Comedy collective Felt Nowt has taken over The Garrett at The Alchemist on George Street, filling it exclusively with more than 30 North East acts throughout the festival.
The free, unticketed programme ranges from established Fringe names including Seymour Mace, Elaine Robertson and Raul Kohli to performers making their Edinburgh debuts. It’s an ambitious attempt to make the Fringe more accessible for North East comedians – and a handy place to start if you’re looking for familiar accents in Edinburgh.
Read comedian Jake Donaldson’s report back from week one of the residency here.
THEATRE: We Will Rock You
Where: The Customs House, South Shields
When: August 28-30 (Friday to Sunday)
Bookings and info: customshouse.co.uk
They’ve been working hard and now comes the moment of truth for the youngsters who signed up for The Customs House Summer School.
It’s an annual event designed to give performers aged eight to 18 the experience of putting on a show – the concentration, the thrills (hopefully) and the applause (definitely).
Last year it was The Little Mermaid and this year it’s “something completely different”, as Eric Idle, that famous son of South Shields, used to say in his Monty Python days.
Ben Elton’s musical, featuring the songs of Queen, opened in the West End in 2002. Critics didn’t like it, audiences didn’t care.
It has become an enduring favourite and you can be sure the kids of South Tyneside will give their all to these five performances.
And who’s to say a future star won’t emerge? South Shields – and The Customs House in particular in recent years – has proved a crucible of talent, the town that gave us not just Eric but Sarah Millican, Joe McElderry, Jade Thirlwall and many more.
Must be something in the air.
EXHIBITION: Things That Go
Where: Discovery Museum, Blandford Street, Newcastle
When: Until February 28, 2027
Bookings and info: northeastmuseums.org.uk
Since opening at the beginning of the month, the inaugural exhibition in the new Special Exhibitions Gallery has more than proved its worth.
Young children, for whom it was primarily intended, have loved the array of cars, boats, bicycles, trains and other modes of transport.
But so, it seems, have grown-ups, reminded of the toys they once played with, the models they once made and – almost certainly in some cases – the way they once travelled from A to B.
This really is a charming exhibition, making good use of the rich and varied collections of North East Museums for educational purposes but also to intrigue and entertain.
“Learn and play together in this colourful destination for curious kids and their grown-ups,” states the museum literature.
“Things That Go will inspire the next generations of museum goers, thinkers and tinkerers.”
You can believe that it will. All the youngsters in the exhibition when we popped in were thoroughly absorbed – and none of the adults looked in the least bit bored. Perfect.
🎉 FESTIVAL WATCH 🎉
Coast Fest, North Shields, Aug 28-30
Noughty 90s Festival, Leazes Park, Newcastle, August 29
Newcastle Mela, August 29-31, Grey’s Monument and Exhibition Park
Northern and Modern Soul All Dayer, The Glasshouse, August 30
Lindisfarne Festival, Beal Farm, Northumberland, September 3-5
Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage, Tees Valley, various locations, September 11-13
Hexham Abbey Festival of Music and Arts, Hexham, Northumberland, September 23-26
Beyond the Moor, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Oct 10
Can’t see your festival here? Send us the details
STILL SHOWING
Music: Lottery Winners, The Fire Station (Parade Ground), Sunderland, Aug 22
Family: Quayside Carnival, Newcastle Quayside, Aug 22, 11am to 4pm
Exhibition: Victory Over the Sun: Adventures with Light, The Light, Aykley Heads, Durham, Aug 22 to Jan 17, 2027
Event: The North East Dog Festival, Kirkley Hall, Northumberland, Aug 22-23
Theatre: The Silence of the Lambs, Newcastle Theatre Royal, until Aug 22
Theatre: Burlesque The Musical, Sunderland Empire, until Aug 22
Theatre: The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Queen’s Hall, Hexham, until Aug 20
Exhibition: CHROMA: A Measure of Colour, Arts Centre Washington, until Sept 18
Art: Northern Summer Exhibition, Newcastle Arts Centre, Westgate Road, until Sept 12
Event: Redhills Sundays, Redhills Durham Miners’ Hall, Sundays 11am-2pm
Theatre: The Last Laugh, Darlington Hippodrome, until Aug 22
Family: Wallace & Gromit – All Systems Go AR Trail, Hopetown Darlington, until Aug 31
Theatre: The HandleBards’ As You Like It and Macbeth, various North East venues until Aug 19
Exhibition: Things That Go!, Discovery Museum, Newcastle, until Feb 29, 2027
Exhibition: MOXIE: Generation Alpha Curates the Middlesbrough Collection, MIMA, Middlesbrough, until Mar 28, 2027. READ MORE
Screen: Screen on the Green, Old Eldon Square, Newcastle, until Aug 31
Event: Happy Rooms, Middlesbrough Town Hall, until Aug 30
Exhibition: Discovering Dark Skies, Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham, until Sept 19
Screen: Ashington AFC: Saving Our Club, available to stream on BBC iPlayer
Event: Beyond Van Gogh, Utilita Arena, Newcastle, until Aug 9. Read our preview
Event: Kynren – An Epic Tale of England, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, until Sept 12
Exhibition: Norman Cornish – A Life in Sketchbooks, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, until Jan 3. Read our full report
Exhibition: Mourning Tea Tyne & Lost Frequencies, Globe Gallery, North Shields, ongoing
Exhibition: Joan Eardley, Granary Gallery, Berwick-upon-Tweed, until Oct 11
Screen: The Fortune, Channel 5, available now
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: Foundation Press – Starting Lines, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, until Aug 30.
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
Radio: Tom and Lauren Are Going OOT!, BBC Sounds
Exhibition: Out of the Darkness, Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland, until December
NOW BOOKING
Screen/Comedy: Super 8 Flicks with Viz’s Chris and Simon Donald, Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle, Sept 15, 6.30pm
Theatre: Heathers the Musical, Darlington Hippodrome, Sept 22-26
Theatre: Mrs Doubtfire, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Sept 23-Oct 11
Theatre: Highlights Touring Autumn Season , various North East venues, Sept 29-Dec 5 (Early bird tickets on sale Aug 25)
Comedy: Catherine Bohart - Borrowing Trouble, The Stand Newcastle, Oct 8
Festival: Durham Books Festival, various venues in Durham city, Oct 9-11
Comedy: Rosie Holt - The Illegal Aliens Have Landed, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Oct 17
Comedy: Jamie Hutchinson - Can My Mate Come Round? He’s Sound, The Customs House, South Shields, Oct 24
Music: Korn, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Oct 30
Comedy: The End of the World According to Jonathan Pie, Middlesbrough Town Hall (Nov 12); Newcastle o2 City Hall (Nov 14)
Music: Squeeze and special guests Billy Bragg, Newcastle o2 City Hall (Nov 16); Stockton Globe (Nov 17)
Classical: Royal Northern Sinfonia Winter Tour, various North East venues, Nov 26 to Dec 3
Theatre: Legally Blonde, Sunderland Empire, Dec 1-5
2027
Comedy: Jack Whitehall - Bad Influence, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Jan 7
Music: Robben Ford, Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Jan 28
Theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar, Newcastle Theatre Royal (Mar 16-27) and Sunderland Empire (Sept 14-18)
Dance: Rambert - It’s a Sin, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jun 29-Jul3
COMPETITION TIME
Welcome to our latest newsletter prize draw - offering our subscribers an exclusive opportunity to win the chance to see or do something great.
This week, we’re inviting you to stay in and blow the cobwebs off your DVD player as the prize offers a proper trip through Sunday for Sammy history: a bumper collection of DVDs spanning the fundraising show’s 25 years.
Across the pile you’ll find many of the North East stars who have given their time and talents to the ‘Geordie Command Performance’, including Tim Healy, Jimmy Nail, Kevin Whately, Brian Johnson, Denise Welch, Jill and Chelsea Halfpenny, Mark Knopfler, Joe McElderry, Rosie and Chris Ramsey, Jason Cook, Brenda Blethyn, Stephen Tompkinson and loads more familiar faces from comedy, music, television and theatre.
There are also Best Of compilations gathering together memorable moments from across the years in one place.
All those laughs, songs, sketches and special reunions helped raise money to support the next generation of North East performers and creatives… and are always worth a rewatch.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: ‘Sunday for Sammy DVD Tower’ by 5pm on Sunday, August 23.
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.