Curated Culture 23.06.26
A cool collection of North East arts and culture recommendation for a very warm week
Hello, and thanks for stepping out of the sunshine (or at least into the shade) long enough to open this week’s Curated Culture.
Let’s hope the humidity still allows you to scroll.
Waiting below is our latest handpicked round-up of things we think are worth getting in front of across the North East over the next fortnight - from gigs and exhibitions to theatre, comedy… and a 24-hour readathon.
There’s also round ups of things we’ve pointed to from newsletters gone by which are still available to enjoy and a few things you might want to get booked in sharpish.
Details of this week’s subscriber prize draw can be found at the end of the newsletter, with a pair of tickets up for grabs to see Self Esteem headline Saturday night at this year’s Mouth of the Tyne Festival on July 11.
Happy browsing.
Sam (Wonfor) and Dave (Whetstone)
Professionally pre-occupied with North East culture
MUSIC: Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton - Radio Soul!: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello
Where: Newcastle o2 City Hall
When: July 6
Bookings and info: academymusicgroup.com
Elvis Costello brings Radio Soul! to the North East, a tour focusing on the fiercely creative early years that shaped his reputation as one of Britain’s great songwriters.
Joined by The Imposters and Charlie Sexton, the 71-year-old will revisit songs from the late 1970s and early 80s — the era that gave us classics including Alison, Watching the Detectives and I Want You.
Expect a set mixing beloved staples with lesser-played gems, plus a few surprises along the way.
ART, MUSIC, MORE: Summer Block Party
Where: Gateshead Quays
When: Saturday, July 4
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
Baltic and The Glasshouse, those cultural big hitters beside the Tyne, are joining forces for a day of fun and creativity.
There are two big new exhibitions opening at Baltic, with photographs by Tish Murtha and Kuba Ryniewicz on Level 3 and Journey to the Great Below, by Brooklyn-based artist Chitra Ganesh, on Level 4.
Meanwhile the popular Art Car Boot Fair will see some 50 stallholders setting up in the Baltic carpark (11am to 5pm).
Baltic’s Level 6 will become a cocktail lounge during the late afternoon and evening and there will be a Dhol (drumming) performance on Baltic Square presented in collaboration with GemArts.
Other activities will permeate every corner of the building with Foundation Press expected to be busy in their ground floor exhibition and activities hub.
At The Glasshouse (11am to 3pm) there will be a Makers Market featuring local makers, artists and independent traders, DJ sets and refreshments from the likes of The Greekster, Hizzy Pizza and Wylam Brewery.
The Playlist is described as a cosy corner dedicated to unforgettable gigs, extraordinary artists and stories from The Glasshouse archive.
CLASSICAL: Northern Chords
Where: Whickham and Newcastle
When: June 26 to 28
Bookings and info: northernchords.com
The annual chamber music festival is back for its 17th edition which means Jonathan Bloxham and friends will be entertaining on Tyneside once again.
Those in the know will tell you the festival is an absolute gem, performed by musicians who are in demand around the world – those like pianist Martin James Bartlett, tenor Ben Johnson, violinist Benjamin Baker and viola player Natalie Loughran.
Jonathan himself, originally from Whickham, now looks after the music at an opera house in Lucerne while also conducting a symphony orchestra in Germany and the London Mozart Players.
The opening concert is at St Mary’s Church, Whickham, on Friday (7.30pm), with Schubert’s Trout Quintet prominent in the programme, and the second in The Common Room, Newcastle, on Saturday (same time), when Baker will have a chance to shine in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major.
The third, at St James’ and St Basil’s Church, Fenham, on Sunday (4.30pm), will feature a semi-staged version of Handel’s Messiah and the musicians will be joined by soloists, dancers and the brilliant Voices of Hope choir from Newcastle.
THEATRE: Something in the Water
Where: Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: June 28, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Bookings and info: theatreroyal.co.uk
After a storming double-show debut in 2025, fundraiser Something In The Water returns to Newcastle Theatre Royal at the weekend.
Founded and presented by Joe McElderry and powered by funk-soul outfit Groovetrain, the cabaret-style revue will once again blend live music, comedy and big-stage performances in support of a good cause, with proceeds benefiting Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust and North East Music Opportunities CIC.
Alongside Joe (who we’re betting will offer up a live rendition of his catchy new single, Love Me Out Loud as part of proceedings), this year’s line-up includes his pantomime partner in slime, Danny Adams, Hairy Biker Si King, comedian Jason Cook, Drag Race UK runner up, Michael Marouli and West End stars Adam Strong, Christina Bianco and Carly Burns.
MUSIC: The Spooky Men’s Chorale
Where: Sage Two, The Glasshouse
When: July 4
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
If conventional choirs aren’t really your thing, festival favourites, The Spooky Men’s Chorale might just be right up your street.
Formed in Australia in 2001, the group has built an international following with performances blending choral power, offbeat humour and a willingness to both celebrate and gently send up masculinity.
Marking their 25th anniversary this year, they arrive with a set drawing on favourites from across their back catalogue alongside new material — all delivered with what sounds like plenty of musical skill and no shortage of personality.
FILM: It’ll Never Work
Where: Alnwick Playhouse
When: Saturday, June 27, 11am
Bookings and & Info: whataww.org
Sometimes something quirky catches your eye and this week this is it, one of the many attractions of the determinedly upbeat What a Wonderful World Festival (June 25 to 28) in Northumberland.
Catching the festival’s theme of unquenchable optimism is Joe Osborn’s 2024 film about converting a traditional fishing boat to solar and electrical power so it can compete in a modern market.
It has been called on film database IMBd “a real story, a drama, a documentary, a thriller, a comedy, a snatch of real life, a tragedy, a feel-good story and an environmental statement all set in the West Coast of Scotland’s fishing industry”.
It is actually set in the Argyll village of Tayvallich and it follows the enterprise over the course of almost a year when determination was required to overcome the scepticism reflected in the title.
The Alnwick screening will be followed by a short film and Q&A about a lobster conservation initiative on the Northumberland coast presented by Mark Southerton from the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority.
THEATRE: August in England (Reading)
Where: Live Theatre, Newcastle
When: June 25
Bookings and info: live.org.uk
Lenny Henry’s debut play comes to Live Theatre for its first reading outside London, with the veteran comedian, actor and presenter introducing the performance*.
*We’re assuming the reading was booked to coincide with Lenny’s tour date at the Tyne Theatre on Wednesday (June 24) for his new show, Still At Large. There’s a smattering of tickets left if you’re quick.
But back to the reading in hand. Performed by Tyrone Huggins, August in England centres on the story of fruit and veg shop owner August Henderson.
“Charming, flawed and blessed with the gift of the gab” the father-of-three is proud of the life he has built in West Bromwich with his family, but everything changes when he faces deportation to a country he barely remembers.
Blending humour with heartbreak, the play (which saw Lenny himself take to the stage when it premiered in 2023) explores identity, belonging and the devastating impact of the Windrush scandal.
MUSIC: Across the Universe - A Celebration of The Beatles
Where: Darlington Hippodrome and Whitley Bay Playhouse
When: June 30 and July 3, respectively
Bookings and info: acrosstheuniverse6670.com
For Beatles fans, this show offers a deep dive into the band’s dazzling late-60s studio years - the era of bold experimentation, sonic rule-breaking and some of popular music’s most enduring songs.
Covering the extraordinary run from 1966 to 1970, the show brings these often studio-bound recordings to the stage with the help of live strings and brass.
There are no wigs or fancy dress here, just a clear mission to do justice to the music and the creative ambition behind it.
Note: If you can’t make either of these dates, the band will be back in the region at Northern Stage next year - May 30, 2027 to be exact.
POETRY: Denise Riley & Deryn Rees-Jones
Where: The Common Room, Newcastle
When: Saturday, June 27, 2pm
Booking & Info: thecommonroom.org.uk
Newcastle Poetry Festival, a popular city event since its inception in 2015, might have looked in trouble when Newcastle University decided it could no longer support it financially.
But founder Prof Linda Anderson and others are resurrecting it as an independent charity.
“We’re hoping we can function independently though maybe on a smaller scale – but with more readings through the year too,” says Linda, a published poet whose collection Against Falling was launched recently alongside The Green Parcel, the latest from fellow poetry festival trustee John Challis.
The presence among the trustees of Imtiaz Dharker, poet and chancellor of Newcastle University, shows there’s still support with academia.
This year’s festival is scheduled for October 2 and 3 (see details at newcastlepoetryfestival.org.uk) but Saturday’s pre-festival event should prove a worthy taster.
Denise Riley is an acclaimed writer of philosophy and poetry and professor of the history of Ideas and of poetry at the University of East Anglia.
Her latest book, A Chorus of Ears, comprises essays on voice, lyric and the persona of the poet.
Deryn Rees-Jones is professor of English at Liverpool University and editor of Pavilion Poetry, Liverpool University Press.
Her latest collection, Hôtel Amour, looks at memory and memorialisation, desire and the body, and poetry’s place in a hostile world.
READATHON: A 24-hour challenge
Where: Jesmond Library, Newcastle
When: June 26 to 27, 1pm to 1pm
Bookings and info: jesmondlibrary.org
The idea was for 24 hours of continuous reading with 96 volunteers taking consecutive 15-minute slots, starting at 1pm on Friday and continuing through the night until 1pm next day.
At the time of writing, only two slots were unclaimed: 3.45am on Saturday (perfect for an insomniac reader) and 11.45am the same day.
The readathon, one of the library’s events to mark National Year of Reading, is to support the National Literacy Trust and the Friends of Jesmond Library which is volunteer-run.
The Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor Henry Gallagher, is to open proceedings at 1pm on Friday.
Others signed up (unless these be their namesakes) include authors Glenda Young, Dan Smith and Eirinie Lapidaki; Catherine McKinnell MP (Newcastle North); Anna Disley, of New Writing North; storyteller Chris Bostock; Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle; People’s Theatre stalwart Chris Goulding; and, last up, Marjorie Dodds, town crier.
Volunteers could choose what to read… so for any audience it’s a lucky dip. Could be a political tract, a sermon, a Shakespeare soliloquy or something delivered at maximum decibels.
Will there even be an audience in the wee small hours? Time will tell.
STILL SHOWING
Film: Fear Eats The Soul (cert. 12A), Baltic, Gateshead, Jun 25, 6.30pm
Exhibition: Norman Cornish – A Life in Sketchbooks, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Jun 27-Jan 3
Theatre: Operation Mincemeat, Newcastle Theatre Royal, until Jun 27
Festival: What A Wonderful World Festival, Alnwick Playhouse and various venues, Jun 25-28
Exhibition: Mourning Tea Tyne & Lost Frequencies, Globe Gallery, North Shields
Comedy: Rachel Fairburn and Chris Cantrill (Work in Progress), The Stand Newcastle, Jun 27
Classical: RNS Summer Tour, Carlisle, Hexham, Hartlepool, Cullercoats, June 25, 26, 27, 28
Music: Pitmen Poets, various North East venues, Jun 27-Jul 12
Theatre: Mother?, Live Theatre, Newcastle, Jun 30
Exhibition: Joan Eardley, Granary Gallery, Berwick-upon-Tweed, until Oct 11
Theatre: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Sunderland Empire, until Jun 27. Read our review
Exhibition: Wild Africa, Gallerina, 1 Victoria Road, Darlington, until Jul 25
Exhibition: The Visitors, The Storehouse, Berwick Barracks, until Jun 27
Screen: The Fortune, Channel 5, from Jun 2, 9pm
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.
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: Out of the Darkness, Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland, until December
NOW BOOKING
Music: BBC Proms - The Unthanks and Friends with Royal Northern Sinfonia, Middlesbrough Town Hall, Jul 9
Comedy: Harriet Kemsley - Work in progress, Gala Durham, Aug 1
Music: Jack White - Live 2026, Newcastle o2 City Hall, Aug 29
Comedy: Barry Casttagnola - The Last of the Barrys, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Sept 11
Theatre: Mrs Doubtfire, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Sept 23-Oct 11
Theatre: All At Sea, Live Theatre, Newcastle, Sept 24-Oct 10
Event: Comic Con North East 2026, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Sept 26-27
Music: Frankie Archer, Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Sept 27
Music: An Evening Without Kate Bush, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Oct 2
Comedy: Susan Calman, Tall Tales, Sunderland Empire, Oct 2
Music: Ibibio Sound Machine, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Oct 22
Music: Bellowhead - Burlesque 20th Anniversary Tour, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Nov 11
2027
Comedy: Emma Doran - Emmaculate, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Feb 6
Theatre: Twelve Angry Men, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Feb 16-20 (General release open, Jun 26)
Music: Jon Boden - A Folk Song A Day Solo Tour, Live Theatre, Newcastle, Feb 20
Comedy: The Rachel Parris Songbook, Gala Durham, Apr 10
Comedy: John Bishop, Utilita Arena Newcastle, May 6
Music: Metropolis in Concert, Sage One, The Glasshouse, May 8
Comedy: Ed Gamble - Fresh Hell, Newcastle o2 City Hall, May 28
Theatre: Chicago The Musical, Sunderland Empire, Oct 11-16
Event: Alice Cooper - Devil on My Shoulder, Stockton Globe, Oct 17
Comedy: Joe Lycett, Dec 15-16, Stockton Globe (Pre sale June 25)
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 see Self Esteem - with support from Heidi Curtis - headlining the Mouth of Tyne Festival on July 11.
After a string of memorable North East gigs in recent years, Rebecca Lucy Taylor returns to the region for a summer headline slot at Mouth of the Tyne.
Since her debut album, Compliments Please in 2019 - following it with Prioritise Pleasure in 2021 and A Complicated Woman in 2025, the 39-year-old has built a fiercely loyal following with songs that balance vulnerability, wit and no shortage of attitude.
The dramatic backdrop of Tynemouth Priory and Castle feels like a fitting setting for what promises to be one of the standout sets of this year’s festival.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: ‘I deserve to be there!’ by 5pm on Sunday (Jun 28)
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.