Curated Culture 24.06.25
Our weekly recommendations round up from North East stages and cultural venues
Hello and a happy Tuesday to you!
Whether you're easing into the week or already sprinting through it, consider this your cultural pit stop - a well-stocked guide to some of the North East’s finest happenings.
We’re here, as ever, with our artisanal buffet of gigs, theatre, exhibitions, festivals and other excellent distractions to get you out and about (or to add to your “must do that soon” list). From last-minute nights out to long-range plans, there’s plenty to dig into.
If you’re new here – lovely to have you. Here’s what you’ll find each week around about this time:
🗓️ Top Picks – A selection from our favourite events coming up in the next fortnight
📌 Still Showing – Brilliant things still on from previous emails
📅 Now Booking – Early alerts for things you won’t want to miss
🎁 Newsletter Prize Draw – A subscriber-only treat to sweeten the deal
Speaking of which… This week we’ve got a pair of tickets to see Kynren – An Epic Tale of England, which is returning to its Bishop Auckland site for a summer of Saturday night performances from July 19 to September 13.
All the info and how to enter is at the end of the newsletter - but we highly recommend lingering a while and soaking up what’s in between.
Thanks, as ever, for reading and spreading the word. We really appreciate the support - keep it coming!
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
CLASSICAL: Shostakovich’s Leningrad
Where: Sage One, The Glasshouse, Gateshead
When: July 6, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
If John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London offer glorious escapism, the Tees Valley Youth Orchestra counters with what sounds ominously like a soundtrack for these grim times.
Dmitri Shostakovich composed his seventh symphony, the ‘Leningrad’, when the city was under siege and being bombarded by the Nazis. He was one of those trapped there, along with his family.
The famously long work is described by The Glasshouse as a powerful symphony of defiance. It was born of war and in peacetime, and in places where the dead weren’t lying in the streets, it was not universally admired.
But it has stood the test of time and it will be given a spirited airing by one of the country’s most established and accomplished youth orchestras, flagship ensemble of the Tees Valley Music Service.
The orchestra is no stranger to this particular Russian composer. While none of the current players is likely to have been involved, it gave two performances of Shostakovich’s fifth symphony just over a decade ago.
Nicholas Nowicki, based in Northumberland, will conduct the young orchestra at The Glasshouse and tickets for 18s and under are just a fiver.
SCREEN: Transaction
Where: ITV2 and ITV X
When: Full series available from June 24
Info: itv.com
ITV’s new comedy Transaction is ready for bingeing for those who like their sitcoms strange, sharp and set in the fluorescent glow of the supermarket nightshift.
Created by and starring comedian Jordan Gray, the show follows Liv, a transgender woman with big energy and even bigger plans, who causes all kinds of beautifully awkward havoc after landing a night job.
Filmed last year at Northern Studios in Hartlepool and on location around the area, Transaction is firmly rooted in the North East and sees Sunderland-born Thomas Gray take his place alongside Jordan and comedy veteran, Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul) in the cast.
Made by production company big hitters, Big Talk, the series is backed by the North East Production Fund (administered by North East Screen). Earlier this week, cast and crew gathered at Billingham’s Forum Theatre for a special preview screening.
OPERA: Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival
Where: Alphabetti Theatre
When: June 27-28
Bookings and info: alphabettitheatre.co.uk
Tête à Tête brings its experimental opera festival to Newcastle for the first time, with a two-night programme at Alphabetti Theatre.
The line up includes It Must Have Been a Tuesday, a work combining live music and audio drama, and Rossini and the Overture, a comedic look at the composer’s creative struggle. A mixed bill of shorts explores themes from ecofeminism to neurodivergence, while Ghost closes the run with a personal take on queer identity and grief. Tickets are offered on a choose-what-you-pay basis, £6.50; £17.50 or £29.50.
In related news and as part of its growing commitment to regional collaboration, Tête à Tête is partnering with North Tyneside Music Education Hub to deliver QUEST 2025 - a fantasy-inspired opera project running over summer and autumn 2025. Co-created with young people in North Shields, the project will culminate with two performances on October 19 at The Exchange, bringing together school pupils, community chorus members, professional singers, and Royal Northern Sinfonia.
DANCE: Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell
Where: Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: July 8-12
Bookings and info: theatreroyal.co.uk
Matthew Bourne’s award-winning The Midnight Bell makes its Newcastle debut next month (July) bringing 1930s Soho and Fitzrovia to life through bittersweet tales of longing, loneliness and late-night encounters.
Inspired by the novels of Patrick Hamilton, this moody, atmospheric piece follows a cast of characters as they drift in and out of The Midnight Bell pub, nursing heartbreak, desire and the hope of connection.
A free BSL-interpreted post-show talk will take place after the performance on Wed, July 9 (pre-booking required).
ART: Works by Nathan Coley
Where: Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle
When: Until March 1, 2026
Bookings and info: thebowesmuseum.org.uk
The Glasgow artist and 2007 Turner Prize nominee makes the Bowes his ‘canvas’ for two sculptural works, one displayed in the grounds and one indoors.
Art is a broad church and Coley’s work is a bracing incursion of the new among the time-honoured Bowes artefacts.
Both works, we are told, exemplify a practice “which interrogates public space and examines how systems of personal, social, religious and political belief shape our towns, cities and, ultimately, our sense of self”.
He has made many text-based works and you’ll see one here, You Create What You Will, from 2014. The text references In the Beginning: B.C. 4004, one of the five plays in George Bernard Shaw’s 1921 allegory, Back to Methuselah.
The piece “invites viewers to question the profound power of creation and draw parallels between the installation and the museum’s founders’ mission of supporting and uplifting artists”.
Displayed inside is a 2017 work, Tate Modern on Fire, made of stained timber, acrylic paint and Perspex, and reflecting partly on the fragility of cultural institutions.
The artist was excited to see his work at the Bowes, an interesting place for it to connect with visitors. “My work is all about exploring the places we live and the stories they tell, so it will be intriguing to see how people engage with it here,” he said.
⚡ Glastonbury Watch Party, The Fire Station, Sunderland June 27-29
COMEDY/MUSIC: Tim Minchin - Songs the World Will Never Hear
Where: Newcastle 02 City Hall
When: June 24-25
Bookings and info: academymusicgroup.com
Australian musician, singer, comedian and Olivier Award winning composer, Tim Minchin is back on the road, and he’s bringing his piano, sharp tongue and big heart to Newcastle this week.
His new show, which kicks off tonight (June 24) is packed with stories, laughter and music from across his brilliantly unpredictable career — including songs that never quite made it out into the world… until now.
FESTIVAL: Coast Fest
Where: Percy Park Rugby Club, North Shields
When: June 27-29
Bookings and info: wegottickets.com
Coast Fest is back for its third and biggest year yet - aka a packed weekend of live music, family fun and community spirit.
Glasvegas, Liam Fender, Dodgy’s Nigel Clark, The Lindisfarne Story band and Inspiral Carpets frontman Tom Hingley gather at the top of a bill which brings together 150 performers across multiple stages, including one which is just for young talent.
The other big plus with this event is that everything takes place under cover, so the weather can please itself.
EXHIBITION: Light Takes The Tree
Where: RePUBlic Gallery, Blyth
When: July 4 to August 7
Bookings and info: republicgallery.co.uk
This is an exhibition of paintings by Amble-based Luke McTaggart, mostly featuring Morwick village, near Warkworth.
“The landscape there has a really magical quality,” he says.
“It’s a tucked away little pocket of the world and really exists in its own microcosm. I visit there often, walking both sides of the River Coquet, usually at dusk when the light begins to wane. It’s a really special, personal kind of experience.”
The paintings are made painstakingly back in the studio from memory, sketches and photos.
The exhibition title is taken from The Waking, a poem by the American Theodore Roethke.
“I’ve liked Roethke’s work for some time now and recognise in his writing a similar sense of reverence, and reverie, at nature that I myself feel when out in the landscape,” says Luke who graduated with a first class degree in fine art from Northumbria University in 2022.
There’s a special preview on July 4 (6-8pm) at RePUBlic Gallery which is on the ground floor of Blyth’s old King’s Head pub on Bridge Street.
CHORAL: Northern Proud Voices
Where: Newcastle Cathedral
When: Friday, July 4, 7pm
Bookings and info: newcastlecathedral.org.uk
The region’s biggest and longest-serving LGBTQIA+ choir returns for its third annual concert in the cathedral – and this time as an official part of Northern Pride’s first Fringe Festival.
The choir, which presents itself as a safe and supportive space for members to connect through music, was founded in 2011 and has been winning fans and spreading bonhomie ever since.
Last year’s cathedral concert featured Mr Blue Sky by ELO, It’s a Sin by Pet Shop Boys and Tattoo by Loreen – so expect similar under musical director Jon Szunko who joined the choir as a bass in 2016.
Refreshments and networking opportunities in the cathedral nave will follow the concert for which tickets are available on a ‘give as you feel’ basis (with a suggested donation of £8 to be divided equally between the choir and cathedral for its work on causes such as the Cathedral Lantern Project which helps people through difficult times.
This event is an official part of Northern Pride’s Fringe Festival which is already underway as a warm-up up to Newcastle Pride on July 19 and 20.
COMEDY: Chris Cantrill and Elaine Robertson
Where: The Fire Station, Sunderland
When: July 10
Bookings and info: thefirestation.org.uk
This Edinburgh double bill sees two distinctive North East comics test out new material ahead of the Fringe.
Chris Cantrill will serve up a work-in-progress performance of Rewilding, a surreal and off-kilter hour exploring mushrooms, community and the darker corners of midlife. Joining him on the bill is Geordie comic Elaine Robertson, whose word-of-mouth 2024 hit show, Delulu marked her as one to watch.
Her new work-in-progress hour promises the same mix of strange specifics and sharp delivery that’s earned her a growing online following and critical acclaim.
CLASSICAL: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Greatest Hits
Where: The Glasshouse, Gateshead
When: June 29, 7.30pm
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
John Wilson is back on home turf with his Sinfonia of London and you’ll do well to get a ticket although there are a few left.
The Gateshead-born conductor has established himself as the champion of the great Hollywood musical, having pieced together the scores of many of them from scratch after they were destroyed in the 1960s.
Invariably his concerts are feelgood extravaganzas. Listen out for your big screen favourites, whether they be songs from South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, Carousel or The King and I.
Recently Wilson and Sinfonia of London were announced as new artistic partners of The Glasshouse. They’ll be back on the main stage later in the year to perform a programme of English music including works by Elgar and Vaughan Williams.
STILL SHOWING
Screen: 28 Years Later, Cinemas all over the place, on general release now at most cinemas. 🎥 Read our report from Newcastle gala screening
Music: Father John Misty, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Jun 25
Festival: What A Wonderful World Festival, Alnwick Playhouse and other venues in the town, June 26-29
Music: Macy Gray - 25th Anniversary Tour, Pilgrim, Newcastle, Jun 26
Music: ako – Algorithms of Loving Grace, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, Jun 25
Screen: Outdoor films - JAWS, The Grove, Newcastle, Jun 26, 7pm
Classical: Northern Chords Festival, Gateshead and Newcastle, Jun 27-29. 🎻 Read our preview
Music: Kid Creole and the Coconuts - The Creolian Bye Bye Birdy Tour, The Fire Station, Jun 27
Choral: Summer Songs and Sonnets, Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jun 28, 7.30pm
History: North Shields Community Day, Linskill Centre, North Shields, Jun 28, 10am to 4pm
Exhibition: The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists, Ushaw Historic House, Chapels & Gardens, near Durham, Jun 28 to Aug 31
Musical: Hamilton, Sunderland Empire, until Jul 26. 🎭 Read our review.
Festival: Blythfest, various Blyth venues, until Jul 5
Theatre: HARD, Laurels Theatre, Whitley Bay, until Jun 27 🎭 Read our review
Exhibition: Going Back Brockens, The Warehouse, Newgate Centre, Bishop Auckland, until July 5
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: 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: 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
Theatre: The Book of Mormon, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jul 22-Aug 9
Festival: Newcastle Fringe Festival, various venues around the city, Jul 22-Aug 2
Festival: Durham Fringe Festival, various venues around Durham, Jul 23-27
Comedy: Edinburgh Preview Day - Laura Lexx, Jonny Pelham, Sooz Kempner, Rosco McClelland - Queen’s Hall Hexham, Jul 27
Event: GCT Beer Festival 2025, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Aug 1
Theatre: The HandleBards - Much Ado About Nothing, The Straw Yard, Berwick, Aug 24
Event: Domination - The Fall and Rise of an Empire with Alice Roberts, Middlesbrough Town Hall, Aug 25
Comedy: Robin Ince - The Universe and Neurodiverse, The Stand Newcastle, Sept 8
Music: Sunset Sons, The Exchange 1856, North Shields, Sept 21
Theatre: Bad Lads, Live Theatre, Newcastle, Oct 7-11
Music: Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox - From the Horses Mouth, various venues across the North East from October 16 to Nov 6
Music: Kathryn Williams, Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, Oct 30
Theatre: Fiddler on the Roof, Sunderland Empire, Nov 25-29
Theatre: Dear England, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Nov 11-15
Music: Bastille, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Nov 12
Comedy: Josh Widdicombe - Not My Cup of Tea, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle and Stockton Globe, Nov 17 and 18 respectively
Music: Everything Everything, NX, Newcastle, Dec 2
2026
Music: James Arthur, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Feb 6
Comedy: Jessica Fostekew - Iconic Breath, The Stand Newcastle, Mar 10
Theatre: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Apr 6-11
Comedy: Al Murray - All You Need is Guv, Stockton Globe (Jan 24); Darlington Hippodrome (Mar 1); Middlesbrough Town Hall Sunderland Empire, Apr 23; Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle (Jun 5). All tickets on sale, Jun 27, 2025
Theatre: Midsummer Murders, Darlington Hippodrome, May 19-23
Event: The Blindboy Podcast - LIVE, Sage One, The Glasshouse, October 29
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 pair of tickets for Kynren – An Epic Tale of England, which is back this July for its 10th anniversary season.
The outdoor spectacular returns to Bishop Auckland to once again offer a visually rich journey through 2,000 years of British history, legend and folklore.
With a volunteer cast and crew of over a thousand, 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.
This year, the much-loved Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee scene has been given a vibrant refresh, with new costumes, choreography, music and projections adding fresh energy to a standout moment in the show.
One lucky winner will win a pair of superior tickets to Kynren, including car parking and shuttle passes.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: All hail a decade of Kynren! by noon, (12pm) on Sunday, June 29, 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.
One winner will be notified by email and provided with a winner’s letter containing details on how to book their tickets. The prize must be used for one 2025 Saturday performance from July 19 to Sept 13. Subject to availability. Winners must claim the prize and book within 14 days of receiving the winner’s letter or it will be offered to another entrant. Please check the website for gate opening times and performance start times.
As ticket holders, visitors will be bound by the general terms and conditions available at www.11Arches.com/terms.