Curated Culture 29.04.25
Our weekly recommendations round up from North East stages and cultural venues
Hello and hope we find you feeling thoroughly refreshed, mildly sun-kissed and still happily finding bonus segments of Easter eggs all over the shop.
We’re here, as per, with a handpicked bundle of the best performances, exhibitions, festivals and events happening across the North East.
We’re like a cultural melting pot, reaching boiling point on a Tuesday evening.
A warm welcome to our coachful of new subscribers! Here’s a quick-look guide to what you’ll find here each week:
A double handful of featured listings to things we think are worth getting in front of over the next fortnight;
A reminder of what’s STILL SHOWING from past Curated Culture mailouts;
A NOW BOOKING section so you can stay smugly organised
And bonus! Every week you can also win excellent prizes in the Cultured. North East newsletter prize draw.
This week, we’re giving away a pair of tickets to see the excellent Earnest…? at The Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle on May 8. Full entry details at the end of the newsletter.
Until then, enjoy a leisurely scroll through this week’s cultural highlights.
Thanks as ever for clicking, sharing and sending us your virtual back pats.
Sam (Wonfor) and Dave (Whetstone)*
*Like Chas and Dave but with less hair and better accents
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THEATRE: Farm Boy
Where: The Fire Station, Sunderland and Queen’s Hall, Hexham
When: May 11-12 and May 13, respectively
Bookings and info: thefirestation.org.uk and queenshall.co.uk
Michael Morpurgo’s Farm Boy heads to the North East promising families a charming and heartfelt few hours in the theatre.
A follow-up to War Horse, the story follows a young boy spending the summer with his grandfather, who begins sharing stories from his own childhood on the farm.
With live music and gentle storytelling, it’s a moving tale about memory, change, and the bond between generations.
THEATRE: Handbagged
Where: Northern Stage, Newcastle
When: May 13 to 17
Bookings and info: northernstage.co.uk
Moira Buffini’s play looks at the relationship between two powerful women now no longer with us – Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher who would have met regularly when the latter was Prime Minister.
People used to wonder what was said behind closed doors. It was conjectured that Mrs T was not to the liking of the Queen who had seen many Prime Ministers – all male – come and go.
Thatcher was said to subject ministers (or journalists) who crossed her to a ‘handbagging’, an imagined assault using the nearest weapon to hand. But the Queen carried a handbag too. Did she give the Prime Minister a taste of her own medicine?
A play billed as “clever and fiercely funny” originated as a one-act contribution to a Women, Power & Politics festival in 2010, was premiered in its extended version in 2013 and opened in the West End the following year.
It toured to Newcastle in 2015 and is back as a Theatre Nation Partnerships production from the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, with Sarah Moyle as the older Queen (Q), Morag Cross as the older Maggie (T) and Helen Reuben and Emma Ernest as their younger counterparts (Liz and Mags).
There are some people for whom Margaret Thatcher can never be funny but “biting satire and sharp humour” are promised. Denis Thatcher and Ronald Reagan are among other characters of that era putting in an appearance.
Review: Public Record at The Fire Station, Sunderland
THEATRE: Dogs on the Metro
Where: Live Theatre, Newcastle
When: May 1-17
Bookings and info: live.org.uk
Written by Emilie Robson - the inaugural winner of the North East Playwriting Award - audiences will get to soak up this ‘love letter to friendship, lost youth, naivety and our beloved local transport system’ this month.
Launched in January 2024 to put the ‘North East voice centre stage’, the Playwriting Award was open to writers over 16 who were based in the region.
Emilie was praised by judges for her sharp writing, which delivers the story of Jen and Dean (Sarah Balfour and Dean Logan) over a series of days, months and years as they travel back and forth on the Metro network, reflecting on and comparing their conflicting perceptions of the pivotal events which shaped their lives.
COMEDY: Consett Comedy Festival
Where: Consett Rugby Club
When: May 1-4
Bookings and info: consettcomedy.co.uk
Consett’s getting ready to giggle as the Comedy Festival returns for a long weekend of laughs this May. It all kicks off on May 1 with a new material night - expect up-and-comers trying out new stuff, a few surprises, and a big-name headliner still under wraps.
On May 2, a parade of big hitters arrive. Gary Delaney leads a top-tier lineup including Aurie Styla, Connor Read, Hayley Ellis, and crowd favourite host Matt Reed. Then on Saturday afternoon, bring the kids along for the Family Show - Theatre Royal panto royalty Danny Adams, Clive Webb and Mick Potts lead the charge for a silly and even sillier show.
Saturday night is for the grown-ups, with a cracking bill featuring Seann Walsh, Kai Humphries, Kelly Rickard, Archie Kelly, and more. Finally, Sunday wraps things up with two llovely shows: Steffen Peddie’s laid-back lunchtime laughs and a cosy sit-down with comedy legend Mick Miller.
Go for the night or make a weekend of it.
Read more: New Britpop show, The Battle books a run at Newcastle Theatre Royal
THEATRE: Pirates Love Underpants
Where: The Customs House, South Shields
When: May 6 (5pm) and 7 (10.30am and 1.30pm)
Bookings and info: customshouse.co.uk
Fifty minutes, no interval, suitable for ages three plus and a lot of fun guaranteed for everyone – and which actor wouldn’t want that title on their CV?
Adapted by Brad Fitt (seasoned panto dame and perpetually one letter away from the best table in any restaurant) from the funny kids’ book by writer Claire Freedman and illustrator Ben Cort, this was the popular Christmas show at Curve, the Leicester producing theatre.
Now they’ve sent it on a voyage around the county, a musical tale of swashbuckling pirates and their quest to find the fabled pants of gold.
Its cast of live actors and puppets is kept in check by director Cara Nolan.
THEATRE: Blackbird in the Snow
Where: Laurels Theatre, Whitley Bay
When: May 6-17
Bookings and info: Laurels’ website
Set in a hospital heart unit, the story reunites two ageing comedians - Bobby Baron and Earl Knight - once a successful double act, now bitterly estranged.
While Earl found fame on TV, Bobby was left to scrape by on the fading club circuit.
When they unexpectedly end up in adjoining beds awaiting the same heart procedure, years of resentment resurface.
Billed as ‘gritty, moving, and darkly funny’, the play is inspired by the real-life experiences of writers Arthur McKenzie and the late David Whitaker.
Starring Donald McBride, Bob Smeaton, and Lesley Saint-John, this heartfelt production has been a couple of decades in the making and promises to be one to see. Look out for our full preview later this week.
COMEDY: Unexpected Item in the Bagging Area
Where: GIFT Gateshead, ARC Stockton and Live Theatre, Newcastle
When: May 3; May 21-23; and May 29-30, respectively
Bookings and info: scottturnbullpresents.com
Step inside The Doghouse – a haunted late-night garage where the tills sing, cockroaches dance, and an escaped killer lurks in the shadows.
In his latest show, Unexpected Item in the Bagging Area, Tees Valley Artist of the Year Scott Turnbull blends surrealist comedy, physical theatre and a hefty dose of Teesside spirit to tell a story of sibling loyalty, corporate nightmares and fighting to keep the family business afloat.
Turnbull’s style – described as The Mighty Boosh meets Vic and Bob – delivers absurd fun with heart, packed with pop culture nods and dark humour. Expect singing sausages, secret sauces, and a night shift that spirals into utter chaos. Prepare for the unexpected - you’ve been warned.
EXHIBITION: With These Hands
Where: Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
When: May 17 to September 27
Bookings and info: laingartgallery.org.uk
The new ticketed exhibition at the Laing focuses on the significance of craft - the art of making and mending - and how it’s represented in paintings, drawings and prints.
Images dating from 1750 onwards reflect societal changes – the growth of industry, the reorganisation of working methods and workplaces, the changing status of women and the pressures of wartime, all of which impacted on the value placed on manual skills.
The exhibition brings together paintings and objects – quilts, embroidery, metalwork, wood carvings, ceramics and basketry – to explore traditional and contemporary techniques, making connections across time.
There’s a focus on women’s lives. While stitching and embroidery kept women in their place for centuries, it could also be a vital means of self-expression.
The exhibition also explores the relationship between craft and community, showing men working together at the forge, the carpenter’s workshop or the sail loft. Such communal working was idealised in the late 19th Century as a symbol of continuity in a fragmenting society.
MUSIC: Patrick Wolf
Where: Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Gateshead
When: May 10
Bookings and info: theglasshouseicm.org
He has had an interesting and far from trauma-free life but Patrick Wolf is back on the road with his seventh album and keen to share it with fans who have waited a while.
Crying The Neck is billed as “a confident, hopeful record inspired by grief, healing, local folklore and the wild beauty of the East Kent coast” – and hailed by The Glasshouse as “heart-on-sleeve beauty”.
The Londoner, 41 now, studied composition for a year at Trinity College Music and appeared playing viola with bands including Arcade Fire before releasing his first album, Lycanthropy, in 2003.
There was a long gap – owing to “a creative block shaped by addiction, crisis, bankruptcy and survival” - after his Sundark and Riverlight album (2012) before a comeback EP, The Night Safari, in 2023.
Standing tickets still available to hear his latest “rich tapestry of songs”, also described variously as “life-affirming” and “bright”.
FESTIVAL: GIFT - Gateshead International Festival of Theatre
Where: Various venues across Gateshead
When: May 2 to 4
Bookings and info: giftfestival.co.uk
Performances, creative workshops, exhibitions, installations and conversations are on offer at the 15th edition of GIFT – that’s the Gateshead International Festival of Theatre – taking place this weekend.
Theatre’s a broad church, as the festival created in 2011 by Kate Craddock demonstrates every year.
It can accommodate a West End musical, a Shakespeare tragedy and the experimentation and collaboration championed by GIFT, described as “a supportive platform for artists to come together and push the boundaries of their practice”.
THEATRE: Pig Heart Boy
Where: Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: April 30 to May 3
Bookings and info: theatreroyal.co.uk
A fresh adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s much-loved novel Pig Heart Boy comes to Tyneside this week.
Thirteen-year-old Cameron is running out of time for a heart transplant - and when an unexpected offer comes along, it forces him to face some tough questions about life, identity, and what it means to be ‘normal.’
Adapted by Winsome Pinnock and directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, this moving story tackles big ideas with heart and honesty.
STILL SHOWING
In Conversation: Natasha Brown, Culture Lab, Newcastle University, May 1
Theatre: Kinky Boots the Musical, Stockton Globe and Newcastle Theatre Royal
When: April 29-May 3 and May 6-10 respectivelyExhibition: Traces, Arts Centre Washington (ACW), until May 3
Theatre: Kim’s Convenience, Northern Stage, Newcastle, Apr 29 to May 3
Theatre: You Know My Mum, ARC, Stockton, May 1-2
Comedy: Ellie Taylor - Palavering, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle, May 1
Festival: Hexham Book Festival, Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, May 2-11
Theatre: A Beginner’s Guide to Widowhood, Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle, May 2
Music: Dom Pipkin - Tales of Bad Boys, Bourbon & the Big Easy, Cluny 2, Ouseburn, May 2
Theatre: Sides, People’s Theatre, Newcastle, May 5 to 10
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: Princess Alexandra Theatre, Yarm (April 29); The Customs House, South Shields (May 8); The Exchange, North Shields (May 9); 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: Sustainable Clay, Hatton Gallery, Newcastle, until May 3. Read our review.
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
Music: FRESH Thursday Season Ticket, Cobalt, Ouseburn, Thursdays from May 1 to Jun 19
Comedy: Mark Steel - The Leopard in My House, Gala Durham (May 15); The Fire Station, Sunderland (May 28); and Darlington Hippodrome (Oct 10)
Music: Across the Evening Sky - Josienne Clarke sings the songs of Sandy Denny, Gosforth Civic Theatre, May 16. Read our preview
Music: The Waterboys, Stockton Globe, May 24
Music: Cat Power Sings Dylan ‘66, Sage One, The Glasshouse, June 4
Books: An Evening with Steph McGovern, The Exchange 1856, June 30
Theatre: Hamilton, Sunderland Empire, Jun 17 to Jul 26
Theatre: Carrying David, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jun 21 and 22
Event: Kynren - An Epic Tale of England, Bishop Auckland, Jul 19 to Sept 13
Festival: Make and Mend Festival 2025, Ormesby Hall, Middlesbrough, Jul 13
Music: The Undertones, Stockton Globe, Aug 9
Festival: Hardwick Festival, Hardwick Hall, County Durham, Aug 15-17
Festival: Last Train Home Festival, various venues in Darlington, Sept 6
Comedy: Scummy Mummies - Hot Mess, The Fire Station, Sunderland, Sept 9
Comedy: Alan Davies - Think Ahead, Stockton Globe, Oct 9
Music: The Kooks, Utilita Arena Newcastle, Oct 9
Music: Seth Lakeman, Sage Two, The Glasshouse, Oct 12
Music: O’Hooley and Tidow - So Long For Now, Gosforth Civic Theatre, Nov 6
Theatre: Dear England, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Nov 11-15
2026
Music: Lucy Rose, Sage One, The Glasshouse, Feb 28
Comedy: Paul and Suki Improv Show, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Mar 11
Theatre: The Battle, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jul 7-11 (Read story)
Theatre: Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks musical, Stockton Globe, Apr 14-18
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 to see the excellent Earnest…? at The Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle on May 8. (It’s also at the venue on May 7).
What do you do when the actor playing Ernest doesn’t turn up? In …Earnest?, the answer is simple - you ask the audience to step in.
This wonderfully chaotic twist on The Importance of Being Earnest turns a classic play upside down, with audience members roped in to fill missing roles as the cast gradually and mysteriously disappears.
Created by theatre-makers Say It Again, Sorry?, the show has become a cult hit since its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, combining Wilde’s original wit with off-the-cuff improvisation, slapstick, and a good dose of audience participation chaos.
Part farce, part love letter to live theatre, …Earnest? is a night of unpredictable fun - whether you're dragged into the spotlight or just enjoying the madness from your seat. One thing’s for sure: no two shows are ever the same.
HOW TO ENTER:
To be in with a chance of winning, simply email MePlease@culturednortheast.co.uk using the subject line: Born to see Wilde by noon, (12pm) on Friday, May 2, 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.