North East Theatre Guide

Looking at theatre and the arts across North East England, the North East Theatre Guide continues to celebrate culture in our region. If a link is labelled #Ad: Tickets are now available from one of our affiliate ticket suppliers. The ticket company will also be the official supplier of tickets for the event. This means we receive a small share of the sale. Clicking on these links helps us to cover the costs of producing the NE Theatre Guide free of charge to both our readers and theatres.

26/02/2016

Preview: You’ve Got A Friend at Whitley Bay Playhouse

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You’ve Got A Friend - The Music of James Taylor and Carole King

Whitley Bay Playhouse

Friday 3rd June 2016

The PLAYHOUSE is excited to announce that ‘You’ve Got A Friend – The Music of James Taylor and Carole King’ is coming to Whitley Bay on Friday 3rd June.

From the creators of the smash hit WEST END show ‘The Simon & Garfunkel Story’ comes a brand new theatre experience celebrating two of the World’s greatest songwriters of all time - James Taylor and Carole King.

Telling the delicate story of friendship, this musical journey intertwines all the hits including ‘I Feel The Earth Move’, ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’, ‘How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)’, ‘Fire & Rain’, ‘You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)’ and the beautiful ‘You’ve Got A Friend’.

Tickets:

Tickets costing from £16.50 are available now.

Tickets are available from the Box Office open Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm, Saturday 10.30am – 2.30pm plus until show start on event days. Tickets can also be purchased on the booking hotline 0844 248 1588* or online at

www.playhousewhitleybay.co.uk

*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

Preview: Sleeping Beauty at Sunderland Empire

Sleeping Beauty

Sunderland Empire

9^th -31^st December 2016

Pantomime will return to Sunderland Empire with the enchanting tale of Sleeping Beauty from 9^th - 31^st December 2016.

Sleeping Beauty is set to be another spectacular pantomime that promises to add a fairy tale touch to your festive season. Packed full of hilarious jokes, show-stopping song and dance, larger-than-life characters, colourful costumes, sparkling sets and amazing special effects!

The timeless story tells the classic tale of Princess Briar Rose who has a spell cast over her by a wicked fairy sending her into a deep sleep – but can the spell be broken by a handsome Prince and will there be a happy ever after?

Sleeping Beauty guarantees another Christmas extravaganza for all the family with Martin Dodd for UK Productions, the producers behind Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and this year’s gem of a pantomime Aladdin.

Ben Phillips, Sunderland Empire General Manager, said: “The response to pantomime at Sunderland Empire continues to be wonderful and we look forward to hosting another spectacular family pantomime from UK Productions in 2016.”

Star cast to be announced!

Tickets now on general sale

Tickets:

Tickets available from the Box Office on High Street West, via the ticket centre 0844 871 3022* or www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland*calls cost 7p per minute plus standard network charges. Booking and transaction fees may apply to telephone and online bookings.

Box Office: 0844 871 3022*

Groups 10+: 0844 871 3042

Online: www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland

*Booking fee applies

24/02/2016

Preview: Eclipse at Newcastle Peoples Theatre

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Eclipse by Simon Armitage

Newcastle Peoples Theatre

Thursday 25^th – Saturday 27^th February 2016

Six friends are interviewed by the police after the disappearance of Lucy Lime, a strange unnerving girl whom they met beneath the cliffs on a Cornish beach, just before the total eclipse of the sun. What happened to her, what happened to them?

Photo: Paula Smart

2016 sees the National Theatre Connections Festival mark its 21st year. To celebrate, they have selected 12 plays from previous years and 500 youth theatres and school groups to perform, involving more young people than ever in making theatre.

The People’s Theatre are delighted to have their talented Young People’s Theatre involved and proud to see them tackling such a challenging play. Simon Armitage is Professor of Poetry at the University of Sheffield and the University of Oxford, so it is no surprise that his drama is as lyrical as it is beautiful and unusual.

Photo: Paula Smart

Their Young People’s Theatre is over fifty years old and has produced a wide range of shows and developed some great talent over that time. Previous Youth Theatre members include Pet Shop Boy Neil Tenant, comedian Ross Noble and actress Andrea Riseborough.

Free to join, the group is for youngsters aged 11-18 and strives to develop its members confidence while learning theatrical skills, and is a great way to meet new people from across the region.

Tickets:

DATE: Thursday 25^th – Saturday 27^thFebruary 2016

TIME: 7.30pm

VENUE: The Studio Upstairs, The People’s Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF

TICKETS: £10 (Conc £7)

Box Office: 0191 265 5020 (option 2) or online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

Preview: Halfway To Paradise – The Billy Fury Story at Darlington Civic Theatre

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PREPARE FOR ROCK AND ROLL HEAVEN

Halfway To Paradise – The Billy Fury Story

Darlington Civic Theatre

Wednesday 9^th March 2016

Halfway To Paradise is now in its 20th year and features the uncanny voice of Colin Gold as Fury, along with Billy’s own band, the all original Fury’s Tornados performing live his timeless hits including Last Night Was Made For Love, Wondrous Place, I Will, Jealousy, Halfway To Paradise and many more.

With a giant movie screen showing footage of Billy and his band the atmosphere will be both electric and emotional.

Tickets:

Halfway To Paradise is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Wednesday 9 March. Tickets* are priced £19.50 and £21.50.

*All prices include a £1 restoration levy

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

Review: Impossible at Sunderland Empire

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“THE LIMITS OF THE POSSIBLE CANONLY BE DEFINED BY GOING BEYOND THEM INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE” Arthur C Clarke

Impossible

Sunderland Empire

Until Saturday 27^th February 2016

The art of entertaining a crowd through the use of magic is as old as theatre itself. A collection of six very talented artists combine to produce a mesmerising collection of interactive pieces.

Opening up with a brief history of magic there is a quick illusion in which appears someone may have had spikes through them. Quickly the tone of the show is set in the next piece as Ben Hart asks for three volunteers from the audience to come on stage and lend him a ring each. Now I have seen 3 rings provided by a magician being joined together in a chain but never 3 pieces of jewellery provided by the audience. Helping the audience see the action close up are a number of screens which came in handy.

Jonathan Goodwin’s first routine involved a member of the audience trying to bend a spanner before he did so in a eye-watering way. He would later go on to pull of some bigger stunts that will leave a big impression on both the younger and older members of the audience. His spectacular work definitely came under the heading of “don’t try this at home”.

Each act involved at least some members of the audience and was served with a large helping of humour. The show remains firmly family friendly entertainment.

Lee Thompson had a trick that involved the whole audience simultaneously involving the envelopes on everyone’s seat at the start. It was a clever exercise that put a smile on the face whilst making you scratch your head wondering how he’d pulled it off. All are good signs of a great illusionist.

Chris Cox calls himself a mind reader and he was able to involve volunteers from the audience to illicit surprising reactions. Josephine Lee put her agility from her dancing experience to good use in a number of quick paced illusions whilst Magical Bones combines hip-hop with the fascinating world of card tricks.

The first half literally finishes with a bang which had the audience in deep discussion during the interval coming up with their theories as to how it was pulled off. This set the stall for a faster paced second half.

The show has real cliffhangers and pulls off illusions without the use of camera tricks. The performers have a great sense of humour and bring the audience along with them without ever making anyone feel like a fool.

A combination of friendly audience engagement and high quality illusions make Impossible a stunning show for all ages.

Impossible is produced by Jamie Hendry Productions and is directed by Lloyd Wood with scenic design by Andrew D. Edwards, lighting design by Howard Harrison, video design by 59 Productions, sound design by Gareth Owen and original music by Ryan Martin.

Suitable for ages 6+

This review was written by Stephen Oliver for the North East Theatre Guide from Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo

Read the original North East Theatre Guide preview: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/preview-impossible-at-sunderland-empire.html

On The Web:

Website: www.ImpossibleLive.com

Facebook: /ImpossibleTheShow

Twitter: @ImpossibleShow

Tickets:

Impossible comes to Sunderland Empire on Tuesday 23rd – Saturday 27th February 2016. Tickets are £16.90 - £48.90

Box Office: 0844 871 3022*

Groups 10+: 0844 871 3042

Online: www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland

*Booking fee applies

22/02/2016

Preview: Eclipse at Darlington Civic Theatre

YOUTH THEATRE SET THEIR SIGHTS HIGH

Eclipse

Darlington Civic Theatre

Tuesday 23^rd - Wednesday 24^th February 2016

Members of ArtsSpark – Darlington Civic Theatre’s youth theatre, will be performing a play called Eclipse by Simon Armitage on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 February as part of the National Theatre’s Connections Festival.

As part of the Festival, youth theatre groups from around the country are each given a play to perform, specially written for young people. ArtsSpark members were thrilled to be given this challenging play to work on and have been rehearsing hard since October.

A representative from the National Theatre will attend a performance at the Civic Theatre to give valuable feedback to the actors. The group then have a further 2 weeks to fine-tune the play before taking it to the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough on 12th March where they have the opportunity of being chosen to take the play to London for a performance at the National Theatre as part of the Connections Festival.

Eclipse is by Simon Armitage, professor of poetry at the University of Sheffield. The play is based around six friends who are interviewed by the police following the disappearance of a girl called Lucy Lime. The group had met Lucy beneath the cliffs on a Cornish beach just before a total eclipse of the sun.

The group have created a special ‘in-the-round’ performance space on the Darlington Civic Theatre stage to bring the audience even closer to the action.

Tickets:

Eclipse is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Tuesday 23 February at 7pm and Wednesday 24 February at 1.30pm & 7pm. Tickets are priced £4 for adults and £2 for children.

Age recommendation 13+ (there is some strong language and adult themes)

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555

Preview: Madam Butterfly at Newcastle Tyne Theatre

Ponteland youth set to feature alongside world-class opera stars

Madam Butterfly

Newcastle Tyne Theatre & Opera House

Friday 26^th February 2016

Music by Giacomo Puccini

Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.

Sung in Italian with English Surtitles

The highly acclaimed Russian State Operareturns to Tyne Theatre & Opera House with the perfect tragic opera, Madam Butterfly, featuring remarkable talent, 6 year old Isaac Hutchinson.

The local star who has a passion for dancing, singing and all things theatre was lucky enough to be chosen to portray the son of Madam Butterfly in this impressive cast accompanied by a large live orchestra of over 30 musicians.

As an attendee of Ponteland First School and Stagecoach at Gosforth Academy, Isaac has enjoyed performing in a number of shows, but is thrilled to be part of the internationally acclaimed opera production, an experience he is sure to remember for a very long time.

Set in Japan at the turn of the century, Madam Butterfly is among the most colourful and exotic of all operas, and from its theme of noble self-sacrifice spring melodies that grip your heart.

It tells the story of a doomed love affair between an American naval officer and his young Japanese bride, whose defiance of her family leads to heartbreak and tragedy.

This touching story of innocent love crushed amidst two utterly different cultures resonates as strongly as ever in today’s world.

‘A boon to opera in regional theatres’ – The Stage

‘Russian State Opera enjoyed a well-deserved standing ovation’ - Daily Post

What better way to experience this exquisite production than in the beautiful Grade-1 listed Tyne Theatre & Opera House, with its acoustics and atmosphere perfectly fitting for what is sure to be a highly emotive, yet elegant performance.

Tickets: