Preview: Dick Whittington at Newcastle People’s Theatre

People’s Theatre are bringing audiences

the purr-fect Panto!

Dick Whittington 

by Philip Meeks

Newcastle People’s Theatre

Saturday 7th – Sunday 15th December 2019

Join local lad Dick Whittington and his magical cat Tommy on an action-packed, fun-filled adventure at the People’s Theatre next month.

When Dick arrives in London he’s hoping to find fame, fortune and the streets paved with gold. The last thing he expects is to end up on a bell-ringing, swashbuckling adventure that takes him from Heatonia to the shores of Whitley Bay!

Will Queen Rat fulfil her evil plan to flood the city with plaque and pestilence to become Lord Mayor?  Will Sarah the Cook – renowned across the land for her dumplings – find a suitable suitor to whisk her off her feet?  Will Alice ever notice lovelorn Idle Jack?

 

Idle Jack (Joe Robson)

Alice (Alice Dalgleish),
Tommy (Emma Cockburn)
and Dick W (Evelyn Ryan)

Find out in the People’s Theatre’s toe-tapping family Panto, packed with songs, dances, and festive fun.

The People’s Panto has become something of a local legend in recent years, with last year’s Cinderella selling out and audience comments including “a wonderful show” and “massively fun and pleasingly extravagant”.

This year’s Dick Whittington promises to be just as much fun, so don’t delay if you want to book your seat for the hottest ticket in Heaton.

Photos: Paula Smart

 

The People's Theatre in Heaton

Tickets:     £14.50 (children and concessions £12)
Box Office: 0191 265 5020
Online:       www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

Preview: The Man Who Wanted to be a Penguin at Stockton Arc

Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company, ARC and The Albany present

The Man Who Wanted to be a Penguin

Stockton Arc

Tuesday 3 - Tuesday 24 December 2019

The Man Who Wanted to be a Penguin is a seasonal show, but is not linked to Christmas. The main character is an enthusiastic, energetic and curious man who spends the majority of his time tinkering in his shed inventing solutions to perceived problems. He is widely misunderstood, but is joyfully oblivious to others’ disdain and mockery, blindly dedicated to his own endeavours.

The man is a pioneer fascinated by penguins, and plans to meet them when he travels to the Antarctic. He learns to speak penguin language, and so do the audience, so that they can communicate with the penguins. When he arrives he joins a community that works differently to the one he knows at home, and that accepts him. 

The play explores individuality, being different, learning to communicate, and fitting in. Overall it is fun, joyful, exploratory and works for people of all ages. It is authentic and sometimes challenging, it is not just a cute story about fluffy penguins! The first half of the show is set in the man’s garden, and the second half in the Antarctic.

 The Man Who Wanted to be a Penguin features puppets, acting, movement, song and audience participation. It is full of humour, quirky songs and sound effects, interesting characters, relevant stories and infectious energy. 

The show lasts one hour, with no interval, and is best suited to ages 3+.

Cast and creatives:

Director    Niki McCretton

Assistant Director  Ed Trotter

Performers    Emma Longthorne and Nigel Luck

Poet / lyricist   Toby Thompson

Composer    Anthony Burbridge

Puppetry   Holly Miller

Design   Anna Kelsey

Set construction  Tin Shed Scenery  

Lighting design  Ali Hunter

Illustration   Sam Zuppardi

Producer   Jane McGibbon

The Man Who Wanted to be a Penguin is co-commissioned by The Albany and ARC Stockton, supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, with additional support from The Lyric, Bridport and The Point, Eastleigh

On The Web:

www.aloadofstuffandnonsense.co.uk    

Twitter: @loadofstuff

Facebook: @aloadofstuffandnonsense

YouTube: @stuffandnonsenseuk

Dynamic Pricing

The ARC set ticket prices based on demand; the price can go up or down depending on how well a show is selling. The price will usually increase closer to the event date, so they always recommend booking in advance to take advantage of best price.

Tickets: 

To book online and view performance timings: http://arconline.co.uk/whats-on/family/the-man-who-wanted-to-be-a-penguin.

box office 01642 525199

Preview: Beauty and the Beast at Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre

It’s almost Panto time in Hartlepool

Beauty and the Beast

Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre

Saturday 14^th - Sunday 29th December 2019

There's less than a month to go before the curtain goes up on Hartlepool’s third professional Christmas pantomime, Beauty and the Beast.

This brand new production of Beauty and the Beast features all the fun and frolics of a traditional family pantomime and will open at Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre on Saturday 14^th December and runs until Sunday 29^th December.

When the Prince refutes the love of the evil Grimalkin she transforms him into a Beast who can only be cured by love’s true kiss.  Meanwhile due to an unfortunate mishap with her Father, Maurice, Belle finds herself imprisoned in the Beast’s castle and discovers what lurks inside.  Add a good Fairy and a sprinkle of Panto magic and sit back as our story begins…

David Worthington, Head of Cultural Services at Hartlepool Borough Council said: “Last year’s panto Cinderella was a huge success and received excellent reviews from families and so we’re really excited for this year’s panto Beauty and the Beast to be even bigger and better.”

The company behind the production, Elite Pantomimes is the same company that successfully brought Aladdin to Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre in 2016 and Cinderella in 2018.

Tickets:

Tickets are priced at £17 for adults, £15 for children or £55 for a family (2 adults and 2 children).

To book tickets, or to obtain a full list of performance times, visit www.destinationhartlepool.com or the box office on (01429) 890000 (Tuesdays-Fridays 10am – 4.30pm, Saturdays 10am–4pm).

Preview: Christmas Carol to tour North East

A Christmas Carol to tour North East and Yorkshire this Christmas.

Newcastle Castle 5^th – 9^th December 2019

Alnwick Castle 10^th – 11^th December 2019

West Auckland Manor House 12^th December 2019

Scarborough Town Hall 14^th – 15^th December 2019

York Merchant Taylor’s Hall 17^th – 19^th December 2019

Durham Town Hall 20^th December 2019

Sunderland Wearside Masonic Lodge 21^st – 23^rd December 2019

The Christmas Spirits are alive across the North East and Yorkshire this December as the incredible Life and Limb Puppets and award-winning Theatre Space North East return with the timeless Dickensian tale; A Christmas Carol. Featuring stunning, larger than life puppetry, atmospheric live music, mischievous sprites and a sprinkling of ghoulish Christmas cheer, it promises to be a festive family night out like no other.

The production which last year enchanted audiences amongst the centuries old stone of Newcastle’s castle keep, will once again play two shows nightly between the 5^th – 9^th December at Newcastle Castle before embarking on a regional tour of some of the most stunning buildings in the area, including Alnwick Castle, West Auckland Manor House,   Scarborough Town Hall, York Merchant Taylor’s Hall, Durham Town Hall and the Wearside Masonic Lodge.

Last year’s original performances sold out in less than 48 hours of going on sale, prompting the producers to double the amount of shows to ensure everyone got a chance to meet the spirts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come. This year, the tour will include 36 shows across the 7 venues, so audiences throughout the region have a chance to join wicked to the bone Ebenezer Scrooge on a December night they aren’t going to forget in a hurry.

The ‘Solidly Enjoyable’ (The Stage) show, a mix of traditional storytelling and quirky staging, will plunge audiences into the heart of Dickensian London as beloved characters interact with theatre goers and their puppet friends. The tale of greed, poverty and the everlasting hope that comes from a good helping of Christmas spirit has delighted the public since the 1800s and the team behind the show have plenty of surprises up their sleeves to bring the classic story to life.

The themes of the story are all the more pertinent in 2019, with food bank usage and homelessness on the rise. The production last year raised over £1000 in donations for local charities and foodbanks and will once again conduct collections at each performance for those less fortunate this Christmas.

Images are from last year's tour.

Tickets:

Tickets for the tour go on sale on Monday 28^th October 2019 at 9am via official ticketing partner www.arctix.co.uk. General Admission costs £16 (plus fees) with Concessions for under 16s, OAPs, emergency services personnel and students with valid ID priced at £13 (plus fees). Tickets are expected to sell fast, so patrons are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. Not all of the venues on the tour are completely accessible and patrons with access requirements are advised to check the Arctix website for more information.

Tour Schedule:

5^th – 9^th December at 6pm and 8pm

Newcastle Castle Keep, Castle Garth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1RQ

There is no central heating at this venue, patrons are advised to wrap up warm. There is no disabled access at this venue.
Tickets: http://newcastlecastle.co.uk/ticketing/theatre.html 

10^th – 11^th December at 7pm and 9pm

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick NE66 1NQ

12^th December at 6pm and 8pm

Manor House Hotel, Front Street, West Auckland DL14 9HW

14^th – 15^th December at 6pm and 8pm

Scarborough Town Hall, St Nicholas St, Scarborough YO11 2HG

17^th – 19^th December at 6pm and 8pm

Merchant Taylors’ Hall, Aldwark, York YO1 7BX

20^th December at 6pm and 8pm

Durham Town Hall, Market Place, Durham DH1 3NJ

21^st – 23^rd December at 6pm and 8pm

Wearside Masonic Lodge, Burdon Rd, Sunderland SR2 7DX

There is no disabled access at this venue. No outside food or drink is permitted at this venue.

Tickets are sold exclusively through Arctix at www.arctix.co.uk. Tickets for sale on other services may not be valid. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. We cannot issue refunds to under 16s who are not accompanied by an adult. All tickets are non-refundable unless an event is cancelled or materially changed.

Preview: Present Newcastle at Alphabetti Theatre

Alphabetti Theatre in partnership with homelesscharity CRISIS present:

Present

Newcastle Alphabetti Theatre

Tuesday 17^th – Monday 23^rd December 2019 (including Sunday & Monday)

Written and Directed by Ali Pritchard

Performed & Choreographed by Malcolm Shields

Live music from Diji Solanke, Martha Wheatley & Wilf Stone

Alphabetti’s own Ali Pritchard returns with his new play this Christmas, Present, which shines a light on an invisible community. Present is a high octane, energetic, festive show with live music that tells a story about homelessness at Christmas. 

The play follows Dave on his journey to creating a new Christmas tradition. It’s the 23rd of December and as usual Dave is in the park. It's freezing but he doesn't care - in his head he is having the time of his life in a Christmas rave! In his head he is dancing because he wants to. In real life he is dancing to keep warm. 

Dave is brought back to reality by a text from his daughter; a text containing hope and opportunity. The chance to meet his grandson for the first time this Christmas! Dave dances in real life now because he is happy, this is his chance to get back on track and make amends with his family, and to create new traditions for himself. The play explores the challenges and successes that Dave faces, to getting clean and getting off the streets, which identifies with the real challenges that homeless people can face at this time of year.

It is a poignant and touching look at what Christmas can be like for those in need, but there is a message of hope and support. To show our own support, 5% of all ticket sales will be donated to CRISIS, the UK national charity for homeless people. 

The play also features live original music, along with some Christmas classics, from Newcastle favourites Diji Solanke, Martha Wheatley and Wilf Stone (Dansi), with Musical Direction from Mariam Rezaei.

With support from Arts Council England, Alphabetti Theatre have worked closely with CRISIS members to deliver arts workshops in creative writing, photography and art, to produce work focused on the past, present and future, which will be displayed at Alphabetti Theatre during the run of the performance. Make sure you get down early to have a good look at the wonderful artwork that has been created by the members! The creative writing segments that the members have produced will be included in the printed version of the Present script, which will be available to purchase on the night.

Tickets:

Running time: approximately 50 mins, no

Ticket Prices: Pay What You Feel

Venue: Alphabetti Theatre, St James’ Boulevard, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4BR

Alphabetti website: www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk

Tickets/More info are available: https://www.ticketsignite.com/event/1668/present-by-alphabetti-theatre     

REVIEW: The Bodyguard at Sunderland Empire

The Bodyguard

Sunderland Empire
Tuesday 12^th – Saturday 23^rd November 2019

Tickets are now on sale online from ATG Tickets: BODYGUARD TICKET LINK #Ad

Alexandra Burke appears in The Bodyguard musical at the Sunderland Empire this week. We had the pleasure of checking out the new cast as they entertained the Wearside crowd on press night.

Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer (Ben Lewis), is hired to protect pop superstar Rachel Marron (Alexandra Burke) from an unknown stalker (James-Lee Harris). They both anticipate being in charge of the arrangement but end up falling in love.

** Photo Uli Weber

Yes, this is the same plot as the 1992 film of the same title that was the star vehicle for Whitney Houston back in the day. Of course, the first question for the fans of the music is “can they sing the Whitney songs live?” and when you’re looking at hits such as One Moment in Time , Saving All My Love for You and I Wanna Dance with Somebody then you’re looking at some really popular hits. Indeed Whitney, herself, found covering Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You live tough going. [Yes regular readers: that’s two consecutive shows at the Empire with the music of Dolly P!]

This show is more spectacular than thought provoking drama.  Sometimes one needs that. The singing duties are mainly handled by Alexandra Burke with occasional confident and capable assistance from Emmy Willow who plays her sister Nicki. Both have the ability to handle these tricky songs.

The show begins with a shooting but it has no explanation before the huge screen shows a promotion film for the successful star Rachel Marron. This then transcends into a big arena or Saturday evening type gig with fabulous lighting and flames shooting up. Tight choreography percolates thought the two hours but is most notable at the start and finish.  Indeed, this is one show in which it was worth hanging on for the final post applause big number I Wanna To Dance With Somebody. Plus you finally get to see the tight live band as the video projections appear at the very, very end.

Story wise, this is a paper-thin love story that plays a very straight bat. You have a stalker that crops up, a PR who is only interested in the singer’s profile and a security guard who grows to respect the bodyguard in a predictable fashion.  But (and it is a big but), that doesn't matter. The fans of the show want the love story, the songs and the spectacle and they get that by the bucketful.

Burke builds up through the show and knocks it out of the park at the end. Looking fabulous in her outfit, she is very much the Rachel Marron for the musical generation. It has to be said that the cast all look fabulous, like it was some 1930s musical film.

The lighting and set design help reinforce the Empire’s claim to be the West End in the North East. Indeed, the moment when the bodyguard removes the singer from a situation and the shadow of the pair is held in the smoke in a very clever way.

Special mention to the lad playing the son Fletcher. Such confidence and dance moves. He is one to watch if he decides to keep it up.

The Bodyguard delivers what it promised. A larger than life love story with great songs played well. There's nothing wrong with that.

Review by Stephen Oliver.

Photos: Paul Coltas (except ** Photo Ulii Weber)

DISCLAIMER:

*Alexandra Burke will perform the role of ‘Rachel Marron’ at evening performances only. Alexandra Burke is not scheduled to perform Wednesday 20th November 7.30pm show. Patrons should check before booking, *The producers of The Bodyguard cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist, which is always subject to illness and holidays.

Tickets:

Tickets are now on sale online from ATG Tickets: BODYGUARD TICKET LINK #Ad

News: South Shields Customs House Pilots New LGBTQ+ Arts Group

South Shields Customs House Pilots New LGBTQ+ Arts Group 

The Learning and Participation Team at The Customs House is launching a new arts group for LGBTQ+ young people. Ours/Us/We sessions, which are free to attend, will take place on a Wednesday evening and are suitable for anyone aged 14 to 21. The first session takes place on Wednesday 13^th November from 6pm to 8pm.

Izzy Finch, learning and participation officer at The Customs House, said: “We will be working each week with multi-faceted artist and lead practitioner Melody Sproates, who is Gender Fluid and passionate about creating safe spaces for young people to try new things. This project will be led by the interests of the group, with the opportunity for young people to develop an existing arts interest or try something completely new.

“We will also be working with inspirational LGBTQ+ creative role models who will be delivering sessions throughout the 12-week pilot.  We would love for this opportunity to have a wide reach and continue beyond the pilot.”

Melody Sproates

Melody Sproates is a writer and cabaret artist based in Newcastle and a graduate from Northumbria University’s drama and scriptwriting programme. Their work ranges from lip sync, playwriting and cabaret performance to zine making and lino printing.  Melody won the Live Theatre’s 2018 New Writing Award and is currently part of The Writing Squad and Northern Stage’s NORTH company development programme.

To find out more about Ours/Us/We, e-mail izzy@customshouse.co.uk.