What's on in the North East

Published: 19 February 2017
Reporter: Peter Lathan

Danza Contemporanea de Cuba (Theatre Royal, Newcastle)
The Wedding Singer (Sunderland Empire)
The Bear (The Maltings, Berwick)

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba returns to Newcastle Theatre Royal and on Friday and Saturday the venue presents Hadaway Harry, the story of Harry Clasper, the first Geordie sporting superstar.

Northern Stage presents Hedda Gabler, this is not a love story on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday Dr Frankenstein returns. In Stage 3 on Wednesday at 6:30 and on Saturday at 2PM, Present from the Past: Reclaiming Work by Women presents forgotten plays by female writers in script-in-hand readings, with an introduction by academics and supported by Newcastle University.

  • Wed at 6.30: Whackham and Windham the Wrangling Lawyers by Miss J M Scott, directed by Rebecca Frecknall
  • Sat at 2.00: The Basset Table by Susanna Centlivre, directed by Erica Whyman

Then in Stage 2 from Thursday until 4 March at 4PM, Curious Monkey in association with Northern Stage presents Leaving by Paddy Campbell.

This week, Live Lab Elevator returns to Live Theatre with workshops and masterclasses in addition to a double bill of new work—Parklife by Mhairi Ledgerwood and Sex with Robots and Other Devices by Nessah Muthy—on Wednesday and Friday, four work-in-progress extracts on Thursday and Fanshen’s Blackout in the Studio on Saturday (limited availability for the 4PM show, returns only at 6PM).

We Are Ian runs at Alphabetti from Wednesday to Friday and on Saturday there’s another Alphabetti Soup: music, comedy and poetry along with a new play, Feedback, by Mike Yeaman.

The Wedding Singer comes to Sunderland Empire from Tuesday to Saturday.

At 10:30, 1PM and 3:30 on Tuesday at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland, Sunderland Stages presents Theatre Hullabaloo’s Spirits of the Sea (for age 6+).

The Customs House presents The Cow Jumped over the Moon for age 7+ at 2PM from Wednesday to Friday and on Saturday Ballet Theatre UK presents Giselle.

On Thursday at 1:30 and 3:30, Nonsense Room Productions brings Shark in the Park (for age 2+) to Alnwick Playhouse.

On Wednesday at 2PM, Pins and Needles Productions brings its version of Raymond Briggs’s The Bear to The Maltings at Berwick.

Tiata Fahodzi presents good dog at the Queen’s Hall in Hexham on Tuesday.

At the Playhouse Whitley Bay on Thursday at 2PM and 6PM, Immersion Theatre presents Alice in Wonderland and on Friday at 2:30 The Spotbots from CBeebies star in Treasure Island.

At 11AM and 2PM on Friday at Durham’s Gala Theatre, Sponge—which is all about all things spongy and is aimed at babies from 6 moths and children under 4—provides “a fabulously kitsch adventure into the 1970s.”

On Sunday at 7:30, Ballet Theatre UK brings Alice in Wonderland to Bishop Auckland Town Hall.

ABD Productions’ musical adaptation of Jane Eyre comes to Billingham Forum from Wednesday to Saturday.

Oddsocks’ version of The Jungle Book comes to Middlesbrough Theatre on Thursday at 2PM and 7PM, then Ballet Theatre UK presents Giselle on Friday, followed by comedy Seriously Dead on Saturday.

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads comes to Hartlepool Town Hall on Tuesday, followed by Mavis Sparkle at 2PM on Sunday.

On Thursday at 7PM, ARC Stockton hosts a preview of Daniel Bye’s new piece Safe House.

Compagnie Animotion brings The Musicians of Bremen, mixing circus, live music and puppetry, to The Witham in Barnard Castle at 2PM on Friday, aimed at early years.

Sponge comes to the Dolphin Centre in Darlington on Thursday at 11AM and 2PM. Tickets from the Civic Theatre box office.

Tim Luscombe’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey comes to the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond on Friday.

The Sooty Show is in the Main House at Harrogate Theatre at 11AM and 2:30 on Monday while from Thursday to Saturday, at 11AM and 2PM in the Studio, Fidget Theatre in association with LittleMighty presents Molly’s Marvellous Moustache, aimed at ages 3 to 7.

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