What's on in the North East

Published: 8 October 2017
Reporter: Peter Lathan

Sunset Boulevard (Newcastle Theatre Royal) Credit: Manuel Harlan
The Hartlepool Monkey (Northern Stage) Credit: Dan Tsantilis
Goth Weekend (Live Theatre) Credit: Tony Bartholemew
Dust of the Street’s Shining (Gala Theatre, Durham)

Sunset Boulevard, with Ria Jones as Norma Desmond, runs at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday to Saturday.

On Tuesday and Wednesday at Northern Stage (Stage 3), Aine Flanagan Productions, Seiriol Davies and The Young Vic presents a new musical, How to Win against History, the story of Henry Cyril Paget, 5th Marquis of Anglesey, who was one of the Earth's wealthiest men, until he lost it all by being too damn fabulous! Then from Wednesday to Saturday (various times) in Stage 1 Gyre and Gimble with Fuel in association with Stratford Circus Arts Centre present The Hartlepool Monkey, the story of the famous legend. The production is suitable for age 10+.

After premièring at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, Ali Taylor’s Goth Weekend comes to Live Theatre from Wednesday until 28 October.

At Alphabetti from Tuesday to Thursday, Unholy Mess in Association with Omnibus Theatre present Above the Mealy-mouthed Sea. Then on Saturday Inua Ellams and Fuel return with An Evening with an Immigrant.

The revival of the Customs House production of Geordie the Musical comes to the Tyne Theatre and Opera House from Wednesday to Saturday.

Joss Arnott Dance brings a triple bill of A Movement in 3, V and Rush to Dance City on Friday.

Spamalot returns to Sunderland Empire from Tuesday to Thursday.

At Arts Centre Washington on Thursday, Most Wanted in association with LittleMighty presents Life by the Throat, a celebration of the men Eve Steele has known, loved and wanted to punch in the face.

At the Queen’s Hall in Hexham this week: on Wednesday (10:00, 11:30 and 1:30) Tam Tam Theatre presents Leaf, a 25-minute piece for the under 3s; on Thursday, The Actors of Dionysus present Sophocles’ Antigone and on Saturday at 11:00 and 2:00 Clydebuilt Puppets present Jack and Billy in Fee Fi Fo Fum (for age 3+).

Dirty Dusting is at Playhouse Whitley Bay on Saturday.

Bonnie and the Bonnettes bring Drag Me to Love to Durham’s Gala Theatre on Friday. Then on Sunday at 3:00, as part of the Durham Book Festival, Little Cog presents Dust of the Street’s Shining, a play by Alison Carr, performed by Jacqueline Phillips.

On Tuesday at Middlesbrough Theatre Paines Plough presents Growth by Luke Norris. Then on Saturday the Russian National Ballet presents The Nutcracker.

Total Theatre Award winners Two Destination Language bring Manpower, a politically complex commentary on England's working men over the last 40 years, to ARC Stockton on Thursday at 7:00.

In Darlington on Thursday and Friday at the Quaker Meeting House and on Saturday at the Head of Steam (various times), Nest is an immersive performance for pre-walking babies and their carers.

Bomb Happy looks at the experiences of five ordinary lads from D-Day to VE-Day at the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond on Friday. It is followed on Saturday by a “high-speed Commedia Dell'Arte adaptation” of Lady Windermere’s Fan.

On Tuesday, The Game's a Foot, Try The Fish and The Man with the Twisted Hip come to the Harrogate Theatre Studio as part of Harrogate Comedy Festival.

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