From Wednesday to Saturday, Scottish Ballet brings The Nutcracker to Newcastle Theatre Royal.
At Northern Stage in Stage 3, Laura Lindow’s new stage version of War of the Worlds opens on Wednesday and runs until 10 February. Then, from Friday until 10 February, Third Angel and Northern Stage present The Department of Distractions, a conspiracy-theory documentary-exposé detective story for the 21st century.
At Live Theatre, Silk Road (How to Buy Drugs Online) runs on Thursday and Friday.
On Friday, Alphabetti Theatre presents its season launch and How to Take Over the World party, the latter (with DJ Paula Penman) being the result of the former. And it’s free. Then on Saturday, it’s the February Write Faster, three writers writing a brand new play in front of the audience, whilst it’s also being performed. They hand lines, stage directions and anything else they fancy to the actors for them to act out in front of your eyes. It could be epic—or rubbish.
Shrek the Musical returns to Sunderland Empire from Wednesday until 11 February.
On Thursday at the Queen’s Hall in Hexham, MultiStory Theatre presents Medea.
At Durham’s Gala Theatre on Sunday, Big Wooden Horse presents Monstersaurus! from the creators of Aliens Love Underpants (for ages 3+).
ARC Stockton’s annual New Writing Night returns on Tuesday, presenting an evening of work-in-progress sharings of new short plays. Plays include Her Father's Trophy by Ivory Campbell, Breakfast at Joseph's by Jo Raymond, Ring by Peter Eyre, In Mynde by Sandy Davison, Dating 101 by Yvonne Battle, Anywhere by Maria Laumark, Taken for a Ride by Noreen Rees and The Conciliator by Lewis Cuthbert. Then on Saturday at 11:30 and 2:30, Kitchen Zoo presents The Tin Foil Astronaut for ages 3 to 7.