Opera North returns to Newcastle’s Theatre Royal this week with Tosca (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7:30) and The Merry Widow (Wednesday and Friday at 7:30).
There are a number of shows at Northern Stage this week. In Stage 2 from Monday to Wednesday (various times), Lyngo Theatre presents Egg and Spoon, an interactive romp through the seasons for children aged 1 to 5. On the same days at 4:30 in Stage 1, it’s Dinosaur World Live!, another interactive show in which children of 3+ are invited to meet a host of impressive creatures, including every child's favourite flesh-eating giant, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Triceratops, Giraffatitan, Microraptor and Segnosaurus. On Tuesday at 8:00, Edinburgh Fringe hit O No!, a show about reckless optimism, avant-garde art and what we might yet have to learn from the hippies, comes to Stage 3. Finally in Stage 1 on Thursday at 7:30, it’s Tangomotion, a breath-taking journey into the heart of Tango Argentino.
At Live Theatre, Clear White Light, by Paul Sirett and featuring the songs of Alan Hull of Lindisfarne, continues until 10 November.
On Thursday at Alphabetti, Lucy Haighton and Heather Morgan present Beam, which is Granny's story, a story about hope, a celebration of the bravery and risks taken by an older generation, and leaves the audience questioning their own capacity to take such risks in the world today. Then on Friday at 8:00, The Suggestibles School of Improv presents 4 1 Night Only and finally on Saturday, it’s the October edition of Alphabetti Soup: music, comedy, poetry and a new play by Wendy Errington.
CaroleW Productions presents Nathan and Ida's Hot Dog Stand on Wednesday and Thursday at Gosforth Civic Theatre. Nathan and Ida Hardwerker have left the old country to build a better life for themselves in the new world. With nothing but a will to succeed and a secret recipe for sauce, they discover love, dice with danger, tangle with villains and create the hottest hot-dog in town.
On Friday (7:30) and Saturday (1:30), Ballet Wales presents Cinderella at Dance City in Newcastle.
Miss Saigon opens at Sunderland Empire on Wednesday and runs until 17 November.
Two children’s shows come to Arts Centre Washington this week. On Tuesday, Garlic Theatre presents 3 Little Pig Tails. In Paris, a grumpy old wolf is a chef who wants some pigs' tails for his soup. With puppets and live music for age 3+. Then on Saturday at 11:00 and 2:00, Storypocket Theatre presents Storyteller, Storyteller, the story of what happens when two storytellers arrive at the same place at the same time to tell their stories. For ages 3+.
There are a number of one night only productions at the Customs House this week. On Monday (2:30 and 7:30), the Russian National Ballet presents Swan Lake; on Tuesday at 7:30, the Rosie Kay Dance Company presents MK Ultra, an exploration of the idea of brainwashing in popular culture; on Wednesday (1:30 and 6:30), Hocus Panto is a “ghoulishly spooktacular parody production, with magical illusions, pop songs and things that go bump in the night.” Finally on Friday at 11:00 and 2:00, CBeebies’ Patrick Lynch stars in Tom Thumb.
Also in South Shields, recently formed production company Walton Gunn presents a Hallowe’en children’s panto, Peter Plank’s Spooky Spectacular Show, at the Pier Pavilion (just off the Sea Front) on Saturday (2:00 and 5:00) and Sunday (11:00, 2:00 and 5:00). Peter, out trick-or-treating, finds himself in a haunted graveyard with a cursed ghost. Can he, his mam and his friends overcome the ghost? Oh yes, and how many sweets can he eat?
On Wednesday, Reform Theatre brings John Godber’s This Might Hurt to the Queen’s Hall in Hexham.
Also on Wednesday, Timeworks Theatre brings its new version of the Frankenstein story, Frankenstein: A Gothic Creation, to The Exchange in North Shields.
Baby Love Productions bring Tom Kelly’s new play Love Songs to Seaton Delaval Arts Centre on Saturday, the last stop on its short tour.
English Touring Opera returns to the Gala in Durham this week with a triple bill of Dido and Aeneas (Purcell), Jonas (Carissimi) and I Will Not Speak (Gesualdo) on Monday and Radamisto (Handel) on Tuesday.
Orville the Owl, the story of an owl who has lots of worries, worries about the dark and the light, is at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Monday at 10:30 (for under-6s).
Rumpus Theatre Company brings The 11th Hour, a new play about the last moments of World War I, to Billingham Forum on Tuesday at 2:30 and 7:30. Then on Saturday at 7:30, Chrissy Rock and Tommy Cannon star in Seriously Dead.
Love Songs is at Middlesbrough Theatre on Tuesday, followed on Wednesday by Russian National Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.
A busy week at Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre begins on Tuesday with Bonnie Love and The Bonnettes presenting Drag Me To Love, an autobiographical, three-person show combining drag performance with theatrical storytelling. Then on Thursday, Rumpus Theatre Company brings a new gothic horror story to the venue, The Devil’s Bride, based on a story by Sheridan Le Fanu. Finally on Friday, Forgotten Memories presents Keep The Home Fires Burning, a new musical featuring the songs of the Great War.
At ARC Stockton on Wednesday, Gracefool Collective presents This Really Is Too Much at 7:00.
On Friday and Saturday (various times), Catherine Wheels Theatre Company presents Martha, an original story about friendship created by Andy Manley, Gill Robertson and Annie Wood for age 4+, at The Hullabaloo in Darlington.
On Thursday, Apollo Theatre Company and Spike Milligan Productions bring The Goon Show by Spike Milligan to the Majestic Theatre, Darlington.
James Hill was probably the most famous fiddler on Tyneside during the late Georgian and early Victorian period. Jimmy's Fiddle, which comes to the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond on Saturday, is a reflective account of his life, told through ‘Jimmy’s ghost’ and set in and around The Hawk public house, which was owned by his future father-in-law.
At Harrogate Theatre on Monday, Bent Architect presents Women of Aktion. It's 1935 and Joan Littlewood is collaborating with German playwright Ernst Toller on his play Draw The Fires, telling the story of the revolution that ended WWI. But Joan hates the play. Where are the women in this story, she demands to know?