Sunderland Empire has announced its programme from August 2015 to April 2016.
August begins with four-time Grammy Award-winning South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and multi award-winning choreographer Mark Baldwin in a unique artistic collaboration, INALA (2 August). Featuring current and former dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert, this critically acclaimed production promises a fusion of South African and Western cultures live on stage.
The National Theatre production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (11-15 August) returns to the north east as part its nationwide tour. Christopher, fifteen years old, has an extraordinary brain—exceptional at maths while ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion of killing Mrs Shears’s dog, it takes him on a journey that upturns his world. This play is based on the award-winning novel by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott.
The summer ends with Priscilla Queen of the Desert, returning by popular demand from 31 August to 5 September, then from 8 to 19 September another favourite, Jersey Boys, returns with NE actor Matt Corner in the role of Frankie Valli.
Birmingham Royal Ballet returns to its home in the north east with a lavish production of the classic Swan Lake (22 to 24 October) and, next year, the tale of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet (17 to 19 March 2016).
From 26 to 31 October Dreamboats and Miniskirts, the sequel to Dreamboats and Petticoats, arrives to showcase the greatest hits of the '60s. It’s 1963 and the Petticoats gang are growing up and facing new challenges, featuring hit after hit.
Shrek The Musical is set to stomp into Sunderland from 11 to 22 November as our unlikely hero and his loyal steed Donkey embark on a quest to rescue the beautiful (if slightly temperamental) Princess Fiona from a fire breathing, love-sick dragon.
This year’s panto is Aladdin (11 December to 3 January) with ITV’s This Morning’s Alison Hammond as the Slave of the Ring, Coronation Street’s Terence Maynard as Abanazar and Channel 5’s Milkshake’s Derek Moran as Wishee Washee.
2016 begins with The Hoff, the star of Baywatch and Knight Rider, as an extrovert party-going DJ and night club owner in Ibiza in Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (6 to 9 January 2016). His teenage daughter arrives to stay for the summer and he has to cope with being a single parent to a girl who wants to meet boys and live the party life. Suddenly his motto is "do as I say, not as I did!"
After Thriller Live (25 to 30 January 2016) and Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacace in The Last Tango (9 to 13 February 2016), the Whitney Houston musical The Bodyguard comes to the Empire from 1 to 12 March 2016 and then, from 28 March to 2 April, Annie starring Lesley Joseph arrives.