Hexham’s Queen’s Hall Arts Centre has announced its new season through to May 2019. As always, it comprises visual arts, theatre, music, comedy, spoken word and film. The theatrical highlights are:
28 February – Where There’s Muck There’s Bras
A subversive performance / lecture by Kate Fox uncovering the hidden history of the writers, scientists, sportswomen, politicians, protestors, musicians, innovators, activists and other heroines who represent the grit, determination and spirit of the North’s women.
1 March – Old Boy
A show about the unique bond between real-life grandfathers and grandsons that explores male family relationships and the legacy that is passed down through generations, featuring a cast of real-life Northumbrian grandfathers and grandsons.
11 March – Tensile Strength
Written and performed by Holly Gallagher, Tensile Strength (or How to Survive at Your Wit's End) is a performance about stress and figuring out why so many of us feel it to an unhealthy degree. It’s about fear, pressure, uncertainty. It’s about sadness and mental health and how we help ourselves. It’s about feeling like things are all A Bit Too Much and then the cat goes missing.
13 & 14 March – Miss Julie
Durham’s Elysium Theatre Company presents Strindberg’s major classic. Midsummer Night in an old manor house in the North East. For one night only, servants and masters are equal and drink and dance together into the small hours... An electrifying play of sex and class.
13 April – A Brave Face
It's Afghanistan, 2009. Ryan is there to see the world, learn a trade, get a life. Training’s complete, combat is a buzz. But on one particular hot and desperate tour of duty, Ryan sees things he can’t talk about, to anyone. And when he returns home, the trouble really begins. Vamos uses its trademark wordless, full mask style to explore post traumatic stress.
25 April – Two 2
Jim Cartwright’s revisits the lives, loves and laughs of regulars in a Northern boozer. Time may have passed but the pub is still standing—just! Punters are now few and far between and, despite all attempts at quiz nights, karaoke and pub grub, it could soon be last orders for the struggling landlord and lady. Presented by Reform Theatre.
21 May – Foods and Feuds: Two Cooks of Hexham
Mrs Hannah Glasse and guests invite you to join them for an evening of culinary and theatrical experiment. A sneak preview of the November Club’s new work-in-progress, celebrating the 18th century Hexham-born author of the best-selling cookbook of all time, The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy. It's an imaginary time-travelling gathering, bringing Glasse, Ann Cook (Glasse’s sworn enemy and rival) and Isabella Beeton together, to cook whilst they talk about their hopes and dreams from conflict to sisterhood.
24 May – Three Men in a Boat
Jerome K Jerome (played by Giles Shenton) recounts the hilarious story of his boating holiday along the magnificent River Thames with his two companions and Montmorency, the dog, a ridiculous tale of men behaving badly while messing about in boats.
Also in the programme are five shows for children:
17 March – Mini Magic Flute
Produced by Opera North at Hexham Library (10:30). For ages 4+. A Prince is in search of a Princess, but will they ever find one another? What adventures lie in wait for them along the way? A trio of opera singers and an accordionist invite you to join them for a family-friendly, interactive retelling of Mozart’s magical fairy tale where nothing is quite as it first appears… (Includes a workshop and the performance.)
8 & 9 April – The Tin Foil Astronaut
A race to put the first human on the Moon. But our astronaut isn’t quite like others... she’s different. Alba has been in training and she has even made her own rocket! (For age 3 – 7) (Various times).
14 April – Mischief and Mystery in Moomin Valley
At 11:00 and 2:00, young audiences aged 4 to 7 years can expect snow, surprises and plenty of Moomin mischief. Open a book and discover a world where anything is possible.
20 April - Chicken Licken
Meet the birds and join the band. We’ll tell the tale with a musical jam. A musical storytelling experience for all the family to explore an old fable in a new way with fun, fake news and feathers.
22 & 23 May – The Tiger Who Came to Tea
The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big, stripy tiger! A show for children of 3 and over, packed with oodles of magic, sing-a-long songs and clumsy chaos.