Barnum comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday until 28 February.
Young People's First in Three, work in progress by local young theatremakers aged between 16 and 25, is at Northern Stage on Wednesday. It is followed on Thursday by Performing Research: Scratch Night, new theatre inspired by research being conducted now at Newcastle University, developed as part of a collaboration between theatre company Cap-a-Pie and Newcastle University.
At Live Theatre from Wednesday to Saturday new local company The Six Twenty presents Breakfast Hearts/Choirplay, a double bill of plays by Robin French.
On Monday The Russian State Ballet and Opera House brings Rigoletto to the Tyne Theatre and Opera House.
From Tuesday to Saturday Dance 'Til Dawn comes to Sunderland Empire.
Children's show The Three Little Pigs comes to the Customs House in South Shields from Tuesday to Thursday at 2PM.
From Tuesday to Saturday (2PM on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 7PM on Wednesday and Saturday) Oddsocks Productions presents The Wind in the Willows at Alnwick Playhouse.
Tideline Runners Theatre Company brings The Smallest Story Ever Told to The Maltings in Berwick from Thursday to Saturday.
On Thursday at 2:30PM and 4:45PM Hearthside Tales performs The Snow Bear (for children aged 4 to 7) at Hexham Library.
Durham Opera Ensemble presents The Marriage of Figaro at the Gala Theatre, Durham, on Saturday and Sunday.
PMA Productions brings Beauty and the Beast to Billingham Forum from Wednesday to Sunday.
On Friday at 11:30AM and 2:30PM Half Moon presents Up in the Attic for ages 3 to 6 at ARC Stockton.
The Russian State Ballet and Opera House production of Rigoletto comes to Darlington Civic on Tuesday. Then on Saturday and Sunday at 10AM, 1PM and 4PM it's the turn of children's show Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure.
John Aubrey's Brief Lives is at the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond on Saturday.
LipService brings The Picture of Doreen Gray to Harrogate Theatre on Thursday and Friday.