Hello! A shorter Substack this week since you got two last week, you lucky things!
First off, I’m starting with a shameless plug – I am doing a book promo throughout July, with four – four! – of my books available on Kindle for 99p. From the Newcastle-set romcom The Bridesmaid Blues to vampire romp Dark Dates to the much darker and definitely not for everyone contemporary story Doll and my collection of (equally dark) short stories, No Love Is This, there’s something for all tastes.
I’d LOVE it if you bought one (for yourself! For a friend! For a doorstop!) and if you have already – thank you! – remember that reviews are super helpful for us indies… (honestly, it’s really quite grim being a writer these days, so any support always welcome!)
[Image description: Dark Dates, Bridesmaid Blues and No Love is This by Tracey Sinclair, with some Dark Dates bookmarks]
And if that’s not for you – WHY NOT?! They’re great! Honest! – you can buy me a Ko-fi, or become a free or paid subscriber, or just share this newsletter with friends.
Theatre to book now – festivals galore!
I’ve mentioned both before so won’t go into detail again here, but both the Newcastle Fringe Festival and the Whitley Bay Comedy Festival are running throughout July, giving you a great chance to catch Edinburgh Fringe previews, works in progress as well as local or touring acts.
The Fringe site has a handy chart so you can see what’s on each week, where and when: sometimes with a Fringe, it’s worth just picking a time and a venue and seeing whatever fits your schedule.
Likewise, The Whitley Bay Comedy Festival is jam-packed with shows, so there’s sure to be something of your liking…
Over in Durham, Durham Fringe runs towards the end of July and has a packed programme (see previous newsletters for my picks). I haven’t booked anything yet but last year saw a couple of shows and found it a great way not only to see new work but also to discover some nooks of the city I wasn’t familiar with.
Writing opportunities at Live
Live has opened applications for its ten-week playwriting course, which aims to steer writers through the process of creating a full-length play, culminating in a rehearsed reading. I know a few people who have done this course and found it super helpful to their creative practice, so it’s definitely worth checking it out. The deadline for applications is Sep 2 (but do double check the website!) (Never trust me when it comes to dates…)
Tyneside Cinema events
The Tyneside has some fantastic events this month, from screenings of 90s films to a chance to catch the late, great Donald Sutherland masterpiece Don’t Look Now on the big screen, to special one-off events. There’s also the chance to see the original Star Wars movies on the big screen, and a host of other classics being screened, including Lord of the Rings and Jaws.
My classic movies knowledge is a bit spotty, so often the first time I’ve seen a ‘classic’ film has been on the big screen, and it’s amazing the difference that can make. I actually only saw Jaws the whole way through at a Tyneside screening pre-lockdown (I know, I know), and seeing it on a big screen really made me understand how it had the impact it did.
Showcasing Black and global majority artists in the North East, the screening of a double bill of I Sing To Be Free and Inner Gods includes a Q&A with the film-makers and entry to the afterparty, all for a bargain six quid.
There’s also a Q&A with Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake) alongside a screening of Belgian queer comedy drama Turtles. We don’t get to see enough stories about elder LGBTQ+ people, so this sounds a real treat.
[Image description: Cross-stitch: ‘Yes, Chef!’ with knife detail]
What I am watching
I finally got around to The Acolyte, the latest outing in the Star Wars canon. I really hate the fan culture now where anything deemed too ‘woke’ gets review bombed by toxic fanboys, then over-defended by people trying to balance that, so it becomes impossible to actually get a fair read on the critical reaction to a show (see also: The Marvels, a much-maligned but actually super-fun movie.) And while the obvious answer to that is ‘watch it yourself and make up your mind’ there’s so much TV and so little time it’s occasionally nice to get a steer towards or away from things.
So, I went in not sure what to expect, and so far, it’s… fine. The cast are mostly great (with the episode 5 bad guy reveal properly exciting, even though I’d been spoiled on it by Twitter) and there are some corking fight scenes, but it shares the same issues that a lot of the Disney Star Wars stuff does: flat writing, a plot that doesn’t quite justify the episode / series lengths, and the ‘filmed through the bottom of a dirty fish bowl’ muddied aesthetic that comes from an over-reliance on digital effects and not enough proper bloody lighting. (See also: Shardlake). But for now, it’s an interesting enough premise that I’ll stick with it.
Another show that is now being slated because woke is The Boys, returning for its fourth season. Again, it feels hard to criticise without sounding like one of the rabid MAGA mob who only just got the joke (and realised it was on them), but the truth is, I do feel like series 4 has got a little tired. Stripped of what little subtlety it had (which, in fairness, was never much), the show feels over-reliant on shock-and-gore, with the human moments lost in the noise. Still, a top-notch cast – a stellar Anthony Starr, Karl Urban and Claudia Doumit this season joined by the always welcome Jeffrey Dean Morgan – is keeping me watching so far.
Finally, a more universally acclaimed return is The Bear season 3. It took me a while to get into this show – the first two episodes of season 1 were just so frenetic! – but much nagging from friends got me to stick with it, and it settled down into something quite beautiful. It’s still quite a stressful watch – I’m usually a binger, but I honestly can’t manage more than a couple of episodes at a time – and it makes me wonder why anyone would ever want to work in a restaurant. But from this season’s beautiful, dialogue-light and impressionistic opening episode, it’s a show that grabs your heart and isn’t afraid to squeeze.
What I am reading
I’ve been feeling very anxious about the election (VOTE! VOTE! Unless you’re a Tory or Reform fan, in which case stay home, you’ve done enough damage already), so indulging in some comfort reading this week: rereading ‘the witches’ books from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Pratchett’s anger-fuelled humaneness always feels grounding and never more necessary than now.
I also picked up Elly Griffiths’ collection of short stories, The Man in Black. I always find Griffiths detective stories very readable, and though I don’t generally love crime short stories – I like a crime plot to have more time to develop – this is a very easy read, and features appearances from some of her most famous characters: Max Mephisto, Ruth and Nelson, and Harbinder Kaur.
[Image description: The Man in Black by Elly Griffiths]
Speaking of books, Tees Valley artist Lisette Auton’s new book for children is published this week, and sounds like an absolute delight. Lights Up is billed as “a magical story full of ghosts, theatre, love, friendship and family”.
I was lucky enough to meet Lisette recently and she was lovely, so I’m doubly excited to recommend this book. (Also, like most people with even a tangential relationship with theatre, I find the whole ‘ghost light’ concept - where a light is kept on to stop a dormant stage being completely dark - deeply compelling, so I am glad to see mention of it here…)
[Image description: the cover for Lights Up by Lisette Auton]
Thanks again for reading – please do share with your friends! Every new subscriber really does give me a boost. And remember if you want to support my writing but a paid subscription isn’t for you (times are hard, I get it!), you can buy me a one-off Ko-fi or buy one of my books.
Remember: everything included is my personal preference / opinion, and while I strive to be accurate, I always advising checking with the relevant venue.