Hello and welcome to my Substack! I hope you all had a splendid bank holiday weekend, if you are lucky enough to get bank holidays. (As a freelancer who often deals with international clients, I admit I tend not to notice bank holidays, but this weekend I actually had some time off so am currently in the ‘hell, yes, I like a three-day weekend!’ mode…) Bit of a bumper one today, as there is SO much great theatre to see coming up.
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[Image description: fancily plated food, including what looks like roast carrots, on a tomato sauce base]
Theatre to book now
Unruly at ARC
ARC Stockton continues to do exciting things and present them in exciting – and accessible – ways. One such piece of work is the preview of ARC Associate Artist Vici Wreford-Sinnott‘s new show, Unruly. Dubbed ‘a love letter to the spirit of activism’, this sounds like it could be really special, as well as being particularly timely.
With music by Beccy Owen, and directed by Bex Bowsher, this is the story of a disability rights activist looking back over her life after the loss of her best friend. Given the ongoing attacks on disabled people by our government and a media that seems intent to paint them as feckless scroungers, this feels ever more urgent. You can attend the preview or watch it online on Thursday 23 May.
Alphabetti Film Club
Alphabetti continues to push the envelope of what a theatre space should provide, and this month launches its new film club. The screenings kick off with Gaza Surf Club on 11 May, on which the theatre is also hosting the Red Cross Tea Party. So buy a cuppa or some cake to support a worthy cause! Future screenings include Jubilee, Some Like It Hot, Thelma and Louise and Time Bandits.
Also at Alphabetti, I like the sound of the Sardines and Personal Best double bill coming later this month. Sardines by Emily Ash is a story of workplace revenge and self-awareness, while Personal Best by Jude Nelson finds someone trying to find herself through running. It’s only on a couple of nights, so book up now!
Live Theatre
Over at Live, they are gearing up for their first big show of the year, Stewart Pringle’s The Bounds. I’ve long been a fan of Pringle’s work, having seen his writing before in London and York, so it’s exciting to have this new show come to a Newcastle stage. A Royal Court co-production, it’s premiering here before heading there in July, so you should all go to see it if for no other reason than to say you saw it before those London folk…
(And remember, if you need to you can book a Touch Tour for the show – see the website for details).
Also opening at Live this month is gobscure’s yu have already survived, which includes both a walk-through installation and performances by the artist.
Customs House
The Customs House Takeover Young Writer in Residence play for 2024 is Demons by Jonathan Iceton, which is set in a dungeons and dragons club in Low Fell and sounds a riot. Tickets are pay what you feel, but it’s only on for one night, so get booking!
Comedy at Laurels
While Laurels’ big season doesn’t kick off till summer (though I am sure there will be lots of short run stuff announced before that), it’s worth remembering the venue also hosts a regular comedy club. Hosted by the ever-charming Si Beckwith and with a great line up of guests, it’s definitely worth checking out. (Keep an eye out, too, on Laurels’ socials for announcements about the first Whitley Bay Comedy Fest, which is coming in July.)
The Watch House on tour
Speaking both of Laurels and of seeing things in the North East first, it’s great to see a play that premiered at Laurels get a wider tour. The Watch House, an adaptation of the Robert Westall novel by Papatango’s Chris Foxon, is touring this autumn.
A North East-set ghost story, it’s an ideal night out for your pre- or post-Halloween spooky needs. I’ll likely talk more about it nearer the time, but let’s celebrate the fact that such a show gets a second life. (And remind ourselves that seeing smaller shows when they start out potentially gives FANTASTIC bragging rights later: think of everyone currently going ‘well, obviously I saw Baby Reindeer when it was on stage, of course…)
The People’s Theatre
Over at The People’s Theatre, there’s a chance to see a much-loved modern classic, Nick Payne’s Constellations. When this play was recently revived with multiple iterations of the central couple, there was some flack that it included a male-male pairing but not a two-women love story, so it’s fantastic to see The People’s Theatre step into that gap, with Ellie Pullen and Cat White as the couple whose lives go off in multiple tangents.
I admit I am one of precisely 5 people in the world who doesn’t totally love this play - I saw it when it premiered in London way back - but I also recognise I am in the minority, since pretty much everyone else I know is fairly obsessed with it. But even given my own antipathy, I think making it a love story between two women will add a freshness and additional layers that could tempt even me to go and see it again. So get yourselves along and feel free to tell me how wrong I am for not loving it…
Crossing the Tees Book Festival
Taking place at venues across Teesside, Crossing the Tees Book Festival arrives in June, with a range of author events and workshops. Events range from big-name author evenings (including Vera scribe Ann Cleeves), local author events and creativity workshops. I particularly like the sound of Embroidered Collage, which teaches you how to repurpose pages from damaged books, and The Bookshop Band, which features a concert of songs inspired by books.
What I am watching
I rarely go to the cinema anymore – until last night I could count on my thumbs how many times I’d been since lockdown. In part, this is just that I got out of the habit when cinemas closed, and then it became a time and resource thing: if I’m going to spend money on a night out, I’d rather it went to live shows and local talent, and on something that I can only experience in the moment, not something that will be on TV in a few months’ time. (Besides, the money I am already shelling out for streaming services and Sky Cinema feels like enough to be spending on films already!)
But Newcastle has some lovely venues, and I feel like I need to start supporting them a bit more, so I dragged myself along to see The Fall Guy at The Everyman last night, drawn by the lure of cocktails and comfy sofas.
I am old enough to remember the TV show this is based on – though also menopausal enough not to make the connection until someone pointed it out – but you don’t need any pre-knowledge to enjoy (though stick around for the post-credits scene for a shoutout). While it’s a bit too long (though in fairness, I do think this of everything), it’s a riotous, often silly but also weirdly heartfelt tribute to the business of moviemaking. Ryan Gosling is at his most charming, Emily Blunt feels more fleshed out than most love interests, and there’s a stellar supporting cast including Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
It’s not life-changing, but honestly, I am a big fan of the fact that between them the two Ryans (Reynolds and Gosling) seem committed to reminding us that movies can actually just be fun, so would recommend it on that basis alone…
[Image description: The Instruments of Darkness book, by John Connolly]
What I am reading
I downloaded a bunch of books to my Kindle in advance of all the travelling I had lined up – so what did I do? Yes, I lugged a bloody great hardback on the train to Edinburgh this week. In my defence, it was my pre-ordered copy of the new John Connolly ‘Charlie Parker’ book, The Instruments of Darkness. I’ve got in the habit of advance ordering these from No Alibis in Belfast, because Connolly – ever the advocate of real-life bookshops (he delayed the publication of one of his books in 2020 so that shops wouldn’t lose sales to online outlets) - offers exclusive free merch with pre-orders from bricks and mortar shops. (I have a rather splendid collection of Parker totes, now, and this time it was a gorgeous metal bookmark to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary).
Anyway, this arrived just as I was leaving to get my train, and I couldn’t bear to leave it. The Parker supernatural thrillers are definitely not for everyone – man, that shit is DARK – but I am obsessed with them. While some so-called ‘genre’ novels can feel slapdash or churned out, Connolly’s prose is exquisite - I regularly stop and reread a sentence just because it’s so beautifully written - and his storytelling precise, nuanced and smart. Plus, Angel and Louis might just be my favourite fictional couple of all time (I often find myself reading these books twice in quick succession, since much of the first read is spent wondering when they will show up - I just love them, your honour!). This latest offering was a satisfying addition to one of crime’s best series.
The other book I am reading is Circe, by Madeline Miller. The conjunction of the two rather illustrates how I tend to approach reading books – read them the minute I get them, or put them on a shelf for four years. I absolutely adored Song of Achilles – like, telling total strangers unprompted they had to read it level of adoration – so I bought Circe the day it came out. And then… um, didn’t read it. (I just checked the publication date, and am horrified it was actually SIX YEARS ago. SIX YEARS I let a book by an author I love sit on my shelf!) Anyway, so far it is proving just as beguiling as I hoped, which is making me even more annoyed I waited so long to read it.
Where I have been eating
While the reason for my Edinburgh jaunt was to catch up with friends, it did give me an excuse to visit David Bann again. One of my favourite vegetarian restaurants, this is definitely on the fancy side, so not somewhere you are going to pop out to for a midweek snack, but ideal for a special occasion or even if you just want something a little different from the standard vegetarian fare.
[Image description: more fancily plated food]
Thanks again for reading – please do share with your friends! Every new subscriber (free or paid) 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.
Hi Tracey - as ever a great post 👍 Really glad that the Watch House is going on a run. Much enjoyed seeing it at the small but perfectly formed The Laurels. I've got my ticket for The Bounds too and much looking forward to that.