Tag: whats on

SOL Announce Series Of Spring Offers

By on 8th March 2016in Local Biz

One of the North East’s leading venues is springing into action with a seasonal offer for corporate events…

SOL, the brand behind conferences and celebrations at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, has announced a limited availability day delegate rate for bookings made before the end of March.

The offer, valid for events involving more than 40 people, includes full day hire of any of the stadium’s purpose built function rooms, including the signature Montgomery Suite, capable of seating up to 1000 people.

It also incorporates food for a working lunch, use of a flipchart, LCD projector, conference stationery, welcome signage and three servings of tea and coffee throughout the day.

As with all SOL events at the Stadium of Light, those booking the special spring conference package will also benefit from a dedicated duty manager, housekeeping staff, ample free parking and complimentary WiFi access.

Gary Hutchinson, Commercial Director for SAFC, said: “The Stadium of Light has played host to a wide range of events over the past 20 years, including product launches, exhibitions and conferences for large multi-nationals.

“This spring offer is designed to reward our loyal customers and open our doors to companies who may not have used our facilities before.”

SOL’s spring conference offer at the Stadium of Light is priced at £20.16 per person and subject to availability.

It is one of a number of tailored packages being introduced by SOL to cater for specific sectors, including charity events and personal celebrations.

For more information, or to book, call 0871 911 1555, email conf&banq@safc.com or visit www.safc.com.

Further details about SoL, which also incorporates catering and events at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland and specialist subsidiary 1879 Events Management, can also be found by visiting www.1879events, calling 0871 911 1269, emailing info@1879events.com or following @1879Events on Twitter.

Further Acts Announced For North East LGBT Festival

By on 8th March 2016in Entertainment

One of the UK’s leading LGBT events now has even more reasons to be ‘Proud’ after announcing the first acts in its new extended line-up…

Newcastle Pride, one of the largest free festivals of its kind in the country, is returning with its longest ever programme of live entertainment for summer 2016.

Among the many highlights will be three days of live music at Newcastle Town Moor, starting Friday July 15, including a headline performance by singing superstar, Heather Small.

Heather, who is best known as frontwoman for 90s favourites M People, has lent her vocal talents to a string of hits, including Moving On Up, One Night In Heaven and Search For The Hero.

Her signature solo tune, Proud, which was used as the theme song for a host of key events, including London’s successful 2012 Olympic BID, is in-keeping with Newcastle Pride 2016’s theme, be yourself, change the world, #be proud.

Heather, who also appeared on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, will be joined during the festival’s main music weekend by a host of top talent, including fellow reality TV star Jake Quickenden and actress and singer Heather Peace, who wowed the crowd in 2015.

Also set to appear are 80s chart success and club favourite Hazell Dean, former Brother Beyond star, Nathan Moore, boyband The Ambition and South Shields singing sensation, Cortney Dixon, with more big names still to be announced.

Mark Nichols, Chair of Northern Pride which organises the popular event, said: “The line-up for Newcastle Pride 2016 looks set to be one of our strongest ever and these are only half of the acts that are taking part.

“We’re absolutely thrilled that Heather has agreed to be one of our headliners, especially as her anthem Proud fits in so well with this year’s theme and we’re sure that people will be just as pleased with our second headliner, which we hope to announce in the next few weeks.”

Newcastle Pride, which is now in its 9th year, attracted a record 71,000 visitors in 2015, with an additional 480,000 listening live around the world on Pride Radio.

This year, to cope with increased demand, Northern Pride are extending the festival to include more satellite events at venues around Newcastle.

The full schedule for these functions will be announced in the coming months, but they are expected to span from the start of June until the end of July.

“Newcastle Pride 2015 was more popular than anyone expected,” said Mark, “contributing more than £9m to the North East economy.

“This year we’re working hard to make it bigger and better than ever before and have extended our line up to cover two full months in an effort to give more visitors the chance to enjoy themselves and get involved.”

Newcastle Pride’s Main Stage weekend is free to attend, however a number of Gold Circle and VIP tickets are available for those who want to guarantee prime viewing spots.  These are priced from £12 per person and are on sale now at www.northern-pride.com/shop/tickets. Some of the satellite events may also incur a charge and these will be detailed where appropriate.

For information about the event, including a full line up, visit www.northern-pride.com or by searching northernprideuk on Facebook and Twitter.

Durham Confirmed To Feature In Major Cycling Event

By on 2nd March 2016in Entertainment

Organisers of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series cycling event have confirmed that Durham City will feature in this year’s race calendar…

The event, now in its eighth year, will take place at 10 different venues between Thursday 12th May and Thursday 9th June.

The series will see six top British professional cycling teams, and possibly some local guest teams, competing in the challenging town and city centre races, which begin in the Isle of Man and end in Portsmouth.

Organisers SweetSpot have confirmed that the Durham circuit, with its tough cobbles and climbs, will feature in round six of the series on Tuesday 31st May.

Last year’s event brought a significant boost to the local economy, with spectators spending an estimated £281,310 during the event.

In total the race attracted 12,500 spectators, and a report commissioned by SweetSpot showed that 82 per cent were from outside of Durham, and that 17 per cent of those visitors booked overnight stays in the city.

The report showed that groups who stayed overnight spent an average of £107 during the event, and those who visited just for the day spent an average of £52.

Cllr Maria Plews, Cabinet member for leisure, libraries and lifelong learning at Durham County Council, said: “We’re delighted to welcome back the Pearl Izumu Tour Series to the streets of Durham.

“This will be the seventh consecutive year that Durham has hosted the event, which offers an exhilarating experience for both cyclists and spectators, as well as bringing a welcome boost to the local economy.”

The Pearl Izumi Tour Series is unique in world cycling, focussing on a team concept that see’s Britain’s professional cycling teams competing to be the fastest in an action packed, one-hour circuit race.

Highlights of every round are screened on ITV4 and available on demand via the ITV Player.

Barnard Castle Welcomes Royal Visitor Today

By on 2nd March 2016in In & Around

One of the region’s most historic buildings will welcome a royal visitor today (Wednesday March 2nd)…

Following a £3.2m regeneration project, which saw The Witham in Barnard Castle restored, refurbished and extended to incorporate the library and customer access point, HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO, a former architect, will tour the popular arts, business and community venue.

The visit follows an expression of interest from His Royal Highness to tour the collection of Grade II listed buildings which date back to 1846, during his visit to the county. The award winning renovation project was completed in October 2013, and was delivered by Barnard Castle Vision, Durham County Council and The Witham Trustees. It resulted in a mixed use community facility offering a café, arts and exhibition areas, performance and events facilities, as well as small business units and a shop featuring local crafts. The original features and historic attributes of the building have been carefully combined with modern additions. Supported by a raft of volunteers, and true to its public service roots, The Witham is one of the most important historical assets in the county and beyond.

During his visit, His Royal Highness will meet the architects and project team responsible for successfully integrating the historic parts of the building with modern structures, and will be shown a display of before and after images.

He will also meet a number of the trustees, staff, volunteers, groups, organisations and partners involved in the management and events programme at the hall.

Amongst those to be introduced is 23 year old Maddy Sutton. Maddy is the marketing and administration intern at The Witham. A keen busker with a first class degree in music from the University of Huddersfield, Maddy was awarded the undergraduate piano prize having majored in performance studies and musical theatre.

Maddy will perform for The Duke in the County Room, scene of many historic public announcements since the building was first opened as Testimonial Hall in 1846.

Also set to meet the royal guest is Mickleton ceramic artist, Judy Caplin. Judy was commissioned to design a piece of public art, which hangs in pride of place above the café.

Inspired by one of Teesdale’s best-known historical figures, Henry Witham, and specifically his interest in botany, the eye-catching installation is entitled Hesperides. It consists of more than 650 individually produced porcelain tiles featuring fossilised plant materials, which Judy collected locally.

His Royal Highness will be presented with a specially produced commemorative tile made by the artist at the end of his tour.

As well as meeting some of the many volunteers involved in running the box office and supporting the wide range of events, theatre, cinema and other performances at the hall, The Duke will enjoy some shadow theatre staged by local children from the Kando Youth Theatre Company. The group runs weekly drama sessions in the auditorium, and will perform a powerful war shadow theatre workshop with historical costumes and imagery, before presenting their visitor with a gift.

Katie Taylor, The Witham CEO, said: “It’s delightful to welcome His Royal Highness to The Witham, our vibrant arts centre – as an exciting venue hub for theatre, music, comedy, business arts and film, we appreciate the recognition that this visit bestows. To have the Friends and Volunteers of The Witham, as well as our hard-working staff, recognised on the day means a huge amount. Come and visit this gem in Barnard Castle high street.”

Cllr Neil Foster, Cabinet member for culture and regeneration at Durham County Council, said: “Supporting the refurbishment of this fantastic community venue is something we are immensely proud of. It is a wonderful example of how history, art, architecture and modern ways of living can combine to truly service local needs on so many levels. I am delighted HRH The Duke of Gloucester is honouring us by coming to see what we have done together. I am sure as an architect he will find his tour particularly rewarding.”

Before leaving, The Duke will unveil a commemorative plaque and sign the visitor’s book.

Lawson To Perform At Sunderland Style Awards

By on 27th February 2016in Entertainment

One of the UK’s most exciting pop rock bands will be heading to Sunderland to appear at a major awards event…

Lawson, whose hits include Taking Over Me, Juliet and When She Was Mine, are to headline at the city’s Retail and Style Awards, which will take place at the Bridges shopping centre on April 23rd.

The event, organised by Sun FM and the Bridges, and supported by Sunderland BID, will celebrate the city’s top businesses and individuals across sixteen categories. The appearance by the band is part of a full evening of entertainment, which includes a three course dinner, fashion show and the awards ceremonies.

Plus, there is still time for nominations for the awards to be made before the closing date on February 29th.

“It’s a massive coup for us to get a band with the status of Lawson at our awards, and shows what progress the city is making,” said Julian Carter, MD of Sun FM.

“It will make what already promises to be a fantastic night even more spectacular.”

Other acts are already lined up to appear at the event, with further announcements to be made in the near future. Tickets are on sale for the night at £39, and are available from customer service at the Bridges, from the reception at Sun FM and via Eventbrite.

Andy Brown, lead singer of Lawson, said: “When we played the Stadium of Light a couple of summers ago, it was one of those gigs you never forget, and we can’t wait to come back to Sunderland to perform at the Retail and Style Awards.”

Ken Dunbar, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID and the main sponsors for the awards, said attracting a top band to appear showed the calibre of these awards.

He said: “The appearance by Lawson won’t just add another dimension to the night, but it will also turn the spotlight on Sunderland to a national audience, and showcase what an exciting and dynamic city it is.”

This the first year that the city’s Retail and Style Awards have joined forces, with businesses and individuals able to enter in a range of categories. Nominations are still being accepted via the Sun FM website at www.sun-fm.com/rsawards2016.

Categories in the retail section include awards for large, medium and small retailers, best customer service, employee of the year, manager of the year, up and coming business, and the Experience It Here award for the best city centre experience.

In the style section, nominations are being sought for the Most Stylish Mackem, along with sections for top bars, restaurants, salons and individual awards for top bloggers and the city’s most glamorous mam.

“We’ve already seen a fantastic number of entries for the awards, which is what we would expect given the excellent year 2015 was for the retail sector,” said Andy Bradley, Centre Director at the Bridges.

“And now, with an amazing band providing the entertainment on the night, it will be a memorable evening for a whole host of reasons.”

County Durham Leisure Centres Hold Sport Relief Fundraiser

By on 27th February 2016in Lifestyle

Council fitness coaches are inviting families to spin, swim and sprint in aid of Sport Relief…

As part of their continuing efforts to improve the health of people in County Durham, staff at Freeman’s Quay and Riverside leisure centres have organised fundraising fitness events this March.

Cllr Maria Plews, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for leisure, libraries and lifelong learning, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to visit our Durham and Chester-le-Street leisure centres, use some of the fabulous facilities we have, and support a great cause.”

A 24 hour ‘spinathon’ will take place at Freeman’s Quay Leisure Centre from 8pm on Thursday 17th March until 8pm on Friday 18th March.

Members of the public can book themselves in for a 30 minute slot – or longer if they feel up to the challenge – on one of the centre’s 13 spin bikes between 6.30am and 10.30pm.

Staff – including coaches Aiden McDaid, Steven Gardiner and Sam Renwick – will then continue the trial through the night.

With cyclists busy on the bikes, coaches Laura Gwynne, Claire Fothergill, Chloe Heslop and Carol Shaw will invite swimmers to take part in an hour long ‘aquathon’ on Friday 18th March.

From 9.45am to 10.45am visitors to the Freeman’s Quay pool will be able to dance along to everything from Abba to Glee, and the Beatles.

Meanwhile, at Riverside Leisure Complex, schoolchildren and sports club members will be encouraged to walk, jog or run a mile on its running track between 9am and 3pm.

The track will also be open from noon to 1.30pm for any member of the public who would like to take part.

All the events are free, but donations to Sport Relief will be requested.

Guys & Dolls Announces All Star Lineup For Theatre Royal

By on 26th February 2016in Entertainment

An extra dose of glitz and glamour has been confirmed for the tour of Guys and Dolls to Newcastle Theatre Royal…

It has been announced that the star line-up will include Richard Fleeshman (Coronation Street, Ghost the Musical, Call the Midwife) as Sky Masterson, Maxwell Caulfield (Grease 2, Emmerdale, The Colbys) as Nathan Detroit, Louise Dearman (Wicked, Evita) as Adelaide and Anna O’Byrne (Love Never Dies) as Sarah Brown.

This glittering production of gamblers, gangsters and night-club singers rolls into Newcastle on Tuesday 22nd March, direct from rave reviews in the West End. The Chichester Festival Theatre revival of Guys and Dolls features dazzling choreography by world-renowned Cuban ballet star Carlos Acosta alongside Andrew Wright, whose credits include Chichester Festival Theatre’s Singin’ in the Rain and is directed by New York’s Gordon Greenberg.

Audiences will be transported to the sizzling sidewalks of New York, where they’ll meet Nathan Detroit, who is desperate for money for an illegal dice game… and he needs it fast. Not to mention a 14-year engagement with nightclub singer Miss Adelaide, whose patience is finally running out. Enter notorious gambler Sky Masterson, a guy who can never turn down a bet, and straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown, a doll with a heart of ice. Nathan’s wager is that Sky has to romance Sarah by taking her to Havana for dinner, and in return he’ll provide a dozen ‘sinners’ for Sarah’s mission. Is this one bet Nathan can’t lose?

A joyous and vibrant celebration of Prohibition-era New York, Guys and Dolls first premiered on Broadway in 1950 and captured the optimism and energy of post-World War Two America. This hugely popular and multi award-winning musical, based on the colourful stories by American journalist Damon Runyon (renowned for his vivid fictional depictions of the gamblers, hustlers and nightclub singers of New York) features some of Broadway’s greatest musical numbers, including My Time of Day, Luck be a Lady and the show-stopping Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat.

 

Completing the cast are Jack Edwards as Nicely Nicely Johnson, Peter Harding as Arvide Abernathy, Anthony McGill as Lt Brannigan, Mark Sangster as Benny Southstreet, Melanie Marshall as General Cartwright, Craig Pinder as Harry the Horse/Joey Biltmore, Cameron Johnson as Big Julie, Christopher Howell as Rusty Charlie. The ensemble includes Eamonn Cox, Jamal Crawford, Jonny Godbold, Ross Lee Fowkes, Aron Wild, Kiel Payton, Matthew Whennell-Clark, Ruthie Stephens, Bethany Linsdell, Hannah Cauchi, Chloe Chambers, Danielle Stephen, Abigayle Honeywill and Lucy Ashenden.

Guys and Dolls is directed by Gordon Greenberg, who has directed plays and musicals at major theatres across America and Europe, written for television and stage, and runs the musical theatre program at The New Group in New York, where he is based. He directed the current revival of Guys and Dolls for Chichester Festival Theatre, which is now running in London’s West End. He will direct his adaptation of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn on Broadway in October.

 

The music and lyrics for Guys and Dolls are by Frank Loesser, whose credits include How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and the song Baby, It’s Cold Outside. The book is by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Burrows’ credits include How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Swerling’s credits include the seminal film It’s A Wonderful Life.

Guys and Dolls plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 22nd March to Saturday 2nd April. Tickets are from £17.50 (pay less online) and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Flying Scotsman Returns To East Coast Main Line

By on 25th February 2016in In & Around

Iconic locomotive 60103 Flying Scotsman officially returns to the East Coast Main Line alongside Virgin Trains’ modern day Flying Scotsman liveried train…

FlyScots-BodyImg

Railway history is being made today (Thursday February 25th) as Flying Scotsman officially returns to the East Coast Main Line to launch a season celebrating its return to the track. The celebratory season, which is sponsored by Virgin Trains, starts with today’s inaugural London-to-York run.

The iconic locomotive is being showcased alongside Virgin Trains’ own ‘Flying Scotsman’, complete with its brand new interior, at King’s Cross station before setting off on its five-hour journey to York. The Virgin Trains Flying Scotsman express service takes passengers between London and Edinburgh in just four hours – around half the time of the original steam train. It was unveiled in autumn by Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. Virgin Trains is investing £40m improving its fleet on the East Coast, including new leather seats in first class, new seats in standard, new carpets and lighting.

Virgin’s Flying Scotsman is the first electric train in the fleet to have the new investment, and enters service on Thursday. It also showcases the new mood lighting which is being installed in First Class in all electric powered trains.

David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains on its East Coast route, said: “The Flying Scotsman has an incredible history. It was the first locomotive to reach 100mph in 1934 and, in the pre-war era, it symbolized speed and style – service qualities which remain important to our customers today.

“We’ve embedded these qualities in our own Flying Scotsman, which has had its own refresh, including luxury leather seats in First Class, a new red hot look for Standard Class, new carpets and coloured mood lighting. Looking forward to the future, new Virgin trains arrive in 2018 which will make the four-hour Edinburgh-to-London journey the norm – half the time it took the Flying Scotsman to do the journey non-stop before the war.”

Virgin Trains’ fleet upgrade is part of its investment in the London-Edinburgh route, which has just seen it granted permission to run an extra 42 services a week on the route, boosting seat capacity by 22,000.

The original Flying Scotsman will be on display in York until March 6th. Virgin Trains runs in excess of 60 services a day to York, providing a great way for train enthusiasts to visit the National Railway Museum and see the enormous heritage of the East Coast line. Additionally, Virgin Trains is offering 30 per cent off Advance fares to York to encourage visitors to the region as part of a joint promotion with Visit England.

Festival Of Thrift Relocates To Redcar For 2016

By on 24th February 2016in Lifestyle

Plans are afoot to take the fourth annual Festival of Thrift to the stunning location of Kirkleatham in Redcar on 24th and 25th September 2016…

The award-winning, free family festival shows people how to save money – and the planet – by being creative.

Heading out of its birthplace in Darlington for the first time since the inaugural Festival in 2013, the team wants to show how the event can inspire and support the economic future of communities throughout the Tees Valley.

The festival will return regularly to Darlington in future years.

A ten year plan is currently being drawn together for future festival locations, working towards 2025, the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger steam railway (which journeyed between Darlington and Stockton), and the year for which Tees Valley is bidding to be UK Region of Culture.

A proposal detailing the festival’s aims, values and programme will be presented at the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Cabinet Meeting at the Leisure and Community Heart on 1st March, where councillors will give the final decision as to the 2016 Festival taking place at Kirkleatham. HRH The Prince of Wales visited the estate last week as part of a wider visit to the borough, as The Prince’s Foundation is working with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to develop plans for its regeneration.

The proposal also follows the recent visit to Tees Valley by Lord Heseltine to discuss plans to drive forward investment opportunities to the region. Lord Heseltine has been appointed chair of the Tees Valley Inward Investment Initiative, with a specific remit to boost the region’s international profile.

The Festival of Thrift is the UK’s National Celebration of sustainable living. It brings together international and emerging artists, superscrimpers, makers and designers, as well as stallholders selling all manner of homemade, home-grown, upcycled, recycled and thrifty produce. The festival brings people together to share skills through workshops, talks, films and a whole lot of hands-on joining-in and making.

This year, the festival will concentrate on sustainable business development. If the move to Kirkleatham is agreed, the programme will also include locally grown produce, food and drink inspired by the kitchen gardens and traditions at Kirkleatham.

Stella Hall, festival director, said: “I’d be delighted to head out to Redcar this year. Redcar received such a huge blow in 2015 with the demise of the steel works, which coincided with last year’s festival.

“We hope to show how each of us has skills and creativity we can contribute to create a sustainable community. The Festival of Thrift is dedicated to shining a light on the Tees Valley, celebrating the area’s individuality and the strength of its people.

“We will be heading back to Darlington for 2017, but the opportunity of holding the festival at Kirkleatham this year was too good an opportunity to miss.

“The site is the epitome of great regeneration. Kirkleatham has a fascinating museum collection, a stunning church and mausoleum, almshouses, railway cottages, park and woodland within walking distance.

“Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will be sensitively developing the stables on site, with an eye to business startups. Together with the new adventure playground, it’s a complete gem of a festival location.”

Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Councillor Sue Jeffrey said: “The festival organisers and Darlington Borough Council have worked extremely hard to make the festival a huge success, and we would work closely with them to replicate that in Redcar.

“We would be delighted to welcome the festival in 2016, particularly to such a special site which perfectly suits the festival’s values. It would be a real boost to our communities to host such a fantastic event.”

Councillor Bill Dixon, Leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “Darlington’s ingenuity gave birth to the festival, and we are delighted to see those ideas developed and explored in other settings and places, but look forward to welcoming the festival back home.”

The festival has continued to grow in size as well as reputation. In 2015 the festival welcomed 45,000 visitors throughout the weekend at its first home at Lingfield Point, Darlington, and scooped the Observer Ethical Award for Arts and Culture – a national coup for a home grown festival. In the same year, it won the North East Tourism Event of the Year.

This year’s festival will invite the UK’s thriftiest and most sustainable stallholders to build on some of the great programmes from previous years, including Alternative Village Fete with its mix of wandering performance and music stages, Oxglam recycled fashion shows, Bistros du Vin with local and amateur chefs, and Fix It Café, helping to save waste by fixing everything from a child’s music box to a broken computer. Workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions, The Big Talks and Peoples’ Encyclopaedia will all be about sharing skills, and showing how each of us has something special to offer. The most exciting elements will emerge from the history and heritage of the site itself, and will be announced in the coming months.

For more information, visit festivalofthrift.co.uk and sign up to receive email newsletters, keeping you up to date as the festival programme develops over the next few months.

BBC Real Hustle Star Joins Tyneside Magic Festival Lineup

By on 21st February 2016in Entertainment

Performers from across Europe and America will be cheating, conjuring and clowning their way into the North East for a special event taking place next month…

The 13th annual South Tyneside International Magic Festival, which runs at the Customs House, South Shields, returns with a host of entertainment from Wednesday March 9th.

One of the most highly anticipated elements of the event, organised by South Tyneside Council, is an International Gala Show on Saturday March 12th, starring six of modern magic’s most impressive illusionists.

This includes jovial juggler Steve Rawlings, conjuror and David Blaine consultant, Peter Clifford and professional cheat R Paul Wilson, who wrote and presented smash hit BBC TV show, The Real Hustle.

They will be joined by Belgian man of mystery, Rafael, American entertainer John Carney, and award-winning German performer Alana, whose latest act appears to show her with several hands.

North East magician John Archer will be compering the show, and is helping South Tyneside Council to plan this year’s event.

“I’m thrilled to be so heavily involved in the South Tyneside International magic Festival 2016, and in particular to be compering Saturday’s Gala Show,” he said.

“The line-up for the evening offers an amazing mix of talent, and I’m sure audience members of all ages will be left wondering, how do they do that?”

Tickets for the South Tyneside International Magic Festival’s Saturday night Gala Show are priced from £13 each and on sale from the Customs House Box Office on www.customshouse.co.uk or 0191 4541234.

Councillor Alan Kerr, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, with responsibility for Culture and Leisure, said: “The Saturday night Gala Show is one of the most popular elements of the South Tyneside International Magic Festival, and is often a sell out, so I would advise people to get their tickets early to avoid missing out.”

Other highlights in this year’s festival, supported by the Customs House and BBC Newcastle, include a second International Gala Show on Friday March 11th, a Family Magic Extravaganza sponsored and programmed by MagicBox on Wednesday March 9th, and a three-day convention for professional magicians and enthusiasts.

For more information and a full line-up, visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/magicfestival.

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