Tag: whats on

Swedish Magic Stars Join Tyneside Magic Festival Lineup

By on 9th February 2016in Entertainment

Sleight of hand, stand-up and spectacular furniture juggling will all play a part in one of the North East’s most magical events…

The South Tyneside International Magic Festival, organised by South Tyneside Council, returns in March with three public shows at the Customs House, South Shields.

Among the many highlights is an International Gala Performance on Friday March 11th, featuring seven stars from across the UK, Europe and the USA.

This includes unique double act Men in Coats, who have already performed around the world and clocked up more than 20 million hits on YouTube, as well as multi award-winning Malin Nilsson, who was the first woman to be named both Swedish Champion of Magic and Scandinavian Champion of Magic.

They will be joined by American entertainer Chad Long, North East favourite John Archer, mind reader Kennedy and show-stopper Steve Rawlings, whose unusual routines involve juggling Ping-Pong balls with his mouth, furniture juggling and balancing bottles and glasses while simultaneously juggling blazing fire torches.

The show, which is open to all ages, will be compered by comedy magician Danny Buckler, who has toured with Victoria Wood and hosted primetime BBC 1 show, The Secrets of Magic.

Councillor Alan Kerr, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, with responsibility for Culture and Leisure, said: “The Friday night Gala Show has always been one of the South Tyneside International Magic Festival’s most popular events, and this year looks set to be no exception.

“With the aid of John Archer, we have conjured up an amazing line-up, packed full of comedy, tricks and all-round entertainment to amuse and excite audience members of all ages.”

Tickets for the South Tyneside International Magic Festival’s Friday 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.

Other highlights in the 13th annual festival include a second International Gala Show on Saturday March 12th, a Family Magic Extravaganza, sponsored and programmed by MagicBox on Wednesday March 9th, and a three-day convention exclusively for professional magicians.

More information about the event, supported by the Customs House and BBC Newcastle, can be found at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/magicfestival.

Who’s Coming To Sunderland?

By on 8th February 2016in Entertainment

The world’s most famous time travelling police box has taken time off from cruising the galaxies to land in Sunderland’s shopping centre…

A replica of Dr Who’s TARDIS has currently taken up residency at the Bridges, where it will stay until the end of February.

This means that fans of the hit BBC show will get a rare opportunity to visit and take a selfie with one of the most well-known forms of space and time travel.

The city also has a lesser known connection with the box, as the first ever police box in the UK was put in place at  Sunderland’s Kayll Road in 1923.

The replica was commissioned by Sunderland City Council for an event last summer which highlighted the heritage in the west of the city.

“Dr Who is such a massively popular programme with generations of people enjoying it over the years,” said Andy Bradley, Centre Director of the Bridges.

“We’re sure fans of the show will love the opportunity to come and get their picture taken with it. It’s great for this iconic piece of tv history to be getting a second outing and we hope that lots of people will come and see it.”

Top 10 Doctor Who Facts:

  • The character of Doctor Who was inspired by Sherlock Holmes.
  • The distinctive TARDIS sound effect was originally created by rubbing the bass strings of a piano with a key.
  • Doctor Who is BBC Worldwide’s best-selling show.
  • There have been 12 doctors.
  • The TARDIS has a broken “Chameleon circuit” which is supposed to enable it to disguise itself to blend into any environment. However in the first ever episode An Unearthly Child, viewers discover that the circuit is broken and the TARDIS is stuck in the shape of a police box.
  • Dr Who is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest running sci-fi series in the world.
  • TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. It is bigger on the inside than on the outside.
  • The original Daleks were controlled from the inside by small operators who had to manipulate their eyestalks, domes and arms, as well as flashing the lights on their heads in sync with the actor’s voices.
  • Doctor Who is from the planet Gallifrey.
  • The first episode was broadcast in 1963 – 40 years after the first police box was installed in Sunderland.

County Durham Record Office Holds Half Term Family Event

By on 6th February 2016in In & Around

Families are invited to honour fallen First World War soldiers, make medieval-style illuminated letters, create cameras, and discover how Durham County Record Office cares for the region’s history…

 

The archive, which is based at Durham County Council’s Aykley Heads headquarters, is holding its seventh annual Family Fun Day this half term.

Education and outreach archivist Dawn Layland said: “This is a family fun day with a difference. It’s a great chance to find out about local history, and our fun activities are coupled to a rare opportunity to explore the Record Office and our archives as a family.”

On Friday 19th February, from 9.30am to 12.30pm, families will be given the chance to discover what the Record Office offers and find out more about the heritage of County Durham.

There will be lots of activities, including:

  • Making your own pinhole camera
  • Having a go at historic jigsaws
  • Making an illuminated letter like those found in medieval manuscripts
  • Making a remembrance card to commemorate a fallen soldier of the First World War
  • Seeing the strong rooms where the archives are kept
  • Playing with historical toys, and for younger children, dressing up.

Entrance to the fun day is free, and you do not have to book, but children must be accompanied by a parent or carer at all times.

TV’s ‘First Dates’ Host Invites Lonely Valentines Aboard The Love Train

By on 5th February 2016in Lifestyle

Stuck for what to do on Valentine’s day? The Virgin Trains love carriage is set to be a one-of-a-kind speed dating experience…

Virgin Trains is offering passengers a romantic train journey from London King’s Cross to York on the 14th February. This one off event will be hosted by service expert and TV celebrity Fred Sirieix, the charming French General Manager of Galvin at Windows and founder of The Art of Service. Get your love life back on track by booking yourself a ‘single ticket’ and make it a Valentine’s to remember.

This unique experience at 125mph will set your heart racing. Playing cupid, Fred has designed a world-class experience using his service expertise, and will guide passengers on their journey of love up the east coast. Fred is known for his charisma and hospitality, and is the perfect host to get singletons in the mood for love.

As one of the UK’s top rated Maître D’s with plenty of dating experience, Fred will help the lucky singletons find their perfect match on the love carriage. Virgin Trains on-board staff will be given a masterclass in the art of service by Fred to ensure the evening goes off with a bang.

This revolutionary dating experience will see 24 singletons switching seats throughout the journey, meeting potential suiters. The carriages will be decked out with red roses, romantic music and prosecco to set the mood. Sit back, relax and get on board for a chance at finding love.

Tickets will sell out fast, so visit www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/lovecarriage to ensure your love life doesn’t go off the rails. The singles only carriage will leave King’s Cross at 2.52pm, and returns at 7.52pm.

Fred Sirieix commented: “Valentine’s Day should be celebrated by all, and I am over the moon that Virgin Trains has brought me on-board to host the festivities and officiate as the on-board matchmaker. Both happiness and love are within each of us. The thing is we need to go and get it, and we have laid it on especially for you with top service and hospitality in a first class carriage this Valentine’s Day. It’s here for the taking, so come and join us!”

David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains on the east coast route said: “Here at Virgin Trains, we want all our amazing customers to enjoy Valentine’s Day, including our single passengers. The love carriage is the perfect place to meet new people, and who knows, romance could be one train-ride away.”

High speed dating guests are invited to enjoy the excitement of the ‘Love Carriage’ upon one of Virgin’s newly revamped trains. Virgin Trains recently announced a £42m investment for its East Coast route, including money for refurbishing the interior and exterior of the trains, as well as an engine overhaul for the fleet ahead of the arrival of Hitachi Super Express Trains in 2018.

John Godber Brings Mining Drama To Durham Gala Theatre

By on 3rd February 2016in Entertainment

Miners will take centre stage this month, as BAFTA Award-winning playwright John Godber brings his latest play to Durham’s Gala Theatre…

 

Shafted! follows the lives of former pitman Harry and his wife Dot – played by Godber and his wife Jane Thornton – in the thirty years after the strikes of 1984, as the pair struggle to settle into new jobs and to rebuild their community.

Fresh from its premiere at the Theatre Royal Wakefield, the comedy arrives in Durham on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th February.

For more information about the show, which will be performed at 7.30pm each night, or to book tickets – priced £15 or £13 for concessions – call the Gala box office on 03000 266 600, visit the venue in person, or book online at www.galadurham.co.uk.

Carnival Themed Charity Ball Set For Ramside Hall

By on 3rd February 2016in Entertainment

Ramside Hall Hotel is being transformed into Rio de Janeiro for a colourful, carnival-themed charity ball…

The fifth annual Moorbennhall Charity Ball, organised by Andrew Bennett and Calvin Moore, will be held at the luxury hotel near Durham on Saturday April 16th.

Guests at the event, including Gogglebox favourite Scarlett Moffatt, celebrity make-up artist Armand Beasley and star of TV show Real Housewives of Cheshire, Ampika Pickston, will enjoy a fabulous four course dinner, as well as live entertainment running throughout the night.

This includes performances by top comedian Brendan Healy, popular North East singer Jerome Remblance, and a troupe of Rio Carnival dancers.

Proceeds from the black tie ball, which has a filthy rich and fabulous dress code, will be donated to Rochdale-based charity, GEM Appeal, which funds research into genetic diseases affecting children across the UK.

To date, The Moorbennhall Charity Ball has raised £50,000 for the appeal, and charity patron and TV star, Denise Welch, is expected to attend this year’s event to show her support.

Event organiser, Andrew Bennett, said: “Calvin and I attended a fundraising event for the GEM Appeal many years ago, and were really touched by the charity’s efforts to help children and their families struggling with genetic disorders and inborn errors of metabolism.

“Establishing The Moorbennhall Charity Ball seemed like a natural extension to our own work among young people with learning disabilities, and we’re delighted to have raised such a significant sum over the past four years.

“This year’s event looks set to be one of our most glamorous yet, and we can’t wait to see everyone dressed up and shaking their maracas in a night not to be missed.”

Bronze tickets for The Moorbennhall Charity Ball at Ramside Hall Hotel are priced at £50 per person, including limited seating and a drink on arrival.

A Silver option is also available at £65 per person, with the addition of a wine package, while top tier Gold tickets, incorporating preferential seating and a goodie bag, are priced at £85 per person.

For more information or to book, call Entertainment Today Events Ltd on 0161 4840876 or email info@entertainmenttoday.co.uk.

Ramside Spa: Could You Propose To Your Man?

By on 3rd February 2016in Lifestyle

A leading North East spa is helping women take advantage of a leap year tradition in hope of making their love last forever…

February 29th is the day when women can turn the tables and propose to their partners, and comes round just once every four years.

And to ensure that the answer is “I do”, the Spa at Ramside, at Ramside Hall Hotel near Durham, is suggesting that would-be brides make their visit extra special by taking advantage of its private infinity pool, which can be added to the venue’s range of spa packages.

“The new infinity pool is a great way to spend some quality time together,” said Jill Russell, Spa Director at the Spa at Ramside.

“Private use of the facility can be added on to any of our packages. It’s the perfect setting for a surprise proposal, and couples can celebrate their engagement with a bottle of bubbly too.”

Along with their signature spa days and packages, the Spa at Ramside also offers a range of men’s treatments, which will help women to “soften up” their man before they pop the question.

Among the treatments available are the Men’s Reviver, which includes a double cleanse exfoliation, a face, neck and shoulder massage, a lifting and smoothing cooling mask, and a scalp massage.

Other packages include a Stress Buster package, which offers a back massage, and a facial and scalp massage, the Golfer’s Tonic package, which includes a foot soak and exfoliation, a foot and leg massage, a back exfoliation and a back massage with hot stones, the Made for Men package and the Heaven on Earth package.

For the woman who wants to go all out, there is The Man Up and Spa package, which includes a two course spa lunch in the venue’s Fusion restaurant, and a choice of a 60 minute, 90 minute or two hour men’s treatment.

It also offers full use of the spa’s state-of-the-art facilities, which include a hydrotherapy pool, five heat experiences, an outdoor vitality pool, and a 25m swimming pool.

The Spa at Ramside also offers a range of packages which are suitable for couples.

Prices for the men’s spa treatments start from £65. For full details of the packages and treatments available, visit www.ramsidespa.co.uk or contact the spa on 0191 375 3088.

Dance Powerhouse Bring Picasso Paintings To The Stage

By on 2nd February 2016in Entertainment

The UK’s longest established contemporary dance powerhouse, Rambert, are back in Newcastle this year with a brand new show celebrating the dual forces of nature and art…

Thought provoking, visually stunning, and featuring Tyneside-born dancer Adam Park, the new tour is set to blow audiences away at Newcastle Theatre Royal from 2nd to 4th February.

The tour programme features two new pieces – the Picasso-inspired The 3 Dancers, and Frames, which takes audiences into a choreographer’s world, and a third piece, which was one of the huge successes of 2014, The Strange Charm of Mother Nature.

The 3 Dancers is inspired by the tragic love triangle behind Picasso’s masterpiece of the same name. A new work from former Rambert dancer Didy Veldman, it will explore the eternal themes of the painter’s work: love, desire and death. Veldman is an internationally-renowned choreographer, and uses a total of six dancers (three dressed in white, and three as their shadows) to delve into the social, psychological and human elements of Picasso’s work.

Veldman, well known for her theatrical style and earthy choreography, reveals how Cubism can be applied to movement to create the fragmented world which is so characteristic of Picasso’s work. The 3 Dancers features an original score by Australia’s leading composer Elena Kats-Chernin.

Frames is a new work from another Rambert alumni, Alexander Whitley, which lays bare the process of making a dance performance. Twelve performers assemble and dismantle the set, move lighting and change angles, constantly creating new spaces and playing with what’s revealed and what’s hidden in their sequences of highly technical dancing.

This thought-provoking work, which sees dancers create a stage within a stage, is a continuation of Whitley’s collaboration with award-winning visual artists Tuur Van Balen and Revital Cohen, and is accompanied by a new score from Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason.

The Strange Charm of Mother Nature, which premiered in September 2014, is inspired by particle physics and the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson ‘God Particle’. Continuing choreographer Mark Baldwin’s fascination with science, which has seen previous pieces inspired by the theories of Einstein and Darwin, the show sees dancers fizz with the energy of the miniscule building blocks that created life, the universe and everything. The work is set to a musical score of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3, Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks, and a new piece by Cheryl Frances-Hoad.

This season, the company once again features 24-year-old North East dancer Adam Park, from Jesmond, who trained at Dame Allan’s and Dance City, and has been in the company for four years.  Adam last performed with Rambert at Newcastle Theatre Royal in 2012 as part of the Seven for a Secret tour.

Rambert appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 2nd to Thursday 4th February 2016 (evenings: 7.30pm, matinee: Thursday 2pm). Tickets are from £12 (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).

Stars Fly In For South Tyneside International Magic Festival

By on 31st January 2016in Entertainment

Magicians from across Europe are preparing to cast their spell on the North East later this spring…

Stars from as far afield as Belgium, Germany and Sweden will be flying in for the 13th annual South Tyneside International Magic Festival, which returns to the region from Wednesday March 9th.

The popular event, organised by South Tyneside Council, will feature a Family Magic Extravaganza, sponsored by MagicBox, a convention for professional magicians and two International Gala Shows at the Customs House, South Shields.

The line-up for the Gala performances, taking place on March 11th and 12th, includes the first woman to be named German Champion of Magic, Alana, former Swedish and Scandinavian Champion of Magic, Malin Nilsson and Belgium’s ‘man of mystery,’ Rafael.

Multi award-winning Alana, who was born and raised in Hamburg, has performed around the world and recently unveiled a new act in which she appears to have several hands.

She will be taking to the South Shields stage alongside Malin, who has been performing since 2000, and award-winning magician, inventor, comedian and illusionist, Rafael, who has also won many accolades, including the Siegfried & Roy Golden Lion award.

The talented trio will be joined for the South Tyneside International Magic Festival 2016 by some of the finest performers from across the UK, as well as American entertainers John Carney and Chad Long.

North East magician John Archer, who is helping South Tyneside Council organise the festival, said: “The line-up for this year’s International Gala Shows is extremely eclectic.

“We’ve drawn in some of the greatest talents from across the continent to ensure there is something to amuse and excite audience members of all ages, and we’re thrilled that Alana, Malin and Rafael are all flying in to take part.”

The South Tyneside International Magic Festival, supported by the Customs House and BBC Newcastle, is aimed at bringing world class magic to the North East.

Councillor Alan Kerr, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, with responsibility for Culture and Leisure, said: “The South Tyneside International Magic Festival is one of the most unique events on the North East calendar, and annually attracts performers and attendees from around the world.

“This year we will be welcoming some of the foremost modern magicians from around the globe, and it promises to be an amazing event for South Tyneside and the wider region as a whole.”

Tickets for the South Tyneside International Magic Festival’s Family Magic Extravaganza, priced from £7 each, and the International Gala Shows, priced from £13 each, are on sale from the Customs House Box Office on www.customshouse.co.uk or 0191 4541234.

Tickets for the festival’s three-day convention, open exclusively to professional magicians from Friday March 11th, are priced at £65 each and available by contacting South Tyneside Council Events Officer Karri Prinn on 0191 4554031 or karri.prinn@southtyneside.gov.uk.

A full line up for the festival can be found at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/magicfestival.

Opera North Bring Season Of Masterpieces To Newcastle

By on 29th January 2016in Entertainment

Award winning company Opera North are back at Newcastle Theatre Royal in March with a trio of continental masterpieces…

The three pieces are Mozart’s playful Cosi Fan Tutte, Donizetti’s sunny L’Elisir D’Amore and Giordano’s passionate Andrea Chenier. Let your senses be stirred from Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th March 2016.

Giordano’s Andrea Chénier (Saturday 5th March) is presented by Opera North for the first time. Taking the life of the French poet André Chénier as its inspiration, the opera explores love and the individual at the time of the French Revolution, before charting the rapid descent of hope and optimism into the Terror. Combining a dramatic storyline with compelling music, this new production looks set to become an unforgettable addition to the Company’s repertoire.

Also written at the time of the French Revolution, but with a very different focus, is Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte (Wed 2nd and Fri 4th March). The production captivated audiences at the Theatre Royal back in 2009, and recently wowed at the Glimmerglass Opera Festival in New York. It is once again set to intrigue people with its thoughtful exploration of fidelity, deception, human motivation and the dangers of desire.

It all begins innocently enough when Don Alfonso comes up with a wager: that the fiancées of two young men are far more likely to succumb to another’s amorous advances than they might choose to believe. The ensuing, often disconcerting, consequences are accompanied by some of the most beautiful music Mozart ever wrote.  A vibrant young cast includes Dublin-born soprano Máire Flavin, who represented Ireland at the 2011 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, making her Opera North debut as Fiordiligi.

A more light-hearted approach to the twists and turns of love is found in a sun drenched 1950s-style production of Donizetti’s comic opera L’elisir d’amore (Thursday 3rd March). Having enjoyed critical acclaim at Spain’s Ópera de Oviedo, it returns to England to charm audiences in the North with its playful tale of the ineffectual but good-hearted Nemorino and his quest to win the hand of the very self-assured Adina. Can Dr Dulcamara’s ‘love potion’ really solve all his problems?

Complete with hot-air balloon and Vespas, this stylish production is a perfect fit for Donizetti’s irrepressibly fresh comedy. Funny and moving, the opera includes one of the best-loved of all tenor arias in Nemorino’s ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ (A furtive tear).

The Spring Opera North season appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Wednesday 2nd March until Saturday 5th March 2016, playing evenings at 7.30pm (L’elisir d’amore and Andrea Chenier) and 7pm (Così fan tutte). Tickets from £18.50 (with great offers available for under 18s and school groups). Tickets can be purchased online 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).

ADVERTISERS