Spring 2024: 20 Must-See Theatre Shows in Newcastle

Theatre Royal

The celebrated Opera North are bringing a trio of much-loved operas to the Theatre Royal this month. There’s a double bill of Mascagnani’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Rachmaninov’s Aleko, both dating from the 1890s and both full of passion and romance (13th – 15th March) and one of the greatest operas of them all, Mozart’s witty and light-hearted Cosi Fan Tutte (14th and 16th March)

There aren’t many dance producers with a fanbase to match Matthew Bourne – everything he touches becomes a hit, and that’s especially true of his dance version of Edward Scissorhands, a gorgeous adaptation of the Tim Burton hit movie that’s still captivating audiences twenty years on. (27^th March – 6^th April)

With women’s football on the ascendant, it seems like the ideal time for Wor Bella, a true story involving WWI, women, football and industry. The Blyth Spartans Ladies won the Munitionettes Cup in 1918 and their remarkable tale is brought to life in this new play from the production company behind shows like Carrying David and Hadaway Harry. (27^th – 28^th April)

Another show aimed squarely at all you romantics is An Officer & A Gentleman, the hit stage musical based on the perennial eighties movie of the same name with Richard Gere and Debra Winger. This musical uses songs by the likes of Cyndi Lauper and Blondie as well as the huge hit from the soundtrack, (Love Lift Us) Up Where We Belong, to tell this story of love and trouble. (13^th – 18^th May)

Alphabetti Theatre

A brand new show from Daniel Bye, Imaginary Friends is a moving and powerful look at celebrity, television and the modern world. Bye’s first solo show in seven years that’s bound to provoke and excite in equal measure. (19^th March – 6^th April)

As well as cutting edge theatre and comedy, Alphabetti has a reputation for showcasing fine, upcoming musical acts on its d’Addario Stage. Sam Dickinson is a local singer-songwriter with 15 years and a fourth album on the way and his soulful pop is starting to gain real traction all over the radio. (15^th March)

hope is a 4 letter word is a collaboration between writers gobscure and director (and Alphabetti director) Ali Pritchard that looks at incarceration, activism, mental health and more through two entwined monologues – one based on the words of Weather Underground member Kathy Bourdin, the other a woman on a psych unit encountering Bourdin’s words. This powerful production is performed by Zoe Lambert and Rebecca Glendinning Laycock. (16^th April – 4^th May)

If the thought of some hilarious, thought-provoking comedy appeals, acclaimed stand-up Kelly Edgar hits Alphabetti with her I Don't Think You're Ready For This, Kelly show in May. One of the region’s most hotly-tipped upcoming stand-ups, this show – a Felt Nowt production – sees Edgar considering the duality of being a grown-up but feeling like a kid! It’s a perplexing situation but thanks to Edgar, it’s also full of laughs. (3^rd May)

Tyne Theatre & Opera House

Showbiz legend and gay icon Julian Clary gets to live out his western dream in his new A Fistful Of Clary, which comes to the Tyne Theatre in May. This Man With No Shame is a merciless comedy desperado and he’s planning on getting as many men from the audience as possible into his Hang ‘Em Low Saloon in this hilarious new show. (3^rd May)

Also bringing big laughs to the Tyne Theatre stage is Sunderland comic Matt Reed, whose Matt Out Of Hell show follows his debut at the venue last year. A sharp and charming comic that combines poignancy, stories and hilarious truths to an act that will bowl you over. (15^th March)

Now that Easter pantos are a big thing on the theatre schedule, the Tyne Theatre is knocking it out of the park every year, and 2024 is no exception. Their Beauty & The Beast Easter Panto is a modern reworking of the panto staple with stars like Lee from Steps, Barney from Blue Peter, Steve Royle from BGT and Carma from The Dumping Ground. Expect songs, laughs, slapstick and some audience participation. (30^th – 31^st March)

If you’ve always wanted to hear your favourite rock classics reinterpreted by a huge orchestra with magnificent vocalists and big production values, Prime Orchestra: Sympho Rock Show is just what the doctor ordered. This Ukrainian orchestra bring new life to songs by Imagine Dragons, Deep Purple, The Prodigy and many more. (16^th April)

Northern Stage

A must for fans of Friends, remarkable one-man show Friend (The One With Gunther) tells the whole Friends story – all 236 episodes – from the point-of-view of the neglected, lovelorn barista from Central Perk. Joseph Maudsley plays the titular waiter, chronicling 10 seasons of the sextet’s ups and downs in a seventy minute, award-winning tour de force. (6^th April)

The annual Newcastle Puppetry Festival is one of the most wonderful stars in the Newcastle cultural firmament and while it takes place in locations all over the city, the Northern Stage is once again the festival’s hub. This fifth edition has a week’s worth of events, with the Northern Stage hosting a plethora of films and shows including a screening of Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, some cinema classics brought to life with just two hands in Cinema In Silhouette and a hilarious horror story in Voices Of Evil. (30^th March – 7^th April)

Six Chick Flicks is a tribute to six key movies beloved of audiences and of New Yorkers Kerry Ipema and KK Apple, whose dynamic and hilarious show this is. Using songs, dances, gags and more, see Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing, Beaches, The Notebook and Titanic as you’ve never seen them before. (25th April)

Herman Melville’s Moby Dick is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels in the English language, a captivating and dense tale of obsession and human frailty on the high seas, as Captain Ahab hunts down the white whale of his imagination. This radical stage interpretation reduces the story to its basic elements – torn cloth, battered shards of wood  - and still brings the whole story to vivid life. (21^st – 23^rd May)

Live Theatre

Live Theatre is known for nurturing up-and-coming talent and this March its youth theatre presents Home, a mix of theatre and spoke word that poses and explores the question "What does home mean to you?". (23rd - 24th March)

Another Live Youth Theatre production, Fed Up is an important show put together by a group of talented youngsters from their own research, testimony and words that investigates the issue of food poverty and its impact upon children and young people in the North East. (11th - 13th April)

Local writer Stewart Pringle is set to make his Live Theatre debut this spring with The Bounds, a black comedy set in the mid-sixteenth century in Allen Valley. A Live Theatre and Royal Court co-production, this tale of rural divides and extreme village sport is a must-see. (16th May - 8th June)

Towards the end of its run, theatregoers can also experience a Touch Tour of The Bounds. A hands-on tour of the set taking place before an audio-described edition of the show, the touch tour is designed with visitors with visual impairments in mind and features descriptions of the show's props, costumes, characters and visual style. (29th May)

The stages of Newcastle are packed with sensational entertainment this spring, from opera to comedy, dance to musicals and much more - a world of excitement and sensation on your doorstep to suit all tastes. Why not pick up some tickets while you can?