Summer 2024: 20 Must-See Theatre Shows in Newcastle
Newcastle's summer theatre season is here so we've selected some not-to-be-missed shows
The theatre scene in Newcastle is a remarkably lively one, with exciting shows of every kind being produced across the city's five key theatres all the time - from blockbuster musicals to underground one-person shows and from kid-focused treats to radical political writing.
With some brilliant productions hitting the city over the summer, we’ve rounded up some of the best for you to put in your diaries. Get those seats booked and enjoy everything Newcastle's theatres have to offer this season.
Theatre Royal
One of the most beloved family films of all, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, is coming to Newcastle with a star-studded cast (Adam Garcia, Liam Fox, Charlie Brooks) in an award-winning adaptation. The 1968 film gave us gems like Hushabye Mountain and Truly Scrumptious and they all appear in this amazing stage production. (4th-8th June)
Another smash hit musical – a very different one! - is Unfortunate, a queer retelling of The Little Mermaid from Ursula’s point of view. Starring Shawna Hamic (Orange is the New Black) and River Medway (Drag Race), Unfortunate spills the beans on what really happened under the sea – expect pop bangers, filthy jokes and a little magic! (2nd-4th July)
Also this summer, we have actual theatre royalty coming to the Theatre Royal as Sir Ian McKellen appears as Falstaff in Player Kings, a remarkable new production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV Pts 1 & 2, reimagined for a contemporary age. (24th-27th July)
By extreme contrast, there’s another chance for the kids to enjoy Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out – a show full of songs, dances, mud and excitement as Peppa and her friends and family have a day at the zoo and the beach, full of activities and fun. It’s a thrilling way for the little ones to learn to love the theatre. (21st-22nd August)
Live Theatre
There’s probably no greater pillar of the UK folk community than Martin Carthy, a man who has been a constant – both solo and in collaboration with the greats – for sixty glorious years. Join him at Live Theatre for a very special show and you’ll see just why he’s so widely revered and regarded. (27th June)
If radical theatre is more your thing, All White Everything But Me is an award-winning one-woman play about black tennis player Althea Gibson, brought to life by writer / actor Kemi-Bo Jacobs in a production that was born at Alphabetti Theatre. (3rd-6th July)
This is not a magic show is almost a magic show, except it’s also a lecture about the mechanics of magic – the tropes and tricks and conventions. Think of it as magic deconstructed, by close-up magician Vincent Gambini. (5th-7th July)
Once a member of anarchist chart-toppers Chumbawamba, Boff Whalley is now a writer and We’re Not Going Back is his musical account of the 1984 Miner’s Strike, seen through the eyes of three sisters in a small pit village. (12th-14th July)
Tyne Theatre & Opera House
If you still love Murder She Wrote and also love a daft, interactive night out, you’ll want to catch Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote, which uses a screening of the episode 'Jessica Behind Bars' as the starting point of an evening of quizzes, competitions and mayhem. (7th June)
Also promising to be a lot of laughs is Tyne to Stand Up 3, another night of superb comedy from women, featuring such local stand-up stalwarts as Lauren Pattinson, Zoe, Eppie Brilliant and Kelly Rickard. It's all for a great cause too - Rape Crisis Tyneside & Northumberland. (2nd July)
A very gradual overnight success, comedian Randy Feltface has been building up a head of steam (well, felt) for nearly 20 years and now has a huge following. In his new show First Banana, Randy sets out to explain why the banana has been the cause of humanity’s downfall. Support comes from Brodi Snook. (12th July)
More dramatic than bananas, dinosaurs are back to roam the stage of the Tyne Theatre in Dinosaur Adventure Live: Trouble On Volcano Island, the latest instalment of these much-loved productions. This time, the rangers and dinosaurs are in a race against time to save an island from a volcano, in an exciting immersive show that little ones will love. (7th August)
Northern Stage
A new production from National Theatre and Northern Stage, Underdog: The Other Other Brontë looks at the life of Anne - the ‘lesser’ of the sisters - and tells a story about sisterhood, competitiveness and resistance. Irreverent and radical, this is an important and enjoyable show. (7th-22nd June)
Underdog comes with a whole season of related events at Northern Stage including Wuthering Nights: The Kate Bush Club Night (June 12th), where Kate’s music is spun all night alongside competitions, camp dancing and costumes. There’s even a chance to ‘Kate-sync for your life’. (12th June)
A sure-fire hit for younger theatregoers, Charlie Cook's Favourite Book is another hit from the pen of Julia Donaldson - a tribute to the power of books and reading and pirates full of excitement, songs and adventure. (10th-11th July)
Meanwhile, if you’ve ever wondered what the hits of Queen would sound like performed by a huge choir, wonder no more because The Many Faces of Queen offers just that! The North-East based New Horizon choir – all 100 of them – take a deep dive into the Queen back catalogue for a night of sensational sounds. (27th July)
Alphabetti Theatre
Underground theatre Alphabetti always brings us exciting and important theatre and shows, and this summer is no exception. Lasses Fest is the creation of local artist Rosie Bowden and offers a whole day of goings on – performances, a market, a community meal – all aimed at women / non-binary folk, with everything from a choir to a party throughout proceedings. (8th June)
Meanwhile, The Life & Death of All of Us promises to be a powerful and inventive look at family, religion, identity and race. It has sold out all over the place and is bound to be a moving theatre experience. (18th-19th June)
No less inventive but probably less serious is Jaws (Buy Gay) Cabaret, another treat from the mind of Mama Ri and Mack as they line-up an aquatically-themed selection of acts (drag, lip sync, comedy and more) as part of Alphabetti’s Shark Week celebrations. (12th July)
Finally, Mama G: The Magic Bookmark offers some fantastic family fun with a story of magic, adventure, reading and a pantomime dame. Expect puppets, songs, pantomime vibes and silliness. (27th-31st August)
The theatres of Newcastle always have a fine selection of shows to suit all tastes, and this summer is no different. Whether you’re a Bronte fan, want to experience some deeply personal politics or sing along to a blockbuster musical, one of our city’s great stages will have something to appeal.
