Public safety continues to be our priority. We’re doing all we can to keep you safe at our venue. Please remember we do not permit backpacks or large bags and you will be screened upon arrival. Read more about our safety policy here Read more Read more

Our Latest Brochure Is Out Now!

Posted on 30 August 2016

We’re delighted to announce that the latest edition of ‘What’s On’ is available to peruse online from today! As ever, expect to find a varied list of ludicrously talented acts within its pages! (A copy can be viewed here before your copy arrives in the post). For a flavour of what is on offer at the PLAYHOUSE in the coming months, read some selected highlights below.

On Tuesday the 13th of September, we host Grow Up Grandad by Gordon Steel. When Poppy finds herself living with her cantankerous grandfather, a man she neither likes nor loves, all hell breaks loose. Something of a hermit; a man living in the past who sees very little good in anything or anybody, her Grandad is suddenly and unexpectedly confronted by a tornado of energy that can’t sit still and asks too many questions. This is an intergenerational story that deals with love and loss, hope and sadness, as the relationship between Poppy and her Grandad is thrust together and torn apart. On Tuesday the 4th of October, join the PLAYHOUSE in marking the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare’s death with Nicholas Collett’s performance in Your Bard - An Audience with Will Shakespeare. Professor Nother is giving a talk about Shakespeare authorship in the function room at the Shakespeare pub – but he doesn’t believe the man from Stratford wrote those plays. That’s Will’s cue to kick the door off the hinges and defend his reputation. Come and meet the man himself and take the lid off a legend in your local. He’ll tell you all about his family, what it’s like on tour and the glory days at the Globe. Queen Elizabeth I, Christopher Marlowe and Ned Alleyn – you’ll meet them too. The show will feature a few of the bard’s greatest hits - and maybe a sonnet or a song!

On Friday the 7th of October, get ready for The Counterfeit Seventies’ show debut at the PLAYHOUSE! Featuring the music of Slade, Sweet, T.Rex, The Bay City Rollers and many, many more, the band will take you on a rollercoaster ride through the biggest hits of the 70s; from a decade of glam rock to new wave music, and everything in between! We welcome back the brilliant Kate Rusby on Tuesday the 11th of October. Her wondrous singing and hugely engaging Yorkshire wit combined with the intuitive support of the band, ensures that audiences will be treated to a truly remarkable and unforgettable concert experience. On Thursday the 20th of October, Immersion Theatre presents Journey’s End. Anxiety builds in Captain Stanhope’s claustrophobic dugout as the threat of an imminent German attack looms over the battalion. As final orders are received, Stanhope must stir his men to overcome the uncertainty of the unknown, make the ultimate sacrifice and prepare to “go over the top” in a truly heart wrenching climax. Journey’s End is a harrowing insight into the humanity of the First World War based on R. C. Sherriff’s own experiences in the trenches. Utterly compelling, this award-winning classic masterfully brings the courage, valour, humour and inescapable tragedy of warfare to the stage.

The magnificent magician Jamie Raven will arrive in Whitley Bay on Tuesday the 15th of November. Jamie Raven burst onto an unsuspecting world during the 2015 series of Britain’s Got Talent. His magic amazed audiences and even made Simon Cowell exclaim, “I now finally believe in magic!” So, sit back, relax and let Jamie Raven show you some of the magic that he has astounded audiences with around the world. Our Christmas Pantomime, Aladdin, starring Boyzone’s Shane Lynch and venue favourite Steve Walls, will light up the festive period at the PLAYHOUSE from Monday the 5th of December to Monday the 2nd of January. With a supporting star cast, and stunning sets, glittering costumes, and plenty of audience participation, Blue Genie Entertainment's Aladdin promises to be the most spectacular pantomime ever!

On Friday the 20th of January 2017, we have John O’Connell’s Simply Dylan. This personal exploration and celebration of the rich and diverse work of Bob Dylan is as straightforward as the title suggests: no frills, no gimmicks, no pretense, no lookalikes, no carbon copy; a tribute to Bob Dylan, not a Bob Dylan tribute. North Tyneside Council in association with CODA presents Billy Bragg & Joe Henry - Shine A Light Tour on Wednesday 25th January 2017. In March 2016, Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, guitars in hand, boarded a Los Angeles-bound train at Chicago’s Union Station looking to reconnect with the culture of railroad travel and the music it inspired. Winding along 2,728 miles of track over four days, the pair recorded classic railroad songs in waiting rooms and at trackside while the train paused to pick up passengers. On the Shine A Light tour, they’ll be playing songs from the journey, along with favourites from their own back catalogues.

To coincide with the release of the hard copy of our brochure, we have a number of events going on sale this Friday the 2nd of September, including: the return of North Tyneside Disability Forum's fantastic 'Variety Show' on Friday the 27th of January; Halfway to Paradise – The Billy Fury Story on Tuesday the 7th of February 2017, with the sensational Colin Gold as Fury; Someone Like You – The Adele Songbook on Saturday the 4th of March 2017 – an immaculate celebration of one of our generation’s finest singer-songwriters; Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour on Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th of March 2017 – an extraordinary collection of short films from the world's most prestigious mountain film festival; I’m Still Standing – The Elton John Songbook on Friday the 17th of March 2017, featuring the 'Ultimate Elton' Paul Bacon, along with 'The Rocket’ band; the fantastic tribute Nights on Broadway – The Bee Gees Story on Thursday the 23rd of March 2017; and Seriously Dead, written by Leah Bell and Crissy Rock, on Thursday the 4th of May 2017.

Back to news