- Play Hard
- 30th Sep 2023
- 0
- 7 minutes
What’s on in the North East this October
From creepy critters after dark at Halloween to steins for good times at Oktoberfest, more music festivals, magic theatre shows and the return of Sarah Millican – October’s going to be dead good.
MUSIC
Beyond the Moor Festival
14th October
Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle’s day-long folk music festival returns for its second year at Gosforth Civic Theatre, showcasing the best in local and national artists playing contemporary, alternative and traditional roots music.
Tickets: from £30.44
Twisterella
14th October
Venues across Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough’s award-winning music festival is back for another instalment this month, with artists like Avalanche Party, Prima Queen and Venus Grrrls
taking over some of the town’s coolest bars and venues.
Tickets: from £22.50
Marti Pellow: Pellow Talk, The Lost Chapter
17th October
Maltings, Berwick-upon-Tweed
If you’re a Wet, Wet, Wet fan, don’t miss this chance to get up close and personal to lead singer Marti Pellow, as he takes his intimate new show Pellow Talk on the road – exploring the songs and stories that make the man.
Tickets: from £33.00
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine
31st October
Middlesbrough Town Hall
The NSOU – one of Ukraine’s oldest cultural institutions and among the finest symphony orchestras in Eastern Europe – has chosen the UK for its biggest single-country tour, as part of its efforts to fight the war on the cultural front.
Tickets: from £25.00
THEATRE
Sh!t-faced Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing
7th October
Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle upon Tyne
Sh!t-faced Shakespeare is the classic combination of a hacked-to-bits Shakespeare script, half a dozen professional actors and a bucket load of booze. Sounds classical to us…
Tickets: from £25.00
42nd Street
10th – 14th October
Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne
Samantha Womack, Faye Tozer and Les Dennis star in this iconic song-and-dance spectacular, featuring a hit parade of toe-tapping songs, including ‘We’re In The Money’, ‘Lullaby of Broadway’ and ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’.
Tickets: from £20.00
Frankenstein
17th – 21st October
Darlington Hippodrome
This new thriller, inspired by the classic gothic novel, explores the ultimate cost of chasing “perfection”. Whilst Europe tears itself apart, two women hide from their past at what feels like the end of the world. And one has a terrifying story to tell.
Tickets: from £16.50
Beyond Caring
18th October
The Customs House, South Shields
Beyond Caring is a powerful new play that takes a frank look at life behind the doors of a care home: a place where the corridors roar with laughter and ache with sadness and where outrageous antics mingle with tough conversations.
Tickets: from £10.00
ART & EXHIBITIONS
Soft Structures
Until 31st March, 2024
MIMA, Middlesbrough
Soft Structures reflects on the invisible threads and undocumented connections that underpin communities. Ian Giles work draws together LGBTQ+ individuals who have influenced the town of Middlesbrough, whilst Fiona Larkin responds to the artwork held in the Women Artists of the North East Library.
Tickets: Free
Voices: contemporary art and craft from the Middle East and North Africa
Until 12th May, 2024
Oriental Museum, Durham
Over the last decade, the Oriental Museum has been developing this eclectic collection of contemporary art from Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, Jordan and Palestine – this new exhibition is the first time we can see it.
Tickets: Free
Family Arts Festival 2023
31st October – 2nd November
The Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
Autumn days are the perfect time to get cosy and enjoy some crafting together at The Shipley Art Gallery, who are running seasonal crafting sessions for little ones. On 31st October, get spooky with some Halloween crafts, whilst on 2nd November you can weave some autumn garlands.
Tickets: from £3.00
COMEDY
Esther Manito
7th October
The Stand, Newcastle upon Tyne
Esther Manito is furious. Furious at the state of the world. At being considered dead at 40. At online comments. And, in her new stand-up show, she’s furiously funny. Anger isn’t a good quality in a woman, or so Esther has been told, but she can’t keep a lid on it any longer…
Tickets: from £13.00
Jimeoin
20th October
The Fire Station, Sunderland
The award-winning Irish comic touches down in Sunderland for the latest of his popular live shows – likely with his cheeky, no-gimmicks and superbly observed sense of humour in tow.
Tickets: from £21.45
Sarah Millican
28th – 29th October
Stockton Globe
When Sarah Millican was a bairn, she wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Quiet at school, not many friends, no boobs til she was 16. Now? Now she’s loud, with good friends, a cracking rack and goose booing all over the shop. In Late Bloomer, Sarah explores how one became the other. Plus, lots of stuff about dinners and lady gardens.
Tickets: from £36.75
EVENTS
Psycho Path presents… Fear Ground
Until 31st October
Lintz Hall Farm, Burnopfield
Without doubt the best “Scream Park” in the UK, the Psycho Path team have put together a gargantuan 12 nightmarish attractions to see in Halloween 2023 in dead good style. While superhero spectacles, a Halloween panto of Frozen and fairground rides cater to families under 12, adults can expect a much creepier time of it in the Fear Ground after dark…
Tickets: from £9.00
Oktoberfest Newcastle 2023
13th – 28th October
Times Square, Newcastle upon Tyne
Don your finest lederhosen and dust off your steins, because the North’s biggest Bavarian-themed party tent returns to Newcastle – featuring some of the best “oompah” bands in Europe and plenty of authentic German beers and street food.
Tickets: from £10.00
Swiftogeddon
21st October
Boiler Shop, Newcastle upon Tyne
A whole night dedicated to worshipping at the altar of Taylor Swift is our idea of a good time – think non-stop Swifty tunes, deep cuts, extended mixes, fan favourites and all the hits. Do you have a Blank Space in your diary? This night is Taylor-made for you…
Tickets: from £11.00
FOR MORE EVENTS ACROSS THE NORTH EAST, CHECK OUT OUR WHAT’S ON CALENDAR
Beth Williams
Digital Manager
Beth is our Digital Manager and can be credited with how everything at HLN ‘looks’ – from the website to our social media and twice-weekly emails. She’s also the super organised one in the team and keeps us all on-track. A born and bred scouser, Beth moved to Newcastle six…
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