New Season at Queen’s
Hall Arts Centre, Hexham
September –
December 2014
Queen's
Hall Arts has once again has a packed new season of the highest quality drama, live
pop, classical, jazz and traditional music, exhibitions, ballet, film, and
performances for children. And of course pantomime with Oddsocks’.
Artistic
Director Geof Keys says “We’ve recently
been successful in our application to Arts Council England to continue as a
National Portfolio Organisation. This
award recognises our commitment to bringing high quality work, and to supporting the emergence of the best
and brightest talent in the region. With the support of the Arts Council and
Northumberland County Council, and most importantly with your support, we are
able to bring you some great experiences:-
·
Newly commissioned work from Tender Buttons in
September, an in-house production of an Alan Ayckbourn ghost story in October,
and newly commissioned children’s theatre from Puppetship in November.
·
A major new programme of digital work in our
galleries kicking off with the magical Sprite Symphony in September.
·
Unlimited Theatre and Paper Birds bringing
nationally acclaimed work to the Queen’s Hall as part of a major new consortium
initiative.
And, of course, we will continue to bring trusted
favourites that will warm up your evenings as the nights draw in - a great film
club season, touring productions from Red Ladder and Reform Theatre, Théâtre
Sans Frontières with Heaven Eyes, Ballet Cymru’s Beauty and the Beast, Nordic
Fiddlers and many more top quality shows. And we’re all looking forward to Wind
in the Willows at Christmas!”
Selected highlights of the new season at Hexham’s
Queens Hall include…
 |
| Oddsocks The WInd In The Willows |
- Oddsocks
Productions return at Christmas this year with their pantomime take on the
classic children’s novel The Wind in the Willows. Join Mole, Ratty, Badger
and Toad as they adventure along the riverbank…oh yes they do!
 |
| Pied Piper |
- A big offerring
for little ones this season with the puppets of the Pied Piper, Gruffalo
creators Tall Stories with Emily Brown & the Thing, Clydebuilt
Puppets’ Rapunzel, Once in a Blue Moon from Wriggle Dance and QHA’s own
production of In a Nutshell.
 |
| Thirsty
from Paper Birds |
- Great Drama Offer: Buy 2 shows get 1 free in a
Great Drama Offer. Choose from MONEY the game show (featuring £10,000 in
real pound coins!), We’re Not Going Back from Red Ladder, David Almond’s
Heaven Eyes from Hexham’s own Théâtre
Sans Frontières, John Godber’s Bouncers, Thirsty
from Paper Birds and Not About Heroes explores WW1 poets Wilfred Owen
& Siegfried Sasson.
-
-
 |
| Haunting Julia |
- BITESIZE
drama is a great way to enjoy great new short plays with great new food
from the Little Angel Café. Watch out for Sounds and Guts from Tender
Buttons and QHA’s own production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Haunting Julia. A £12.50 ticket covers the show,
accompanying food and a drink.
 |
| Sue Sweeney |
- BBC Radio Newcastle
presenter and one of the north east’s favourite comedienne’s Sue Sweeney
presents a night of rib tickling laughter when she’s Live and Unleashed.
- Exhibitions at
Queen's Hall Arts have a local flavour this season with exhibitions from
Helen Pailing who has been Artist in residence at VARC in Tarset, and from
photographer Iain Duncan who explores the ecosystem of lichen on Hadrian’s Wall. The venue will also host two new digital
exhibitions; Sprite Symphony featuring musical fairies in jam jars and
artist Lucy Pawlak who uses streaming technologies to create moving images
and live performances.
 |
| The Simon & Garfunkel Story |
- The Simon & Garfunkel Story, Classic Clapton,
Counterfeit Sixties and Buddy Holly & the Cricketers are appearing
throughout the season with their own tributes to these legends.
 |
| Beauty & the Beast |
- In October sees the return of Young Opera Venture with
their acclaimed production of Mozart’s great final masterpiece, the Magic
Flute. In October Ballet Cymru arrive with their sparkling and refreshing
ballet Beauty & the Beast.
- Hexham Film Club is showing Nebraska in September, Plein
Soleil (the original Talented Mr Ripley film) and the modern day Irish
musical film Once. The season rounds off with two classic films from the
60s and 50s, Dr Zhivago and White Christmas.
- There is a talk from local historian Stan Beckensall on
the special places of Northumberland, a book launch from ex-SAS turned
author Chris Ryan and a lecture by South African Rob Caskie on the Anglo-
Zulu war (made famous by the Michael Caine film Zulu).
 |
| Renaissance |
- Add in
performances from Hexham Amateur Stagec Society, Queen’s Hall Theatre Club
with Blackadder Goes Forth, Paul Edis Sextet at Jazz in the Café and
performances in the Hexham & District Music Society from Wu String
Quartet, Aurora Wind Quintet and Renaissance … and much more, and what you
get is another full and action packed season of the best in theatre and arts.
QHA Theatre Listings Sept - Dec
2014
Queen’s
Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland.
NE46 3LS
September
Comedy
Sue Sweeney ‘Live and
Unleashed’
Friday
12 September 7.30pm
The North East’s favourite comedienne; a non-stop,
rib-tickling night of laughter with BBC Newcastle’s Sue
Sweeney in
her ‘Live and Unleashed’ stand-up comedy spectacular.
Tickets:
£16.00 / £14.00 (OAPs / Friends)
Theatre
Sounds
& Guts
Wednesday
17 – Friday 19 September 8.00pm / Friday 19 September 2.00pm
The
Island is home to one human
being and a huge colony of sea birds. Tender Buttons will take you on a
theatrical tour of The Island, through a labyrinth of archive film, field
recordings and collected stories of solitude. Sounds & Guts is a playful
tale about the fine line between being alone and being lonely.
Tickets:
£12.50 (BITESIZE ticket includes food) / £7.50 (Play only)
Pop
The Simon
& Garfunkel Story
Saturday
20 September 8.00pm
Using
huge projection photos and original film footage, The Simon and Garfunkel Story
features a full live band performing all the hits including Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled
Water, Homeward Bound and many
more.
Tickets:
£16 / £14 (benefit conc / Friends / students)
Theatre
MONEY the game show
Wednesday 24 – Thursday 25 September 7.30pm
Playing with £10,000 in real
pound coins, you are invited to bet long, short and hedge, as Casino and
Queenie challenge you to play a series of high stake games that
demonstrate how the world’s economic system came to the brink of collapse.
Tickets: £12.00 / £10.00
(Friends / benefit conc) / £5.00 (student)
Children’s
Pied
Piper
Saturday 27 September 11.30am & 2.00pm
A puppet play for children aged 3 to 7 and their
families. When the Pied Piper plays his flute the rats run, the greedy mayor
rubs his hands and the children dance... a humorous and irresistible one person
show combining a skilful mix of puppetry, foot-tapping music and storytelling.
Tickets:
£6.50 / £5.00 (per person based on a group of 4 or more)
October
Theatre
Haunting Julia
By
Alan Ayckbourn
Friday
3 – Saturday 4 October 8.00pm
Haunting
Julia is chilling ghost story that manages to encapsulate Ayckbourn’s trademark
timing and wit. A twisted study of grief, obsession and the supernatural, that
will have you jumping out of your seat.
Tickets:
£12.50 (BITESIZE) / £7.50 (Play only)
Theatre
We’re Not Going Back
Saturday
11 October 7.30pm
In
this hard-hitting musical comedy we follow the fortunes of three sisters
determined to set up a branch of Women Against Pit Closures. We’re Not Going
Back tackles the resilience of working communities, the make-and-mend
fabric of family and the power of sticking two fingers up to a government
hell-bent on destruction…
Tickets: £12.00 / £10.00
(Friends / benefit conc) / £5.00 (student)
Theatre
Shakespeare Schools
Festival
Friday
17 October 7.00pm
To
mark Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, Queen’s Hall Arts is delighted to be working
in partnership with the UK’s largest youth drama
festival.
Ticket
prices: £8.75 / £6.75 (Friends / benefit conc / student)
Children’s
Emily Brown & the
Thing
Saturday
18 October 1.00pm & 4.00pm
Tall Stories (creators of
the hugely popular Gruffalo stage show) present their brand new show.
One evening, Emily Brown
and her old grey rabbit Stanley hear a Thing crying
outside their window. What’s really troubling the Thing? Find out in this
magical, musical show for everyone aged 3 and up.
Tickets:
£6.50 / £5.00 (per person based on a group of 4 or more)
Theatre
Heaven Eyes
By
David Almond
Tuesday
21 October 1.15pm & 7.00pm
Based
on the novel by internationally renowned children’s author David Almond (Skellig), Théâtre Sans Frontières brings
its own inimitable style of story-telling to this spellbinding and
other-worldly tale about young people trying to find their way in the world.
Tickets: £12.00 / £10.00
(Friends / benefit conc) / £5.00 (student)
Theatre
Haunting Julia
By
Alan Ayckbourn
Wednesday
22 October 8.00pm
Thursday
23 October 2.00pm
Haunting
Julia is chilling ghost story that manages to encapsulate Ayckbourn’s trademark
timing and wit. A twisted study of grief, obsession and the supernatural, that
will have you jumping out of your seat.
Tickets:
£12.50 (BITESIZE ticket includes food) / £7.50 (Play only)
Opera
The Magic Flute
Friday
24 October 7.30pm
Mozart’s
final masterpiece has become one of the best-loved operas in history. It
combines comedy, pantomime, love story, fantasy and philosophy in marvellous
music.
Tickets:
£16.50 / £10.00 (student)
Theatre
Bouncers
By
John Godber
Saturday
25 October 7.30pm
Judd,
Ralph, Les and Lucky Eric invite you for a night on the town in this hilarious
and outrageous look back at the 80s nightclub scene. In the tatty, glitzy
glamour and flashing lights we meet the smooth talking DJ, the lager swilling lads,
the lip-sticked, lacquered girls and many more gyrating to the pulsating beat
of the dance floor.
Tickets: £12.00 / £10.00
(Friends / benefit conc) / £5.00 (student)
Children’s
Rapunzel
Monday
27 October 2.00pm
With
specially recorded music, beautifully made rod puppets, and Steve Smart’s
masterly puppetry skills, this is a show that is enjoyed by adults and children
alike. A new show for families ages 4+ years.
Tickets:
£6.50 / £5.00 (per person based on a group of 4 or more)
Ballet
Beauty & the Beast
Wednesday
29 October 7.30pm
Ballet
Cymru presents a sparkling and refreshing ballet using stunning costumes,
breathtaking choreography, heartbreaking passion and the company’s unique blend
of classical technique and storytelling.
Tickets:
£13.50 / £11.50 (Friends) / £10.00 (benefit conc / student)
Pop
The Counterfeit Sixties
Show
Thursday
30 October 7.30pm
Re-live
the sounds and the magic of the swinging sixties; a showcase of the great bands
of this unforgettable time.
Tickets:
£16 / £15 (conc)
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