The North East Theatre Guide: The Best of 2015

Follow North East Theatre Guide on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NETheatreGuide and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NETheatreGuide

The Best of 2015

2015 was a great year for both JoWhereToGo.com PR and the North East Theatre Guide. We tripled the readership of the blog during the year and have seen days when the retweet reach has literally gone in to the millions.

Stats wise: This year 115 000 read the guide which featured 93 reviews and it had a peak readership of over 16000 in a month. Thanks go to everyone who read, wrote or helped out in any way in helping us to celebrate North East theatre. The production which created the most traffic was Geordie The Musical http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/review-geordie-musical-at-south-shields.html and the most read review was Alice in Wonderland http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/review-alice-in-wonderland-at-south.html - both events happening at the resurgent Customs House.

2015 has been a year of belt tightening across the arts as funding is cut from the local councils. We continue to have much more public money per head of population spent on the arts down south. Still we were pleased to welcome a new theatre to the region and we look forward to more shows at Alphabetti in 2016. http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/review-grand-opening-at-alphabetti.html

We will ignore the shows that we saw outside of the region…except to say:

London Show we most want to see tour in 2016: Carrie The Musical http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/review-carrie-musical-at-southwark.html

London Show we are pleased to see is coming to the North East in 2016: American Idiot http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/preview-american-idiot-at-sunderland.html http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-american-idiot-musical-at-london.html

The Proud to be in the North East Award:

1. Geordie The Musical – South Shields Customs House http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/review-geordie-musical-at-south-shields.html

2. The Man & The Donkey – South Shields Customs House http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/review-man-and-donkey-at-customs-house.html

3. The Cinder Path – South Shields Customs House http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/review-cinder-path-at-south-shields.html

The Laugh out loud stand up comedy award:

1. Steffen Peddie – Newcastle The Stand http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-steffen-peddie-at-newcastle.html

2. Mark Thomas – Newcastle Northern Stage http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/review-mark-thomas-cuckooed-at.html

3. Ken Dodd – Whitley Bay Playhouse http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/review-ken-dodd-at-whitley-bay-playhouse.html

The Stunning set design award:

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Sunderland Empire http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/review-curious-incident-at-sunderland.html

The Best dance production award:

1. 5 Soldiers – Newcastle Dance City http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/preview-5-soldiers-at-newcastle-dance_14.html

2. What the body does not remember – Newcastle Northern Stage http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/review-what-body-does-not-remember-at.html

3. Tipping Point – Dance City http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/review-tipping-point-at-newcastle-dance.html

The Best amateur musical award:

1. Hairspray – Newcastle Tyne Theatre & Opera House http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/review-hairspray-at-newcastle-tyne.html

2. Sister Act – Newcastle Theatre Royal http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-sister-act-at-newcastle-theatre.html

3. Calamity Jane – Hexham Queens Hall http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/review-calamity-jane-at-hexham-queens.html

The Best musical award:

1. Our Ladies – Newcastle Live Theatre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-our-ladies-of-perpetual-succour.html

2. Jersey Boys – Sunderland Empire http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/review-jersey-boys-at-sunderland-empire.html

3. Call Mr Robeson – Newcastle Alphabetti Theatre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-call-mr-robeson-at-newcastle.html

The Best Show for Children:

1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Newcastle Northern Stage http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/review-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-at.html

2. Error 404 – Newcastle Northern Stage & Stockton Arc http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-error-404-at-newcastle-northern.html

3. Shrek – Sunderland Empire & Theatre Royal http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/review-shrek-musical-at-sunderland.html

The Best new writing award:

1. The Rooms – Newcastle Alphabetti http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-rooms-at-newcastle-alphabetti.html

2. Day of the Flymo – Newcastle Live Theatre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/review-day-of-flymo-at-newcastle-live.html

3. Broke – Washington Arts Centre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/review-broke-at-washington-arts-centre.html

The Most entertaining pantomime

1. Alice In Wonderland – South Shields Customs House http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/review-alice-in-wonderland-at-south.html

2. Aladdin – Newcastle Tyne Theatre & Opera House http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/review-aladdin-at-newcastle-tyne-theatre.html

3. Snow White & The Seven Dwarves – Whitley Bay Playhouse http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/review-snow-white-and-seven-dwarfs-at.html

The Most spectacular Christmas show

1. Dick Whittington - Newcastle Theatre Royal http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/review-dick-whittington-at-newcastle.html

2. Aladdin – Sunderland Empire http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/review-aladdin-at-sunderland-empire.html

3. Cinderella – Darlington Civic Theatre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/review-cinderella-at-darlington-civic.html

The Laugh Out Loud funniest play

1. Peter Pan Goes Wrong – Darlington Civic Theatre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/review-peter-pan-goes-wrong-at.html

2. Frank Sumatra – South Shields Customs House http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/review-frank-sumatra-at-south-shields.html

The Best amateur play:

They Shoot Horses Don’t They – Newcastle Peoples Theatre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/review-they-shoot-horses-dont-they-at.html

The Best Adaptation award:

1. Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour – Newcastle Live Theatre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-our-ladies-of-perpetual-succour.html

2. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Sunderland Empire http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/review-curious-incident-at-sunderland.html

3. Cyrano de Bergerac – Newcastle Northern Stage http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/review-cyrano-de-bergerac-at-northern.html

The Best Spoken word performance:

1. Dark & Lovely - Newcastle Northern Stage http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/review-dark-lovely-at-newcastle.html

2. Grandad & the Machine – Newcastle Live Theatre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/review-grandad-and-machine-at-newcastle.html

3. Mythical Creature – Edinburgh Electric Circus http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/review-trip-to-edinburgh.html

…and finally

IMHO Best Show of 2015:

1. Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour – Newcastle Live Theatre http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-our-ladies-of-perpetual-succour.html

2. Curious Incident – Sunderland Empire

http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/review-curious-incident-at-sunderland.html

3. Alice in Wonderland – South Shields Customs House http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/review-alice-in-wonderland-at-south.html

So that leaves a thank you to everyone that has helped us by reading, reviewing, performing, inviting and booking the shows. Special mention goes to the very patient Joanne and our son Robert. He is only 12 and has literally sat through over a hundred shows. For the record Robert’s top pick this year was Peter Pan Goes Wrong and Jo puts Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour at the top of her list.

Happy New Year!

Stephen Oliver

North East Theatre Guide

www.JoWhereToGo.com PR

Studio 620, Bamburgh House

Market Street,

Newcastle upon Tyne