Preview: Sunday For Sammy at Newcastle Arena

BIG NEWS FOR SUNDAY FOR SAMMY FANS

2018 CONCERT DATE ANNOUNCED NEW VENUE WITH TWICE AS MANY TICKETS AVAILABLE

Sunday For Sammy

Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

Sunday 18^th February 2018

Sunday for Sammy, unofficially known as the Geordie Command Performance, will return to Tyneside on Sunday 18^th February 2018 but this time at a new venue.  The show, first held as a tribute to Geordie actor Sammy Johnson in 2000, has been presented at Newcastle City Hall for nearly every performance.  However, in recent years the demand for tickets has far out-stripped the supply. In 2016 the two spectacular shows sold-out in a day and thousands of disappointed fans couldn’t get tickets.

In 2018, Sunday for Sammy will re-locate to Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena for two theatre style performances.  5,000 tickets will be available for each show, more than doubling the available tickets compared to previous years.

Sunday for Sammy is a celebration of North Eastern culture and many of the region's most popular and successful performers have taken part in the extravaganza of comedy and music, staged to raise funds to support the next generation of North Eastern performers with training, expenses and equipment.

Tim Healy, Denise Welch, Mark Knopfler, Kevin Whately, Charlie Hardwick, Jimmy Nail, Jill Halfpenny, Timothy Spall, AC/DC's Brian Johnson, Christopher Fairbank, Stephen Tomkinson, John Miles, Angie Lonsdale, Jason Cook, Lindisfarne, Joe McElderry, Brendan Healy, Donna Aire, Ant and Dec, Chelsea Halfpenny, Billy Mitchell, Brendan Foster, Pam Royle, Bob Moncur, Julia Tobin, Glenn McCrory, Kathryn Tickell, Chris Ramsey, Peter Peverley, Steffen Peddie and many, many more have given up their time to take part in the show.  The cast list is never revealed beforehand, every show is packed with surprises.

Chairman of the Sunday for Sammy Trust Tim Healy said “I spend a lot of time in the North East and people constantly ask me how to get tickets for Sunday for Sammy.  The show has become so hugely popular that all available tickets are snapped up as soon as they go on sale. By moving the show to a larger venue we can give loads more people the opportunity to see the show while ensuring our continued support for the talented young performers from our area that need a helping hand.”

Since the first Sunday for Sammy in 2000, young local performers have benefitted from over £400,000 in grants to help with their professional development.

Catherine Dryden, from Chester le Street is a 3rd Year Student at RADA and was part-funded by the Sunday for Sammy Trust. Catherine explains “Sunday for Sammy is helping me to get through my final year at RADA. My course covers six days of the week which doesn’t give me the opportunity to work to help pay the bills and the cost of being in London. Without their support, I couldn’t have carried on. They have given me the helping hand I need to further my professional career in drama.”

Ailsa Oliver, General Manager of the Metro Radio Arena added  “Sunday for Sammy is such a wonderful event and we are very excited to be part of its continued growth. The event generates such excellent support for the local community and we are sure the two performances will once again be a success in it's new home at the Metro Radio Arena”

The show’s producer, Ray Laidlaw urged everyone to book tickets as soon as possible “Sunday for Sammy is unique; no other part of the country has an event that celebrates its regional popular culture on such a scale while supporting the next generation of performers.

“It’s an amazingly popular show and in recent years every performance has sold out within hours of the tickets going on sale. We get a huge number of messages from people telling us that they’ve tried to buy tickets but have been unsuccessful.  That’s why we’ve doubled the capacity by moving the show to the Metro Radio Arena. However, we anticipate ticket demand to be greater than ever and we’d hate to see anyone missing out. The message is simple – lots more tickets available but if you want to be sure of being part of Sunday for Sammy 2018 then don't delay, buy your tickets early.”

Tickets:

Tickets costing £35 plus 55p facility fee and bookings fees, go on general sale from 10am on Wednesday 22nd March and are available online at www.metroradioarena.co.uk  from the booking hotline number 0844 493 6666 or in person from the Metro Radio Arena Box Office.

Tickets will also be available from Newcastle Theatre Royal.
Online www.theatreroyal.co.uk  or call the Box Office on 08448 11 21 21. (All calls are charged at 7p a minute plus your phone company’s access charge, calls from mobiles may vary, please contact your operator for details.) For Groups of 10+, please call Group Bookings on 08448 11 21 22.

Preview: Jason Cook’s Comedy Club at South Shields Customs House

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COOK’S AMBITIOUS DOUBLE

Jason Cook’s Comedy Club

South Shields Customs House &

Newcastle Wylam Brewery

Saturday 1^st April 2017

Comedian and writer Jason Cook’s Comedy Clubs have gone from strength to strength since his very first night, just 18 months ago, but now he embarks on his most ambitious

venture - running two shows in two towns on the same night for nearly 1000 people.

The clubs, the first of which started after Cook had organised a fundraiser for the Customs House in South Shields, came out of Jason’s desire to play big venues with other top flight comedians.

Jason Cook at Wylam Brewery

“I’ve gigged all over the world and I noticed that in the

North East we didn’t have any massive rooms where the bill

is made up of nothing but headliners. There’s loads down

south but I really wanted to get my funniest mates and get us all together and rock a big theatre together.” So, he booked the Customs House for a one off gig to test the water. Since then, over 5,000 happy punters have poured through the doors at Cook’s various venues across the region.

Phil Nichol

“I wanted the gig to do two things: have a bill of nothing but headline acts, one after another, but also be able to sell enough seats that I could keep the ticket price as low as possible, so it didn’t break the bank for people. I had no idea if it would work at all, it was a big gamble.”

But work it did, the first gig sold out in days and has led to a string of consecutive sell outs at the Customs House, firmly placing the venue as one of the premier comedy venues in the country, and at 440 seats, one of the UK’s largest.

Tom Stade

The South Shields venue was followed by a club at Hexham’s Queen’s Hall and a third at the award-winning Wylam Brewery in Newcastle’s Exhibition Park.

“I’ve been approached by lots of venues who want me to open a club but everything has to be perfect, I’ve knocked 95% of them back. The room has to be just right, great stage, lighting, PA, everything. The venue has to be right behind the whole concept and they have to be cool with me offering the tickets out at as cheap a price as possible so we can pack the place out.”

John Fothergill 

Photo: JoWhereToGo/

Carliol Photography

And customers seem to have responded to the personal touch, having the club’s owner be their point of contact with the business. “When people sign up from the mailing list, it’s just me that runs it, and all the emails come from me. Which probably explains why they are few and far between, but I think that’s what people like isn’t it? The odd email every month or so? I can’t abide it when you get bombarded so I like to see it as just sending a message to some mates telling them what’s going on”

But this April fool’s day, Cook has taken on the heady task of running shows at the Wylam Brewery and the Customs House on the same night, and intends to appear at both.

Jason Cook

Photo: Andy Hollingworth

“I’ve got Customs House dates locked in for the rest of the year and after the success of our first Wylam Brewery show, they were desperate for us to have another as soon as possible and the only date they could make work was April 1st, which I’d already booked at Customs House.”

And so the plan was hatched to run both shows on the same night, with Cook flitting between the two “Like a little comedy Live-Aid Phil Collins" he adds.

“I’ll do an opening set at the Wylam Brewery and there will be a car waiting for me to take me down to South Shields to host the show down there. And I’m trying to find a way to get back but at the minute, I don’t know anyone with a helicopter so that is, pardon the pun, up in the air at the

minute”

Phil Nichol

Photo: Steve Ullathorne

And the bills at both clubs are nothing to sneeze at: Tom Stade a Live at the Apollo regular, plus John Fothergill, at the Wylam Brewery show as well as Perrier award winning Phil Nichol headlining the South Shields club.

“And I’ve always got a few surprises up my sleeve so we’ll see who else might turn up” says Cook, who has a habit of getting secret, unannounced TV names to pop in at his gigs.

“It’s exciting and terrifying in equal measure but from what I’ve learned doing the shows so far, the people of the North East are crying out for top quality, affordable comedy in beautiful surroundings, so hopefully I won’t be bankrupt after this”, he says.

Age restriction 18+

On The Web:

More details can be found by visiting the comedy club’s website: www.jasonscomedyclub.co.uk

Tickets:

Jason Cook’s Comedy Club comes to the South Shields Customs House on Saturday 1^st April 2017 starting at 7:45PM

Details & tickets: https://www.customshouse.co.uk/theatre/jason-cook%27s-comedy-club%3A-april/ or by phone: 0191 454 1234

Jason Cook’s Comedy Club also comes to the Wylam Brewery at the Palace Of Arts, Exhibition Park Newcastle Upon Tyne on  Saturday 1^st April 2017 with the first act appearing at 7pm – tickets available online at http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/event/268761

 

Preview: Big Comedy Feast at Bishop Auckland Food Fest

‘I, Daniel Blake’ star headlines BAFF’s Comedy Feast

The Big Comedy Feast

Bishop Auckland Food Festival

Saturday 1^st April 2017

Dave Johns, the star of Ken Loach’s critically acclaimed film ‘I, Daniel Blake’, is set to headline The Big Comedy Feast; an exciting new addition to the Bishop Auckland Food Festival.

Dave Johns

Dave will be bringing his renowned comedy show to Bishop Auckland on April Fools’ Day to entertain revellers and foodies alike.

As well as his career as an actor, Dave has also been a regular on shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks, 8 Out of Ten Cats and Alan Davies As Yet Untitled, and has appeared on the West End stage in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, alongside Christian Slater. 

He will be joined by Irish stand-up Chris Kent, whose résumé includes stints on Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central, The Stand Ups and sell out shows at the Edinburgh and Perth Fringe Festivals, and Sunderland’s Matt Reed who will MC the evening.

This year, the Bishop Auckland Food Festival will feature lots of familiar faces as well as some exciting new additions, including an expanded food and artisan drinks quarter.

Foodies will be able to eat their way around the world from America to Greece and Thailand to Mexico, as well as sample some of the region’s finest cuisine, courtesy of stalls from some of the North’s foremost producers.

There’ll also be fun for the whole family with children’s cookery classes and chocolate workshops running alongside the festival.

Kids can learn how to hand-pipe a chocolate lollipop, make a marshmallow caterpillar and design their own pizza; as well as learning how to make bread from scratch and indulge in some fizzy mocktail concoctions!

Tickets:

The Big Comedy Feast will be held at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Saturday 1^st April, (the first day of the festival) at 7.30pm, with doors opening at 7pm.

Tickets are priced at £12.50 per person or £10 each for early bird tickets.

Tickets are available from Gala Durham on 03000 266 600, online via www.bishopaucklandfoodfestival.co.uk, from Bishop Auckland Town Hall on 03000 269 524, or in person.

Preview: The Red Hot Chilli Pipers at Whitley Bay Playhouse

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Whitley Bay Playhouse

Thursday 18^th May 2017

There has never been anything quite like The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, from a cameo appearance at T in the Park in 2004 with The Darkness to opening the main stage in their own right in 2014. The past twelve years has seen the Red Hot Chilli Pipers become the most famous bagpipe band on the planet...ever! Bagpipes with attitude, drums with a Scottish accent and a show that carries its own health warning.

The band's achievements have reached incredible heights with their groundbreaking fusion of traditional Scottish music and Rock/Pop Anthems which they proudly call “Bagrock”. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers are a genuinely unique experience.

The Chillis have never been more in demand for their infectious style of feel good music which appeals right across the age range to people all over the world. They have collected together an impressive group of musicians from Scotland and further afield, many holding World Championship titles and all seriously good players with impressive credentials and qualifications.  

The band recently launched their eighth and eagerly anticipated new album - `Octane` - in May 2016. This album follows on the back of the hugely successful release of the live DVD and CD entitled `Live at the Lake` in 2014.  In an explosive evening of entertainment captured on this live DVD and CD, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers recorded their most adventurous project to date, bringing 16 musicians and dancers across the Atlantic to perform at Milwaukee Irish Fest, the US spiritual home of the band. They captured the unique and explosive power of the Chilli Pipers in one unforgettable evening by the shores of Lake Michigan. Tracks include - Insomnia, Gimme All Your Lovin', Thunderstruck, Everybody Dance Now, Amazing Grace, Fix You, Chasing Cars, Wake Me Up, Don’t Stop Believin and We Will Rock You.

Tickets

Tickets costing from £25 are on sale now.

Tickets are available from the Box Office open Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm, Saturday 10.30am – 2.30pm plus until show start on event days. Tickets can also be purchased on the booking hotline 0844 248 1588* or online at www.playhousewhitleybay.co.uk.

*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

Preview: Copacabana at Newcastle Tyne Theatre

West End Operatic Society presents

Copacabana

Newcastle Tyne Theatre and Opera House

Tuesday 4^th – Saturday 8^th April 2017

After the huge success of Oliver! in April 2016 (Oliver! NETG Review LINK), West End Operatic Society return to Tyne Theatre & Opera House in April 2017 to present Copacabana, the hit stage musical written by Barry Manilow based on the song of the same name.

The Society presents Barry Manilow’s stunning Copacabana. Packed with dazzling costumes, feathers galore and of course music and passion. With Manilow hits such as Dancin’ Fool, Who Needs to Dream, Welcome to Havana and of course, the Grammy Award – winning Copacabana ( At The Copa). This all makes for a great night of entertainment.

Played by Liam Gilbert, Tony Forte is a talented yet struggling songwriter by day and by night works at the hottest nightclub in town, the Copacabana. However his instant attraction to Lola puts him against some dangerous competition ……..but will he get his girl in the end?

Played by Helen Cash, Lola Lamar is an ambitious young country girl with Broadway dreams. She arrives in New York City and lands a job at the famous Copacabana Nightclub, ‘the hottest spot North of Havana’. But will Lola’s dreams of becoming a star really come true?

Tickets:

West End Operatic Society presents Copacabana at the Newcastle Tyne Theatre and Opera House from Tuesday 4^th – Saturday 8^th April 2017. Evenings 7pm Matinees Thursday and Saturday 2pm.

Tickets are priced £8 - £18, groups buy 10 get 1 free (Plus booking fees when booking online or over the phone)

Concessions available on Tuesday 4th April – £2 off full price tickets

Online booking: http://tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk/events/west-end-operatic-society-presents-copacabana/

Tikcets can be bought in person from the theatre. The Tyne Theatre & Opera House is open 10am-3.30pm Monday to Friday and Event Days.

By phone: 0844 2491 000

(calls will cost 7 pence per minute plus your telephone company's access charge)

Tickets subject to booking fee & charges apply when paying by debit/credit card. No fees for cash payment at box office.

Preview: Holmes and Watson at South Shields Customs House

Fringe Hit Comes to The Customs House

Holmes and Watson: The Farewell Tour

South Shields Customs House

Wednesday 15^th March 2017

Following a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a laugh-out-loud comedy is heading to the North East next week.

An evening of intrigue, amazement and amusement is in store as Holmes and Watson continue with their farewell tour at The Customs House in South Shields next Wednesday.

Alongside his faithful sidekick Dr Watson and with the able aid of trusted compatriots Mrs. Hudson and Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard, Sherlock Holmes will attempt to re-enact one of his most baffling unsolved cases.

Expertly written by Stuart Fortey, there’s everything you might expect from Sherlock Holmes – and more.

Customs House Executive Director Ray Spencer said: “We are always looking for the best shows to bring to The Customs House. Holmes and Watson: The Farewell Tour has won repeated rave reviews and sold out the Edinburgh Fringe Festival so we knew we were on to a winner.

“This is an infectiously funny Holmes presented with panache, an explosive blend of murder mystery and irresistible comedy. So pit your deductive skills against those of the Great Detective as a case unfolds before your very eyes.

“This is your final chance to catch Holmes and Watson on their farewell tour. Don’t miss it, it’s elementary!”

Directed by Tristan Pate and performed by Adrian Banks, Liam Nooney, Margaret Prendergast and Alan Proudfoot, this is ‘…an excellent romp of a mystery that will have you laughing along’ (BROADWAY BABY).

Tickets:

Holmes & Watson: The Farewell Tour is at The Customs House in Mill Dam, South Shield on Wednesday 15^th March 2017 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £16 or £14 concession and are available from the box office in person, by calling 0191 454 1234 or by visiting www.customshouse.co.uk.