Sunderland will write its own history when ‘Public Record’ – a new production developed in collaboration with the National Theatre, Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire – transforms The Fire Station for three days in April. The Fire Station is bei…

Do Newcastle’s Decrepit Youths look like they do things by half? (Answer: no.) There’s a moment midway through Decrepit Youths’ song ‘Black Dove’, when the monumental riffs drop out of the mix and a Geordie voice implores: “If this torture is so goddam…

Born in the US, but now based in the north-east, J. Archer Avary is a poet and his latest collection is spry and stuffed with little vignettes, from the quotidian (‘A Game of Scrabble Down at the Hotspur’) to the pithily observational (“being mean is what…

If, like me, you grew up during the peak of YouTube, you’ll recognise Rebecca Black from her almost universally panned hit ‘Friday’ that she recorded when she was just 13. Fast forward 14 years, Black is proving she has spent that time honing her craft as…

The latest in Tigerslane Studios’ immersive ‘Murder Trial Tonight’ productions is coming to both Middlesbrough and Newcastle in early May. With a dedicated team of storytellers, technicians and performers, Tigerslane Studios continue to break down the …

Damson Madder have got it going on. If by now you’ve not at least heard of Damson Madder, you’ll have most definitely seen it – whether you realised it or not. The London-based brand has become the go-to “cool girl” place to shop over the last year, w…

Danish brand Blanche is teaming up with ISKO and it’s a match made in heaven. Copenhagen is arguably one of the coolest cities in the world when it comes to fashion, so it’s no surprise that Danish brands have started to become the go-to for anyone see…

Drawing on archive clips of Irish novelist Edna O’Brien, illuminating interviews with contemporaries and friends, and readings from her letters by actor Jessie Buckley, this documentary is an impressively rounded portrait of a charismatic and complex figu…

Harry Lawson’s ‘Stepney Western’ recasts Byker as the Wild West in his new film, which you can see at Newcastle Contemporary Art. ‘Stepney Western’ is an experimental documentary which has been made over the past two years in collaboration with a group…

Not only will ‘I Love The 90s’ fizz with the best tunes of the decade, it will also feature a live appearance from N-Trance (pictured). It’s all coming to North Shields in early May. Demand is already high for this one, as the era of epic dance floor …

‘Kim’s Convenience’ has been a huge hit on Netflix but it began life as a stage play. And now – what do you know! – that stage play is coming to Northern Stage this April and May. ‘Kim’s Convenience’ – the TV show – has been a real breakout phenomenon …

Are the Forage events the best thing to happen to Northumberland since smoked kippers? Old castles? Vera? (Answer: yes!) The next one is taking place over the Easter weekend. I’m eschewing my usual Easter traditions this year (eating chocolate in front…

A couple of months ago Donald Trump told Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop saying “negative things” about Vladimir Putin. Who’s this Putin fellow then? Must be a very good guy if the current American administration thinks so. An upstanding, trustworthy, and pea…