The Swell Season – featuring Academy Award winners Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, known for their breakout roles in the film ‘Once’ – are coming to The Glasshouse in Gateshead this May to weave their folky spell.

I love ‘Once’. Scratch that. I adore it. And it seems that I’m not the only one as the 2006 film has a sky-scraping score of 7.8 on IMDB. It tells the story of a busker and a Czech immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin as they write, rehearse and record songs that speak of their burgeoning love. The film gets in and out in under an hour and a half but that’s more than enough time for it to cast its spell. I mean, the characters are not even given names but Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová really succeed in pulling you into their story. Shot over 17 days on a miniscule budget, the film develops their story largely in terms of song. The pair – the real pair, not the characters – went on to release the acclaimed album ‘Strict Joy’ and after successful solo careers, they’ve reunited to perform their heartfelt songs live once again. File under: unmissable. DP

The Swell Season + support, Thursday 29 May, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, 7pm, from £28.10, theglasshouseicm.org