Here’s a few shows to get stuck into...
The Late Shows – Friday, 7pm-11pm Victoria Tunnel – Ouse Street, Newcastle, NE1 2BE, www.ouseburntrust.org.uk
This year there’s no pre-booking required for these 6pm-10.30pm taster tours to explore the underground attraction so those interested can just turn up but obviously numbers will be limited. This is a chance to see a preserved section of the 19th century coal waggonway which runs under the city from the Town Moor to the Tyne. There is limited wheelchair access too.
The Biscuit Factory – Stoddart Street, Newcastle, NE2 1AN, www.thebiscuitfactory.com
A Silent Book disco – with a playlist created by Forum Books – and flash-mob performances of Shakespeare by actors from the People’s Theatre will bring a whole new vibe to the gallery, a former Victorian warehouse. It will also undergo a transformation into an art studio where visitors can join artist Megan Randall to mould ceramics which will help make up a unique installation to mark The Biscuit Factory’s 20-year anniversary.
Ouseburn Farm – Ouseburn Road, Newcastle, NE1 2PA, www. ouseburnfarm.org.uk
The farmyard will be turned into a ‘good ole barn dance’ Hootenanny with straw bales, strings of lights, live music and maybe even some line dancing. Local bands will be setting the Americana mood for a familyfocused affair and there will be a barbecue using the farm’s own produce.
Tyne Bank Brewery Taproom – 375 Walker Road, Newcastle, NE6 2AB, www. tynebankbrewery.co.uk The brewery will be turning all arty, with the help of local print artists who will be running demonstrations and workshops from nature-inspired lino prints to silk screen printing. Don’t get too immersed that you forget to check out the range of beer on offer too.
The Time Bandits – meet by The Cluny, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
Visitors can join in a walkabout story, following in the footsteps of Jack the Ripper as these historical re-enactors transform the Ouseburn into London’s 1800s Whitechapel. Performances at 7.30pm and 9pm will revolve around the characters of Holmes and Watson as they attempt to solve some grisly murders.
The Late Shows – Saturday, 7pm-11pm, Bessie Surtees House – 44 Sandhill, Newcastle, NE1 3JF, 0191 269 1255
It’s been closed since the pandemic but the ancient house, showcasing 16th and 17th Century Jacobean architecture and its famous story of elopement, will reopen especially for The Late Shows on Saturday evening for tours which need to be pre-booked. Make the most of a rare chance to visit – and an even rarer one to tour some of the private rooms – by booking on the number above to secure a slot: 7.15pm-8pm; 8.15pm-9pm or 9.15pm-10pm.
Newcastle Cathedral – Mosley Street, Newcastle, NE1 1DF, 0191 232 1939. newcastlecathedral. org.uk
Also with limited availability are these Tower Tours which will be running at the cathedral throughout Saturday night. The Lantern Tower promises to be a real eye-opener for those up to the climb and for those who aren’t there will be a film screening revealing all about it.
Discovery Museum – Blandford Square, Newcastle, NE1 4JA, discoverymuseum.org.uk
The museum is urging visitors to let loose our inner child. It will be hosting an evening of retro fun with 80s-inspired music, games and challenges. It will be offering some proper grown-up extras too such as a bar and refreshments.
Assembly House – 55 Westgate Road, NE1 1SG, www.newcastlearts-centre.co.uk
This stretch of Westgate Street has been occupied from the 15th Century and now’s the chance to find out more about the site of Newcastle Arts Centre which was built on a Roman Milecastle. The Assembly House was once a Mansion House from where the King’s appointee ruled Newcastle and in the 18th Century it was decorated in a Roman style in homage to the Georgian monarchy. Booking is essential for its tours and talks at 7pm and 9.45pm but it will be open to explore from 8pm to 9.30pm.