In the 1980s/90s football fanzines were common place at football grounds with 1,816 having been produced at some point. Now the 75 that are left continuing the tradition are facing an uncertain future. In this article, Spark’s Ciaran Myers speaks to those involved in fanzines to find out why they were so important and what […]

Lynden Gooch first visited Wearside at the age of 10 years-old, 17 years later he departed widely known as an ‘adopted Mackem’, representing Sunderland 247 times, scoring the winning goal in Sunderland’s first Wembley win since 1973 and restored the club back into the second tier.   Spark Sunderland has had the opportunity to speak to Gooch and talk through his […]

Willie Russell’s world renowned musical Blood Brothers visits the Sunderland Empire this week, running from 17th March to 21st March. Since its debut at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983 it has been a fan favourite, running in London’s West End for over 24 years and touring the country numerous times. It includes iconic heartfelt songs […]

The hit musical Waitress is coming to Sunderland Empire from 4 – 9 May, 2026, to celebrate its 10th  year of production since it first opened on Broadway on April 24, 2016. Producers Barry & Fran Weissler and David Ian have recently announced their brand-new cast. Mark Wilshire will reprise his role as Earl from […]

Over the weekend, Newcastle’s Live Theatre hosted the London Women’s Clinic (LWC) Familymakers Show. Established in 1985, the LWC offers fertility treatments to women and couples across England and Wales. As one of the UK’s leading fertility centres for the LGBTQIA+ community, LWC’s Familymakers show was a culmination of fertility science: from IUI and donor sperm […]