Spark Entertainment
How do we define a monster? Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein favours tragedy over terror, but the film’s power strikes in its final tranquility. Hannah Rooney goes all gothic… It’s no easy feat to take on a literary classic. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus is widely regarded as a Gothic masterpiece – but if […]
BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend is set to bring “the biggest names in music” to Sunderland in May 2026, when the festival will take place at Herrington Park – with around 100 acts performing. The announcement was made by presenter Greg James, who said: “Radio 1 is going back to the glorious North East! The […]
Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical The Rocky Horror Show will return to Sunderland Empire in January 2026, following its previous run at the venue in January 2024. West End star Stephen Webb will once again take on the iconic role of Frank-N-Furter, having performed it both on tour and in the West End. […]
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe visits Sunderland Empire this week, running from 11 to 15 November to mark the 75th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’s beloved novel. The story follows four siblings — Peter (Jesse Dunbar), Susan (Joanna Adaran), Edmund (Bunmi Osadolor), and Lucy Pevensie (Kudzai Mangombe) — who are evacuated from London to […]
C.S. Lewis’s classic novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe celebrates the 75th anniversary of its publication this year. To mark the occasion, British theatre director Michael Fentiman is taking his acclaimed stage adaptation on a UK tour, with a stop at the Empire Theatre from 11–15 November. Originally published in October 1950, […]
Nick Helm reached the halfway point of his national ‘No One Gets Out Alive’ tour (a name he admits to having struggled to sell as well as his last, the significantly more positively titled ‘Nick Helm’s Super Fun Good Time Show’) at The Stand in Newcastle on November 4 and his quality remains clear to […]
A board game based on Sunderland’s history is in development, with a North East gaming group visiting Sunderland Maritime Museum (SMM) as part of their research. Tactic North East (TNE) – a community connecting table top gamers across the region – were awarded £38,676 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to make and distribute a […]
The countdown to Christmas begins as Newcastle’s much-anticipated lights switch on event is returning – hosted by radio stars Steve Furnell and Karen Oxley. The traditional curtain raiser for the festive season is taking place on Grainger Street on Thursday, November 6. Events begin at 6pm with fun activities such as songs, games, live music, […]
Sunderland’s own fundraisers, Stockton Road Hit Squad, are back again with a spooktacular Halloween gig. Prominent Sunderland musicians and bands will be performing at the Independent on October 31. The gig is organised by the Stockton Road Hit Squad, a charity campaign group that supports The Bunker CIC. They have run multiple successful fundraising efforts, […]
Sunderland Literary and Philosophical Society (‘Lit & Phil’) is set to host a panel celebrating Black History Month tomorrow (Thursday 30 October). The event, from 6.30 to 9.30pm, will be held at the Sea Change Café, at the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. The Sunderland Lit & Phil – re-established in 2025 after being gone […]
