Theatre
Matilda The Musical is set to hit the Empire stage for the second time from 11 – 28 February as it celebrates 15 years on the stage. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s beloved stage version of Roald Dahl’s children’s book, Matilda The Musical, with music and lyrics written by the brilliant Tim Minchin, will be returning […]
Richard O’Briens legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical The Rocky Horror Show visits the Sunderland Empire this week and is running from the 19th to 23rd January. The show was first seen on the London stage in 1973 and its fan base has grown massively since. It includes some iconic tracks including: Time Warp, Sweet Transvestite, […]
Coming from a small family that’s on the older side, I have, in my adulthood, grown to love watching shows which are aimed at a younger audience. Before going to watch this display of Beauty and the Beast, I had yet to delve into the world of the Pantomime and it is safe to say […]
The festive period is well and truly upon us, and with that comes pantomime! This year sees Sleeping Beauty make an appearance at Sunderland Empire, with a cast that includes everyone from TV stars to the usual crowd favourites! When a beautiful Princess is cursed by the evil Carabosse on the eve of her 18th […]
Kinky Boots, the Olivier and Tony Award-winning stage musical, is strutting its way into Sunderland Empire. With a score from pop icon Cyndi Lauper, the musical is an adaptation of the 2005 film of the same name, which is itself based on a true story. The Golden Globe-nominated film starred Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lola, with […]
Irving Berlin’s Top Hat is at Sunderland Empire from 18 November – 22 November. The show is based on the 1935 classic film with an incredible score including some of Hollywood’s greatest songs, the immortal Cheek to Cheek, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, Top Hat White Tie and Tails and Puttin’ on the Ritz. When […]
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, […]
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, […]