Spark

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Theatre

The producers of the new production of Waitress have officially announced that Durham’s own Emma Lucia will lead the cast as Jenna in the upcoming show on the 4-9 May at Sunderland Empire. “I’m very exited to take on the role of Jenna in the North East. I grew up watching shows at Sunderland Empire, […]

Whitney Houston is widely considered to be one of the most gifted singers in the history of the art, and at the height of her fame came the opportunity to star in a blockbuster thriller alongside Kevin Costner called The Bodyguard. Now, over the 30 years later, the stage adaptation of that movie is touring the […]

A YouGov survey showed that the frequency of people attending theatre regularly has declined over recent years. Another on showed that the reason for that is closely linked to the cost of living crisis and the price if theatre tickets. Katie Davison speaks to two theatre fans to find out the truth. https://soundcloud.com/katielauren2021/why-are-people-not-attending?si=b0f1518a374546beb434f413aad951f3&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing  

So you agree? You can’t believe it’s been 22 years since the iconic movie Mean Girls was released. Neither can Spark. The beloved film-turned-musical (eight years ago now) is making Sunderland Empire its home until April 11. The musical follows Cady Heron (Emily Lane) as she transitions from her life in Africa to surviving high […]

The West End and Broadway hit, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is set to hypnotise audiences at the Sunderland Empire from June 5 to June 27, 2026. Based on the renowned 2001 Baz Luhrmann film starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, Moulin Rouge dusted off its sequins to become a stage musical in 2016, directed by […]

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 […]