• WhatsOn Blog

What’s On Next Week! (w/c 16.1.17)

Posted on January 9th 2017 by indigo

If you’re not sure what to get up to next week, we’ve got seven events to fill out your seven days! Make sure you put these dates in your diary…

Monday 16th January
Textiles: Painting with the Needle @ Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral have been displaying some of the most beautiful and important textiles from their own collection as part of their Open Treasure series since November, and now there’s only a few weeks left to see it as the works are set to disappear back into the archives on 11th February. Some of the items on display date back to as long ago as the 12th Century and there’s even a piece by Turner Prize nominee Grayson Perry on display, bringing the collection bang up to date. Whether you’re an admirer of fine art or exquisite needlework, this is one not to be missed.

Tuesday 17th January
The Play That Goes Wrong @ Theatre Royal, Newcastle

The Comley Polytechnic Drama society are putting on a 1920s-styled murder mystery… Or at least they would be if it wasn’t all set to go horribly wrong! It’s a bit of an understatement to say that the bunch of thesps are more than a little bit accident prone, so just getting this production to stage will be a mammoth challenge, as the odds continue to stack against them. But the odds aren’t stacked against this production at the Theatre Royal, which is set to be an absolutely rip-roaring ride filled with laughs – it’s even found fans in Joanna Lumley and Ant & Dec. And if it’s good enough for them…

Wednesday 18th January
Chuffing Contraptions @ Life Science Centre, Newcastle

Britain has been a forerunner in developing industrial technology for hundreds of years, and the machines that we’re making continue to get more complicated and sophisticated. This new exhibition at the Life Science Centre – with a bit of help from Think Physics – is celebrating engineering feats from the pioneers of the Industrial Revolution to the ingenious tech revolution of the present day. Join them to discover more about how problems can and have been solved through the power of engineering and the way in which contraptions can make things work. See them chuffing away until 31st March, but make sure you catch them before they take their last puff!

Thursday 19th January
Planes, Trains and Automobiles @ Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham

Need a bit of a January boost? Then you might want to consider seeing this absolute comedy classic starring the only and only Steve Martin and John Candy. It’s two days before Thanksgiving, and marketing consultant Neal Page is racing to catch his plane home, only to find that his flight has been delayed (relatable). After hours of waiting, he finds himself sitting next to possibly the world’s most obnoxious person, and when their flight is detoured they’re forced to team up to find their way home. By any means possible. This mile-a-minute odd-couple comedy will have you in droves of laughter!

Friday 20th January
John Shuttleworth @ Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle

Oof! Poor old John Shuttleworth. One minute he’s having the time of his life as Yorkshire’s finest entertainer (perhaps) and the next he’s been struck down with a bad case of sciatica, potentially forcing him to retire from the stage! Sheffield’s “best singer-songwriter” is pushing for one last chance at the big time in his new show My Last Will & Tasty Mint, which will tackle all of life’s greatest, most pressing issues, including cup holders, hi-vis jackets and the best thing about mints (of course!) Expect new songs alongside old classics too, and get ready to have a blast to the sounds of his classic Yamaha keyboard. All together now…

Saturday 21st January
Robot Lab @ Discovery Museum, Newcastle

Robots: they’re pretty fascinating things. Once they were just the stuff of dreams and sci-fi movies but in our advanced technological age, robots in some form or other are pretty much everywhere, even if they’re not quite the tin cans we once envisaged. This week the Discovery Museum are offering kids and their parents the chance to make their own hair-brained robot, using a range of recycled materials and tech (which means your bot will be environmentally friendly too!) There’s also the opportunity to test it out on the dancefloor after glamming it up with arts and crafts. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want a dancing droid buddy to call their own?

Sunday 22nd January
Make Your Own Mini Masterpiece @ Woodhorn Museum

Have you been to see David Watson’s exhibition celebrating and examining life in the North East’s industrial heritage at Woodhorn yet? If you haven’t, then this weekend could be the perfect excuse for all the family to check it out. On Saturday and Sunday, kids can make their own mini masterpiece inspired by the exhibition itself and can even make their own tiny easel to put it on! It’s a great chance to make a family day out of seeing this spectacular installation.

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