Tyneside Cinema Click to View Virtual Tour

The Bar, Tyneside Cinema Click to View Virtual Tour

A night at the pictures – as it should be! The Tyneside Cinema is THE place to go to in Newcastle if you love film. Based right in the heart of the city, this fantastic independent marvel shows the very best movies from all over, mixing mainstream modern greats with the best of films from right across the world. The Tyneside’s screens are also something rather special and are fully licensed too, so you can enjoy a full-blown night out at the flicks in a comfy leather armchair that’s something much, much more than the norm. It’s also home to three of the best cafes in town: the legendary Tyneside Coffee Rooms, The super cool cocktail bar/cafe, Intermezzo, and the gorgeous Tyneside Bar.

Visit www.tynesidecinema.co.uk for full details on what’s on at the Tyneside right now and the many other things you can do there besides watching film.

Imagine a world before the internet, before TV and when newspapers barely had any pictures printed in them. Back in the 1930s a phenomenon swept the UK as News Theatres were set up to show newsreel films to the public.

People flocked to these cinemas to see world events as moving images for the very first time. The Tyneside Cinema was originally built as Newcastle’s News Theatre in 1937 and today is the finest surviving news reel cinema in Britain.

Every day of the week our new permanent exhibit describes the history of the building and how the news was filmed and screened in the days of the newsreels. You can hear the stories of the people who made the news and what the newsreels meant to local people, you can even experience the thrill of making a projector whirr into life – first hand!

The man who built the Tyneside in 1937 thought a film should be an event and set out to design a picture palace, complete with mosaics and oriental decoration, which began the job of transporting you out of your everyday from the moment you crossed the threshold.

We believe that he had exactly the right idea and hope you’ll see that the new Tyneside Cinema is made to be more than just a soulless place to see the latest flicks.

Inside the building you will find a range of beautiful spaces, great cafés and exciting activities that are all designed to allow you to indulge your passions, enrich your spirits and spice up your life.

Address
Tyneside Cinema
10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 6QG
BOX OFFICE AND INFO: 0845 217 9909

Go to The Tyneside Cinema official website

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Newcastle City Hall, Tyne & Wear Click to View Virtual Tour

View from Balcony, Newcastle City Hall Click to View Virtual Tour

History of Newcastle City Hall

Newcastle City Hall prides itself on showcasing the finest acts from around the world, be it Rock, Pop, Comedy or Musicals the biggest names in the business play the City Hall.

The City Hall was opened in 1927 as part of the redevelopment which also includes the City Pool. The Harrison and Harrison Organ was added in 1928 to give Newcastle its first dedicated concert venue.

For almost 40 years the City Hall hosted concerts by major British Orchestras featuring conductors such as Sir Malcolm Sargent and soloists as Yehudi Menuhin and Kathleen Ferrier. In addition local choirs and societies hold their annual concerts here and there were celebrity recitals and talks as well as Civic functions.

The 60’s saw the cultural explosion of pop music and the hall was soon playing host to “package tours” featuring The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as Newcastle’s own “Animals”. Many shows featuring five or six acts such as Gerry and the Pacemakers, Gene Pitney, The Kinks and Marianne Faithful on one bill could be seen for 10/6 (52p) or less.

The City Hall has continued to host almost every rock and pop “great” since the 60’s as well as seeing the first tours of future legends. Throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s the City Hall has maintained its position as one of the best and most used 2000 seated venues in the country, and one of many artists favourite gigs. Bruce Springsteen rates the City Hall show in 1981 as one of his three best shows and both Dire Straits and Elton John insisted on starting world tours in the Hall.

As well as music the City Hall has a tremendous reputation for comedy and has seen multiple sell out shows by Billy Connolly, Victoria Wood, Reeves and Mortimer and more recently Little Britain.

The above article is courtesy of Wikipedia: Read More

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Sunderland Empire Theatre Click to View Virtual Tour

History of Sunderland Empire Theatre

The Sunderland Empire Theatre is located in High Street West in Sunderland, North East England. The theatre, which opened in 1907, is owned by City of Sunderland Council and operated by Live Nation UK Ltd, on behalf of Sunderland Empire Theatre Trust. On 26 June, 2009, Live Nation announced it was to sell its theatres and it is not known if the firm will continue to lease the Empire. However, the council has promised the theatre will “continue to flourish” whatever happens in the future.

The Sunderland Empire is one of the largest venues in the North East, with 1,860 seats and the capacity to accommodate 2,000 when all standing positions are occupied. It is the only theatre between Manchester and Edinburgh large enough to house today’s large-scale West End theatrical touring productions. The auditorium is also one of the few remaining in the UK to have four tiers, namely the Orchestra Stalls, the Dress Circle, the Upper Circle and the Gallery. There are four private boxes on the Dress Circle level, as well as two proscenium boxes on the Upper Circle balcony.

The Empire Palace, as it was originally called, was established independently by Richard Thornton after his partnership with theatre magnate Edward Moss was dissolved. It was opened on 1 July 1907 by variety and vaudeville star Vesta Tilley, who had laid the foundation stone on 29 September 1906.

The dome on the 90 ft tower featured a revolving sphere bearing the statue of Terpsichore, the Greek Muse of dance and choral song. These were removed during World War II for safety reasons, after a bomb which had fallen nearby rocked the building. The original statue is now located at the top of the main staircase, with a replica on the dome itself. The dome and tower have recently been refitted with a state-of-the-art LED and floodlight system that illuminates the main entrance in the evening.

Until the mid-twenties, the Empire enjoyed much extended success from its variety performances. With the decline of touring theatre, a projection box was added in 1930 and for the first time, the theatre played host to motion pictures. On 5 November 1956 Tommy Steele made his stage debut heading the bill in a variety show. Steele, Britain’s first rock ‘n’ roll singer, went on to become one of the world’s leading song and dance men appearing at the Empire many times. Although audience figures were high during the 1940s and early 1950s, the theatre closed in May 1959 due to the growing popularity of television and cinema. It reopened in 1960, however, after Sunderland Council bought the theatre. The Beatles performed there during their first UK national tour.

Sid James famously suffered a heart attack during a performance on the opening night of The Mating Season on 26 April 1976 and died on the way to hospital. Later it was rumoured that his ghost was in the dressing room he occupied on the night of his death; after one experience during a gig there, the comedian Les Dawson refused to play the venue again. Whilst the ghost of James is said to haunt backstage, the spirits of Vesta Tilley and Molly Moselle are said to haunt the front-of-house areas. Molly Moselle was a stage manager for Ivor Novello’s The Dancing Years in 1949. Leaving the theatre to purchase a birthday card, she disappeared down a nearby alley and was never seen again. The Empire was known as a ‘comic graveyard’ – rather unfortunately given the above points – because of the partisan reception of the audiences of the time. This is not the case in these more enlightened, modern times. Nowadays, the theatre regularly plays host to large-scale musicals, opera, ballet, dance showcases, amateur productions and one-night shows.
Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren made her stage debut at the Sunderland Empire.

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The Stalls, The Theatre Royal Click to View Virtual Tour

The Circle, The Theatre Royal Click to View Virtual Tour

History of The Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green as part of Richard Grainger’s grand design for the centre of Newcastle, and was opened on 20 February 1837 with a performance of The Merchant of Venice.

Following a performance of William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, a huge fire destroyed the interior of the building in 1899. It had its interior redesigned by Frank Matcham and reopened on 31 December 1901. The theatre’s restaurant is named after Matcham. Externally, the building is exactly as it was when it was first built.

It underwent a major refurbishment and restoration in the latter part of the 1980s, reopening on 11 January 1988 with a performance of A Man For All Seasons starring Charlton Heston.

The theatre hosts a variety of shows, including ballet, contemporary dance, drama, musicals and opera. The Royal Shakespeare Company visits annually, and considers the Theatre Royal its northern base. The Christmas pantomime is also very popular.

Almost all of the shows that come to the Theatre Royal are part of a national British tour, and in a typical year the theatre will have 30 to 35 visiting shows. For the annual pantomime, and any visiting musicals and opera performances, there is a sizeable orchestral pit available. This can seat 60 musicians if necessary. The stage itself is also of substantial size, and can house 50 singers, dancers, actors and musicians.

Over 100 people staff the theatre, most of whom work behind the scenes. The theatre is reputedly also home to a resident ghost (supposedly a very friendly lady from the 19th century nicknamed ‘The Grey Lady’). (She apparently committed suicide in the main theatre hall by jumping off the gods’ circle) But details of this are hard to come by, and she certainly hasn’t been seen recently. Theatre literature and leaflets do, however, mention her.

Read more: The Theatre Royal, official website
Read more on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Stalls, The Journal Tyne Theatre Click to View Virtual Tour

The Stage, The Journal Tyne Theatre Click to View Virtual Tour

Theatre and Music Venues nearby include:

The Sage Gateshead, Tyne & Wear
The Theatre Royal, Newcastle
The Customs House, South Shields

More Informatione:

Read more: The Journal Tyne Theatre, official website
Read more on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Playhouse Whitley Bay Click to View Virtual Tour

The newly re-furbished Playhouse Whitley Bay, a superb £8m entertainment facility serving the people of North Tyneside and beyond. Designed by Newcastle based Archial Architects this ’state of the art’ venue is the flagship of a major re-generation project, breathing new life into this famous coastal resort. The venue boasts 628 seats, a 10 seater Corporate viewing suite and a contemporary look and feel to its bars and lounge area, which features a superb sea view.

Now reopened, it boasts an elegant new glass foyer, front of house facilities, box office and bar facilities; in addition it features a redesigned auditorium with new seating, new green room and chorus rooms.

The transformation of the venue, situated on Marine Avenue, is a key part of NorthTyneside Council’s £64million regeneration programme for Whitley Bay.

The Playhouse is managed by SMG Europe, who locally own and manage Newcastle’s 11,000+ seater Metro Radio Arena and 1,000 seater The Journal Tyne Theatre.

The re-generation of the Playhouse has been part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Other features of the Playhouse are:

Facilities include:

• Five dressing rooms (all en-suite) and one green room/company office
• Sound and lighting available
• Video production and screen available
• Show fold-back system and comms
• Orchestra pit options available
• Technical Information
• Stage dimensions – 9m wide x 8.7m deep
• Wing space – SL 4.5m SR 4.2m
• Orchestra pit dimensions – 7.8m wide x 2.8m deep
• Total flying height – 11m
• Full counter weight system 30 bars