What's on in north Northumberland - April 28 - May 5

Stage/Theatre

Saturday

Shakespeare Untold. The Maltings, Berwick, 2pm. The stories you know from the characters you don’t. This family-friendly double bill comes from London’s world-renowned venue, Shakespeare’s Globe. Tickets: £12.

Thursday till May 7

The Producers - A New Mel Brooks Musical. The Maltings, Berwick, 7.30pm. Members of the Maltings Youth Theatre bring back some old friends and the team behind such productions as Hairspray and Here Come The Girls to high kick into Germany with this outrageous, hilarious musical. Tickets: £14, £12 concs, £36 family.

FILMS

Tonight

Sing-a-long-a Sound of Music. Alnwick Playhouse, 7pm. The smash-hit musical show that has been all around the world now returns to the UK for the 50th anniversary of the iconic movie. Yes, the original sing-a-long show is back. After a four-year rest, the spring 2016 tour celebrates the film’s half century, giving it a birthday party to remember. Tickets: £16.50 premier, £15.50 standard. Certificate (PG).

Tonight

Truth. The Maltings, Berwick, 7.30pm. The story of The Killian Documents controversy in the days leading up to the 2004 presidential election. When veteran newscaster Dan Rather and CBS News head Mary Mapes choose to air a segment on 60 Minutes exposing how President Bush avoided being drafted to Vietnam through his father’s political advantages, the resulting fall-out ultimately costs them their jobs and reputations. Tickets: £7.45, £6.45 concs, £4.45 child (16 and under). Certificate (15).

Tomorrow

Grimsby. The Maltings, Berwick, 7.30pm. MI6’s top assassin has a brother. Unfortunately for him, he’s an English football hooligan from the town of Grimsby. Tickets: £7.45, £6.45 concs, £4.45 child (16 and under). Certificate (15).

Wednesday

Bolshoi Babylon. Alnwick Playhouse, 7.30pm. Documentary taking a look behind the scenes at Moscow’s prestigious Bolshoi Theatre during 2013 when it was rocked by an acid-attack scandal. Tickets: £7.80 premier, £7.50 standard, £7 concs, £5.50 child/student, £6.75 friends. Certificate (PG).

Thursday

Spotlight. Alnwick Playhouse, 7.30pm. Based on the true story of how the Boston Globe newsroom Spotlight team, led by Walter “Robby” Robinson, uncovered a potentially explosive story about child molestation and the massive cover-up within the Catholic church. Tickets: £7.80 premier, £7.50 standard, £7 concs, £5.50 child/student, £6.75 friends. Certificate (15).

Live Music/Dance

Tonight

Rothbury Roots Presents: Sarah McQuaid. The Queens Head, Rothbury. Doors open 7.30pm, starts 8pm. Sarah was last at Rothbury Roots in 2012 and her return is long overdue. As one of the hardest working touring musicians on the circuit, Sarah’s been on the road virtually non-stop since then. Admission £10.

Tomorrow

Classic Clapton - 30th Anniversary Tour. Alnwick Playhouse, 7.30pm. Dubbed the World’s Number One Eric Clapton Tribute Band, featuring front-man Mike Hall, Classic Clapton makes a welcome return as part of its 30th anniversary tour. This will be its second appearance at Alnwick Playhouse. The band will perform all of Clapton’s classic songs, including Wonderful Tonight, Tears in Heaven, I Shot The Sheriff, Lay Down Sally and Layla. Tickets: £16 premier, £15 standard, £14 concs.

Saturday

Met Opera: Elektra - R. Strauss. Alnwick Playhouse, 5.55pm. This performance is part of our stunning Met Opera 2015-16 season, broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Tickets: £21 premier, £20 standard, £19 concs, £10 child/student, £18 friends.

Monday

Folk Sessions. Blue Bell Hotel, Belford, 8pm. First Monday of each month. All welcome.

Tuesday

Laura Van Der Heijden and Piotr Liminov. Alnwick Playhouse, 7.30pm. BBC Young Musician Winner 2012, cellist Laura van der Heijden has already made a name for herself as a very special emerging talent. Tickets: £16 standard, £15 concs.

Thursday

Rothbury Accordion and Fiddle Club with Seamus O’Sullivan Duo. Queen’s Head Hotel, Rothbury, 7.30pm. Annual membership £8, members’ admission £4, non-members £5, musicians and visitors welcome. Contact 01668 281307.

Thursday

Concert by the Brinkburn Guitar Quintet. Bailiffgate Museum, Alnwick, 7.30pm. Featuring the Boccherini Guitar Quintet in D major – ‘The Fandango’, Vivaldi Guitar Concerto for String Guitar arranged for string quartet by Denis Grieve. Tickets £8.

Thursday

Music at Mellerstain (in Adam music room). Ugne Tiskute (viola) and Alexandra Vaduva (piano) play Schubert, Brahms and Clarke. Followed by light supper. Tickets £13.50 members, £17.50 non-members, from 01835 864153.

EVENTS

Every Thursday

Gateway drop-in. Shilbottle Community Hall, from 10am to 4pm. A free drop-in to meet friends over refreshments, play cards, read newspapers, watch television or use the internet, and in the afternoon join the craft group.

Every Thursday

Learn to dance ballroom and Latin. A class for absolute beginners. Every Thursday at Marshall Meadows Country House Hotel, at 7pm. £2.50 per person. For further details call 01289 307953.

Every Thursday

Tea Dance Group. Hadston Community Centre, 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Admission of £1.50 includes a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit. Dance tuition is free.

Until Wednesday

Hexham Book Festival. Queen’s Hall, Beaumont Street, Hexham. The Hexham Book Festival is the pop-up book you’ve always wished for. Larger-than-life characters like Mary Portas, Melvyn Bragg and Wilko Johnson vault off the page with stories to amaze, educate and amuse. Free admission. Full programme details at www.hexhambookfestival.co.uk

Today until June 10

Textil Juvel – Contemporary Crafts from West Sweden. Exhibition at Berwick Museum and Art Gallery, Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm, and Sunday, 11am to 4pm.

Tonight

Joy of Jive. Felton Village Hall, 7.30pm. A new batch of classes of modern jive. Entrance fee of £5.

Tomorrow until Wednesday

Beer Festival. Percy Arms Hotel, Chatton, will be featuring more than 20 beers and ciders from some of the best breweries in the North East and Northumberland. There will be live music throughout the weekend. All music will be free admission in the bar/lounge area, but tickets have to be purchased for the Beer Festival, available from the venue. Please contact the venue for further details on 01668 215244, or email [email protected]

Tomorrow

FridayFIVE. Berwick Methodist Church, 7.30pm. The theme this month is Living Life to the Full. Come and find out what the Gospel is not! All are welcome to this lively, informal and contemporary worship.

Every Friday

Coffee morning. Enjoy a coffee and biscuits and do your bit for the lifeboats every Friday morning at Alnwick Playhouse, from 10am in the upstairs bar.

Sunday

North East of England and Scottish Borders Begonia Society. Monthly meeting at Dinnington Village Annex (by Newcastle Airport), 2pm. All are welcome, from novice through to professional.

Sunday

Car Boot Sale. Bull Ring, Beadnell. All proceeds go to fund village projects. Pitches can be booked on 07550 014085.

Tuesday

Aln Valley Railway meetings. Meetings are held in the Old Waiting Room, Alnwick Station, at 7.15pm for 7.30pm. It’s the annual quiz evening when the Aln Valley Railway team competes against the team from Gunnerton Railway Circle for The Flat Bottomed Trophy. This year the quiz will be hosted by Gunnerton.

Tuesday

Alnwick and District Flower Club. Travels with my Aunt, with Wendy Smith, at the Costello Centre, Bailiffgate, Alnwick, at 7pm. Meetings are on the first Tuesday in the month.

Tuesday

The Stephensons: A Family Driven by Steam. A talk on one of the region’s most famous father and son teams, and their peers. Bailiffgate Museum, 7.15pm. Run by the Alnwick Branch of the Northumberland and Durham Family History Society. Donation requested from non-members.

Until May 8

Animal Spirits by Juneau Projects. The Gymnasium Gallery, Berwick, 11am to 5pm. Animal Spirits is a new book and exhibition, written and designed by Juneau Projects. The book tells the story of a group of survivors who, following a global technological disaster, have founded an arts and craft community within the walled town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Free admission.

Until June 5

Exhibition launch: Sander Van Raemdonck //Inclosure. The Granary Gallery, Berwick, 2pm. Sander Van Raemdonck is Berwick Visual Arts current artist in residence in partnership with the Centre for Rural Economy (CRE) at Newcastle University. This is a new body of work exploring rural housing in Northumberland.

WALKS

Sunday

Alnwick Ramblers. Wooler Common, Broadstruther, Common Burn House, St Cuthbert’s Way. Meet Wooler Common car park. Starts 10.30am. Leaders Elidh and Derek Gardiner. Call 01665 574839 for details.

Attractions

All attraction opening times may vary from season to season.

Aln Valley Railway, Alnwick: 0300 030 3311. For opening times and details, visit www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk

Alnwick Castle: 01665 511100. Go to www.alnwickcastle.com for opening hours and further details.

Alnwick Garden: 01665 511350. Go to www.alnwickgarden.com for opening hours. Prices are adults £7.70, concs £5.83, children £4.40, family £21.50.

Bailiffgate Museum, Alnwick: 01665 605847. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 10am to 4pm, but closed on Mondays. Admission is £4, concs £3, children £1, under-fives free.

Bamburgh Castle: 01668 214515. Open daily, from 10am to 5pm, last admission 4pm. Admission £10.50, children £5, senior £10, family £25.

Barter Books, Alnwick Station: 01665 604888. Open daily, from 9am to 5pm.

Belford Hidden History Museum. Open daily 10am to 4pm. Free admission.

Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens: 01661 881636. Open daily, from 10am to 6pm. Admission £9.20, concs £8.30, children £5.50, family £23.90.

Berwick Barracks: 01289 304493. Open Monday to Friday, from 10am to 6pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Admission £4.80, concs £4.30, children £2.90, family £12.50.

Chillingham Castle: 01668 215359. Open every afternoon except Saturday until the end of October. Adults £9.50, concs £8.50, children £5.50 (under five’s free), family £2. www.chillingham-castle.com

Chillingham Wild Cattle Park: 01668 215250. Open Monday to Friday: Tours at 10am, 11am, noon, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm. Sundays: Tours at 10am, 11am, noon. Closed Saturday. Admission £8, concs £6, children £3, family £16.

Cragside House, Gardens and Estate: 01669 620333. Closed Monday. Open Tuesday to Sunday, house 11am to 5pm, gardens and woodland 10am to 6pm. Admission £10.20, child £5.10, family £25.50.

Dunstanburgh Castle: 01665 576231. Open daily, from 10am to 6pm. Gift aid admission: £4.90, concs £4.40, children £2.90, family £12.70.

Edlingham Castle: 0870 333 1181. Open any reasonable time during daylight hours. Admission is free.

Etal Castle: 01890 820332. Open daily, from 10am to 6pm. Gift aid admission: £4.80, concs £4.30, children £2.90, family £12.50.

Eyemouth Museum: 01890 751701. Open daily from March to the end of October 2016. Admission: £3.50 adult, £3 concs. Under 16s free. See www.eyemouthmuseum.org for more information

Heatherslaw Cornmill: 01890 820488. Open daily, from 10am to 5pm. Admission £3.80, concs £3.20, family £10, under-five’s free.

Heatherslaw Light Railway: 01890 820244. Open daily, from 10am to 4pm, first train at 11am. Return journey prices: adult £6.50, seniors £6, children £4.50, under-five’s £2.50, babies free.

Heatherslaw Visitor Centre: 01890 820338. Open daily, from 10am to 5pm.

Howick Hall Gardens: 01665 577285. Open daily, from 10.30am to 6pm, last entry 5pm. Gift aid entry £7.70, over 60s £6.60, children free.

Lady Waterford Hall, Ford: 01890 820338. Open daily, from 11am to 5pm. Admission £3, concs £2.70, family £8, under-five’s free.

Lindisfarne Castle: 01289 389244. Call for opening times. Gift aid admission: £7.80, child £3.90, family £19.40.

Lindisfarne Centre: 01289 389004. Call for opening times. Admission £4, concs £3.50, children £2, family £10, under-five’s free.

Lindisfarne Priory: 01289 389200. Open daily, from 10am to 6pm. Gift aid admission: £6.20, concs £5.60, children £3.70, family £16.10.

Longframlington Gardens: 01665 570382. See website for information including 2016 open times and diary of events online at www.longframlingtongardens.co.uk

North Charlton Armstrong Household and Farming Museum. 01665 579443. Open every Friday, on the Chillingham Road off the A1, all proceeds go to charity.

Preston Tower, Chathill: 01665 589227. Open daily, from 10am to 6pm, or dusk, whichever is earlier. Admission: children £2.50, concs or groups £1.50.

RNLI Grace Darling Museum, Bamburgh: 01668 214910. Open daily, from 10am to 5pm, last entry 4.15pm. Free admission.

Wallington: 01670 773600. Stately home near Cambo: Open Thursday to Monday, and Wednesday, from noon to 5pm. Closed Tuesday. Walled garden: Open daily, from 10am to 7pm. Garden and estate: Open daily, from 10am to dusk. Gift aid entry: £12.60, child £6.30, family £31.50.

Warkworth Castle and Hermitage: 01665 711423. Castle: Open daily, from 10am to 6pm. Gift aid entry: £6, concs £5.40, children £3.60, family £15.60. Hermitage: Open on Sunday and Monday only, from 11am to 4pm. Admission £4, concs £3.60, children £2.40, family £10.40.

Woodhorn Museum and Archives, Ashington: 01670 624455, Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, Woodhorn, Ashington: Open Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am to 5pm. Northumberland Archives: Open Wednesday to Saturday, from 10am to 4pm.