Chart star’s on the road

Aug 23 2007 by Gary Beckwith, Evening Chronicle

A host of new shows have been announced for Newcastle’s Journal Tyne Theatre. GORDON BARR has the details

THERE’S something for everyone in the new season at the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle.

A packed schedule is on the cards and a handful of new shows have just been announced.

Leading the way is a gig by Newton Faulkner, who is currently riding high in the charts with his debut album Hand Built By Robots.

The singer-songwriter and acoustic phenomenon will play the venue as part of his biggest UK tour to date and will be at the theatre on November 16.

The announcement came as Hand Built By Robots crashed straight into the UK album chart at No3 while simultaneously hitting No 1 on the Download Chart as well as No1 on iTunes and No 1 on the Amazon chart.

The album went silver after just one week, while the single Dream Catch Me went top 10.

Newton has rapidly become a genuine grass-roots live success story as his sell-out headline dates and support slots have garnered new fans and rave reviews.

His November tour will give his fans a new show, as he is joined onstage for the first time by specially-selected musicians.

Also that month is the comedy The Naked Truth, which runs from November 2 to 4.

Tailor-made for women, it was penned by Dave Simpson, the writer of hit comedy Girls’ Night Out.

Set in a pole dancing class, it is all about sisterhood. A top class cast teams up stars from stage and screen, including Lisa Riley in an all-female cast.

It’s a women thing, as five very different women struggle hilariously to conquer pole dancing for a charity event to raise awareness and money for breast cancer.

As their stories unfold and unravel, they share laughter and tears in a funny, sad and ultimately moving play.

It’s a show for women about women, that men absolutely must see (if they dare!).

For the little ones, and those young at heart, Rupert the Bear comes to the theatre next spring, with tickets on sale from Friday.

Rupert The Bear: Follow The Magic will see audiences enter a magical world of adventures .

It is billed as an enchanting and visually-stunning new pre-school series for boys and girls.

The adventures of the loveable and exuberant young Rupert Bear and his charming friends in the wonderful woodland world of Nutwood will be brought to life with a unique mix of stop-frame animation and cutting edge 3D CGI.

Rupert’s gang of friends includes fact-loving Bill Badger, tall but timid Edward Trunk, feisty Ping Pong the Pekinese and her pet baby dragon Ming, Raggety the tree elf , the mysterious Fox Twins and whimsical Miranda the Mermaid.

Children are encouraged to explore their imaginations as they follow Rupert and his friends on magical journeys from Nutwood to Rocky Bay and beyond and experience the wonders of their natural world.

Before all those shows, though, Air Supply will play the venue for one night only on October 27.

Their song Lost in Love became the fastest-selling single in the world in 1980, with albums like The One That You Love, Now & Forever and The Greatest Hits selling in excess of 20 million copies worldwide.

For more details on all shows at the Journal Tyne Theatre, ring 0870 145 1200 or log on to www.thejournaltynetheatre.co.uk