South Shields theatre reveals summer show lineup - will you be going?

Chrissy Rock, Tommy Cannon, Jason Cook, Tony Christie and Strictly Come Dancing stars Pasha and Giovanni are all lined up to tread the boards of the Customs House in the coming months.

The venue, in Mill Dam, South Shields, is also getting set for the launch of a World Premiere in August - the stage version of the iconic hit TV Show When the Boat Comes In.

The show has been turned into a play by Peter Mitchell, the son of the original writer James Mitchell.

It was the first mainstream TV drama to be set in the North East and at its peak achieved 15 million viewers, won national acclaim, and found a permanent place in the hearts of hundreds of thousands of northerners everywhere.

To mark the centenary of the end of the Great War, the Customs House has commissioned its run from August 16 to 25 with sponsorship from Colmans of South Shields.

A comedy play based on the hit Radio 4 series, My Uncle Freddie, is also being brought to the stage for the first time, starring local actor Andrew Finnigan alongside Pitmen Painters star Chris Connel.

Set in 1930s Jarrow My Uncle Freddie will run from July 17 to 21 and follows the adventures of 10 year old Lecky and his family including his imaginative Uncle Freddie.

Written by acclaimed writer and Customs House Academy fellow Alex Ferguson, the play celebrates the human spirit, humour and community of the North East.

Executive director of The Customs House, Ray Spencer, said: “I am truly thrilled to bring recently inducted Customs House Fellow, Alex Ferguson’s radio series My Uncle Freddie to the stage for the first time in July. And, if that’s not enough, hit TV show When the Boat Comes In is being turned into a play by Peter Mitchell, the son of original writer James Mitchell for its premiere in August.”

For details or to buy tickets please call the Customs House box office on 454 1234 or visit www.customshouse.co.uk