So much to enjoy from September to December

We are excited to share our programme for Autumn 2024. There is a huge variety on offer – too much to cover in one news story, so we hope you’ll find something that excites you for a visit to ARC over the coming months. Below, you can find out more about everything we have coming up this season, with additional details of our personal highlights.

Theatre

Our theatre offering this season includes shows commissioned as part of our Make New Work programme selected by our community panel and made for local audiences.

In September Yolanda Mercy returns to ARC with Supper Club, a chance for women to meet over a sumptuous meal and have a creative conversation about what it means to identify as a woman in modern day Britain as part of a wider research and development project.

BRiGHTBLACK make immersive playable culture and have been working with Stockton residents to develop their latest piece. In October BRiGHTBLACK present an immersive theatre experience with #BOOMERTOBUST, which explores the experiences of Boomers and Gen Z’ers from the town to answer the question – Why is life so different between these generations?

Our autumn programme also includes a number of other pieces of work commissioned by, or made in association with ARC beyond out make new work programme.

In September and October ARC is partnering with Kit Green to tour The Home Roadshow to care homes in the Tees Valley. Featuring ARC Associate Artist Umar Butt as part of an ensemble cast, this interactive performance for residents takes a light-hearted look at the care home setting through music, dance, and comedy.

October also sees the return of Gillian Jane Lees and Adam York Gregory for their latest project Foundation, which sees them back at Wellington Square with a durational performance that will see a structure created with 4000 bricks placed one at a time. Following the conclusion of the performance the bricks will be distributed throughout the community to be incorporated into the fabric of the town. If you would like some of these bricks for your own project, whether that’s a garden wall or something less conventional, complete this form.

In November ARC Associate Company Full Circle presents Storiescapes. This time the learning-disabled theatre company bring us another fun yet powerful production, this time asking, who gets to tell their story? And will the stories of learning disabled people ever be told properly. Audiences of their previous work at their own Stomping Grounds Festival, and sold out SIRF show will know their work is an essential for your autumn plans.

We also have some of the best touring work in the country paying us a visit over the next couple of months.

In October Wound Up Theatre present Tones: A Hip-Hop Opera from writer and performer Gerel Faconer that explores the black and mixed experience in modern Britain through the sounds of hip-hop, grime and drill with the melodrama of opera. While in November Wake the Beast bring In The Sick Of It, a deeply moving experience informed by over 500 interviews with NHS staff and Care Home staff.

Our whole theatre programme is presented on A Pay What You Decide basis, meaning you can book your ticket with no up-front cost, and you decide what you pay at the end based on what you thought the experience was worth.

Music

Our music programme this autumn includes some exciting bookings from local artists. Parissa Zarifi kicks off our season with the launch of her brand-new album Sing For My Soul at the beginning of September. At the end of the month The Gathering Sounds returns for another year, where audiences can enjoy a full day of emerging artists across some of Stockton’s best venues, with The Royston Club, Fat Dog and Wings of Desire among acts already announced.

At the end of October The Point becomes ‘The Red Room’ as renowned pianist Simeon Walker & Friends Play the Music of Twin Peaks in a new interpretation of the music from series one and two of David Lynch’s seminal 90’s TV show Twin Peaks and film Fire Walk with me.

In December the festivities will be getting funky as The Funk Collective return to follow up their sold-out 2023 gig with The Funk Before Christmas. This all comes on top of an (almost) sold-out three nights of ARC Christmas staple The Wildcats of Kilkenny: Sleigh!

Comedy

In September you’ll find a double-dose of Clinton Baptiste as the clairvoyant medium psychic of Phoenix Nights fame brings show Roller Ghoster for two back-to-back nights. And multi ward-winning Harriet Kemsley returns for another night of hilarity in the Studio Theatre.

Local comedy hero, Matt Reed, also serves up something tasty with Come In and Get Your Tea, a blend of char show and live cookery featuring professional chefs and local familiar faces recreating childhood teas, with a massive dollop of Matt Reed loving drizzled throughout.

In November Dom Joly invites us into his Conspiracy Tour where he delves into the wacky world of some of the wildest conspiracies from around the globe. Tez Ilyas brings After Eight, his hilarious new solo show, and despite what the name of the show might imply Jason Byrne: No Show will be here for two nights of audience interaction with no comedy safety net.

All of this on top of the hugely popular, monthly instalments of Catch 22 Comedy Club see line-ups including Brennan Reece, Emmanual Sonubi, Simon Wozniak and ever popular MCs Matt Reed and Danny McLoughlin.

Beat The Gong is back in October with Danny McLoughlin as MC and December with MC Freddy Quinne when more hopeful up-and-coming comics see if they can outlast the timer and walk away with one of the most coveted prizes in the comedy world – the approval of a Stockton audience.

Family

In December LAStheatre bring The Light Princess our Christmas show for 2024 to The Point, this beautiful reinvention of the classic tale is the perfect festive treat for families with younger children. This electronic musical piece of theatre created with the involvement of children from Stockton schools is sure to delight audiences of all ages with its story of friendship, exploring difference, and the power of creativity to change the world. It wowed young audiences and their families at London’s The Albany last year where it premiered, and we can’t wait to share it with our local audiences.

We have a jam-packed line-up of events on offer for families this season. ARC Associate Company Kitchen Zoo return with their beloved adaptation of The Three Bears, a celebrated magical new take on the traditional story.

Families can make the most of a morning out, with screenings every Saturday for the whole family to enjoy together followed by creative activity at no extra cost. And Urban Kaos return for even more dancefloor antics including the ever-popular Halloween and Christmas instalments of Club Groovy!

Cinema

As Teesside’s only independent cinema we’re proud to present work from local filmmakers, work closely with partners to host festivals here in the centre of the Tees Valley, and bring local audiences films they won’t see anywhere else. And there’s already plenty of these to look forward to this autumn.

From September we’ll be curating a monthly screening of a different music documentary, We Will Doc You launches with Wim Wenders’ classic Buena Vista Social Club in September, with more screenings to be announced in the coming weeks.

We’re counting down the days until the return of the Tees Valley International Film Festival this November when another four days of screenings, talks, and events take over our building, including screenings of locally produced content, a range of short films packages submitted for competition, and a Closing Ceremony with Mark Benton and Stephen Tompkinson, awards presentations, the culmination of the Tees Valley’s Got Talent Competition and more.

Following a gala screening at TVIFF we’ll also be hosting a week of screenings of the film Home, the heartfelt documentary that sees Daniel John Williams immerse himself into the world of pigeon racing, and uncovering a story off community and passion amongst the group of men in Teesside they followed through a racing season.

Keep an eye on our social media channels and website for the latest updates of the most exciting films from the UK and beyond.

Food

Following the relaunch of our lunchtime menu earlier this spring, we are delighted that evening meals will return to No 60, our Café Bar, from September with a two-course meal for £12 on offer Wednesday – Saturday evenings, with the option to pre-book a meal if you’re attending a performance here.

There’ll also be a lunchtime cinema meal deal in place where you can grab a main meal and a cinema ticket for an incredible value price of £12.50.

You can take a glance at our full season below

September

Parissa Zarifi: Sing For My Soul Album Launch | Thu 5 Sept | MUSIC

Johnny Hates Jazz: Turn Back The Clock | Fri 6 Sept | MUSIC

Steffen Peddie: Better Call Steffen | Sat 7 Sept | COMEDY

Clinton Baptistse: Roller Ghoster! | Thu 12 & Fri 13 Sept | COMEDY

National Theatre Live | Thu 12 – Wed 18 Sept | CINEMA

ARCtic Piranha Club Night | Sat 14 Sept | MUSIC

The King and I (Dementia Supportive Screening) | Tues 17 Sept | CINEMA

Supper Club | Tue 17 Sept | THEATRE

Harriet Kemsley: Everything Always Works Out For Me | Sat 21 Sept | COMEDY