Entertainment

Cinema - The latest movies can be seen at the nine screen Warner Village Cinema in Shieldfield on the edge of the city centre. The complex includes Chiquito's Mexican restaurant, and Deep Pan Pizza Company, and is adjacent to a large car park and Manors Metro station. More central is the four screen Odeon Cinema in Pilgrim Street. Opposite the Odeon is the highly regarded independent Tyneside Cinema which shows some mainstream movies in its art deco auditorium, but specialises in classic films, and films which are not on general release. Away from the city centre there is the eleven screen UCI Cinema - Silverlink at Silverlink in Wallsend.

Theatre - The Theatre Royal (see picture) is used as a base by Opera North, and is the main venue for the month-long Royal Shakespeare Company residency each autumn. It also stages ballets, musicals, and touring plays. The Newcastle Opera House in Westgate Road, which was restored a few years ago to something like its original Victorian condition from a state of near-dereliction, specialises in big musicals, comedies, and children's shows. The Newcastle Playhouse & Gulbenkian Studio Theatre in the Haymarket is home to the award-winning Northern Stage Ensemble. The theatre also produces new plays by local and non-local writers, as well as music, dance, and comedy. The Live Theatre group was for many years an itinerant touring company which can boast of having given early chances to such household names as Tim Healey and Robson Green. Now based in its own theatre in Broad Chare, it is famous for innovative productions covering a broad spectrum of theatrical work. It also has a lively youth theatre.

Music - Live music of all kinds, from Northumbrian pipe recitals to symphony orchestras can be enjoyed in the city's theatres, but there are several specialist music venues, and a lively pub music scene. The City Hall is the home of the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra and has welcomed most of the best known artists in classical/pop/rock music over many years. The Telewest Arena, which opened in 1995 attracts some of the biggest names in contemporary popular music, such as David Bowie, Boyzone and Robbie Williams. This venue also hosts ice shows, exhibitions, and sporting events. The Tyneside Irish Centre has regular live music, and has often showcased unknown Irish bands who have gone on to international fame—The Corrs being a notable example. The Rendezvous Jazz Cafe is a small contemporary jazz venue, with a resident band and regular guest acts. Newcastle University Student's Union also plays host to many live bands. Pubs which have live music (from folk to heavy metal) include the Bridge Hotel, the Corner House, Trillians, the Archer, the Tut 'n' Shive, and many others.

Comedy - The Hyena Cafe is Newcastle's only venue dedicated to comedy and attracts stand-up comedians from both the local and national circuits. Many top names have graced its stage, including Eddie Izzard, and Jo Brand. The annual Newcastle Comedy Festival is centred around this venue.

Night Clubs - Newcastle has a lively club scene. Planet Earth often has nights on such themes as 70s disco music, and is a popular venue with Tyneside's student population. Saturday night means Shindig at the Foundation which features house and garage music. Rockshots 2 is a popular venue for gay clubbers, but also attracts a straight clientele. World Headquarters specialises in soul and funk. Other clubs include Xcalibur, Ikon, Legends, and the Quay Club. Many of these clubs hold occasional midweek nights specialising in Hip-Hop, drum & bass, or other music styles—check fliers and other local publicity for times dates and venues.

Art Galleries and Museums - the Laing, Newcastle's best known gallery, hosts regular exhibitions of art from around the world, and has a large collection of its own including a good selection of pre-Raphaelite paintings, and many works by local artists. The Hatton Gallery within Newcastle University has an impressive collection of paintings, and European and African sculptures. The small Side Photographic Gallery, tucked away above a second hand bookshop in an alley near the Quayside, is well worth taking the effort to find. The Hancock Museum has permanent displays on natural history and Egyptology and regularly hosts touring exhibitions on such subjects as dinosaurs, which are a hit with kids. The Discovery Museum traces the history of Tyneside, and has permanent exhibits on science and engineering. The International Centre for Life has hands-on and interactive displays explaining all aspects of human biology and genetics.