We've rounded up a selection of music, plays and comedy from a variety of venues in Durham. Here are five ideas for concerts and theatre events in Durham this week, March 11-17 2019.
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Durham live music and theatre #1: Hilarity Bites, Darlington
Fresh from a sellout run at the Edinburgh Festival, Alfie Brown is going on his first UK tour and is at Old English Gentleman in Darlington. His comedy show has received five out of five stars from The Scotsman and four stars from The Times, The Evening Standard, Chortle, The List and the Edinburgh Guide.
Alfie Brown addresses identity politics, trying to be a good father in a horrible world, and society's new-found fondness for moral certainty, in a show that's received rave reviews.
It's on Tuesday March 14 at 7.30pm and tickets cost £10 plus £1 booking fee. You can purchase Alfie Brown tickets* from the official booking page.
Read next: Durham family events March 11-17
Durham live music and theatre #2: Hector Gannet, The Peoples Bookshop Durham
On Saturday March 16 at 6.45pm, The People's Bookshop on Saddler Street in Durham city centre will host band Hector Gannet, led by Aaron Duff, a singer-songwriter from North Shields, who composes and performs poetic, melodic and insightful music. In 2017, Aaron Duff wrote a soundtrack to vintage film of the North East as part of a BFI Britain On Film project.
Hector Gannet is supported by Nev Clay, stalwart of the Newcastle scene for 25 years. In December, Stewart Lee on BBC Radio 3 said of one of Nev Clay's songs: 'that track just stops you in your tracks'.
Tickets* cost £10, and £8 concessions (£11 and £8.80 including booking fee) from the official booking page.
Durham live music and theatre #3: Charlie Dore with Gareth Huw-Davies, Old Cinema Launderette
A special event, bringing together one of the UK’s most respected songwriters, Charlie Dore, with a virtuoso five string double bass player Gareth Huw-Davies, who will support her as she plays songs from her double-award-winning album, Dark Matter.
Charlie Dore is versatile and able to play different guitars, harmonium, ukulele, piano and autoharp. Gareth Huw-Davies has played with everyone from Chrissie Hind and Mark Eitzel to Sir Willard White.
Tickets* cost £15, plus £1.50 from the official booking page.
Read next: Free events in Durham for this week
Durham live music and theatre #4: A Celestial Voyage, St Oswalds Church
One for all you sci-fi fans. The Hill Orchestra will take you on a voyage through the musical history of space travel and exploration, in the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. They'll play Doctor Who and Star Wars, Debussy's elegant Clair de Lune and Mars from Holst's Planet Suite, finishing with Dvorak's New World Symphony.
It takes place on Friday March 15 at 7.30-9pm in St Oswalds Church, Church Street, Durham. Tickets cost £7, £5 students, and are available on the booking page.
Durham live music and theatre #5: The Story of Guitar Heroes, Durham Gala Theatre
A must-see concert for guitar fans. It's a live concert style ‘rockumentry’ created by renowned musician Phil Walker and his band.
With over 30 guitars used on stage, the show accurately recreates the sound and ambience of each guitar hero starting from the 1950s to the present day.
It's on Friday March 15 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £24, £22 concession and are available on the Gala booking page.
Durham live music and theatre #6: Romeo and Juliet, Elvet Methodist Church
Durham University Orchestral Society Symphony and Chamber orchestras are putting on a classical concert on Saturday March 16 at 7.30pm. They'll play Poulenc's Sinfonietta, Stenhammar's Ett Drömspel, Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture and Bax's Spring Fire.
Tickets cost £12 or £7 for students/concessions, available on the door. £1 from every ticket sold will help Breast Cancer Now.
Durham live music and theatre #7: North of England Brass Band Championships, Durham Gala Theatre
A weekend of brass band music as bands from across the region compete for the honour of competing at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in Cheltenham.
On Saturday March 16, the bands will compete to qualify, then on Sunday March 17, the bands from the Championship sections compete for the remaining section titles.
It's a 10.30am and tickets cost £7 (free for under 16s) from the Gala booking page.
Durham live music and theatre #8: Durham University Palatinate Symphony Orchestra, Hild Bede College
A pleasant afternoon concert, featuring Durham University Palatinate Symphony Orchestra playing Dvorak's Slavonic Dance No. 1, Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis, Elgar's Wand of Youth Suite, and Bruch's Double Concerto, arranged for violin and viola.
It takes place on Sunday March 17 and 3.30pm. Tickets cost £7, students/concessions £6, under 12s free, available from the booking page.