This is a fantastic facility and we are so lucky to have the Forum Theatre in our region. Theatres…read moreare few and far between up here. There's the Darlington Civic,w hich is very nice, but also very expensive, and there's the Middlesbrough Little Theatre, which is small and a bit tatty. Billingham Forum is in the middle - quite nicely decorated, and not too badly priced. They have lots of different types of shows on and it's really great for a night out. There's a bar area for the interval. The toilets are ok, too - which is always an important indicator of the quality of an organisation, I think!

I took my first visit to Billingham Forum to go ice skating. Having never been to Billingham before…read more(I live in Sheffield), I was pleasently surprised by what I found inside. As you walk in you're greeted with the bright and colourful cafe area with a gym to your left. We decided to have a tea and something to eat before going ice skating, so wandered off to the cafe area. The prices in the cafe were very expensive for the quality we got. I wasn't overly fussed about the cup of tea I drunk, however the banana I ate was lovely and banana like, I couldn't really expect much more from that. The payment to get into Ice skating was reasonable, and that included skate hire aswell, and the staff giving us our reciepts for our skates were quite chirpy and friendly A different story when entering the ice rink and collecting the skates however. The gentleman behind the desk didn't even bother to crack a smile, just grunted at us for our feet size and handed us our skates. The ice rink its self looks well maintained, and there were strict rules on not spraying people which looked to be adhered to, I noticed as well there were a few ice quards looking out for signs of trouble, or if someone had hurt themselves, I didn't see them doing much when a few people fell over, but once me and my boyfriend stopped to get a drink we saw some little girl in tears being carried off the ice. She was looked after very well by the ice guards and got her an ice pack for her knee, then subsequently checked up on her after 10 minutes to see if her knee was ok. I tohught this was sweet. After finishing Ice skating, a quick toilet break was required, and having sweated to the bone for the past hour and a half on the rink, I was horrified to find the toilets in the reception area were sauna-like. I felt like I was going to pass out they were that hot. Luckily my toilet break was short and I could exit the toilets before passing out in a heap on the floor. All in all I would definitely come back to the Forum, maybe to try out the swimming pool. Even though there were a few minor issues, it didn't spoil me having fun and enjoying my time there.

Live music venue Overview…read moreReviews Photos About Reviews from the web 4.2/5Facebook · 236 votes Google review summary Reviews aren't verified 5 4 3 2 1 4.7 (402) Reviews All bar29 night16 atmosphere14 prices10 +6 Sort by Most relevant Newest Highest Lowest Leah Hambleton 1 review Went to the Taylor Swift Swiftogeddon night last night, the event itself was good. But it got to around midnight, I went to the toilet then went to sit on the sofa for a bit to rest my legs, decided to get up about 10 minutes later to go ...More paddy h Local Guide·29 reviews·14 photos 4 months ago Excellent little venue. We saw Urban Voodoo Machine. A great band.Good bar with fair prices. Staff are friendly & helpful. Video 1 in review by paddy h Video 2 in review by paddy h Photo 3 in review by paddy h Ritch Steadman 29 reviews·20 photos a month ago Fantastic little venue. Bit tough to find if you don't know already but lovely inside. Staff were great. Good sound in the gig venue. ...More Gemma Thompson Local Guide·160 reviews·305 photos 2 months ago Went here to watch Mark chadwick absolutely fantastic Video 1 in review by Gemma Thompson Photo 2 in review by Gemma Thompson Photo 3 in review by Gemma Thompson Photo 4 in review by Gemma Thompson+5 Leah Hambleton 1 review Went to the Taylor Swift Swiftogeddon night last night, the event itself was good. But it got to around midnight, I went to the toilet then went to sit on the sofa for a bit to rest my legs, decided to get up about 10 minutes later to go get a drink from the bar then go back into the event room - they refused me an alcoholic drink of my choice, said I could have a half a shot with what I wanted because I'm "drunk" and they're looking out for me and others but also implied heavily that everyone was cut off from double shots. I explained that I'm not drunk and I actually have Cerebral Palsy, scoliosis and issues from a slipped disc a few years ago so I lose balance, need to sit and have to be careful with myself, so although I might seem drunk in a venue like that, it's purely on the basis that I'm disabled and look non disabled, and I can't help it. I was told I have to have a soft drink before I can order any alcohol again, I explained I hadn't had any alcohol since 10:30 (it was midnight at this point) and said I had 2 soft drinks in that time. They continued to say they're looking out for other people at the venue and that I'm a risk. The manager refused to acknowledge that she had said herself that everyone was cut off from doubles, even though it came from her mouth 10 minutes prior, and said that they've cut other people off - again I explained my disabilities and all I got was "I can't make you feel better about this, it's discretion". But I have been limping and looking "drunk" as they said, as I stepped into the place. Completely ruined the rest of my night because this implies that, even if you disclose your disabilities - which you shouldn't feel the need to. I booked two tickets for this as it's not an environment I'm usually in and I wanted to enjoy a night like this as it's unlikely I'll do it again, and was told I couldn't drink as I wished to even after explaining my personal circumstances across a bar where there was 4 or 5 other people there. Sometimes we just want to feel "normal" and shouldn't be put in the position of having to reveal my circumstances just so I can enjo my night, which even then they refused to do and refused to acknowledge it was wrong what they did, when I explained myself to them. I understand they have a job to do but if they were so concerned for my safety and others, security would have escorted me out. And they also said they refused to give me the alcohol I wished fo because I had just come from sitting down, so they said this implies I need a break from alcohol. The "manager" said they are disability trained but clearly it's not good enough considering most disability training is based on disabilities you can see, not hidden ones.

Another performer/patron review from me!…read more I love this place, the stage is great, part of the green dragon yard family, there's often use of the studios next door too. Little, but well stocked bar, which is, as ever with most of the north, pretty cheap. Loos are always clean, which is rare for a gig venue, lets be honest, and with it's little backstage area too. It does move drastically with the seasons, expect cold in the winter (until you're bouncing around) and hot in the summer. I've even been to a wedding reception here, they're always accommodating, see drama, live music and burlesque among others. About to have a refurb in the autumn to expand seating upstairs, and some lovely day time coffee odds and ends in the courtyard.

I really love the Darlington Civic Theatre! It has a very luxurious sort of feel, the decor is so…read moreplush and well luxurious! I've seen some brilliant shows there over the years, and always look forward to going - it makes a really nice evening out. The staff are lovely, too - really friendly. It has a bar for the interval, in fact if I remember rightly it also has a sort of cafe/coffee bar area, so you have plenty of choice. On the downside, I do feel the ice creams and sweets are over-priced, but if you've got children you can't not get them an ice cream in the interval. There is no dedicated parking for the Civic. There are, however, some pay and display car parks just down the road directly opposite the main entrance to the theatre. If you are at an evening show, that's even better, as I think the pay and display car parks are free after 6pm.

Like most people I adore the Civic Theatre, I've heard that it's known as one of the best outside…read morethe West End of London. The performances it attracts are always top line which of course helps. The yearly pantomime is a treat and tends to follow a traditional format suitable for all the family. Easy access the only downside is the parking being a bit of a walk away but people can be dropped off at the side entrance. A good addition was the conservatory which means there is more than one place to arrange to meet people before/during and after a performance. Nice to see that it still has most of the original features including the ghost of an early Manager!

At first I hated this place because it involved the demolition of my two favourite places, the…read moreDovecot arts centre and the Cannon Cinema. But it grew on me. It is big and yellow and was shut down for a year or so because of mis-management. A bit of the wall revolves because of 'art.' The outside is spoilt by metal walkways to save on cleaning costs. There is one big theatre, a smaller auditorium used for stand up gigs, a gym, a cinema and rehearsal rooms, as well as bars and restaurants. It is a little too big for the area but I think the guys have got their act together in terms of publicity so that people in the area who want to go know when stuff's on. It really comes alive during Stockton festival, when all the weird european street performers use it as a base. If you're in the area this is the best place to go for a night out.

I Love this show - its the last friday of every month and they do a couple of special gong shows…read moreeach year - watch out for those in the arc brochure. The setting up stairs is excellent you can either reserve seats for larger groups or just turn up on the night. You have a choice of sitting at a table or sitting in stadium seating up the side. Only complaint I have is that the breaks between acts where you have time to go to the bar are too long - they are supposed to be 15 mins but are always at least 30 mins as the staff try and get people in from the bar area - you can bring your drinks into the show with you. By the end of the night people are getting a little rowdy as a lot of alcohol is consumed. But very good fun.

Performed at this stage for the 51st International Billingham Folklore Festival last August 2015…read moreand I can attest that this place is great for show and performances. You get to choose to sit at the box for private viewing or to sit in general sitting. Other than that the staff were organize and friendly. Keep it up!

I think this is a great venue with a range of different arts to see. There are often comedians…read morevisiting and some great names in music. As a smaller venue you can get really close and due to limited tickets you don't end up getting shoved all over. The bar here is also lots cheaper than somewhere like the Metro Radio Arena. The Town Hall is right in the centre of Middlesbrough so its very easy to pop for food or drinks before or after a show. Great little venue to keep an eye on whats coming up.

Middlesbrough Little Theatre is not called 'little' without good cause! It is quite a small…read moretheatre, and frankly, the decor has seen better days. The whole place looks a little tired and worn, but it is nevertheless a fantastic resource. I've been to a number of shows there over the years - mostly panto and children's shows. The facilities are ok, the prices are usually not too bad, and the shows are great. The car parking outside is quite limited, and it's not all smooth tarmac, quite a bit of it is just rough gravel. Overall, though, a good place to visit.

It's a very cosy little theatre but because it's so small not many big shows are performed here. It…read morealso looks quite 'amateur' inside as the decor is very old. I personally found the seats really uncomfortable, especially on my back but the leg room was adequate. Drinks and snacks are sold downstairs plus there's a bar upstairs. Ticket prices are very reasonable. It's fairly easy to get to by public transport, you just need to get a bus from Middlesbrough Bus Station.

The hot potato comedy club is a great night out to see both new and established comedians something…read morea little bit different for a night out great to take out of town visitors

A great little theatre in the heart of Durham, The Assembly Rooms seats about 200 people. The…read morebuilding itself is lovely, though a little run-down and there isn't any of your traditional interval drinks or ice cream here. The reason I rate it though is because of the performances put on there, they're not productions with huge budgets but what they do have is talented actors. The main company to put on plays here is Durham Student Theatre who have the best student actors in Durham and put on some really innovative, unusual and sometimes controversial plays.