Meena Green

The producers of the new production of Waitress have officially announced that Durham’s own Emma Lucia will lead the cast as Jenna in the upcoming show on the 4-9 May at Sunderland Empire. “I’m very exited to take on the role of Jenna in the North East. I grew up watching shows at Sunderland Empire, so it feels like a full circle moment to be back on home soil leading this wonderful and heartfelt production,” said Lucia.

Whitney Houston is widely considered to be one of the most gifted singers in the history of the art, and at the height of her fame came the opportunity to star in a blockbuster thriller alongside Kevin Costner called The Bodyguard. Now, over the 30 years later, the stage adaptation of that movie is touring the UK, with Sunderland one of its many stops.

Between 7-8pm tonight, people across the globe are dedicating an hour to reading as part of World Book Night. Run by the Reading Agency, the challenge encourages people to pick up a book as part of their night routine. Fancy taking part but want company? Spark lists its top three influencers livestreaming the event below. 1: Jack Edwards Self proclaimed Internet Librarian Jack Edwards will be live on Inkling Book Club’s Instagram. Jack will be reading Nova Scotia House, a modern queer classic.