Annie: Pinning Today’s Hopes And Dreams On A Brighter Tomorrow
Like the 1982 film, the current version of Annie is based on a feisty, eleven year old orphan with an unwavering belief that her parents will return for her – and her life will be transformed forever.
A Right Royal Handbagging In Scarborough
Moira Buffini's Olivier Award-winning Handbagged is a witty, intelligent and sharply-observed political comedy which imagines the private conversations between Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher during the latter's eleven years as Prime Minister.
Local Performing Arts Business Named Finalist In National Awards
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Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA) York, Scarborough, Beverley, and Hull has been named a finalist in the Scaling Business of the Year category at The Class Business Awards 2026. The Class Business Awards recognise businesses and individuals delivering outstanding experiences through classes, clubs and activities across the UK.
Gin, Ghosts And Greasepaint: Harrogate Theatre Uncorks A Bumper Autumn
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Andrew Palmer was among the guests toasting a sparkling season launch, complete with a bespoke theatre gin, mini cupcakes and a season ranging from Hitchcock and Michael Morpurgo to the surreal comic genius of Daniel Kitson There are worse ways to spend an evening than being handed a gin and prosecco cocktail and a mini cupcake before the house lights have even dimmed.
“I’ve Had To Step Back From Social Media For My Mental Health"
Hot Flash cast members Elios Douglas, Roz Gemma and Matt Jameson on acting, identity, and barriers to success. Elios: The biggest difficulty I’ve faced as a trans actor is simply that there aren’t many trans roles. They’re not being written, and when they are, loads of us go up for them, so the chances are tiny. Without an agent or a first credit, breaking in is even harder.
The Bodyguard: A High Energy, Musical Powerhouse
I spilt my drink and screamed in horror when a deafening shotgun blast reverberated from a screen with silhouettes immersed in smoke and engaged in conflict. An explosive opening set the pace for a high-octane musical - a fusion of genres creatively integrating gripping cinematic effects with a pop concert bursting with pizazz.
No Town Of Culture Title, But Ripon Already Knows What It's Worth
Ripon's theatre festival has earned more than applause — it has earned investment writes Andrew Palmer, Group Editor Somewhere between the deckchairs on the Market Place and this Friday's season finale — the Duke's Theatre Company's touring Romeo & Juliet at Ripon Racecourse, still to come — it has become clear that this year's Ripon Theatre Festival is no…
The Car Man
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Loosely based on the James M Cain classic novel The Postman Always Rings Twice and not to be confused with Bizet’s opera Carmen, although the music is well-known, in Matthew Bourne’s ballet The Car Man’ the familiar 19th Century Spanish cigarette factory becomes a greasy 1950s garage diner in the American Midwest, and it is here where the dreams and passions of a sma…
Cast Announced For The World Premiere Of The Farmer’s Wife At Theatre By The Lake
Theatre by the Lake has announced the cast for the world premiere of The Farmer's Wife, a new play by Hannah Khalil inspired by Helen Rebanks' Sunday Times bestselling memoir of the same name.
Derren Brown - Only Human
There can only be one word to describe this show – Mesmerizing. Remaining true to my promise to not reveal the show’s content, you may think that perhaps I would struggle to write anything at all, but quite to the contrary, there is much to say and describe. Audience participation is very much the name of the game for Derren Brown’s Only Human show.
Breathless In Ripon: Stephen Smith's One Man Poe Is Gothic Horror At Its Finest.
Andrew Palmer continued his enthusiastic support of Ripon Theatre Festival and found Stephen Smith's virtuoso solo turn as Edgar Allan Poe left him breathless — exhausting, exhilarating and utterly captivating, in a masterclass in gothic horror that stopped his heart. There are shows that entertain, and there are shows that leave you wrung out with admiration.
The Sound Of An Appreciative Audience
Am I the only person in the known universe to have never seen The Sound of Music? Well, I must be. Or more accurately, I 'was,' for now I have lost my innocence. I have been Rodger and Hammersteined, so to speak.
The Karate Kid - The Musical
There is an element of inevitability here as The Karate Kid, the film, has now been brought to the stage in the form of a brand-new musical of the same name. The book was written by Robert Mark Kamen, and the musical broadly remains true to its iconic namesake, but unlike the film, the musical appears to struggle to define its target audience.
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical
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Hot, hot, hot is the only way to describe this show! Based on the 1994 cult classic film, this musical is a jukebox joyride and a surprisingly tender road story. We are introduced to two drag queens and a trans woman who, for reasons that later become apparent, trek across the Australian desert to perform at a small-town holiday resort.
Lepers, Book Of Job And A Festival That Isn't Afraid To Show Its Workings
A scratch performance about medieval lepers was just one of hundreds of events at this year's Ripon Theatre Festival—but as an opening statement, it was a bold one. It is a good sign, and an increasingly rare one, to see a theatre festival so thoroughly supported: excellent productions, wonderful venues, a well-curated programme and, above all, outstanding commun…
Calendar Girls: The Musical
July may well prove to be the standout month in this year's theatrical calendar, as the ever-popular Calendar Girls: The Musical arrives at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre. With its unique blend of Yorkshire humour, heartfelt emotion and unforgettably dramatic moments, this latest production is a must-see theatrical treat.
Curtain Up: Yorkshire Throws Open The Doors On Its Own Fringe
A county-wide fringe festival is landing in Yorkshire this July — unfunded, unincorporated, and already boasting more shows than Edinburgh managed in its first year. Tyler Pickles, one of the seven volunteers behind it, talks us through how you build a fringe from nothing but an email and a room full of mind maps.
A Vintage Tale Of True Yorkshire Grit
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It’s 30 years ago since the iconic film Brassed Off first hit the cinema screens, and two years later Mark Herman’s screenplay was adapted for the stage as a play with music by Paul Allen. Now this Yorkshire ‘classic’ has been reimagined, refreshed and given a new sense of purpose by director Amy Leach.
Curtain Rises On Milestone Fifth Ripon Theatre Festival With Two Powerful New Plays
The countdown is on for Ripon's fabulous Theatre Festival, which opens its milestone fifth season this coming weekend and runs until July 12 — and this year's programme promises something for everyone, from folklore on the riverbank to a thought-provoking journey into the past.
You Never Really Know: Sinfonia's Stories From Harrogate Review
Harrogate residents stepped into the spotlight at the weekend as local people aged 60 and took over the stage in a new production built from their own memories, experiences and stories. As arts correspondent, Fiona Bennett found out at the weekend, Sinfonia: Stories from Harrogate, presented by The Performance Ensemble at Harrogate Theatre, was a big hit.
Discovering The Slave's Ghost Letter That Became A Cathedral Play
Next month, the transept of Ripon Cathedral will come to life with a 1723 plea for freedom, written by an anonymous enslaved Virginian and almost certainly addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury himself. The story behind its rediscovery is, in its own way, as remarkable as the play it inspired.
Sunshine On A Sheffield Stage
The deckchairs were out on the beach in Tudor Square, the buckets and spades ready in the sand, the sun shone brightly and the sky was blue – close your eyes and you could imagine that you were on your summer holidays, both inside the theatre and beyond.
A Brilliantly Bonkers Wartime Romp - Operation Mincemeat
Bursting with English eccentricity, the plot of Operation Mincemeat comprises all the ingredients of a theatrical farce peppered with a dash of Bond.
Soyinka's "Forgotten" Play The Swamp Dwellers receives Sheffield Revival After Over Half A Century
The Swamp Dwellers, directed by Dr Mojisola Kareem and featuring RSC regular Jude Akuwudike, is at Utopia Theatre, Sheffield from 29 June - 11 July 2026 A one-act play by a Nigerian Nobel laureate that has not been performed in the UK since 1975 opens in Sheffield later this month. The Swamp Dwellers was written by Wole Soyinka in 1958, when he was just 24.
Why New Writing Is Crucial To Future Of British Theatre
Do you want the good news, or the bad news? Let’s start with the positive. Theatre audiences in the UK are up on pre-Covid levels. The downside is the number of new plays has plummeted. A report published last autumn by the British Theatre Consortium found that attendances were up in 2023 compared to 2019, but there were 30 per cent fewer plays opening during the same period.
Bingley Little Theatre Brings Sherlock Holmes Thriller To The Stage
Bingley Little Theatre is set to stage Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's gripping final Holmes novel, in a new adaptation running from Tuesday 30 June to Saturday 4 July.
Leeds Heritage Theatres Partners With Testament
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Following a pilot programme from 2024-25, Leeds Heritage Theatres has announced it is working with acclaimed writer, rapper and beatboxer Testament as Associate Artist – a programme designed to support and champion creative talent across Leeds and the wider region.
Let Their Broadway Dream Come True
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A prestigious Broadway training organisation has teamed up with Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Resort to bring professional-level Broadway training to ambitious performers who may otherwise not have access to such opportunities.
All Singing, All Dancing, All Amber
She's the cabaret siren, bringing a blaze of Broadway glamour, old Hollywood shimmer and flame-haired icons to Ripon – and she cannot, she insists, do a show without funny bones. There is a particular kind of performer who walks into a room and instantly rearranges its atmosphere. Amber Topaz is one of those.
Have A Bollywood Ball At Blackpool Grand Theatre
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It’s the fabulous, fun-filled fairytale of Cinderella with a delicious sprinkling of South Asian spice… Get ready for the smash-hit spectacular SURINDERELLA. This September, Bollywood makes its dazzling debut at Blackpool Grand Theatre. It’s a magical night out full of sparkle, sass and shaadi drama that’s not to be missed!