browse events by category
future events tagged theatre
Varnish
Presented by Doubletake Theatre.
It takes star quality to get adopted… and Jonathan Mayor has it.
'I was chosen, you see. Right from the start. They weren’t prepared to leave the quality of their offspring to chance!'
In an explosion of sequins and songs, our prince of stage and screen is every inch the superstar.
It’s been a tough journey from the cobbled streets of Oldham to the glamour of Hollywood. Tougher still for a Scottish-Mauritian adopted son of white parents. But let’s not dwell on that… your fabulous host is here to entertain you!
Inspired by stand-up comedian Jonathan Mayor’s real life, Varnish is a blistering new play from Janet Taylor, exploring transracial adoption and the struggle for identity.
Snap up your hot ticket to join Jonathan's live, star-studded audience and buckle up for belly laughs in this darkly flamboyant, varnished version of the truth.
Studio
£16 I £14 Supporters
Norden Farm Youth Theatre (Junior)
Led by Emma Duncan.
In each session children take part in a series of drama games and activities that develop their confidence as well as teaching them drama skills. These include focus, communication, developing a character and voice projection.
As the weeks go on the group will each have a part with some lines to learn in a small-scale show. They will rehearse as a team and share what they have learnt during the last session, more details to follow on this after half term.
Suitable for school years 2 - 6.
'Norden Farm is my favourite after school club, it always keeps me moving and relaxed. It is a great place to go for drama and within a short time, I have become far more confident and expressive' Timothy, age 7
'We have sent both of our children to Youth Theatre at Norden Farm and have seen dramatic improvements in there ability, confidence, social awareness and expressiveness generally and specifically. The environment is safe and developmental in a broad and exciting sense' Alex - parent
Autumn - Improvisation Term
Wed 11 Sept - 18 Dec, exc 30 Oct (14 weeks)
5pm - 6pm
£145
Junior Youth Theatre Booking Form
'The youth theatre is a nice place and I’ve only been here a short time and I Love it!' Junior Youth Theatre Student
'It is cool and welcoming' Junior Youth Theatre Student
'The youth theatre is one of the most professional classes I’ve enrolled in' Junior Youth Theatre Student
'The youth theatre is one of the best drama clubs, everyone is so friendly and we do amazing games' Junior Youth Theatre Student
'We have absolutely loved the drama classes, we have seen a tremendous improvement with our daughter's confidence, she enjoys the sessions as there is a mixture of techniques and games and has made friends along the way! Emma is great at adapting the lessons and I have only seen improvements, we Look forward to the end of summer show combined with the senior class!!! Love Norden Farm as the venue!' Junior Youth Theatre Parent
'This is my daughter’s first experience of a drama club - and it has been such a positive, confidence-boosting, creative experience for her. I particularly love that there is no pressure on the children - there is plenty of time and practice to get ready for the end of season Sharing Session, and the level of performance is just enough to stretch them, without making them worry. It’s pure joy and excitement! You can see how far the group has progressed from term to term - they are becoming a very confident and capable group of Thespians!' Junior Youth Theatre Parent
- 27 Nov
- 4 Dec
- 2 more dates...
Norden Farm Youth Theatre (Senior)
Led by Emma Duncan.
Each term we will be focusing on developing the participants confidence and well-being through a series of drama games and activities.
This term the Senior Youth Theatre group are focusing on developing drama skills. They’ll learn a deeper understanding of performance and managing their nerves as well as some more specialised techniques including comedy and physical theatre.
Suitable for school years 7 - 12.
'Drama has upped my confidence remarkably and I’m getting better every time, it’s my favourite club and I look forward to it each week' Youth Theatre Seniors Student
'The youth theatre is one of the best dramas clubs ever, we can express ourselves' Youth Theatre Seniors Student
'The instructor is very supportive and everyone is very respectful' Youth Theatre Seniors Student
'Norden Farm is my favourite after school club, it always keeps me moving and relaxed. It is a great place to go for drama and within a short time, I have become far more confident and expressive' Youth Theatre Student
'We have sent both of our children to Youth Theatre at Norden Farm and have seen dramatic improvements in there ability, confidence, social awareness and expressiveness generally and specifically. The environment is safe and developmental in a broad and exciting sense' Alex - parent
Autumn - Improvisation Term
Wed 11 Sept - 18 Dec, exc 30 Oct (14 weeks)
6.05pm - 7.30pm
£180
Senior Youth Theatre Booking Form
'Drama has upped my confidence remarkably and I’m getting better every time, it’s my favourite club and I look forward to it each week' Senior Youth Theatre Student
'The youth theatre is one of the best dramas clubs ever, we can express ourselves' Senior Youth Theatre Student
'The instructor is very supportive and everyone is very respectful' Senior Youth Theatre Student
- 27 Nov
- 4 Dec
- 2 more dates...
Pinocchio
Visit the incredible world of Stuff and Nonsense as they bring Pinocchio to our stage for Christmas 2024.
This is the unique story of ‘when dad was made of wood’...
One cold night Pinocchio, Gepetto and Sonny go on a journey in search of a place to live. Little do they know the house they’re staying in is a playground for their imaginations...
Join the trio as they embark on adventures to the land of play, inside a whale and much more!
Will Pinocchio ever turn back into a real boy?
Stuff and Nonsense are leaders in family theatre. Their adaptation of Pinocchio combines classic elements of the story – a poor woodcarver, the tell-tale growing nose, the dream of becoming a real boy – with their hallmark hilarity, skilled puppetry, original music, fantastic staging, outstanding performers and extraordinary physical tricks.
'The show was extremely clever and I was very impressed by the fantastic use of staging, which is definitely one of the key elements, along with the lively music, that kept my little boy transfixed throughout' coastalmum.co.uk
Invest in your children’s imaginations: join us in the theatre and take playfulness home with you!
Age guidance
Suitable for all the family - age guidance 3 - 10 years.
Relaxed Performances
The performances on Saturday 30 November at 11am and Friday 27 December at 11am are Relaxed. Ideal for families with babies or toddlers and children with SEND. Everyone is welcome to join us for this friendly format.
Signed Performance
The performance on Saturday 21 December at 2pm will be signed.
Run time
Pinocchio is 60 minutes long without an interval.
Tickets
£16 | £14 Under 16s
£56 Family and Friends (4 people)
Tickets for children under 18 months
For this show, tickets/seats are not required for children under 18 months who are happy to sit on laps.
Pre-School Term Time Ticket Offer
Book one Standard and one Under 5 ticket for term time performances of Pinocchio for the special price of £25. Valid on Tuesday - Friday performances until Fri 20 Dec. Offer applied in basket once logged into your account.
Creative Team
Directed by Niki McCretton
Music by Dom Coyote
With additional music by Tim Dalling
Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company's website
X Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company
Insta loadofstuff
Fb Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company
Tiktok loadofstuff
Kiss Me, Kate: The Musical
Kiss Me, Kate is a simple love story... about two people who just can't stand each other!
Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty, Ridley) and Broadway royalty Stephanie J Block (Into The Woods, The Cher Show) lead a stellar cast in a sizzling new 5-star production of Kiss Me, Kate, filmed live at the Barbican in London especially for the big screen.
‘A glorious Golden Age spectacular’ (★★★★★ The Telegraph), Cole Porter’s legendary musical comedy has backstage shenanigans, Shakespearean sonnets and singing gangsters – not to mention a romance that’s just too darn hot – and a full-scale orchestra performing the show tune classics Brush Up Your Shakespeare, Too Darn Hot, Always True To You (In my Fashion) and Tom, Dick or Harry.
A simple love story about two people who just can’t stand each other, Kiss Me Kate is unmissable all-zinging entertainment with ‘great songs, hot dancing, smart gags and glorious characters.’ (★★★★★ The Daily Mail)
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Book by Sam and Bella Spewack
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Encore screenings.
Run time: 160 mins including one interval
Courtyard Theatre Cinema
£16
Showstopper Tots
Led by Mairi Cowieson
Showstopper Tots Musical Theatre themed music and movement classes for ages 2-5yrs. Younger siblings are welcome. Under 6months free.
Autumn
Course 1:
12 Sept - 24 Oct (7 weeks)
£56 for 7 week course (1 adult and 1 child)
£9 drop-in per session (1 adult and 1 child).
£5.40 drop-in per sibling per session
Join us ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ as we skip down the Yellow Brick Road on our Wizard of Oz themed term. Meet the Scarecrow and dance in our Emerald City.
The classes take the children on an adventure, exploring the music and story of The Wizard of Oz. Learning a dance to help with their coordination, singing songs and playing drama games to help with their confidence and ending each class with our mini theatre and story song - written especially for ShowstopperUK, by fabulous West End composers.
This story song is added to each week to enhance their engagement and concentration skills. It's also fun for the parents/carers who attend with their little ones.
Age guidance: 2-5 years
Course 2:
7 Nov
14 Nov
12 Dec
19 Dec
(4 weeks)
Whole course - £32 (4 weeks) (1 adult & 1 child)
Trial on 7 Nov - £9 (1 adult & 1 child) Siblings £5.40
£24 (1 adult & 1 child) if you would like to continue for the rest of the 3 weeks – please put remaining dates in the basket when rebooking and a discount will apply)
Drop-in sessions for the rest of the term £9 (1 adult & 1 child). Siblings £5.40
Join us and the miserable Scrooge as we head from our spooky to festive season. Shake hands with friends as we sing and dance to ‘Thank You Very Much’ and help teach Scrooge to share and find his love of Christmas once more. No more ‘Bah Humbug!’
This story song is added to each week to enhance their engagement and concentration skills. It's also fun for the parents/carers who attend with their little ones.
Hauntings
Hauntings is a spellbinding evening of three tales of the supernatural during which the award-winning actor, Gerard Logan, will take you to world of invisible, but terrifyingly present, spirits.
Gerard Logan's masterful storytelling of two of the world’s greatest writers of ghost stories, E.F. Benson and M.R. James guarantees a spinetingling evening not to be missed.
From E.F. BENSON comes:
Naboth’s Vineyard - in which just desserts are meted out to an unscrupulous lawyer.
The Hanging of Alfred Wadham - in which the forces of the devil test a man of faith to his limits.
From the acknowledged master of the ghost story genre, M.R. JAMES, comes:
Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad - in which a medieval spirit strikes terrorizes an arrogant professor.
'Logan is astounding....He takes a strong script and flies it to the stars' ★★★★★ Edinburgh Festival 2016 Review
'Watching Logan work is like being privy to a wonder of nature and remains with you ... A true masterpiece of solo performance' ★★★★★ The Edinburgh Guide
Hauntings is also underscored by a beautiful, original and specially commissioned score by the award-winning RSC composer, Simon Slater.
Studio
£16 | £14 (Supporters)
X Gerard Logan
Insta gerardlogan230563
Fb Gerard Logan
Soft or Spiky?
Presented by Half Moon and Polka Theatre.
What question would you want your baby to answer? What would you like them to ask you? In a world full of astonishing unknowns and surprising possibilities, how do you find the right answers or questions?
This playful and interactive new show is full of shapes, sounds, textures and words exploring different ways to connect and understand each other.
Inspired by heartfelt conversations with new parents, this humorous production explores the multiple ways we communicate, ensuring that no one is left out.
At the end of the performance there is a stay and play session where audiences can enter the sensory landscape of the production.
Devised and directed by Daryl Beeton, Soft or Spiky? is a Polka Theatre and Half Moon co-production: an exciting collaboration by two of the UK’s leading children’s venues and touring companies.
This show has very limited language. This makes it accessible to a range of people, including d/Deaf, hard of hearing and non-English speakers.
Performances last 25 minutes (no interval) followed by a 10 minute play and stay session.
Studio
£12 | £10 under 16s
X Polka Theatre
Insta polkatheatre
Fb Polka Theatre
Tiktok polkatheatre
Black Is The Color Of My Voice
Inspired by the life of Nina Simone and featuring many of her most iconic songs performed live.
Apphia Campbell’s acclaimed play follows a successful singer and civil rights activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father. She reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church, to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.
The show has toured the UK to standing ovations and played sell-out seasons in Shanghai, New York, Edinburgh and the West End of London.
Winner of Best Theatre Award, Adelaide Fringe 2024.
‘Moving portrayal of determination and survival’ ★★★★ Times
‘Nothing short of sensational… will make you cheer for her, smile with her and then sting your eyes with tears’ ★★★★★ Broadway Baby
‘A compelling and heart breaking story, punctuated with bursts of song’ ★★★★ Edinburgh Festival Magazine
Age guidance
12+ years.
Courtyard Theatre
£24