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Review
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical
Sarah Crown
Theatre Correspondent
Members of the Company Photo Credit: Johan Perrson
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.
P.ublished 30th June 2026
Theatre
Curtain Rises On Milestone Fifth Ripon Theatre Festival With Two Powerful New Plays
Andrew Palmer
Group Editor
By coincidence, the River Ure, which features in Tributaries written by Mark Cronfield and Phillip Harrison, is in close proximity to the chapel. Photo: Tim Flanagan of the Rejoicing in Ripon Blog
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.
P.ublished 30th June 2026
Theatre
You Never Really Know: Sinfonia's Stories From Harrogate Review
Fiona Bennett
Theatre Correspondent
Fiona Evard and Pat White Photo: Zoe Martin
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.
P.ublished 28th June 2026
Interview
Discovering The Slave's Ghost Letter That Became A Cathedral Play
Andrew Palmer
Group Editor
Desirée Baptiste's dramatic play-poem, arrives at Ripon Theatre Festival on Tuesday 7 July Photo: Fisher Studios
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.
P.ublished 27th June 2026
Theatre
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.
P.ublished 23rd June 2026
Opinion
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.
P.ublished 20th June 2026
Festivals
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.
P.ublished 13th June 2026
Theatre
Let Their Broadway Dream Come True
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.
P.ublished 13th June 2026
Theatre
Have A Bollywood Ball At Blackpool Grand Theatre
Liz Coggins
Features Editor
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!
P.ublished 6th June 2026
Theatre
Ripon Theatre Festival Boosts Youth Engagement At RTF26
This summer will see Ripon Theatre Festival embarking on an exciting new partnership project that will place young people at the heart of this summer’s festival, thanks to Cultural Passport for Young People funding. Supported by David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority from the Mayoral Investment Fund.
P.ublished 6th June 2026
Theatre
BBC Concert Orchestra Records Original Soundtrack for Kynren
Artist Impression of The Legend of the Wear Kynren - The Storied Lands
Kynren – The Storied Lands has joined forces with the world-renowned BBC Concert Orchestra to record original music for two major new shows opening this summer at the UK’s first live-action show park in County Durham.
P.ublished 3rd June 2026
Theatre
World Premiere Inspired By Helen Rebanks’ Best-Selling Memoir
The Farmer's Wife Poster Poster: Joanne Coates ©
Theatre by the Lake presents the world premiere of a brand-new play The Farmer’s Wife inspired by Helen Rebanks’ best-selling memoir and shaped by the voices of women within Cumbria’s farming community.
P.ublished 2nd June 2026
Theatre
Real Stories, Real Lives: Harrogate Residents Take Centre Stage This June In Sinfonia: Stories From Harrogate
Harrogate residents are stepping into the spotlight this June as local people aged 60 and over take to the stage in a new production built from their own memories, experiences and stories. Sinfonia: Stories from Harrogate, presented by The Performance Ensemble at Harrogate Theatre from 25–27 June, offers a portrait of later life that is warm, surprising and deeply human.
P.ublished 1st June 2026
Theatre
Happiness Arrives In Blackpool
Get ready for a tattyfilarious trip into the wonderfully wacky world of a comedy legend at Showtown this summer! Blackpool’s award-winning museum of fun and entertainment is truly tickled to announce its first-ever visiting exhibition will bring giggles galore for all the family as it celebrates the life and career of Sir Ken Dodd OBE. Happiness!
P.ublished 30th May 2026
Theatre
The Karate Kid – The Musical Strikes Hard In Leeds
The fashion for turning eighties films into stage productions continues with this version of the popular movie The Karate Kid. On one of the hottest nights of this spring so far, the prospect of sitting through a story in Leeds’ Grand Theatre that I was unfamiliar with wasn't an enticing prospect – how wrong my assertion turned out to be.
P.ublished 28th May 2026
Review
Crumbs! Carnazza Rises To The Occasion In Badapple's Bonkers One-Woman Show
In the Studio Theatre at the York Theatre Royal, Badapple’s Crumbs proves that you do not need a sprawling cast or elaborate sets to create an entertaining evening. Written by Kate Bramley, her 27th original script for Badapple, this eccentric one-woman show is packed with energy, creativity and quick-fire jokes.
P.ublished 23rd May 2026
Music
The Mini Magic Flute
Liz Coggins
Features Editor
Opera North’s bitesize version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute returns to festivals and arts venues across the North this summer offering a fairy tale opera for all the family. Mini Magic Flute packs fun, fantasy and enchanting music into a 40-minute story, making it perfect for all ages to experience their first taste of opera.
P.ublished 16th May 2026
Theatre
Legally Blonde: Guilty As Charged For High-Energy, Feelgood Factor
Sharon Cain
Lifestyle & Leisure Editor
Amber Davies as Elle Image by Matt Crockett
I must have had my own blonde moment when the highly acclaimed Legally Blonde film with Reese Witherspoon hit our screens in 2021, grossing 142 million dollars worldwide and shaping fashion trends. Determined not to let the 2026 stage production pass me by, I was at the front of the queue for the upbeat romantic comedy and its timeless appeal.
P.ublished 13th May 2026
Theatre
Pioneering Yorkshire Theatre Companies Join Forces For Exciting New Collaboration
(L-R) Alex Mitchell, Silent Uproar artistic director, and Cheryl Martin, artistic director of Red Ladder Theatre Company, Leeds, 2026 Photo: Mark Ratcliffe
Red Ladder Theatre Company and Silent Uproar – two boundary-pushing theatre companies – are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership, showcasing the North of England’s rich seam of playwriting talent.
P.ublished 12th May 2026
Theatre
Kynren Reveals Latest Details Of Spectacular Viking Live Show Ahead Of Summer Opening
Land of the Vikings will feature combat and dramatic stunts
A large-scale Viking battle show featuring fire, combat, stunts and a community torn apart by internal conflict will be one of the headline attractions when Kynren – The Storied Lands opens on 18th July.
P.ublished 12th May 2026
Theatre
TakeOver Festival Returns To York Theatre Royal From 26–30 May
The week-long festival features student-led performances alongside professional shows, workshops and community activities. Student showcases include murder mystery, verbatim theatre on sex work, a period musical set in 1923 Soho, and a convict ship drama — with age guidance of 16+ on some productions.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
Theatre
Dead Clever: Operation Mincemeat Is A Triumph Of A Musical
What a fabulous show! An improbable subject for a musical but Operation Mincemeat is a true story about real people and actual events that shaped the outcome of the second World War. Penned by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts on behalf of Spitlip, the music and lyrics are refreshingly both catchy and intelligent.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
Music
Here And Now - The Steps Musical, Opera House, Blackpool
Jukebox musicals are incredibly popular – throw in some big hits from a popular artist or group, and in most cases, include a flimsy storyline, and the fans will come. Take That and ABBA have both had their songs featured in musicals, the latter being more prominent with Mama Mia.
P.ublished 9th April 2026
Theatre
Priscilla : Big, Bold And Brave - With Showstopper Stand In
Glitterballs abound as the much-vaunted Priscilla Queen of the Desert musical comedy had the audience totally under their spell. They would have forgiven anything - including the late start.
P.ublished 7th April 2026
Theatre
To Be Or Not To Be … Times Three
Hamlet by the University of Arts, Targu Mures.
Fans of Shakespeare’s gloomy Danish prince have three Hamlet events to choose from at the York International Shakespeare Festival this month, in the Creative Centre of York St John University. On April 23 – traditionally Shakespeare’s birthday – The University of Arts Targu Mures, from Romania, present their take on the play.
P.ublished 7th April 2026
Theatre
To See Or Not To See - Hamlet By The RSC
Sharon Cain
Lifestyle & Leisure Editor
Ralph Davis as Hamlet Image by Marc Brenner
Hamlet has never been for the faint hearted. This production’s descent into carnage is made more chilling by blood red numbers on a clock which counts down to a stage strewn with dead bodies as vengeance and betrayal wreak havoc.
P.ublished 1st April 2026
Theatre
2:22 - A Ghost Story
Graham Clark
Music Correspondent
The cast of 2:22 - image supplied by York Grand
Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something strange and frightening feels close, so they’re going to stay up... until 2:22... and then they’ll know.
P.ublished 1st April 2026
Review
Full Service History: Matt Miller's Joyful Solo Show Gets Right Under The Bonnet
Andrew Palmer
Group Editor
There is a phrase that recurs in Fixing like a mechanic's mantra: 'holistic car care, going on a journey — together'. By the time Matt Miller's 75 minutes are up, you realise that sentence has done rather a lot of quiet, patient work. The Ripon Theatre Festival could hardly have wished for a more propitious launch event.
P.ublished 30th March 2026
Festivals
Ripon Theatre Festival 2026: Celebrating Five Years Of Culture, Colour And Community Spirit
Ripon Theatre Festival (RTF) launches its 2026 programme on 27 March, promising a summer to look forward to. Firmly established as a key date in the region’s cultural calendar, this year’s festival runs 5-12 July with 8 days and nights of performances and activities.
P.ublished 23rd March 2026
Theatre
Simply The Best - Tina Turner The Musical Leeds Grand
What a show this was! Opening night of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical had the sell-out audience hooked from the word go. The show is dedicated to the life of global superstar Tina Turner: her heartbreaking upbringing, her fight for survival in an abusive relationship, the rebuilding of her career from nothing and ultimately becoming one of the most renowned female artists in history.
P.ublished 20th March 2026
Theatre
From Fray Bentos To Grenfell: Sheffield's Ordinary Lives, Extraordinarily Told
Set in the living room of a house on Burngreave Road, Sheffield, young Kathy and Brian settle to make their forever home. With young love in the air and babies on the way the world is their oyster, but over the sixty years that the play spans, inevitably life gets in the way.
P.ublished 20th March 2026
Theatre
Bluey’s Big Play – A Q&A With Melanie Zanetti And Dave Mccormack (Mum & Dad)
Bluey’s Big Play, the theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® Award-winning animated television series, has captivated audiences of all ages, with Bluey and her family delighting fans with an unforgettable live theatrical experience and its back on tour in the UK and Ireland With brilliantly created puppets, Bluey’s Big Play features the original voices from the beloved TV series, including…
P.ublished 16th March 2026
Theatre
Ralph Davis Talks About Playing The Title Role In The RSC’s Touring Production Of Hamlet
The Royal Shakespeare Company returns to Blackpool Grand Theatre with a ‘must-see’ (Guardian) new production of Hamlet. Hamlet’s mother has married his uncle, and at a less than decent interval since the death of his father. As he pulls at the threads of his not-so-happy new family, Hamlet unravels a web of deceit and immorality that leads to the ultimate crisis of conscience.
P.ublished 14th March 2026
Theatre
Silver & Gold: Long John Silver Restores His Reputation?
Richard Trinder
Managing Editor
James Hyland as Long John Silver
James Hyland is the actor, adapter, director and producer of this spin-off from that much-loved hit called Treasure Island. In this one-hander called Silver & Gold, Hyland takes on the tricky task of reclaiming, or at least re-framing, Long John Silver's appalling reputation. Silver, we are told, was indeed a very bad man.
P.ublished 26th February 2026
Theatre
Tomorrow Belongs To YorkLight's Joyful Annie
Emilie Moon Claire Haddleton
Theatre Correspondents
Hattie Wells & Primrose Photo: Matthew Kitchen Photography
They say to never work with children or animals…well, YorkLight’s production of Annie proved that it is perfectly possible! Annie is a heartwarming musical about a brave and cheerful orphan girl who lives in a strict orphanage run by the mean Miss Hannigan.
P.ublished 14th February 2026
Music
Grimes Of Passion
Richard Trinder
Managing Editor
James Creswell as Swallow and John Findon as Peter Grimes with members of the Chorus of Opera North
Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes has been 'revived' by Opera North. It's an ironic choice of words for this much-loved Phyllida Lloyd production, as the opera includes the tragic deaths of two young apprentice fishermen and a suicide at sea - all of whom might have benefited from some revivification.
P.ublished 14th February 2026
Theatre
The Tower Circus Opens Early For School Holidays
Blackpool Tower Circus set for spectacular return so if you are having a break in Blackpool or live in the area, it's well worth a visit The world-famous Blackpool Tower Circus is gearing up for a spectacular return, with only a week to go before the 2026 season officially opens.
P.ublished 9th February 2026
Theatre
Moustache In Progress: Mark Hadfield Brings Fresh Melancholy To Poirot
Playing legendary detective Hercule Poirot in the European premiere of a new stage version of Death on the Nile, Mark Hadfield has the approval of none other than Sir Kenneth Branagh. The two actors are friends. "And he's been incredibly encouraging," Marks says about chats he's had with Branagh, who has played Poirot himself in three big-screen outings.
P.ublished 7th February 2026
Phoenix Dance Theatre Presents World Premiere Of interplay In Association With York Theatre Royal
Later this month, Phoenix Dance Theatre will return to York with the World Premiere of Interplay (27 – 28 Feb) in association with York Theatre Royal.
P.ublished 4th February 2026
Theatre
Murder Most Foul: Inspector Morse: House Of Ghosts
Newcastle Theatre Royal promises a diverse and dynamic line up to engage, thrill, and delight audiences over the next three months. Musicals taking centre stage are the feel-good Mama Mia (Wednesday 11- Saturday 28 February) and West End mega-hit TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, (Tuesday 3- Saturday 14 March).
P.ublished 3rd February 2026
Music
Opera North’s The Marriage Of Figaro: A Farce (The Good Kind)
Richard Trinder
Managing Editor
James Newby as Count Almaviva.
Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is a comic opera that first premiered on May 1, 1786, in Vienna, but is brought bang up to date in this witty, fizzing production directed by Louisa Miller. Performed in its original Italian, with highly amusing modern translations in the surtitles by Lydia French, Figaro is as accessible and entertaining as a Brian Rix bedroom farce.
P.ublished 31st January 2026
Theatre
Grand Opera House York Appoints New Theatre Director
Allie Long
Grand Opera House York has announced a change in leadership, appointing Allie Long as Theatre Director. Allie joined ATG Entertainment in 2017 while studying at the University of York, starting in Front of House department before progressing through marketing, operational and management roles across the UK.
P.ublished 30th January 2026
Theatre
The Dukes Announce A Vibrant Spring/summer Season And Start To Celebrate Turn 55 This Year!
Grab your ticket for a season of unforgettable nights of laughter, entertainment and applause as the Dukes announce a spring/summer season packed with the finest theatre, comedy and cinema. Audiences are invited to adventure into a world of thrills, comedy and excitement with the Dukes’ diverse selection of theatre shows.
P.ublished 29th January 2026
Theatre
In Conversation With Stephen Webb As The Rocky Horror Show Heads North
Graham Clark
Music Correspondent
(L-R)Stephen Webb (Frank-N-Furter), Laura Bird (Magenta), Daisy Steere (Columbia), James Bisp (Brad), Edward Bullingham (Dr. Scott). Photo: David Freeman
The Rocky Horror Show is coming back to the north to brighten up your winter with its fishnet-bedecked legs kicking high and feather boa swinging high as the Richard O’Brien risqué musical returns once again. Over 35 million theatregoers have witnessed The Rocky Horror Show, which tells the story of two impeccable college students, Brad and his fiancée, Janet.
P.ublished 26th January 2026
Theatre
Bluey’s Big Play
Bluey’s Big Play, the stage adaptation of the Emmy Award-winning animated television series, has already delighted audiences across the world—and now Bluey, Bingo and the rest of the Heeler family are back on tour across the UK and Ireland.
P.ublished 22nd January 2026
Theatre
Dinsdale's Scrooge Shines In Genre-Confused Christmas Carol
This year's seasonal production at Leeds Playhouse, A Christmas Carol, occasionally appears to have lost its direction. The production struggles to navigate its rather confused genre.
P.ublished 23rd December 2025
Review
Pass The Spoon: A Deliciously Daft Operatic Recipe For Festive Mayhem
If there's a theatrical tonic for the winter blues, it's Pass the Spoon at the Howard Assembly Room, Leeds. This isn't merely a show – it's a gloriously unhinged prescription for seasonal levity that demands immediate attention. Miss it at your peril.
P.ublished 13th December 2025
Pantomime
Beauty Sleep? Not A Chance In This Raptor-Packed Panto Riot
Ooh, it’s that time of year again – oh yes it is!
P.ublished 10th December 2025
Theatre
The Elves And The Storyteller
John Kitching
Writer
Mr Dazzle (Luke Dickson) Photo: Fidget Theatre Company
Leeds-based Fidget Theatre’s latest production sees them moving out of a conventional theatre setting and into Leeds Central Library. But there are no librarians looking over their glasses here instructing us to be silent, and the shelves of books are left behind as we are greeted by Mr Dazzle (Luke Dickson) and invited to take a seat or sit on the floor.
P.ublished 10th December 2025
Theatre
Stunning Revival Soars In Leeds
Emilie Moon Claire Haddleton
Theatre Correspondents
The company Photo Danny Kaan
The new UK tour of Miss Saigon opened at the Leeds Grand Theatre this week, filling the beautiful venue, and deservedly so. What unfolded on stage was a breathtaking, emotionally charged production that earned its packed audience a lengthy standing ovation. Right from the start, the show dazzles with its extraordinary set design.
P.ublished 5th December 2025
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