Grease needs no introduction. Those expecting to see the 1978 film adaptation acted on stage may be surprised by York Light’s latest production, which more closely follows the lesser known original stage show. Never fear, however – cheesy songs, lovable characters and the happy ending we all know (and perhaps question) are still the staples, with just the right sprinkling of comedy to boot. Continue reading
Well, here we all are again back for the annual rubbish at the York Theatre Royal pantomime, but with one big difference – 2018 is dame Berwick Kaler’s final year after forty years of writing, co-directing and starring in York’s most popular panto. There has always been something homely and comforting about hearing those Geordie tones cry out, “Me babbies me bairnes!” once a year – and this year the moment is delayed by a slightly over-long opening where the rest of the cast ponder what panto they will be doing and whether the script has even been written yet. Continue reading
The Royal Shakespeare Company presents First Encounters with Shakespeare, a series of productions for 7-13 year olds across the UK. The Comedy of Errors, directed and edited by Alex Thorpe, comes to York Theatre Royal with over a decade’s experience in bringing Shakespeare’s original text into palatable, engaging versions to children in their communities. Continue reading
Led by Artistic Director Cassa Pancho, Ballet Black celebrates dancers of Black and Asian descent. Cathy Marston’s 2018 narrative piece is based on the 1963 short story The Suit by South African writer Can Themba. Originally published in the inaugural issue of South African literary journal The Classic, the story was banned by the apartheid regime. Though that setting is somewhat lost here without follow-up reading, the emotional truth of the characters’ experience sings through this delicate re-telling that honours both the tragedy of toxic jealousy and the breathless lightness of finding oneself welcomed unconditionally in another’s arms. Continue reading
London Classic Theatre’s Artistic Director Michael Cabot revives their nigh-flagship millennial production in this new iteration of Charlotte Keatley’s era-hopping domestic drama, purported to be the most widely performed play ever written by a woman, though it is new to York Theatre Royal. Spanning four generations of women, the play examines motherhood, growing pains, innocence and self-preservation. Continue reading
York-based company White Tree Theatre bring their powerful one-woman show to York Theatre Royal Studio. The dystopian near-future storytelling piece forms a part of Studio Discoveries, a week of exciting new theatre curated by community programming team Visionari, a new initiative giving voice to the local community. Continue reading
Rona Munro’s 1991 text walks us through modern West Belfast in the palpable aftermath of the Troubles. Distant bombs and gunshots form the backdrop for this slice of life story following four women through personal and domestic trauma. Continue reading
Another chapter in York Theatre Royal’s collaboration with Theatre by the Lake, this Alan Bennett double bill directed by Tom Littler brings together two plays: An Englishman Abroad and A Question of Attribution. Continue reading
Keswick-based company Theatre by the Lake are making a new home for themselves in York Theatre Royal this autumn. The rep season opens with Jessica Swale’s adaptation of the beloved Austen classic, Sense & Sensibility, directed by Juliet Forster. Continue reading
Thumping beats, heavy panting and garbled speech frames Gecko’s new show, Missing. The multi-award winning and internationally acclaimed physical theatre company dive head first into the sensual, visceral, raking sounds of the psyche in another piece that defies intellectual trappings by speaking to us via the non-verbal seventy per cent. Continue reading