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- Northern Theatre News #4
Northern Theatre News #4
Anthony Cawood
July 29, 2025
Welcome to Northern Theatre News!
It’s a little quieter out there as we head into summer, when some venues go dark for a bit to refurbish, upgrade tech, and take a well-earned breather. But there’s still plenty happening! We’ve got exciting news on a brand new Beatles show, fresh casting announcements for a couple of upcoming productions, and a full roundup of show listings for the next couple of weeks.
As always, I’d love to hear your feedback. So let me know what you’d like to see featured (or not!) in future editions.
Enjoy!
News roundup
News just in on a brand new Beatles musical, Shake It Up Baby!, which looks at the band’s Hamburg period. Full cast is now revealed for this world premier at Liverpool’s Epstein theatre this Autumn.
Tickets available now!
Principal casting has just been announced for Sunny Afternoon, the Olivier award winning Kinks musical, which is touring from October.
Tickets available now!
And finally, more casting news, this time for Canal St Lonely Hearts Club with casting announced for Qweerdog's new production of Jonathan Harvey's classic play – which has been updated and relocated to Manchester
Tickets available now!
Subscriber giveaway
£50 montlhy prize giveaway
Each month, starting August, we’ll be giving away a £50 Theatre Token to one lucky subscriber, these are usable in over 250 venues around the UK, including a bunch of our Northern venues… and all you have to do is subscribe to be in with a chance of winning!
What’s on over the next few weeks
North East
Sunderland’s Empire has Derren Brown until 2nd August, followed by Chicago until 9th August
Newcastle’s Theatre Royal has the incredibly funny Book of Mormon until 9th August, from the creators of South Park who’ve been back in the news this week for being cheeky to a certain President 😁
The Arts Centre Washington has a new Christie adaptation with The Mirror Crack’d playing for three days from 31st July
North West
Blackpool’s Winter Gardens has The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe until 2nd August.
Liverpool’s Royal Court is staging The Legend of Rooney’s Ring, the ultimate scouse sword and sorcery tale that is packed with magic, romance, original songs and stupid gags. Running 18th July to 23rd August.
Opera House Manchester has The Last Laugh from 29th July for a week, followed by 2:22 A Ghost Story which run from 7th August to 16tth.
Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester has the uplifting A Manchester Anthem 29th July - 2nd August.
We have a mini tour up next with the ever popuplar WWII jukebox musical When The Lights Go On Again hitting three venues in August, so check it out in Salford, Oldham or Manchester!
Chester’s Storyhouse are running multiple open air experiences with a brand new adapatation of Sherlock Holmes! Running 18th July to 31st August. Plus Pride & Prejudice 24th July - 31st August.
The Lowry, in Salford, has the fantastic SIX running 29th July - 3rd August, followed by By Royal Appointment until 9th August. Plus they have A Squash and A Squeeze 5th to 24th August in the Quays Thetare
Running all summer at The Old Laundry Theatre in Bowness-on-Windermere is a muscial spectacular centered around Peter Rabbit - kids are sure to love it!
Running from 7th Aug to 6th September, Theatre by the Lake in Keswick have the classic Pride and Prejudice.
Yorkshire
The beloved adaptation of the Railway Children is staged on the very tracks they used in the film, the show begins when you board a vintage steam train! Sets off daily until 7th September and is garnering rave reviews!
Leeds Grand have Fiddler on the Roof, 29th July - 2nd August.
York Theatre Royal has social history for you in their own production of ‘His Last Report’ which looks at the life and legacy of Seebohm Rowntree. 22nd July - 3rd August.
Grand Opera House has Martin Shaw in A Man For All Seasons running 29th July to 2nd August.
Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough has a new production of the classic Noises Off, for the first time ever presented in the round! 9th August to 6th September.
The Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond has a pretty unique show running 24th July to 2nd August with a Terry Pratchett adaptation.
I don’t want to ignore any of the amazing venues we have in the North, so I’ve also created an index of all the venues I could find and have included it in the newsletter’s associated website - just look at the header or footer on the website and you’ll see ‘Theatres’ and a drop-down menu/list.
Let me know if I’ve missed any!
Other News
I don’t only want to showcase the bigger venues and their news pieces, so this is the place I’ll try drop some interesting tidbits.
I love to see theatres diversify to keep the revenue flowing, here’s a great example from Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, a Punk festival!
Theatre competitions
A quick roundup of competitions that involve our Theatres, or in general where there’s something good for you. All are free to enter and run by 3rd parties (not me!), and I will keep them in each newsletter whilst the entry date is still valid.
£50 Theatre Tokens via Culture Calling (ends 7th August)
Fawlty Towers Dining Experience tickets via What’s on TV (ends 7th August)
Every Brilliant Thing tickets and London hotel stay via Sainsbury’s (ends 17th August)
Something a little different to finish the competitions section… the Phoenix Theatre in Blyth are running a Playwriting competition, so if you’ve always fancied seeing your work performed then check out The Phoenix Theatre Playwriting Competition
Theatre spotlight
I’ll look at one of our great Northern Theatres each week and give a little more info on the theatre and its rich history.
Darlington Hippodrome
 Beautiful exterior  Stunning auditorium  At night  Stalls  Incredible auditorium again  Purple lit for Holocaust Memorial Day  Hullabaloo theatre  Original facade  Side view | Opened in 1907, the Darlington Hippodrome is one of the North East’s most elegant theatres. Clad in striking red-brick, with terracotta towers, and a lavish Edwardian interior. Originally christened the New Hippodrome and Palace of Varieties, it was the passion project of Signor Rino Pepi – a flamboyant quick-change artiste who once performed for Queen Victoria before turning theatre impresario. The venue was originally built as a Hippodrome for spectacle, as was popular at the time. It even had a built-in water tank beneath the stage, allowing for full-blown aquatic stunts. On opening night, 2000 people were treated to a lineup led by music hall star Marie Loftus – and over the years, legends like Tommy Cooper, Morecambe & Wise, and even Anna Pavlova graced its stage. As cinema and television rose to dominance, many theatres fell silent and the Hippodrome itself succumbed in 1958. But, Darlington rallied! Led by members of the local Operatic Society, and backed by the council, the theatre was saved and reborn as the Civic Theatre – becoming a home for both professional touring shows and local productions. For nearly 60 years, it remained the town’s cultural hub – a place where generations saw their first panto, school trip, or musical. But by the 2010s, the building was showing its age. In 2016, the theatre closed for a major £13.7 million restoration project. Over 18 months, the entire venue was transformed: ornate plasterwork revived, new seating added, and a glass-fronted foyer introduced. The former water tower was even converted into a vaulted café bar. When the theatre reopened in 2017, it returned to its original name – Darlington Hippodrome – and with it, a well deserved sense of pride. Today, it’s a modern 1,000-seat venue - check out the seating plans and 360 images, with a thriving programme of drama, musicals, and family shows. It also houses The Hullabaloo, an all new children’s theatre, expanding its reach to younger audiences in the community. The Hippodrome isn’t just a performance space, it is a piece of living heritage, carefully preserved by local pride and expertly reimagined for the future. A theatre saved by its town, and still very much the heart of it. The venue have created some great videos that really showcase how wonderful it is! |
That’s it for this week
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