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Northern Theatre News
November - Week 1
Anthony Cawood
November 05, 2025
November - Week 1
Welcome to Northern Theatre News!
This week we have exciting news on some amazing touring shows, and more casting news hot off the press.
Our reviews this week, is Dear England which we saw at Leeds Grand Theatre, make sure to catch it if you can!
Plus we have the usual mix of news, listings, offers, competitions and so much more in another jam packed edition.
I’d love to hear your feedback. So let me know what you’d like to see featured (or not!) in future editions of your newsletter.
Enjoy, and see you in the stalls!
News roundup
Leeds Playhouse and First Bus have announced a new partnership highlighting their shared commitment to creating meaningful connections across communities, including newcomers to the city.
First Bus, which operates across West Yorkshire, is supporting the Playhouse's pioneering Theatre of Sanctuary programme of work by helping to improve access to creative opportunities – removing transport barriers and enabling participants to engage with the arts in a safe and welcoming space.
First Bus is providing travel support to the Playhouse for a year to encourage new and existing users to discover what the programme has to offer.
In a new tour/casting announcement, Jason Manford returns to the stage in…
“A side-splitting mash-up of song, dance and Elizabethan absurdity that tells the story behind the creation of the world’s very first musical, Something Rotten! will premiere in the UK - the land where it all (most definitely) happened! - at the Manchester Opera House from 16 June to 19 July 2026, ahead of a West End run.
Created by the award-winning team behind Mrs. Doubtfire: The Musical: Grammy award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick (Change the World, Every Heartbeat), screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run, Over the Hedge, James and the Giant Peach) and best-selling author and comedy scriptwriter John O’Farrell (Spitting Image, Have I Got News for You, Just For One Day), Something Rotten! was the toast of Broadway where it received 10 Tony Award nominations.”
In new show news, Stephen Joseph Theatre have announced Calendar Girls for their summer run 27 Jun - 25 July. Look forward to seeing that in-the-round! Booking opens 19 Nov.
Calendar Girls is coming to Scarborough…
Next up we have news of one fof my faves coming to Liverpool, but not for a whole year! Little Shop of Horrors is coming to Liverpool’s Playhouse December 2026… can’t wait - but guess I’ll have to!
Little Shop is coming to Liverpool Playhouse
Great to see one of ‘our’ shows transferring to that there London! Which is what has been announced by York Theatre Royal for Gary Oldman’s production of Krapp’s Last Tape - which I was lucky enough to see earlier in the year! This superb Samuel Beckett masterpiece starring the Oscar winning Oldman will be at The Royal Court, 67 years after its debut there, in May 2026. |  Photo - Gisele Schmidt |
Subscriber giveaway
£50 monthly prize giveaway
Every month we give away a £50 Theatre Token to one of our subscribers, usable at over 250 venues across the UK (including loads in the North). Just stay subscribed and you’ll be in the draw!
Last month’s winner is verb.man - check your inbox and get back to me please.
What’s on over the coming weeks
Our first offering is a tour that is going all over the north! Between now and early Nov, this show is hitting nine northern venues!
North East
Darlington Hippodrome has the spooky The Signalman 4 - 8 Nov.
Newcastle’s Live Theatre has Big Ange 6 - 22 Nov.
Northern Stage have Noel Coward’s comedy of manners Private Lives 5 - 8 Nov.
Newcastle’s Theatre Royal has a season from Opera North until 8 Nov. Followed by Dear England 11 - 15 Nov, see our review.
La bohème, Susanna and The Big Opera Mystery
Sunderland Empire has the terrific Sunny Afternoon, The Kinks musical, 4 - 8 Nov. That’s followed by The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe 11 - 15 Nov.
North West
Liverpool’s Playhouse has the new adaptation of the classic Little Women 4 - 8 Nov.
Liverpool Empire has the hilarious Fawlty Towers - The Play 11 - 15 Nov (such sad news about Prunella Scales!). That’s followed by Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright 18 - 22 Nov.
Still in Liverpool and over at the Royal Court we have The Scouse Christmas Carol 7 Nov - 17 Jan.
Opera House Manchester also has Fawlty Towers - The Play, running 4 - 8 Nov, followed by Acorn Antiques The Musical (produced by Hope Mill Theatre!) 2 - 16 Nov.
Palace Theatre in Manchester has the new adpatation of Miss Saigon 4 - 15 Nov.
Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester has Dancing at Lughnasa until 8 Nov.
Home in Manchester has and Barrier(s) 6 - 8 Nov, followed by Census 20 - 22 Nov.
Still in Manchester, Hope Mill Theatre has a musical comedy treat! Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein 10 Oct - 30 Nov, and check out ou previous Theatre Spotlight for an overview of this amazing venue which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year!
Shakespeare North Playhouse have Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty 5 - 8 Nov.
Over at the Floral Pavillion we have The Shawshank Redemption 4 - 8 Nov.
Over in Blackpool and the Grand Theatre has Carlos Acosta's Nutcracker in Havana 12 - 15 Nov.
The Lowry, in Salford, has a Christmas Carol Goes Wrong 2 - 8 Nov, followed by the incredible Lost Atoms 11 - 15 Nov - check out our review
Storyhouse in Chester has the Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger’s Drift 11 - 15 Nov.
Octagon Bolton has A Christmas Carol 13 Nov - 10 Jan.
Theatre by the Lake in Keswick has The Wizard of Oz 14 Nov - 11 Jan.
Yorkshire & Humberside
Leeds Grand Theatre has Dear England, touring from the NT, 4 - 8 Nov. Check out our review.
Bradford’s Alhambra has amazing Matilda 30 Oct - 23 Nov.
Cast in Doncaster have Willy Russel’s Blood Brothers 11 - 15 Nov.
York Theatre Royal has The Moors 6 - 8 Nov (at York Mansion House)
The Grand Opera House in York has Bugsy Malone 31 Oct - 8 Nov, followed by Sunny Afrernoon 11 - 15 Nov.
East Riding Theatre has Jack The Ripper - The Legacy 19 - 22 Nov.
Hull Truck Thetare has The Old Curiosity Shop 13 - 15 Nov.
Over in Sheffield at the Lyceum we have Northern Ballet’s Merlin 4 - 8 Nov and that’s followed The Band 11 - 15 Nov.
Northern Theatre News reviews
When we’re lucky enough to be invited to press nights we add the review to the very next newsletter!
Here are the shows we’ve seen recently.
Excerpt - “The play covers themes of identity, leadership, kindness, pressure, how a flag can hold both pride and pain (yes, that flag!)”
Ticket offers not to miss!
I’ll try and bring you any ticket deals and offers I can find… speaking of which!
Other News
Jo signing the heritage doors, becoming part of the Stockton Globe’s legacy.
Up in Stockton we have the sad news that the Globe’s venue director, Jo Ager, is leaving for pastures new. From the press release…
Reflecting on her time at Stockton Globe, Jo said:
“It’s been a true privilege to lead this iconic venue through such an exciting time. The passion of the team, the excitement of our audiences, and the support from our community has been fantastic. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together, and I know the Globe will continue to shine brightly as a beacon for arts and culture across Teesside.”
As Jo departs, Peter Savage will step into the role of Acting General Manager, ensuring a smooth transition and continued focus on delivering exceptional live experiences for audiences across the region.
The Stockton Globe team, along with its stakeholders, partners, audiences and performers, wish Jo every success in her next adventure and thank her for her dedication, creativity, and vision.
Theatre competitions
They’re not all northern, but when they’re not they do involve a hotel stay too, good luck! 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.
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. Repeat this week as I timed out!
Harrogate Theatre
 Harrogate Theatre by DS Pugh, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons  Frances Darlington frieze - HT website  Auditorium now - from HT website  Auditorium in the past - from HT website  Entrance - from HT website  Entrance as Grand Opera House - HT website  Spudgun67, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons  External at dusk - HT website | Opened in 1900, as the Grand Opera House, it is one of Yorkshire’s true theatrical highlights. Designed by Frank Tugwell, it was built with Victorian grandeur in mind; with gilded plaster mouldings, electric lighting throughout, and dressing rooms with hot and cold running water (revolutionary at the time!). The theatre opened its doors 13th Jan 1900, with a gala in aid of Boer War soldiers, followed just a couple of days later by its first pantomime, Dick Whittington, which played to a packed 1300 seats. The theatre was scented back then too, so as audience members took their seats they would have smelt Erasmus Perfume by the Erasmic Soap Company. Over the decades, the theatre attracted stars of the highest calibre. Legends like Sarah Bernhardt, a young Charlie Chaplin, Ken Dodd and more. Local sculptor Frances Darlington added a beautiful relief frieze to the foyer in the early 1900s, still admired today. By the 1930s, cinema and radio were pulling audiences away, so then manager William Peacock and his daughter launched the White Rose Players – one of the UK’s first weekly rep companies. Performing a new play every week, they kept the stage alive with around 45 shows a year until the mid-1950s, when the rise of television saw audiences drop once again. In 1955, the curtain fell. But just three years later, it rose once more, saved by local backers and reborn as Harrogate Theatre under charitable trust. A full restoration in the 1970s ensured its long-term future, and the stage played host to a diverse mix of touring drama, comedy and music – including an intimate gig by none other than David Bowie. And where would any vintage theatre be without a haunting or two? Ask staff and they’ll tell you about Alice, the peppermint-scented ghost who’s said to occupy the stalls – believed to be the heartbroken spirit of a jilted lover, her presence even inspired a centenary play and a ghost hunt or two. Today, Harrogate Theatre is thriving once more. It programmes shows not only on its own stage but also across the town’s Royal Hall and Convention Centre. A booming youth theatre, set-building workshop, and a renewed community focus means that at 125 years old, it remains a vital, living part of the town. A theatre with endless stories to tell, a ghost in the wings, and a future as bright as its past. |
Theatre index
I’ve collated an index of all the northern venues I could find, it’s broken down by region so you can find the ones nearest you.
Do let me know if I’ve missed any.
Courses & training
I’ve had a few reader requests to add theatre related courses/training to the newsletter, so when/if I find any I’ll feature them here.
Sheffield Theatres have a number of workshops coming up, covering playwriting, costume design, and a hole host of other sujects. They’re primarily running mid-Nov, visit their What’s On page for more info. |  |
If you know of any more just let me know and I’ll include them
That’s it for this week
I’d love to know what you think about this newsletter, what we could do to make it better, and what else you’d like to see.
Thanks for reading and subscribing and please do spread the word.
Thanks for reading and subscribing, and please spread the news.
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