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April 2026 - Week 1
Anthony Cawood
April 01, 2026
April 2026 - Week 1
Welcome to Northern Theatre News!
It’s April - wow!
I ended March on a high though, seeing Barnum at the Alhambra in Bradford - check out my review.
And, it’s no April fool (sorry!) that we have the usual mix of news, listings and reviews.
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!
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.
What’s on over the coming weeks
North East
Newcastle’s Theatre Royal has Hamlet 31 March - 4 April followed by Priscilla Queen of the Desert 6 - 11 April and then 2:22 A Ghost Story 13 - 18 April
Live Theatre in Newcastle has The Fit Prince 7 - 10 April
Over at Northern Stage we have I, Daniel Blake 20 March - 4 April with Tim Key 23 - 25 April
Darlington Hippodrome has Murder at Midnight 1 - 4 April followed by The Enormous Crocodile 16 - 18 April
Stockton Globe has the amazing Sunny Afternoon 14 - 18 April
Sunderland Empire has Bluey’s Big Play 25 - 29 March followed by Mean Girls 6 - 11 April
The Playhouse over in Whitley Bay has The Tiger Who Came to Tea 14 - 16 April
North West
Liverpool Empire has 2:22 A Ghost Story 6 - 11 April and Legally Blonde 14 - 18 April
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse has Waiting for Godot 17 March - 4 April and The Shawshank Redemption 31 March - 4 April.
Palace Theatre in Manchester has Matilda 26 March - 25 April.
Opera House Manchester has the new show from Russell Howard 2 - 5 April, then Diversity with their Soul tour 15 - 17 April and finally Carmen 22 - 25 April
Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester has Private Lives 27 March - 2 May.
Home in Manchester has The City for Incurable Women 2 - 4 April
Still in Manchester, Hope Mill Theatre has Sister Act 9 - 19 April.
Finally in Manchester 53two has The Angry Brigade 25 March - 4 April
Over in Keswick, Theatre by the Lake has Lark Rise to Candleford 26 March - 18 April
The Victoria Wood Theatre over in Bowness-in-Windemere has Teechers 2 - 4 April
Over to Blackpool and the Grand Theatre has Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty 16 - 18 April
Over in Chester at The Storyhouse we have FRIENDS! The Musical Parody 30 March - 4 April
The Lowry, in Salford has Top Hat 31 March - 4 April and then Murder, She Didn’t Write 2 - 4 April
Shakespeare North Playhouse has They Were All Some Mother’s Sons 30 April - 2 May.
Dukes in Lancaster has I, Daniel Blake 14 - 16 April.
Octagon Bolton has Sherlock Holmes and the Hunt for Moriarty 1 - 4 April
Yorkshire & Humberside
Leeds Grand Theatre has TINA - The Tina Turner Musical 17 March - 4 April followed by Shrek: The Musical 7 - 11 April and The Constant Wife 14 - 18 April
Leeds Playhouse has Punch 7 - 11 April followed by Planet Omar 7 - 25 April
Bradford’s Alhambra has Barnum 31 March - 4 April - check out our review - and Operation Mincemeat 6 - 11 April
Harrogate Theatre has The Grand Babylon Hotel 1 - 4 April followed by A Squash and a Squueze 10 - 12 April
York Theatre Royal has The Secret Garden - The Musical 17 March - 4 April followed by Meet Fred 31 March 2 April and then Hamlet 14 - 18 April
The Grand Opera House in York has 2:22 A Ghost Story 30 March - 4 April followed by Come from Away 10 - 18 April and then Legally Blonde 21 - 25 April
Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough has Murder for Two 28 March - 18 April
Hull New Theatre has Blood Brothers 31 March - 4 April and then Mamma Mia! 7 - 18 April.
Hull Truck Theatre has Teechers 21 - 30 April.
Over in Sheffield at the Lyceum we have Northern Ballet’s Gentleman Jack (which is amazing!) 31 March - 4 April.
The Playhouse has Living 14 March - 4 Apr.
Theatre spotlight - Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
All images are credit The Alhambra or NTN unless stated otherwise.  The original site prior to building  Impressive!  Stunning at night!  New glass frontage installed in 1985  Spacious foyer  Stunning ceiling rose  Amazing boxes in the plush red auditorium | Sitting proudly in the city centre, this Bradford landmark has been part of the cultural life of the city for more than a century and still has that rare knack of making a night at the theatre feel like a proper occasion. Opened in 1914, the venue has long been one of Yorkshire’s great homes for big touring productions, and it remains a major stop for musicals, dance, drama and the kind of festive pantomime chaos that audiences return for year after year. And what a building it is. The Alhambra’s grand exterior, with its domes and striking white frontage, gives it real presence before you’ve even stepped through the doors. Inside, it delivers all the classic theatre magic you’d hope for, with an auditorium that feels suitably grand without losing that sense of welcome. The Alhambra has built its reputation on scale. This is a theatre known for attracting the big hitters, whether that means blockbuster musicals, major dance companies or much loved touring productions. Bradford Theatres describes it as “a historic venue presenting musicals, drama, dance and Yorkshire’s biggest pantomime”, which feels about right. It is very much one of those places where theatre lovers can settle into the plush seats and expect something sizeable to be happening on stage. But what makes the Alhambra especially lovely is that it is not just a handsome old building trading on its past glory. It still feels active, relevant and rooted in the life of the city. Its city centre location makes it an easy choice for a proper day or night out in Bradford, and for many audiences it is woven into personal history too, whether that means first musicals, annual panto trips, or those unforgettable evenings when a touring show absolutely knocks your socks off. There is also something reassuringly Northern about the Alhambra. It is grand, yes, but never aloof. It feels like a theatre that belongs to its audience. A place for big nights, shared laughs, collective gasps and the occasional interval debate over whether one ice cream is ever really enough. In short, Bradford Alhambra is one of the North’s true theatre heavyweights. Historic without feeling dusty, impressive without feeling intimidating, and still delivering the kind of nights out that remind you exactly why live performance matters. |
Ticket offers not to miss!
Not so much of a ticket offer this time, but an offer to get an additional theatre fix from home with Marquee TV. They have a ton of theatre, opera, concerts and ballet, and they are running a new offer where your first month is subscription is just £1.
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 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.
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 spread the news.
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