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Northern Theatre News
September - Week 3
Anthony Cawood
September 18, 2025
September - Week 3
Welcome to Northern Theatre News!
It’s been a busy week as I’ve managed to see both the brand new production of Military Wives - The Musical at York Theatre Royal and the Aaron Sorkin’s adapation of To Kill A Mockingbird at Leeds Playhouse - reviews of both in this issue and York Theatre Royal is our Spotlight venue this week!
Plus we have the usual mix of news, listings, offers, competitions and so much more in this weeks 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!
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!
Our August winner has been selected, [email protected], and has been notified - congrats, check your Inbox!
What’s on over the next few weeks
North East
Newcastle’s Theatre Royal has the incredible War Horse 10 - 20 Sept.
Sunderland Empire has Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright 16 - 20 Sept. Followed by Friends! The Musical Parody 23 - 27 Sept.
Alphabetti Theatre Newcastle has the award winning Yen 17 - 20 Sept.
Billingham’s Forum Theatre have Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty 25 - 27 Sept.
North West
Liverpool’s Everyman has Romeo & Juliet 13 Sept - 4 Oct.
The Playhouse Studio in Liverpool has Syncopated, a new play 23 Sept - 4 Oct.
The Liverpool Playhouse has The Last Laugh 23 - 27 Sept.
Liverpool Empire has The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical 16 - 20 Sept followed by Fiddler on the Roof 23 - 27 Sept.
Liverpool’s Royal Court has Derby Days, a brand new comedy that’s more than just a game, 12 Sept - 18 Oct.
Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre has Shake It Up Baby running 26 Sept - 11 Oct.
Opera House Manchester has 13 Going On 30 - The Musical, based on the hit film and running 21 Sept - 12 Oct.
Palace Theatre in Manchester has the spectacular Moulin Rouge until 4 Oct.
Over in Blackpool and the Grand Theatre has The Shawshank Redemption 23 - 27 Sept.
The Lowry, in Salford, has the phenomenon that is Uncanny, 18 - 20 Sept. Followed by Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story 22 - 27 Sept.
Storyhouse in Chester has the spooky The Woman in Black 24 - 27 Sept
Octagon Bolton has Noel Coward’s Private Lives running 4 - 27 Sept.
Theatre by the Lake in Keswick has Di, Viv and Rose 19 Sept - 11 Oct.
 | Touring the North West for the next few weeks we have Silent Approach, based on police officer Rebecca House’s harrowing real-life experience of a drug-induced psychotic episode and psychiatric detention. Be sure to check this one out! |
New Adelphi Theatre, Salford - 25 Sept - Tickets
Dukes Theatre, Lancaster - 26 -27 Sept - Tickets
Central Library, Blackburn - 1 - 2 Oct - Tickets
Oak Theatre, Scarisbrick - 4 Oct - Tickets
Lowther Pavilion, Lytham St Ann's - 5 Oct - Tickets
Yorkshire & Humberside
Leeds Playhouse has Aaron Sorkin’s adapation of To Kill A Mockingbird at the Quarry theatre, 8 Sept - 4 Oct. Check out our Northern Theatre News review
Leeds Grand Theatre has Northern Ballet’s spectacular Merlin 13 - 20 Sept PLUS there is a ticket promo! £15 for seats in Band B and below, use code TRYIT15 at checkout for performances 16 - 19 Sept.
Bradford Alhambra has The Last Laugh 16 - 20 Sept followed by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 23 - 27 Sept.
Touring Bradford from 23 Sept - 16 Oct is Otherhood, a new play created for Bradford 2025 - UK City of Culture.
Over in Wakefield at the Theatre Royal we have Calendar Girls 24 - 27 Sept
York Theatre Royal has their own fantastic production of Military Wives - The Musical, 10 - 27 Sept. Check out our Northern Theatre News review.
The Grand Opera House in York has The Wizard of Oz 12 - 20 Sept.
Pick Me Up Theatre in York are staging Fun Home in a regional first. 10-19 Sept.
Harrogate Theatre has Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce 16 - 20 Sept
Speaking of Alan Ayckbourn, Stephen Joseph Theatre has the premier of Earth Angel, his brand new play from 13 Sept - 11 Oct. Review coming next week!
East Riding Theatre has a brand new production of Answering Machines, 11 - 27 Sept.
Hull Truck Theatre have Pride & Prejudice 18 Sept - 11 Oct.
Sheffield’s Playhouse has the incredibly powerful Far Gone 17 - 20 Sept. Followed by the twisted black-comedy Consumed, check out this insightful interview with the award winning playwright Karis Kelly - running 24 Sept - 11 Oct
Continuing in Sheffield at the Lyceum we have TINA - The Tina Turner Musical until 20 Sept, followed by Matthew Bourne’s spectacular The Midnight Bell 23 - 27 Sept.
And incoming at the Crucible Sheffield, we have Dancing at Lughnasa, 13 Sept - 4 Oct.
Northern Theatre News reviews
When we’re lucky enough to be invited to press nights we add the review to the very next newsletter - this week it’s reviews!
Here are the shows we’ve seen recently.
Excerpt… “I may have cried more than I did during Come From Away, which always floors me. At one point the lovely lady next to me apologised if her crying had disturbed me - her son had done four tours. No apology needed, given my two sob-a-thons during the most emotionally raw sections later on.”
Excerpt… “The play not only challenges the audience to consider the ugly truth of racism, but the fact that unless we stand up, we are at the very least complicit.”
Coming soon, Earth Angel and Shake It Up Baby
Ticket offers not to miss!
I’ll try and bring you all the ticket deals and offers I can find!
Summer Saver offers
ATG Entertainment, who run a number of theatres up and down the country, has a Summer Saver offer on, select tickets are discounted on over 120 shows, including the Liverpool Empire, Manchester Palace Theatre, Manchester Opera House, Stockton Globe, and Sunderland Empire.
Leeds Grand Theatre have a discounted ticket offer on the Northern Ballet production of Merlin, offer runs 16 - 19 Sept… so if you’ve never tried Ballet - now’s your chance!
Other News
One of my favourite theatres needs your help, the Stephen Joseph Theatre is working through funding for improvement plans and would like a couple of minutes of your time to fill in a survey - easy, peasy, please fill it in!
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
As we were there to see Military Wives - The Musical this week, we are also shining a light on York Theatre Royal, one of our personal favourite theatres.
York Theatre RoyalAll images are credit York Theatre Royal or NTN unless stated otherwise.  Beautiful venue exterior  Bathed in sunshine  Contemporary entrance  Stunning architecture  Mix of new and old  Amazing auditorium  Recent coup, Gary Oldman brought ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ earlier this year | Welcome to York Theatre Royal, a truly historic gem nestled in the heart of equally historic York. This theatre has been thrilling audiences since first raising its curtain in 1744. This makes it one of the oldest continuously operating theatres in the world, and the moment you walk in you sense that heritage in every nook and cranny of the place. The story begins with a bold idea. Back in 1734, actor Thomas Keregan opened York’s first permanent playhouse in a converted tennis court. It was a modest start, but York’s appetite for theatre outgrew that venue. By 1744, a brand new theatre opened on the present site, on land that had once been part of a medieval hospital. Parts of the old St Leonard’s Hospital are literally built into the theatre’s structure - there are medieval stone archways and even an old well under the stage that could date back as far as Roman times. How’s that for stage history? In 1769, manager Tate Wilkinson acquired a Royal Patent for £500 and with it a new name for the venue, Theatre Royal. Under Wilkinson’s leadership the theatre became a shining star on the provincial circuit - still is, attracting some of the finest actors of the day - still does, including the famous Kemble siblings and Sarah Siddons - or Gary Oldman more recently. In the 1960s the theatre boldly embraced the contemporary, with architect Patrick Gwynne designing a striking modernist front extension in 1967, all glass walls and sweeping concrete curves. The incredible foyer is one of York’s finest examples of modern architecture mixing medieval, Georgian, Victorian and modern design under one roof. Thanks to a major refurbishment in 2016, the building also has the comforts of today, from a refreshed auditorium to improved accessibility, all while keeping its heritage charm intact. Now one of the UK’s leading producing theatres, what truly makes York Theatre Royal special is its people - staff, performers, and audiences. This theatre isn’t just an elegant old building, it is the comfortable living room of York’s theatre community. The annual panto is the stuff of local legend, led for 40 years by hometown hero Berwick Kaler, whose slapstick and ad-libs made it a beloved York tradition for generations. But the community connection runs deeper than just Yuletide cheer. During the pandemic the theatre turned outward, supporting its city in creative ways and taking productions onto the streets to serve communities that were temporarily unable to visit the theatre. Today its thriving youth theatre, outreach programmes, and welcome for local amateur companies sit proudly alongside the annual panto and visiting stars - a reminder that world-class talent and local voices can shine together in the glow of the same footlights. Steeped in history yet always evolving, it truly is the healthy pulse of York’s theatre scene – a place where heritage, imagination, and community come together, and everyone who walks in becomes a character in its ongoing story. |
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 even better next time, 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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