- Northern Theatre News
- Posts
- Northern Theatre News
Northern Theatre News
September - Week 2
Anthony Cawood
September 09, 2025
September - Week 2
Welcome to Northern Theatre News!
As we head out of the summer, most theatres are back in full swing with packed calendars as we rush towards panto season. So, this issue is especially packed with listings, news, interviews and competitions for you to enter.
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 theatre!
News roundup
Again, I don’t normally put competitions in this section but you only have a few days to enter this one! See the brand new musical Shake It Up Baby, covering the Beatles’ Hamburg years at the Epstein Theatre later this month!
Great Scott! Back to the Future is going on tour! The worldwide phenomenon will be on tour in 2026-27, with both Sunderland Empire and Liverpool Empire on the list for a DeLorean flying visit. |
 Storyhouse - iconic! | Storyhouse in Chester is looking to appoint three new trustees. Storyhouse is home to a theatre, library, cinema, and a wealth of community resources - check out the Spotlight section for more on this amazing venue! |
Leeds Playhouse has an exciting 18-month paid role now open for applications. It’s aimed at mid-career directors and theatre makers who identify as working-class or are from a low socio-economic background. |  Leeds Playhouse |
Subscriber giveaway
£50 monthly prize giveaway
Each month we’ll give away a £50 Theatre Token to one lucky subscriber usable in over 250 venues across the UK including plenty in the North. All you have to do is subscribe to be in with a chance of winning.
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 2:22 A Ghost Story starring Kevin Clifton and Stacey Dooley, 8 - 13 Sept. This is followed by Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright 16 - 20 Sept
Darlington Hippodrome has the adaptation of the amazing film The Shawshank Redemption 9 - 13 Sept.
North West
Liverpool’s Everyman has Romeo & Juliet 13 Sept - 4 Oct.
Liverpool Empire has The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical 16 - 20 Sept
Liverpool’s Royal Court has Derby Days, a brand new comedy, 12 Sept - 18 Oct.
Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre has I Am Steven Gerrard running 11 - 13 Sept.
Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, has Canal Street Lonely Hearts Club 3 - 14 Sept.
Opera House Manchester has Here & Now - The Steps Musical, 2 - 13 Sept.
Palace Theatre in Manchester has the spectacular Moulin Rouge until 4 Oct.
The Lowry, in Salford, has Derren Brown with his new show - Only Human, 2 - 13 Sept. And Ideal starring Johnny Vegas from 8 - 13 Sept.
Octagon Bolton has a busy month with Yen, the award winning drama, 3 - 13 Sept and Noel Coward’s Private Lives running 4 - 27 Sept.
Theatre by the Lake in Keswick has Di, Viv and Rose 19 Sept - 11 Oct.
Stockport Garrick Theatre has Noel Coward’s ‘improbable farce‘ 6 - 12 Sept
MADS Theatre Macclesfield have the Ballad of Maria Marten 8 - 13 Sept
Yorkshire & Humberside
Leeds Playhouse has the Aaron Sorkin adapated To Kill A Mocking Bird at the Quarry theatre, 8 Sept - 4 Oct. Watch out for a review in the next edition.
They also have the award winning Consumed 10 - 13 Sept at the Courtyard. Check out this insightful interview with the award winning playwright Karis Kelly
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
York Theatre Royal has their own production of Military Wives - The Musical, 10 - 27 Sept, watch out for a review in the next edition.
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.
Lawrence Batley Theatre has a new musical farce in-the-round, The Village Hall, 10 - 13 Sept.
Harrogate Theatre has John Godber’s Black Tie Ball 10 - 13 Sept. Followed by 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
East Riding Theatre has a brand new production of Answering Machines, 11 - 27 Sept.
Now over to the Sheffield theatres, with Ripples staged at Bloc Projects 5 - 13 Sept.
Sheffield’s Mongomery theatre has Everbody’s Talking About Jamie, 9 - 13 Sept.
Continuing in Sheffield we have TINA - The Tina Turner Musical at the Lyceum 9 - 20 Sept.
An incoming at the Crucible Sheffield, we have Dancing at Lughansa, 13 Sept - 4 Oct.
And in Rotherham we have Educating Rita at Rotherham Civic Theatre, 16 - 19 Sept
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.
Coming soon, reviews of Military Wives and To Kill A Mockingbird
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!
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
This week we are taking a look at Storyhouse in Chester. It’s a relatively recent addition to the theatre landscape and is so much more than just a theatre.
StoryhouseAll images are credit The Storyhouse unless stated otherwise.  Art Deco exterior  Incredible stage  Art Deco features persist.  Reimagined interior  Storyhouse, Chester by Jeff Buck, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons  Stage again  New Studio space just down the road  Garrett theatre  Cosy library | Walking into Storyhouse, you immediately feel the buzz of the creative community it houses. To paraphrase the M&S advert, this is not just a theatre. It’s also a library, a cinema, a café, and a cultural hub that has breathed new life into this ancient city (almost 2,000 years old!). Here you can thumb through a book in the morning, watch a film in the afternoon, and then spend your evening taking in a show. Storyhouse began life as Chester’s Art Deco Odeon cinema, which opened in 1936 and entertained generations until, like many, it closed in 2007. For nearly a decade after, the city had no major theatre or cinema of its own. But the passionate local community and the city council refused to let the old picture house fester. They launched an ambitious £37 million project to transform it into a modern multi-arts centre. When the venue finally re-opened its doors in May 2017, it was the biggest cultural development in Chester in over 50 years. Fittingly, a year later Queen Elizabeth II visited Chester to officially open Storyhouse, marking a new chapter in the city’s cultural narrative. The new design blends the old with the new, as the original 1930s cinema foyer and façade now lead into a bright contemporary extension that houses a state-of-the-art performance hall. Uniquely, the main theatre can transform from an 800-seat traditional auditorium into a more intimate 500-seat thrust stage, allowing Storyhouse to host blockbuster touring musicals one month and local in-house productions the next. You can see this transformation on YouTube. There is also a 150-seat studio theatre for fringe shows and community performances, and tucked away is a cosy boutique cinema showing films of all sizes and genres. What really sets Storyhouse apart is how it opens its doors to the community all day long. The complex doubles as Chester’s main public library, with bookshelves winding through lounges and cafés instead of being confined to a quiet room. The atmosphere is always welcoming and lively even when no stage show is on. A dedicated children’s library by the entrance often echoes with storytime sessions, and nearly 150 local groups use Storyhouse’s spaces for everything from drama clubs to support meetings. True to its inclusive mission, Storyhouse goes the extra mile to make arts accessible. It hosts an annual Kaleidoscope Festival that celebrates neurodiversity and the talents of people with disabilities. The venue also offers regular relaxed and autism-friendly film screenings, ensuring everyone feels welcome. From gender-neutral toilets to a busy volunteer programme, every aspect of Storyhouse is centred on community, and belonging. Storyhouse has even become a launchpad for new productions, hosting the world premiere of the musical The Time Traveller’s Wife in 2022 and debuting the family musical The Parent Agency in early 2025 to great acclaim before a UK tour. Storyhouse is everything we love about northern theatre. It is a beautiful venue rooted in local history yet proudly innovative and inclusive. Whether you are watching a play, grabbing a coffee among the bookshelves or joining a community workshop, you can feel the magic of this place touch your soul. |
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.
Reply