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Northern Theatre News
December - Week 3
Anthony Cawood
December 15, 2025
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December - Week 3
Welcome to Northern Theatre News!
Panto season is uniquely British, layered with heritage and tradition, and for one northern panto star this week it’s a historic one - On Tuesday 16 December, Sheffield Lyceum pantomime history will be made as dame Damian Williams makes his 1000th performance (in this year’s Aladdin). Amazing achievement!
We managed to see a couple more pantos last week, check out our reviews of Beauty & the Beast at Chester’s Storyhouse and Snow White at Bradford Alhambra.
Of course we also have the usual mix of news, listings, offers, a bunch of new competitions and so much more.
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
Tour news up first…
Storyhouse is set to take its acclaimed production of The Gangs of New York on a nationwide tour after receiving funding support from Arts Council England.
The award-winning Chester producing house has been awarded a grant through the Arts Council's new Incentivising Touring Scheme which aims to give more people across the country the opportunity to enjoy high-quality cultural experiences.
Written by Kieran Lynn and based on Herbert Asbury's 1928 non-fiction book, The Gangs of New York was a huge hit with both audiences and critics when it was premiered at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre in 2024, with praise for its infectious energy, thrilling mixture of raw and gritty historical drama, humour and romance.
Now with the assistance of funding from the Incentivising Touring Scheme it will be reimagined to be staged indoors, opening at Storyhouse itself in autumn 2027 before touring to at least eight locations throughout Britain.
News in of the nominees for the 2026 Stage Awards with strong norther representation from York Theatre Royal for Theatre of the Year, Hope Mill Theatre and Laurels both up for Fringe Theatre of the Year, and Hull Truck Theatre in the Innovation category - congrats to all!
Staying on an awards theme, What’s On Stage have announced their nominees for the 26th Annual Awards. Northern representation includes the devastatingly brilliant Through it All Together at Leeds Playhouse, almost all the regional nominations are for our venues, and Sheffield Crucible gets a couple of nods too. Full list of nominees below and you can vote here as all winners are selected through public vote!
From West Kerry to Salford: Lowry to Present the UK Premiere of Choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan's Olivier-Nominated MÁM as Dance Consortium Brings Teaċ Daṁsa to the UK for Nine-Venue Tour.
There are two firsts on this nine-venue Dance Consortium tour - it is the first time the organisation has toured a company from Ireland and it is the first UK tour of Michael Keegan-Dolan's Olivier Award-nominated MÁM. The tour opens at Lowry, Salford with performances on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th February 2026.
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!
November’s winner is mcnultylou - check your inbox!
What’s on over the coming weeks
North East
Darlington Hippodrome has Goldilocks and the Three Bears starring Brendan Cole, 5 - 31 Dec.
Still in Darlington and Hullabaloo has the super-cute The Paper Dolls for the younger children, runs 11 - 24 Dec.
Alnwick Playhouse has Hansel & Gretel 17 - 28 Dec.
Newcastle’s Live Theatre has their seasonal fayre Where Do All The Kittiwakes Go At Christmas? 9 - 21 Dec.
Northern Stage has The Night Before ChrisMouse for the youngsters 22 Nov - 3 Jan. They also have Beauty & the Beast for the whole family 4 Dec - 3 Jan.
Newcastle’s Theatre Royal has Aladdin 25 Nov - 18 Jan.
Tyne Theatre & Opera House has Cinderella 5 Dec - 4 Jan.
Finally in Newcastle, at the Alphabetti Theatre we have A Queermas Carol (The Gayest Ghost Story Ever Told) 17 - 20 Dec
Want your panto at the seaside with a CBBC star? Whitley Bay Playhouse has you covered, with Beauty and the Beast showing 5 Dec - 3 Jan.
Sunderland Empire has their panto, Sleeping Beauty, running 12 Dec - 4 Jan.
Over in South Shields we have two seasonal shows at The Customs House, Goldilocks and the Three Bears runs 21 Nov - 3 Jan, with Help! I’ve Lost The Christmas List 29 Nov - 24 Dec.
Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond has Cinderella as their Christmas show, 2 Dec - 10 Jan. Check out our Theatre Spotlight on this awesome venue!
Over at The Phoenix Theatre in Blyth we have Aladdin 6 - 28 Dec.
Up in Hexham at the Queen’s Hall Arts Centre we have The Great Big Christmas Wrapping Disaster 6 - 31 Dec, which runs concurrently with Red Riding Hood 6 Dec - Jan 3.
Billingham Forum has The Further Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan 1 Dec - 4 Jan.
And over at the Empire Consett, we have Sleeping Beauty 28 Nov - 31 Dec.
The Gala Durham has Jack and the Beanstalk 20 Nov - 31 Dec and for the younger kiddos they have Christmas Eve 2 - 24 Dec.
Middlesbrough Theatre have Goldilocks and the Three Bears 5 - 31 Dec.
In Hartlepool we have Snow White 10 - 27 Dec at the Town Hall.
North West
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse has The Rock 'n' Roll Panto 2025: Jack and the Beanstalk 15 Nov - 17 Jan and transferring from Hope Mill Theatre is Young Frankenstein 3 Dec - 3 Jan.
Liverpool Empire has Matilda 2 Dec - 4 Jan.
Still in Liverpool and over at the Royal Court we have The Scouse Christmas Carol 7 Nov - 17 Jan - correction, it has been extended by an extra week, now runs to 24 Jan. They also have Stocking Fillers 28 Nov - 3 Jan, a set of seven 10 minute festive plays.
At The Epstein Theatre we have Cinderella 5 Dec - 4 Jan.
And last for Liverpool, Unity Theatre’s seasonal offering is Sleep Can Wait 12 - 23 Dec.
St. Helens Theatre Royal has Dick Whittington 28 Nov - 11 Jan.
In Port Sunlight on the Wirral the Gladstone Theatre has Peter Pan 6 - 31 Dec
Over at The Atkinson in Southport we have Beauty & the Beast 5 - 31 Dec
Up in Lancaster, the Grand has a rotating set of pantos, your choices are Snow White, Robin Hood and Puss in Boots all for different age groups - not seen anyone take this approach, I like it! The shows run between 28 Nov - 28 Dec.
Opera House Manchester has their panto offering, Robin Hood 6 Dec - 4 Jan.
Palace Theatre in Manchester has TINA - The Tina Turner Musical 25 Nov - 3 Jan.
Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester has Singin’ In The Rain 29 Nov - 18 Jan… hot off the press, this has been extended through to 25 Jan!
Home in Manchester has the UK premiere of Freaky Friday 27 Nov - 10 Jan.
Still in Manchester, Hope Mill Theatre has their adult-panto offering of Jack Off The Beanstalk - not for the youngsters! 4 - 30 Dec.
Contact Theatre in Manchester has their seasonal offering of Rumpelstiltskin 11 - 31 Dec, the press I’ve seen says it is set in a real castle!
Waterside Arts over in Sale has Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas 4 - 27 Dec
Shakespeare North Playhouse has Cinderella 25 Nov - 10 Jan.
Over at the Floral Pavilion they have Sleeping Beauty 6 Dec - 4 Jan.
Over to Blackpool and the Grand Theatre has their panto, Beauty and the Beast 5 Dec - 4 Jan.
Still in Blackpool and The Winter Gardens has SIX 22 Dec - 4 Jan.
Just down (or is it up?) the coast in Lytham St Annes, the Lowther Pavilion has Peter Pan 1 Dec - 4 Jan.
The Lowry, in Salford is heading into a super busy festive period with The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe 3 Dec - 11 Jan… then Unfortunate - The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch 5 Dec - 11 Jan… AND finally The Enormous Crocodile - The Musical 10 Dec - 4 Jan.
Blackburn Empire has Snow White running 22 Nov - 4 Jan.
Storyhouse in Chester has their Christmas show - Beauty and the Beast 5 Dec - 4 Jan. Check out our review!
Over in Crewe The Lyceum Theatre has Jack and the Beanstalk 12 Dec - 4 Jan.
At the Stockport Plaza we have Aladdin 5 Dec - 4 Jan.
Octagon Bolton has A Christmas Carol 13 Nov - 10 Jan and Mrs Claus Saves Christmas for the youngsters 10 - 24 Dec.
At The Met in Bury we have The Pied Piper of Hamelin 6 - 28 Dec.
And in Middleton at the Middleton Arena we have Aladdin 25 Nov - 29 Dec.
Theatre by the Lake in Keswick has The Wizard of Oz 14 Nov - 11 Jan, and Little Gift 10 - 27 Dec. They’ve also just announced their Spring - Summer Season.
Yorkshire & Humberside
Leeds Grand Theatre has Northern Ballet’s Nutcracker 18 Dec - 4 Jan.
Still in Leeds and City Varieties has Aladdin: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto 28 Nov - 11 Jan. Check out our review!
Leeds Playhouse have their amazing production of A Christmas Carol 20 Nov - 17 Jan, check out our review, with Stick Man running 6 Dec - 4 Jan.
Still in Leeds at the Carriageworks Theatre, they have Sleeping Beauty 21 Nov - 4 Jan.
Bradford’s Alhambra has Snow White 6 Dec - 18 Jan. Check out our review!
Meanwhile, still in Bradford and the Bradford Playhouse has their version of Cinderella. 12 - 30 Dec for this one. |  |
Cast in Doncaster has Cinderella 28 Nov - 4 Jan, and Hansel & Gretel 5 - 24 Dec.
Doncaster Little Theatre has Rapunzel 6 - 31 Dec.
Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield has Beauty and the Beast 1 Dec - 4 Jan.
Victoria Theatre in Halifax also has Beauty and the Beast 13 Dec - 4 Jan.
Wakefield Theatre Royal has Jack and the Beanstalk as their panto, running 25 Nov - 4 Jan, they have also announced their Spring Season
Over in Scarborough at Stephen Joseph Theatre we have Sleeping Beauty 29 Nov - 31 Dec.
Still on the east coast, Bridlington Spa has Dick Whittington 12 Dec - 4 Jan.
York Theatre Royal has their hugely popular panto Sleeping Beauty 2 Dec - 4 Jan.
The Grand Opera House in York has their panto Cinderella 6 Dec - 4 Jan.
Still in York at the Friargate Theatre we have Christmas Inn Trouble 20 - 24 Dec.
Across at Pocklington Arts Centre we have Jingle All The Way 11 - 23 Dec
Harrogate Theatre has Jack and the Beanstalk 26 Nov - 18 Jan.
East Riding Theatre has The Snow Queen 4 - 27 Dec.
Hull Truck Theatre has Oliver Twist 28 Nov - 4 Jan and The Little Mermaid 11 Dec - 4 Jan. They’ve also just released their new season brochure.
Hull New Theatre has Beauty and the Beast 10 - 31 Dec it’s sure to make you chuckle (see what I did there!).
Down in Barnsley at the Lamproom we have Snow White 6 Dec - 3 Jan.
Barnsley Civic has Sleeping Beauty 6 - 28 Dec.
Rotherham Civic Theatre has Snow White 27 Nov - 4 Jan.
Over in Sheffield at the Lyceum we have their panto Aladdin 5 Dec - 4 Jan.
At The Crucible we have A Christmas Carol 29 Nov - 10 Jan.
From my quick tally that’s forty pantos up north, from infant to adult versions, and the one most performed this year? Cinderella with eight venues staging it, closely followed by Beauty & the Beast and Sleeping Beauty both with seven venues selecting them to show.
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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: ‘then there’s the laughter. The kind of laughter you can measure in family folklore. Grandma, we’re told, cried with laughter’
Excerpt: ‘Storyhouse’s Beauty and the Beast transports audiences into a joyful whirlwind of songs, silliness and festive cheer that is guaranteed to make the whole family laugh.’
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 an offer where your first three months subscription is just 99p per month.
Disclaimer: I subscribed to this offer myself, I make no money from recommending it ;-(
ATG have announced that Robin Hood (starring Jason Manford) at Opera House Manchester has ticket prices from £15 on select dates/performances.
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
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!). 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 better, and what else you’d like to see.
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