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Review
Bodyguard Understudy Steals The Show
Phil Hopkins
Commissioning Editor
THE BODYGUARD. Adam Garcia (Frank Farmer) and Sidonie Smith (Rachel Marron). Photo Paul Coltas
When Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton played Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard The Musical three years ago, I gave her a hard time for being too much the pop star and not enough the actor: how quickly things can change with a fresh face.
P.ublished 9th June 2026
Theatre
Oh Mummy! Perilous Pyramids & The Awful Egyptians
Phil Hopkins
Commissioning Editor
Photo: Mark Douet
From Henry VIII to Ramesses The Great in just 24 hours, the Horrible Histories team were back on the Alhambra stage this weekend with the nasty antics of The Awful Egyptians firmly in their sights.
P.ublished 8th June 2026
Theatre
Have A Bollywood Ball At Blackpool Grand Theatre
Liz Coggins
Features Editor
It’s the fabulous, fun-filled fairytale of Cinderella with a delicious sprinkling of South Asian spice… Get ready for the smash-hit spectacular SURINDERELLA. This September, Bollywood makes its dazzling debut at Blackpool Grand Theatre. It’s a magical night out full of sparkle, sass and shaadi drama that’s not to be missed!
P.ublished 6th June 2026
Theatre
Ripon Theatre Festival Boosts Youth Engagement At RTF26
This summer will see Ripon Theatre Festival embarking on an exciting new partnership project that will place young people at the heart of this summer’s festival, thanks to Cultural Passport for Young People funding. Supported by David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and funded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority from the Mayoral Investment Fund.
P.ublished 6th June 2026
Review
Terrible Tudors Steal The Show
Manky medicine, murky monarchs, toe curling tortures and 3d glasses that promise to make you scream in your seat, were at the heart of the Horrible Histories stage show this evening, and what a ghoulish triumph it turned out to be!
P.ublished 5th June 2026
Theatre
BBC Concert Orchestra Records Original Soundtrack for Kynren
Kynren – The Storied Lands has joined forces with the world-renowned BBC Concert Orchestra to record original music for two major new shows opening this summer at the UK’s first live-action show park in County Durham.
P.ublished 3rd June 2026
Theatre
World Premiere Inspired By Helen Rebanks’ Best-Selling Memoir
Theatre by the Lake presents the world premiere of a brand-new play The Farmer’s Wife inspired by Helen Rebanks’ best-selling memoir and shaped by the voices of women within Cumbria’s farming community.
P.ublished 2nd June 2026
Theatre
A Newly Imagined Production
Windrush by Song returns to Leeds Playhouse next month in a newly reimagined production that deepens its emotional impact, expands its storytelling, and brings fresh creative energy to the stage – including a performance on 22 June, Windrush Day, marking a nationally significant moment of reflection and celebration.
P.ublished 2nd June 2026
Theatre
Real Stories, Real Lives: Harrogate Residents Take Centre Stage This June In Sinfonia: Stories From Harrogate
Harrogate residents are stepping into the spotlight this June as local people aged 60 and over take to the stage in a new production built from their own memories, experiences and stories. Sinfonia: Stories from Harrogate, presented by The Performance Ensemble at Harrogate Theatre from 25–27 June, offers a portrait of later life that is warm, surprising and deeply human.
P.ublished 1st June 2026
Theatre
Happiness Arrives In Blackpool
Get ready for a tattyfilarious trip into the wonderfully wacky world of a comedy legend at Showtown this summer! Blackpool’s award-winning museum of fun and entertainment is truly tickled to announce its first-ever visiting exhibition will bring giggles galore for all the family as it celebrates the life and career of Sir Ken Dodd OBE. Happiness!
P.ublished 30th May 2026
Theatre
The Karate Kid – The Musical Strikes Hard In Leeds
Graham Clark
Music Correspondent
Gino Ochello as Daniel Larusso and the cast Photo: Manuel Harlan
The fashion for turning eighties films into stage productions continues with this version of the popular movie The Karate Kid. On one of the hottest nights of this spring so far, the prospect of sitting through a story in Leeds’ Grand Theatre that I was unfamiliar with wasn't an enticing prospect – how wrong my assertion turned out to be.
P.ublished 28th May 2026
Theatre
Royal Wedding, Queer Twist: The Fit Prince Comes To Hull
Awkward Prods, the company behind Gwyneth Goes Skiing and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, arrives at Hull's Truck Theatre, on Thursday 11 June with The Fit Prince — a romcom parody whose full title runs to a deliberately ridiculous twenty-three words and gently mocks every Hallmark holiday film ever made.
P.ublished 27th May 2026
Review
Crumbs! Carnazza Rises To The Occasion In Badapple's Bonkers One-Woman Show
In the Studio Theatre at the York Theatre Royal, Badapple’s Crumbs proves that you do not need a sprawling cast or elaborate sets to create an entertaining evening. Written by Kate Bramley, her 27th original script for Badapple, this eccentric one-woman show is packed with energy, creativity and quick-fire jokes.
P.ublished 23rd May 2026
Music
The Mini Magic Flute
Opera North’s bitesize version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute returns to festivals and arts venues across the North this summer offering a fairy tale opera for all the family. Mini Magic Flute packs fun, fantasy and enchanting music into a 40-minute story, making it perfect for all ages to experience their first taste of opera.
P.ublished 16th May 2026
Theatre
Legally Blonde: Guilty As Charged For High-Energy, Feelgood Factor
I must have had my own blonde moment when the highly acclaimed Legally Blonde film with Reese Witherspoon hit our screens in 2021, grossing 142 million dollars worldwide and shaping fashion trends. Determined not to let the 2026 stage production pass me by, I was at the front of the queue for the upbeat romantic comedy and its timeless appeal.
P.ublished 13th May 2026
Theatre
Single White Female Behind You All The Time
You know that a play has hit the spot when you’re so engrossed that you find your inner voice screaming, ‘Can’t you see what she’s doing!’ Single White Female hits that spot and more as we are transported into the world of flat sharing, full of suspense, deception, and barefaced lies.
P.ublished 13th May 2026
Theatre
Pioneering Yorkshire Theatre Companies Join Forces For Exciting New Collaboration
(L-R) Alex Mitchell, Silent Uproar artistic director, and Cheryl Martin, artistic director of Red Ladder Theatre Company, Leeds, 2026 Photo: Mark Ratcliffe
Red Ladder Theatre Company and Silent Uproar – two boundary-pushing theatre companies – are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership, showcasing the North of England’s rich seam of playwriting talent.
P.ublished 12th May 2026
Theatre
Kynren Reveals Latest Details Of Spectacular Viking Live Show Ahead Of Summer Opening
Land of the Vikings will feature combat and dramatic stunts
A large-scale Viking battle show featuring fire, combat, stunts and a community torn apart by internal conflict will be one of the headline attractions when Kynren – The Storied Lands opens on 18th July.
P.ublished 12th May 2026
Review
Miss Saigon - The Million Dollar Musical
Phil Hopkins
Commissioning Editor
MISS SAIGON Company. Photo Danny Kaan.
Miss Saigon received a standing ovation last night……and so did every other musical I have seen this year. But only Miss Saigon truly deserved the public accolade it received. Sadly, Britain’s Got Talent, and the like, have cheapened musical theatre into a sea of whoops and undeserving, disingenuous standing ovations.
P.ublished 7th May 2026
Theatre
Barnum- Roll Up, Roll Up, The Circus Is Coming To Town
Sarah Crown
Theatre Correspondent
The Cast Of Barnum Photo Credit: Pamela Raith Photography
Based upon the life and ambitions of a real-life American showman, Phineas Taylor Barnum, Barnum has been entertaining audiences since the early 1980’s, when the role of Barnum was played by Michael Crawford, of the Some Mothers do have ‘em fame.
P.ublished 29th April 2026
Theatre
TakeOver Festival Returns To York Theatre Royal From 26–30 May
The week-long festival features student-led performances alongside professional shows, workshops and community activities. Student showcases include murder mystery, verbatim theatre on sex work, a period musical set in 1923 Soho, and a convict ship drama — with age guidance of 16+ on some productions.
P.ublished 15th April 2026
Theatre
Dead Clever: Operation Mincemeat Is A Triumph Of A Musical
What a fabulous show! An improbable subject for a musical but Operation Mincemeat is a true story about real people and actual events that shaped the outcome of the second World War. Penned by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts on behalf of Spitlip, the music and lyrics are refreshingly both catchy and intelligent.
P.ublished 14th April 2026
Review
Waitress - The Slow Burn Pie
I wouldn’t say that I have quite been made to eat humble pie but Waitress, the musical with all the winning ingredients of a Sara Lee cheesecake, is so much sweeter these days!
P.ublished 14th April 2026
Theatre
"Planet Omar Lands At Leeds — And It's Out Of This World
I entered Leeds Playhouse and was immediately invited into the mind and imagination of an 8-year-old Muslim boy, tackling his everyday challenges with wit, naivety, and imagination. With dreams of monsters, friendly dragons and zombies following Omar as he battles bullies, unfriendly neighbours, intolerance, and prejudice.
P.ublished 13th April 2026
Music
Here And Now - The Steps Musical, Opera House, Blackpool
Graham Clark
Music Correspondent
Photo: Pamela Raith photography
Jukebox musicals are incredibly popular – throw in some big hits from a popular artist or group, and in most cases, include a flimsy storyline, and the fans will come. Take That and ABBA have both had their songs featured in musicals, the latter being more prominent with Mama Mia.
P.ublished 9th April 2026
Theatre
Operation Mincemeat – The Ultimate Prime Cut
Phil Hopkins
Commissioning Editor
LR Charlotte Hanna-Williams, Jamie-Rose Monk, Seán Carey, Holly Sumpton, Christian Andrews
In these days of delicate sensitivities when people are so easily ‘offended’, it is hard to imagine that two musicals could so brilliantly satirise the Nazi swastika and actually get away with it – Mel Brook’s The Producers did it in 2001 and now Operation Mincemeat is following suit.
P.ublished 8th April 2026
Theatre
Priscilla : Big, Bold And Brave - With Showstopper Stand In
Sharon Cain
Lifestyle & Leisure Editor
The cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert Image by Johan Persson
Glitterballs abound as the much-vaunted Priscilla Queen of the Desert musical comedy had the audience totally under their spell. They would have forgiven anything - including the late start.
P.ublished 7th April 2026
Theatre
To Be Or Not To Be … Times Three
Hamlet by the University of Arts, Targu Mures.
Fans of Shakespeare’s gloomy Danish prince have three Hamlet events to choose from at the York International Shakespeare Festival this month, in the Creative Centre of York St John University. On April 23 – traditionally Shakespeare’s birthday – The University of Arts Targu Mures, from Romania, present their take on the play.
P.ublished 7th April 2026
Theatre
To See Or Not To See - Hamlet By The RSC
Hamlet has never been for the faint hearted. This production’s descent into carnage is made more chilling by blood red numbers on a clock which counts down to a stage strewn with dead bodies as vengeance and betrayal wreak havoc.
P.ublished 1st April 2026
Theatre
On Top Of The Wold
As a born and bred Yorkshire lass, and having married into a farming family at Barmby Moor, in the East Riding nearly fifty years ago, I, along with a packed local audience, could totally relate to the world premiere of Top of the Wold at Pocklington Arts Centre, which explored fascinating stories from the East Riding.
P.ublished 1st April 2026
Theatre
2:22 - A Ghost Story
Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something strange and frightening feels close, so they’re going to stay up... until 2:22... and then they’ll know.
P.ublished 1st April 2026
Theatre
The Greatest Show on Earth? Not Quite
When the greatest showman on earth spends the first 90 minutes of his performance sporting a lacklustre brown suit and something resembling a trilby cum bowler hat, you wonder whether this is the man to follow in the footsteps of Michael Crawford!
P.ublished 1st April 2026
Review
Full Service History: Matt Miller's Joyful Solo Show Gets Right Under The Bonnet
Andrew Palmer
Group Editor
There is a phrase that recurs in Fixing like a mechanic's mantra: 'holistic car care, going on a journey — together'. By the time Matt Miller's 75 minutes are up, you realise that sentence has done rather a lot of quiet, patient work. The Ripon Theatre Festival could hardly have wished for a more propitious launch event.
P.ublished 30th March 2026
Festivals
Ripon Theatre Festival 2026: Celebrating Five Years Of Culture, Colour And Community Spirit
Ye Birdz 3 bigger
Ripon Theatre Festival (RTF) launches its 2026 programme on 27 March, promising a summer to look forward to. Firmly established as a key date in the region’s cultural calendar, this year’s festival runs 5-12 July with 8 days and nights of performances and activities.
P.ublished 23rd March 2026
Theatre
Simply The Best - Tina Turner The Musical Leeds Grand
Emilie Moon Claire Haddleton
Theatre Correspondents
Elle Ma-Kinga N’zuzi Photo: Johan Persson
What a show this was! Opening night of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical had the sell-out audience hooked from the word go. The show is dedicated to the life of global superstar Tina Turner: her heartbreaking upbringing, her fight for survival in an abusive relationship, the rebuilding of her career from nothing and ultimately becoming one of the most renowned female artists in history.
P.ublished 20th March 2026
Theatre
From Fray Bentos To Grenfell: Sheffield's Ordinary Lives, Extraordinarily Told
Sarah Crown
Theatre Correspondent
Kenny Doughty (Brian), Liz White (Kathy), Andrew Macklin (Sean) Photo Credit: Mark Douet
Set in the living room of a house on Burngreave Road, Sheffield, young Kathy and Brian settle to make their forever home. With young love in the air and babies on the way the world is their oyster, but over the sixty years that the play spans, inevitably life gets in the way.
P.ublished 20th March 2026
Theatre
Small Island Big Story
Taking us on a journey from the sun-drenched island of Jamaica to war-torn Britain and beyond, Small Island is a story of love, belonging, identity, and entitlement. The story is filled with humour, serving as a reflection of ourselves and our attitudes.
P.ublished 18th March 2026
Theatre
Bluey’s Big Play – A Q&A With Melanie Zanetti And Dave Mccormack (Mum & Dad)
Bluey’s Big Play, the theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® Award-winning animated television series, has captivated audiences of all ages, with Bluey and her family delighting fans with an unforgettable live theatrical experience and its back on tour in the UK and Ireland With brilliantly created puppets, Bluey’s Big Play features the original voices from the beloved TV series, including…
P.ublished 16th March 2026
Theatre
Ralph Davis Talks About Playing The Title Role In The RSC’s Touring Production Of Hamlet
The Royal Shakespeare Company returns to Blackpool Grand Theatre with a ‘must-see’ (Guardian) new production of Hamlet. Hamlet’s mother has married his uncle, and at a less than decent interval since the death of his father. As he pulls at the threads of his not-so-happy new family, Hamlet unravels a web of deceit and immorality that leads to the ultimate crisis of conscience.
P.ublished 14th March 2026
Theatre
Brown’s Brilliant Bradford Illusions!
Derren Brown – confidence trickster, showman or just one of God’s ‘chosen ones’?
P.ublished 11th March 2026
Theatre
Polonius Perishes In Watery Grave - Hamlet
Phil Hopkins
Commissioning Editor
Alas poor Yorick, I knew him Horatio: Ralph Davis as Hamlet. Photo: Marc Brenner
Had it not been for the Elizabethan text giving it away, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s latest take on the Bard’s greatest tragedy, Hamlet, might have been straight out of a scene from Cole Porter’s musical, Anything Goes.
P.ublished 4th March 2026
Dance
Interplay
Liz Coggins
Features Editor
Phoenix Dance is staging an exciting programme of dance to the Leeds Playhouse Bringing together work by internationally acclaimed choreographers Travis Knight and James Pett (Pett Clausen-Knight), Ed Myhill, Yusha-Marie Sorzano, and Phoenix Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Marcus Jarrell Willis, this dynamic programme celebrates creative collaboration, placing dialogue, contrast and connecti…
P.ublished 2nd March 2026
Theatre
Disney On Ice Glides Into Leeds
Disney On Ice is gliding back into Leeds this week with a celebration of Disney magic for the whole family. Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as they lead audiences on an expedition across raging seas, snow covered mountains and even the marigold bridge.
P.ublished 2nd March 2026
Theatre
A Little Night Music
Julia Pattison
Theatre Correspondent
Desiree (Helen 'Bells' Spencer) Photo: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
A spell was cast as we were greeted on arrival at the intimate setting of Theatre@41 by the enchanting Liebeslieder Singers/The Quintet, who whisked us off for a magical evening of A Little Night Music (the iconic musical by Stephen Sondheim) with their opening musical number Night Waltz.
P.ublished 28th February 2026
Theatre
Silver & Gold: Long John Silver Restores His Reputation?
James Hyland is the actor, adapter, director and producer of this spin-off from that much-loved hit called Treasure Island. In this one-hander called Silver & Gold, Hyland takes on the tricky task of reclaiming, or at least re-framing, Long John Silver's appalling reputation. Silver, we are told, was indeed a very bad man.
P.ublished 26th February 2026
Review
Peggy Sueperb? Afraid Not
I love the music of rock ‘n’ roll legend Buddy Holly but, as for the musical named after the 50’s icon (last night was my hattrick viewing of said show over the last nine years), I have become increasingly disenchanted with Alan James’ libretto.
P.ublished 25th February 2026
Theatre
Hit Musical Show Costumes On Show In Leeds
The Leeds branch of John Lewis, in partnership with the UK and Ireland tour of TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, is delighted to showcase costumes from the production ahead of its arrival at Leeds Grand Theatre, where it will play from Tue 17 March – Sat 4 April 2026.
P.ublished 23rd February 2026
Review
Nightmarishly Wonderful - A Midsummer Night’s (Bad) Dream
Bottom sniffing cocaine whilst working as a head chef, expletives in between the iambic pentameter, handguns, the music of Black Sabbath and strains of Robbie Williams’ Angels: welcome to A Midsummer Night’s Dream chateau 2026!
P.ublished 19th February 2026
Theatre
Hattrick Triumph For Theatrical ‘Soccer’ Masterpiece
Phil Hopkins
Commissioning Editor
The cast of Dear England national tour: Photo Marc Brenner
Nationalistic, thoughtful and a story carved from one man’s perceived failure in front of the world, James Graham’s award-winning play, Dear England, is gripping from start to finish whether you’re an ardent fan of the beautiful game or not. And that’s because is it less about football than it is about those psychological drivers that enable, or disable, so many of us in our day to day lives.
P.ublished 18th February 2026
Review
Madama Butterfly Takes Flight As Kent Says Goodbye
Phil Hopkins
Commissioning Editor
As Puccini basked in the glory of La Boheme and Tosca – two of the most popular and successful works ever written for the operatic stage – little did he know that his next work, Madama Butterfly, would premier to howls of derision.
P.ublished 16th February 2026
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