Derby Theatre 2024 Highlights

From show-stopping productions to empowering young people, supporting communities, nurturing artists, hosting festivals and celebrating big wins – including an incredible £10m grant from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) to kick-start the New Horizons £30m project to transform our beloved venue – 2024 has been nothing short of extraordinary. 

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who has been part of our journey – our audiences, participants, communities, funders, supporters and our incredible staff team. 

Here’s to an unforgettable 2024 and an even brighter 2025! 

Here’s just a few of our highlights:

JANUARY

• Derby Theatre Communities hosted Beat the Blues. This eclectic music event brought vibrant energy to the Derbion Centre and showcased a community-led line-up of local, multi-talented artists.   

• The Plus One programme, a creative partnership project led by Derby Theatre with other cultural partners in the city to provide free opportunities for care-experienced young people and carer leavers, hosted a residential baking session, bringing participants together to create delicious treats whilst learning new skills.   

• Plus One proudly unveiled its latest creative achievement with the premiere of an animation film, highlighting the talents and dedication of its participants. 

• Top-class touring shows and artists included: Twelve Angry Men, Mark Watson, BBC Big Band, Murder in the Dark and The Gruffalo’s Child. 

FEBRUARY

• Derby Theatre, in partnership with Octagon Theatre Bolton and Hull Truck Theatre, presented a powerful new stage production of Animal Farm, a compelling re-telling of George Orwell’s timeless and iconic fable, which has been listed in The Stage top 50 productions of 2024.

“It was psychedelic, harrowing, funny, poetic, interactive, thought provoking and lively” 
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
– Theatre and Tonic 

“I know Animal Farm very, very well. Lots of reading, lots of shows. This is my favourite interpretation”
– Audience comment

“A must-watch”
– The Bolton News
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• The Theatre participated in Story Time and Rhyme Time training to prepare for takeovers at Derby Riverside Library.

• Derby Theatre hosted the Marketing Derby Annual Business Event, welcoming over 500 delegates from the city’s business community.

• Sam Rushton (Community Producer) and Tom Craig (Community & Learning Producer) were honoured as Civic Champions by the University of Derby’s Civic Hub.

• Derby Theatre Communities presented The Farmer and the Clown at Normanton Library.

• Top-class touring shows and artists included: The Comedy Store, PAKIt in, Can Bears Ski, Count Artur Strong, Geoff Norcott, balletLORENT’s Rapunzel and Dear Zoo. 

MARCH

• We co-hosted our first Early Years Conference with Making & Believing project partners, Take Art and Surrey Arts funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation; which also served as a great finale to the successful M&B project, bringing together early years practitioners to network and share best practices.

• We delivered a series of workshops for young people in Technical Theatre, supported by the National Theatre Connections programme.

• Young people attended five sessions to learn more about the areas of Stage Management, Lighting Design, Sound Design, Costume and Set Design.

• Sam Rushton represented Derby Theatre and DT Communities at the International Women’s Day event at the Museum of Making.

• Our Dementia Carers’ Café enjoyed a special viewing of Front Door Theatre’s The Gingerbread Man.

• Top-class touring productions included: Self-Raising, Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear, Shôn Dale-Jones, Roots Mbili Theatre and Remote Theatre Project, The Comedy Store.

APRIL

• Matinee Meet-Ups is launched – a series of great opportunities for theatregoers to connect with like-minded individuals and delve deeper into the world of theatre through engaging with sessions led by theatre creatives. Our first one is led by Head of Wardrobe, Tim Heywood with an insight into the costume designs for Alice in Wonderland. 

• Our Dementia Carers’ Café participated in a movement wellbeing session with local Movement Director, Aishwarya Deshpande, supported by DT Communities.

• We received a grant from the Equity Charitable Trust to install of monitors in our dressing rooms and backstage areas to improve access for Deaf and hearing-impaired actors, creatives and participants at Derby Theatre. 

• During Easter School, for ages 7-11, we spent four days creating a show from scratch and performed it for friends and family. 

• As part of the ConnectUp project, a collective of European Theatres producing work and opportunities for Young Audiences in a Union of Diversity, Harry Kingscott (Young Artists & Participation Producer) accompanied three young people to Forli, Italy for the Youth Encounter, where they spent ten days collaborating with young people from across Europe and Australia to create and perform Chasing the Wind for 200 Italian students. 

• At the 2024 National Theatre Connections Festival, we hosted six companies from across the East Midlands, ran various drama workshops, and celebrated youth theatre. 

• Top-class touring shows included: The School for Scandal, Tommy Blaize, Spot the Dog, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Dreamcoat Stars, Milkshake! Live, Oh, What a Lovely War and Stan’s Café.

MAY

• CANVAS, a citywide project led by Derby Theatre which connects young people with arts organisations and creatives across the city, stages a CANVAS Take Over at the Theatre, curated by young people aged 14-25 and which also featured a week of creative workshops including mural painting, singing for sanity, lino printing and collage art, with the goal of creating vibrant art to display in the theatre’s front-of-house area. 

• Derby Theatre was shortlisted for the Charity Awards 2024 in the Arts, Culture & Heritage category. 

• DT Communities supported local community members in Normanton in completing their Food Hygiene Level 2 certificate. 

• The Sanctuary Seekers and Dementia Carers’ Café hosted a joint Hatters Tea Party. 

• The Normanton Hub held an Indian Music and Dance event. 

• Top-class touring shows include: Showstopper!, The Dad’s Army Radio Show, Sinatra:RAW, There’s Monster in Your Show, The Importance of Being Earnest and Mama Afrika. 

• Plus One, in collaboration with Derby City Council, presented the One Day film. 

• The Plus One team took ten young people on a week-long residential to Stanley Head Outdoor Education Centre, where they participated in activities such as canoeing, archery, bouldering, bushcraft skills and axe throwing.

JUNE

• Derby Theatre produces their 7th British Sign Language integrated production of Alice in Wonderland, a new version by Nicola Werenowska, delighting audiences of all ages with a whimsical and wacky theatrical adventure that brought Alice’s riotous journey through Wonderland to life.

“Access wise, I must commend Derby Theatre for the seamlessly integrated BSL and the creative captions which were spot on”
– Limping Chicken Deaf Blog

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
– East Midlands Theatre 

“A wonderful fusion of art, creativity, language and community” 
Audience Comment  

“Magical…a perfect family outing this summer”
– Beyond the Curtain 

• Cosy Foundation confirmed their support of Derby Theatre by sponsoring the Curtain Raiser performances throughout the year. 

• Our Years 4-6 youth theatre groups performed their new shows, Don’t Wake the Witch and The Disappearing Princess, in our Studio.

• Our Years 7-11 youth theatre group performed Everywhere by Nicky Bellenger, a play developed with the youth theatre and our Dementia Carer’s Café.

• We hosted our first DT Communities-programmed show, Latte Loca at the Nixon Cafe in Stockbrook. 

• Derby Theatre participated in the City of Derby’s Refugee Week celebration event, Hello Derby. 

• As part of Refugee Week, we held a Tour and Theatre Unwrapped session for people who are displaced or seeking refuge in Derby. 

• Maison Foo and friends hosted the World Tea Party Meet Your Neighbour event. 

• At the Virtual School Festival, 200 guests attended Bustlers Chocolate Factory to participate in creative workshops. 

• Children’s Shakespeare Festival 

• Top-class touring productions include: Beautiful Evil Things, Patrick Grant, Dan Cruikshank and What the Butler Saw.

JULY

• In Good Company and Derby Theatre celebrated the 12th anniversary of Departure Lounge, a vibrant summer festival featuring cutting-edge performances, works-in-progress, workshops and discussions. Highlights included international collaborations, innovative shows like Talking About The Fire by Chris Thorpe, A Citizens’ Assembly on climate crisis, and Dual by Peyvand Sadeghian. The festival also hosted a dynamic Industry Panel Discussion on Art as Activism, chaired by Lyn Gardner, with contributions from prominent voices like Selina Thompson, Chris Sonnex, Julie Hesmondhalgh and Cheryl Martin, making it a must-attend event for artists and audiences alike.

“Soul fuelling Festival…grateful or such an amazing event on the doorstep!”  

“Heart is full at #DepartureLounge experiencing amazing theatre that changes the world and soaking up love from friends” 

“Even in the darkest of times, Departure Lounge has always offered a glimmer of optimism, not least in the way it showcases so much great independent work that in the current climate often finds it so difficult to tour”
– Lyn Gardner, The Stage 2024  

“Back at Derby Theatre for one of my favourite weeks of the year…excited to meet artists and reconnect with friends and colleagues”
– IGC partner organisation attending Departure Lounge.  

• The Theatre hosts the 28th Eagle Awards, an annual event and highlight of the local cultural calendar, which showcases and celebrates the wealth of amateur theatre in Derby and Derbyshire. 

• Taster sessions were held for young people at the YMCA/CANVAS Green Hub allotment. 

• Derby Theatre partnered with Bluebell Dairy Limited, who donated ice cream and re-named two of their fabulous flavours during Alice in Wonderland. Ice cream sales raised over £700 for the theatre’s work with young people. 

• Our Years 7-9 youth theatre groups performed their new shows, Timeline and This Ordinary Town in our Studio. 

• Our Years 10-13 youth theatre groups performed their new shows, Latest Tragedy and The End on the main stage.

• Hosted Rob Madge, Ava Hunt Theatre, Studio84 arts Academy, Clive Myrie 

AUGUST

• We hosted a Summer Reading Challenge workshop at both Derby Riverside and Normanton Libraries. 

• We ran two summer schools for young people, both of which created a show-in-a-week. One show was a Murder Mystery set in a haunted mansion, while the other was a twist on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, where the audience even voted cast members out! 

• DT Communities hosted a Fifth Word writing workshop with Afshan D’souza-Lodhi at Nixons Cafe in Stockbrook.

SEPTEMBER

• Speak Out year 2 launches, a partnership between primary schools in Derby and Derbyshire to enable teachers to extend their drama skills to support children’s oracy. 100% of teachers involved reported improved student engagement and significant progress in oracy skills. 

• Plus One Youth Theatre held a rehearsal and workshop with visiting directors from London.

• Derby Theatre shortlisted for the East Midlands Chamber Derbyshire Business Awards in the Community Impact and Education and Business Partnership categories.

• A collaborative fundraising campaign with Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre during Welfare raised over £2400 to support both charities’ work with young people.

• DT Communities hosted a Fifth Word writing workshop with Emteaz Hussain at Normanton Library.

• Hosted Dial M for Mayhem, Patricia Routledge, Hofesh Shechter, Ruby Wax, Tez Ilyas, Morgan Brind, Derwent Brass, Carol Klein, Dracula, The Comedy Store 

• Derby Theatre produces Welfare, a new play by British-Armenian playwright, Abi Zakarian, a celebration of Derbyshire’s rich mining heritage and which coincided with the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike. The production featured local award-winning brass and silver band, Derwent Brass and saw the main stage transformed into the historic Derbyshire Miners’ Holiday Camp in Skegness. Welfare featured a cast of professional actors and a community ensemble and offered a poignant, multi-generational journey through the camp’s history, community and spirit with brass bands, bingo, and heartfelt storytelling.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
– Theatre and Tonic 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
– Beyond the Curtain 

“The standing ovation by the audience showed they thought it was top of the shop” 
– British Theatre Guide  

“Truly incredible, I welled up, I got goosebumps… I am so proud to be from Derbyshire” 
– Audience Comment

OCTOBER

• Alverprise confirmed their continued support as a corporate partner. 

• We welcomed a group of young drama students from Palestine, where our DT Young Ambassadors greeted them with cake, drama games and a moving exchange of stories and experiences. 

• DT Communities steering group members participated in a meeting with MP Catherine Atkinson. 

• The Matinee Meet-Up with Derwent Brass offered a unique opportunity to learn how to conduct. 

• DT Communities programmed a Halloween Sip and Paint event at Nixons Café. 

• Plus One held a Halloween Animation Film Premiere and hosted a Song Writing workshop as part of a research project. 

• Hosted Dom Joly, Curious Investigators, Kristian Thomas Company, Kerry Ellis, Wonder Boy.

NOVEMBER

• DT took their production of Firewall to Porto’s Fitei Festival, the final festival in the ConnectUp project.

• Derby Theatre brought back the much-loved A Christmas Carol for the third time, this time a thrilling adaptation by Mike Kenny and directed by Tom Bellerby – enchanting audiences of all ages with a vibrant and magical retelling of Dickens’ timeless tale of hope and redemption, featuring a spectacular set, stunning costumes, talented actor-musicians and a wonderful company of local young performers.

“THE perfect Christmas show”
– Audience Comment

“A festive delight and an unforgettable treat for the Christmas season”  
– Theatre Online  

• Touring highlights included: Sanctuary, A Derby Christmas, Santi & Naz, Flock, The Bar at the Edge of Time, 

• DT Communities hosted The Hidden Garden with a pea planting workshop afterward. 

• DT Communities programmed a Diwali event at Normanton Hub. 

• DT Communities organised the event Lit and Loaded: Afro Beats Caribbean Clash at the new community venue, Ye Olde Spa Inne in Stockbrook. 

• Public Speaking and Hosting training was provided for the community steering group. 

• One Day first aid training took place in the community with Stockbrook community organisers and volunteers at Nixon Cafe.

DECEMBER

• Derby Theatre, in collaboration with Hiccup Theatre and Polka Theatre, delighted audiences aged 3+ with Chicken Licken, a festive treat featuring live music, puppetry, and fun as the courageous Chicken Licken and friends faced a falling sky in a beautifully inclusive performance with integrated BSL, creative captions and integrated creative audio description.

“It’s a really fun, creative and inclusive show that the whole family can enjoy.”
– Boom Magazine  

“Catchy songs, humour and brilliant puppets.”
– Audience comment  

• Hosted The Comedy Store, Colin & Friends 

• Acts of Kindness, a new pay-it-forward ticket programme launches as part of our Christmas Appeal. So far, we’ve raised £11,000 

• We launched our weekly social media takeover by our DT Ambassadors and youth theatre, #DTTeens. Make sure you follow Derby Theatre on TikTok and Instagram to see what the youth theatre gets up to! 

• Our Deaf Youth Theatre enjoy a performance of Chicken Licken. 

• Two-day first aid training was held in the community with Normanton community organisers and volunteers at Normanton Library. 

• DT Communities programmed This is My Theatre’s The Snow Queen at a new community venue in Stockbrook at St Luke’s Church, complete with hot chocolate and marshmallows afterward. They also performed in Normanton. 

• Plus One and Virtual School hosted a Christmas celebration, which included ice skating, dinner and seeing A Christmas Carol. 95 young people and families attended.