This autumn, and looking ahead to spring 2024, Derby Theatre will produce and present: the much-awaited return of a smash hit, sell-out show; thrilling new work, top class touring productions, an exciting and eclectic Studio programme, fabulous festive shows for all ages, cracking one nighters, as well as offering LOTS of ways to get involved.
Kicking off our autumn season in spectacular style, on from Thursday 7 until Saturday 9 September, will be 4 Walls, a Derby Theatre and Derby CAN production, a high energy multimedia experience with live music, performance, dance and large scale digital projection by local Hip Hop artist and music producer, Rukus. From Friday 29 September until Saturday 28 October, audiences will be thrilled to see the return of the phenomenally popular Brassed Off, a Derby Theatre production featuring Derwent Brass which wowed sold-out audiences in 2015…and now it’s back, so early booking is strongly recommended!
Christmas at Derby Theatre offers two fabulous festive shows perfect for all ages, Cinderella in the main house, a striking new version of the classic story by Annie Siddons, a unique and utterly uplifting production full of heart, joy and laughter; and Three Billy Goat’s Gruff in the Studio, a joyous and hilarious show for younger theatregoers and their family and friends where all performances will be BSL integrated with creative captioning and integrated audio description.
Looking ahead to 2024, we are also delighted to announce three more Derby Theatre produced shows, Animal Farm, a Derby Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton and Hull Truck Theatre production, a powerful re-telling of George Orwell’s chilling and timeless classic; Alice in Wonderland, a wonderful and whacky theatrical adventure bursting with brilliant and original music perfect for all ages; and Welfare (It Were Welfare To Us), a new play by Abi Zakarian which will see the Theatre transformed into the site of the Derbyshire Miners’ Holiday camp where audiences can expect brass bands, rousing speeches, the BEST entertainment and a whole load of Bingo!
Top-class touring shows for the autumn include: TONY! The Tony Blair Rock Opera, a reckless reappraisal of the life of former Ugly Rumours front man and Britain first pop Prime Minister, Tony Blair; Frankenstein, a new story inspired by the classic novel by Mary Shelley, an electrifying reimagining of the world’s favourite horror story; cheeky little brown by Papatango Prize winning playwright Nkena Akunna, a coming-of-age story which examines a friendship between two Black women on diverging paths of self-love and acceptance; High Times and Dirty Monsters, a brand-new piece of Hip-Hop gig theatre exploring the ups and downs of being young in 2023 where all performances will be BSL integrated with creative captioning and integrated audio description. For spring 2024, the top notch touring shows continue with: Murder in the Dark, a thrilling new ghost story starring Tom Chambers and Oh What a Lovely War, a cornerstone of modern musicals and one of the very greatest stage satires.
Family shows across our autumn and spring season include: The Gruffalo’s Child based on Julia Donaldson’s much-loved story book, a stage adaptation for little ones to let their imagination run wild with songs, laughs and scary fun; I Believe in Unicorns, an intimate show set in a library full of books that hold more than stories within their pages, a tale of the power of books; Rapunzel, a fresh and family-friendly retelling of the classic story brought to you by leading dance theatre company balletLORENT and Dear Zoo, the timeless children’s classic book brought vividly to life for the stage.
Wonderful one-nighters include: Our Dementia Choir, The Overtones, The Comedy Store, Mark Watson, BBC Big Band, Count Arthur Strong, A Good Neet Aht, Bonfire, What’s Your Poison, The Gods are all Here, Identities, Eating Myself and In Other Words.