The Real Estate comes Friday 8 to Saturday 9 May 2026. This is a story for our times told with compassion and humour delivered by University of Derby second year Theatre Arts students.
The Light Burns Blue comes Friday 22 to Saturday 23 May 2026, presented by Theatre Arts 3rd Year Students. Based on the true story of the Cottingley fairies, The Light Burns Blue asks us to reflect on the ethical dilemmas of truth and lies, and the whether we can believe all that we see, and to consider, in a world of darkness, what do we really need? All performances are captioned.
The cast for The Real Estate (L-R) includes: Charlotte Bennett (Maria/Shiela); Lewis Blackwell (Jeremy); Grace Catlender (Sophia/Suzie); Jenna Crampton (Esther/Kerry); Anna Congiu (Danielle/Alison); Isabelle Duroe (Siobhan/Annie); Ash Elbourne (Ruby/Violet); Callum Smith (Frank); Christian Janiepour (Tyrone/Jack (Len); Charlie King (Natalie/Rebecca); Meghan Lacey (Elizabeth (Lane)/Roberta); Connor Peters (Tommy/Jude Frank/Carl); Ania Rakic (Florence/Ingrid); Louis Shaw (Duncan/Ed/McCain); Ashley Withey (Dave); Hina Yoshioka (Charlotte); Edward Hibbert (DI Parker/Tim); Cleo Herbert (Tamara); Nyko Hayden (Mr Cooper/John); and Danielle Dawson (Warren/ Pam).
The creative team for The Real Estate includes: Phil Green (Director); Connie Burley (Set Designer); Georgia Cooper (Costume Designer); Leann Dawkes (Production Manager); Matt Gardner (Set Construction); Cath Booth (Company Stage Manager); Heidi McKenzie (Head of Marketing); Lee Johnson (Senior Marketing Officer); Kiah McIntosh (Marketing and Press Officer); David Box (Marketing and Press Coordinator); Becky Hyson (Deputy Stage Manager); Leah Cooke (Lighting Designer); Kit Lane (Sound Designer); Oliver Sargeant, Izzy Holland (Assistant Stage Manager); Edward Hibbert, Callum Smith (Acting ASM); Gozde Iset, Isaac Raven (Marketing Assistant); Joeseph Murphy (Sound Operator); Danielle Dawson (Set and Scenic Construction); Nyko Hayden, Cleo Herbert (Set and Scenic Construction); and Em Coe, Gabi Gladwin, Daisy Green, Elizabeth Sinclair (Wardrobe Assistant).
The cast for The Light Burns Blue (L-R) includes: Andreia Araujo Bark (Frances/Theosophist 1/Reader 1/Dancer/Villager/Correspondent 1/Believer); Evie Naylor (Vivie/Mrs Peabody/Mrs Cooper/Woman (S1)/Theosophist 2/Reader 2/Dancer/Villager/Correspondent 2/Londoner 1); Coly Hoika (Betsy/Mrs Bell/Young Woman (S2)/Theosophist 3/Reader 3/Dancer/Villager/Fairy Girl/Correspondent 3/Londoner 2); Marnie Wilson (Mags/Betsy’s Mum/Girl (S3)/Theosophist 4/Reader 4/Dancer/Villager/Fairy Girl/Mary/Correspondent 4+8/London Girl 1+2); Grace Sherwood (Flossie/Elderly Woman (S4)/Theosophist 5/French Correspondent/Dancer/Villager 2/Lillian); Poppy Wilcox (Polly/Janet/German Correspondent/Dancer/Villager 3/Correspondent 5+9); Mia Petricca (Agatha/Madam Blavatsky/Dancer/Villager 1/Correspondent 6+10/London Mother); Olivia Osbourne (Elsie); Liv Murphy (Winifred); Jalil Seale (Theosophist/Reverend Cooper/Bob/Mr Tindall/Arther Wright/Mr Catling/Theosophist 6/Royal Correspondent/Villager 1/Pub Landlord/Correspondent 7/Clarence/London Man); and Kalo Beeson (Sir Arther Conan Doyle/Mr Wydale/Mr Brown/Mr Drake/Mr Gage/Thomas/Soldier/Theosophist 7/Fishing Net Salesman/Correspondent 11/Believer).
The creative team for The Light Burns Blue includes: Amanda Wallace (Director); Tim Heywood (Set and Costume Designer); Kit Lane (Video Designer); Harry Crane (Lighting Designer); Leann Dawkes (Production Manager); Matt Gardner (Set Construction); Cath Booth (Mentor: Company Stage Manager); Wlada Baran (Sound Designer); Heidi McKenzie (Head of Marketing); Lee Johnson (Senior Marketing Officer); Kiah McIntosh (Marketing and Press Officer); David Box (Marketing and Press Coordinator); Madi Steffan (Stage Manager); Leanne Au (Assistant Director); Holly Wincott (Deputy Stage Manager); Kalo Beeson (Assistant Set Designer); Ela Arkiner, Charlie Bowden Smith (Assistant Stage Manager); Ibbie Gabb-Watts (Assistant Stage Manager/Understudy); Gozde Iset, Isaac Raven (Marketing Assistant); Zach Shannon (Sound Operator); Oliver Jeffries (Lighting Programmer/Operator); Elizabeth Sinclair (Captioning Operator/Wardrobe Assistant); Nyko Hayden, Cleo Herbert, Danielle Dawson (Workshop Assistant); and Gabi Gladwin, Daisy Green, Em Coe (Wardrobe Assistant). Captioning Operator and Video Assistant are to be announced.
Dr. Phil Green, Theatre Arts Programme Leader, Director of The Real Estate:
“I love a play that lifts the spirits! The Real Estate is about ordinary people making a stand against finance, profit and privilege. There’s a community with burning sense of place that will do all they can to protect it and fight fiercely against injustice. It has echoes of the old trade union leader, Bob Crow’s observation ‘If you fight, you might lose. If you don’t fight, you will always lose’. I love it!”
Amanda Wallace, Senior Lecturer in Performance, Director of The Light Burns Blue:
“I was fascinated as a child about the pictures of fairies that were captured by Elsie and Francis in the First World War. I wanted these images to be real, to believe in the promise of the mystical and the magical. I think that today, these images can be taken as an early example of ‘fake news’ and to focus on the deception inherent in that – but what fascinates me, is how these images connect to the human need to find hope even in the darkest of times.”
Leanne Au, 3rd Theatre Arts student and Assistant Director of The Light Burns Blue:
“In the midst of troubling times, people look for something to believe it. To think that these photographs could be a symbol of hope and goodness for so many people is something worth celebrating.”
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For more information and Theatre Arts updates, visit the Derby Theatre website here: The Real Estate – Derby Theatre The Light Burns Blue – Derby Theatre or follow us on social media (Instagram – @theatreartsderby) (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – @derbytheatre).