Until Saturday 16th November in the Wharfeside Theatre is Rory Kinnear’s debut play The Herd.
Andy, who has profound mental and physical difficulties, is about to turn twenty-one and is making the journey from the care home with his carer to celebrate with his family. However, frantic family preparations are interrupted when an uninvited guest threatens to derail more than just the party. His mother Carol waits for Andy’s arrival, accompanied by her daughter Claire and later by her boyfriend Mark and Grandparents Patricia and Brian. We see the strains placed on the family, the powerful love felt for Andy by his mother in particular, and the complex nature of the relationships that bind every family member. The Herd is a powerful and affecting play in which Kinnear captures the complexities and nuances of family life. He draws on his own experiences as the sibling of a severely disabled older sister to create a rare drama about the realities of living with profound disability. Rory Kinnear is an award-winning actor and playwright and is well-known for playing Bill Tanner in the recent James Bond films and has played leading men in Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth at the National Theatre. Don’t miss this funny, thought-provoking and deeply moving play. Please note that this production contains strong language.
Our Christmas production, Bleak Expectations, opens in the Wharfeside Theatre on 5th December. Based on the award-winning radio series by Mark Evans, Bleak Expectations takes you on a joyfully anarchic journey through Dickensian London and beyond. Follow the heroic misadventures of young Pip Bin as he battles mistaken identities, contemptible conspiracies and surreal plot twists in his quest to save his family and find true love. The play runs until 14th December.
Ilkley Playhouse annual Christmas coffee morning takes place on Saturday 30th November from 9.30am-1.00pm. Come along for some festive cheer and enjoy watching our junior and senior Greenrooms actors perform. Enjoy a mince pie, a warming drink, mingle with friends old and new, browse our Christmas stalls and maybe win a wonderful raffle prize!
Junior Greenroom students aged eight to twelve will throw their energies into our second fringe production of the season on 11th and 12th January: the audience-friendly adaptation of the much-loved story of Aladdin. Enter the treasure cave, rub the magic lamp, awake the powerful Genie, mount the flying carpet, battle the evil magician and win the heart of the beautiful Princess.
To book tickets for all our plays and events visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or contact Ilkley Playhouse box office on 01943 609539.