By Caroline Mutton
Charley Miles’ play Daughterhood has opened this week in the Wildman studio at Ilkley Playhouse and runs until Saturday 22nd February.
A decade of estrangement, a call to familial arms; sisters Pauline and Rachel meet again in their childhood home. Both with a duty of care, one for the common good of their father, and the other for the greater world outside, their new found proximity forces the family to acknowledge their differences and to question their perspectives. The play’s director, Rachel Vernelle, says of the play “Daughterhood honestly portrays what it means to be part of a family, with its competitiveness, ancient in-jokes and innumerable slights. Anyone who has a sibling will recognise the distorted memories and ultimately, the fierce love between these two sisters.”
A funny, honest and ferocious play, Daughterhood was first produced as a joint Pains Plough and Theatre Clwyd production in 2019. Its award-winning writer hails from North Yorkshire, has also had her work performed at Leeds Playhouse and most recently has been developing projects for television. Tickets are selling like hot cakes so book yours soon!
Our next fringe production, Cassie and the Lights, opens in the Wildman Studio on Thursday 6th March and is a play that has a lot of heart. It is charming, joyful and gut-wrenching in equal measure. On a family bowling trip, Cassie’s mum suddenly disappears after going to buy drinks for her three children. Cassie, accustomed to her mum’s unpredictable behaviour, tries to reassure her younger sisters. But this time, mum doesn’t return. What follows is a seventy-minute drama portraying Cassie’s unwavering resolve as she steps into the role of a parent for her sisters. This intimate production unfolds as a play within a play, inviting audiences into the tender yet tumultuous world of these siblings. This is a beautifully moving piece of theatre that asks hard questions. At its heart, this play highlights the passion, resilience and determination of young people fighting for what they believe in. Cassie and the Lights deals with the trauma and heartbreak inflicted on these children in ways that affect so many other children in the care system. The play also demonstrates that bonds made of love are unbreakable. Alex Howarth’s play may only be just over an hour long, but it will remain in your heart far longer. This production contains occasional strong language and is recommended for ages 12 plus.
The Merry Wives of Windsor, opening on Thursday 13th March, marks a welcome return of Shakespeare’s work to the main Playhouse stage. By request of Her Highness Queen Elizabeth I, the character of Falstaff finds himself entangled in a tricky battle of wits against a lively pair of mistresses, who may just prove to be more than a loveable rogue can handle. Director Dick Hebbert says of the play: “Think Shakespearean comedy isn’t funny? Think again: The Merry Wives of Windsor follows the fortunes of one of the Bard’s best loved characters, down-at-hell rogue Sir John Falstaff, as he sets out to seduce Mistresses Ford and Page in an attempt to get his hands on their husbands’ money - but good Sir John may have met his match when the ‘merry wives’ cotton on to what he’s up to. Meanwhile three suitors - feckless youth Slender, madcap French doctor Caius and the poetic Fenton, compete for the hand of Anne Page. It all comes to a head in the dead of night in Windsor Great Park…” The Merry Wives of Windsor runs until Saturday 22nd March.
Stagefright Comedy Club is back to entertain audiences on Saturday 29th March. The event will be frontlined by Seymour Mace, a two-time Edinburgh Festival Best Show nominee and City Life Comedian Of The Year. From Dave's One Night Stand, The Weird World Of Russell Brand, The Stand-Up Show, Hebburn, Comedy Lab, The World Stands Up and Clive Anderson's Chat Room. He was also a regular in BBC2's Johnny Vegas sitcom Ideal. Joining him is Kelly Rickard, who has been described as ‘brutally honest and hilarious!’(Rosie Ramsey) and as ‘very funny’ (The Scotsman). She was awarded Best Show Panel Prize Winner at Edinburgh Fringe, Felt Nowt New Act Of The Year winner & Chortle Hotshots Finalist. Also performing is Gurps Cheema, who has ‘sharp wit and engaging storytelling’ (BBC online). Lizzie Norm, who was So You Think You’re Funny? runner up at Edinburgh Festival in 2023 and who has ‘wonderfully droll observations’ (BBC), will be joining them. Comparing the event is Metro Award winner and talented comedian Anthony J Brown.
On Friday 28th March Chris Bannister returns to Ilkley Playhouse showcasing his latest album The Calling Course. Chris Bannister is a singer-songwriter from the North of England and has released seven albums of critically acclaimed original material. His distinctive singing style has led to him being compared to the great American singer/songwriter John Denver, although the comparison ends with the vocals. His original material has many influences of folk, country and rock. All the songs are about working life and were partly inspired by his own family’s history in the coal mines of both Lancashire and Nova Scotia.
To book tickets for all our plays and events visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or contact Ilkley Playhouse box office on 01943 609539.