Caroline Mutton takes a look what's coming up at Ilkley Playhouse.
Stagefright Comedy Club returns to Ilkley Playhouse this Saturday 3rd February. The evening will be frontlined by Gavin Webster. Voted ‘Comedian’s Comedian’ in a national poll of his fellow stand-ups, his long list of media credits include Never Mind the Buzzcocks, The Stand-Up Show, Edinburgh Nights, Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or-winning I, Daniel Blake and the Radio 4 sketch show The Show What You Wrote. Joining him is Tom Little, Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year and Edinburgh Festival award nominee. The utterly inventive Tom is a former BBC New Comedy Award finalist with his gut-wrenchingly insightful material and hilariously awkward delivery. His web series Don’t Overthink It has been recently nominated for four awards at the esteemed NYC Web Fest. Also performing is Emerson Young, Chortle Student Comedy Award 2023 finalist and two-time Beat the Frog winner. ‘While he revels in the absurdities of his life with a surrealism-tinged routine, Young can also write solid jokes’ (Chortle). Sarah JH is joining the line-up. She has ‘a relaxed, friendly style, quality material and the ability to adapt to any crowd’ (Ten of the Best Comedy). Beat the Frog winner Kie Carson will also be on stage, a charismatic and endearing performer with thought provoking material. The evening will be compered by the talented Anthony J Brown.
Our first production of the Spring/Summer season is Things I know to be True, opening on Tuesday 13th February in the Wildman Studio. First performed in 2016, Andrew Bovell’s play explores love and its damaging effects on a quintessentially suburban family in Adelaide, Australia. The Price family are not well off, but they are not struggling either. Bob and Fran have managed to bring up four children on the salaries of a retired car factory worker and a nurse. Just when the youngest is about to move out and things should be slowing down for them, the complicated lives of their offspring come crashing down. The play premiered in Adelaide as a co-production between Frantic Assembly and the State Theatre Company of South Australia. It received its British premiere in 2016 at the Lyric Hammersmith. It is about love in its many forms; at times comforting and supportive, at others, suffocating and destructive. But always love. The play runs until Saturday 17th February.
On Friday 23rd February The Rob Dylan Band perform in the Wildman Studio. Formed by a group of musicians who share a passion for the music of Bob Dylan, their performance captures the spirit of the Rolling Thunder Revue with exciting and dynamic playing and powerful vocals.
The following night, on Saturday 24th February, The Jon Palmer Acoustic Band returns to Ilkley Playhouse. Based in Otley, this high energy, folk, roots and rock and roll band is best described as “exploding out of the same box as The Pogues, The Saw Doctors and The Waterboys.” They have a great reputation for finishing off the night in a joyful, energetic and chorus filled way.
On Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd March you can enjoy An Evening in Buenos Aires where rising stars of the Argentine tango, Celeste Cimino and Luciano Millaqueo, will recreate the ambience of a Buenos Aires nightclub. This intimate production will celebrate the history and music of Argentina’s iconic dance: the tango.
Opening in the Wharfeside Theatre on Thursday 7th March is Jeeves and Wooster in ‘Perfect Nonsense.’ Winner of the 2014 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, this is an inventive, fast-paced comedy featuring P.G. Wodehouse’s iconic double act. Step into the uproarious world of Bertie Wooster and his unflappable valet Jeeves, in this laugh-out-loud farce that brings the timeless wit and humour of Wodehouse to life.
On Wednesday 7th February 2024 from 7.30pm-9pm, Ilkley Playhouse will open its doors to showcase our wonderful community theatre. Don’t miss this opportunity to go behind the scenes and find out more about how the theatre works. Enjoy guided tours where you can meet our stage management team, set designers, builders and painters, members of the technical team, members of the costume and props department and our front of house team. Our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. This is your chance to have a look around and hopefully become involved.
To book tickets for all our plays and events visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or contact Ilkley Playhouse box office on 01943 609539.