Theatr Clwyd, Wales’ leading producing theatre, has announced its autumn season with a mix of drama, comedy, dance and music, offering something for everyone from this September.
The theatre, which makes shows at its home in Flintshire, is producing four major home-grown productions.
Missing Julie (18 Sep – 9 Oct), a new adaptation of the classic Strindberg play by acclaimed playwright Kaite O’Reilly, sees classes collide in this passionate drama set in 1921 in a Welsh stately home. Isla (16 Oct – 6 Nov), written by Wales’ Tim Price, is a new dark comedy produced with London’s Royal Court Theatre and is the story of one man’s unexpected relationship with his voice-activated digital assistant. Curtain Up (18 Aug – 4 Sep) sees 45 of Wales’ leading actors and writers come together to perform 15 new short plays over three weeks – each night audiences choose which actor plays which part and the props and costume they use. Finally pantomime returns with Beauty and the Beast (19 Nov – 15 Jan) which promises bonkers frocks, dazzling sets and brilliant rock and soul sounds!
The theatre will also welcome major touring shows from around the UK. Hound Of The Baskervilles (21 – 25 Sep) gives Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel a comic twist, Tom Chambers (Strictly Come Dancing) returns in Dial M for Murder(27 Sep – 2 Oct), while there’s kitchen-based couples comedy set at Christmas in Alan Ayckbourn’s hilarious Absurd Person Singular (12 – 16 Oct). National Dance Company Wales follow up their summer visit to Mold with Here (5 – 6 Nov), which brings three energy-filled dances mixing contemporary dance styles. Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (19 – 23 Oct) brings the deep American South to North Wales, while Morecambe and Wise celebration Eric & Ern (14 – 15 Sep), and Mr Wickham (8 – 9 Oct) starring Adrian Lukis (Pride and Prejudice) round off the main house season.
Families with young children can enjoy highlights including The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (2 – 3 Nov), The Dong With A Luminous Nose (22 – 23 Sep), Meet Me A Tree (12 Nov), Llygoden Yr Eira (9 – 11 Dec), Same Same… But Different (10 Oct), This Island’s Mine (16 Oct) and Tutti Frutti’s The Princess And The Pea by Olivier award-winning children’s writer Mike Kenny.
The theatre’s ever popular classical music season returns after an 18 month hiatus with a series of seven concerts by the world’s leading musicians. Highlights include acclaimed Japanese pianist Noriko Ogawa (19 Sep), Sinfonia Cymru with French superstar trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary (6 Feb) and violinist Fenella Humphreys in concert with legendary pianist Peter Donohoe (3 Apr).
Firm North Wales’ favourites also return with Rush: A Joyous Jamaican Journey (31 Oct) celebrating Reggae and the music of Desmond Dekker and Bob Marley, and Christmas favourite Richard Durrant (20 Dec) whose Candlelit Christmas Concerts combine classic folk with yuletide cheer.
Charismatic storyteller Shôn Dale-Jones will bring his new show, created with National Theatre Wales, Possible (19 Nov), one of three storytelling shows, Louder Is Not Always Clearer (18 Sep), the funny moving story of a deaf man’s attempt to fit in and be accepted, and Every Little Hope You Ever Dreamed (But Didn’t Want To Mention) (30 Jul – 1 Aug), a Richard Curtis-esque story of love, Calippo lolly’s and graphs.
Theatr Clwyd Comedy Club continues monthly with autumn headliners including Hal Cruttenden (Have I Got News For You) (8 Aug), Andrew Bird (Michael McIntyre’s Tour Support) (5 Sep), Daliso Chaponda (Britain’s Got Talent) (5 Oct), Mark Simmons (Mock The Week) (2 Nov) and Kiri Pritchard-McLean (8 Out Of 10 Cats) (7 Dec). Visiting tour shows include visits from Live At The Apollo’s Gary Delaney (12 Sep), Friday Night Dinner’s Tom Rosenthal (17 Sep) and Taskmaster’s Mark Watson (30 Jan).
Finally two of Flintshire’s favourite community companies are back with Tip Top Theatre’s celebration of musical theatre The Show Must Go On (27 – 30 Oct) and Suitcase Theatre bringing Dario Fo’s acclaimed comedy Accidental Death Of An Anarchist (1 – 4 Dec).
