Author: The Reviews Hub - Yorkshire & North East

Mikron Theatre Company, the nation’s most prolific touring theatre company, has announced the world premiere of its 2026 production, Top of the Wold: Tales from a Mobile Library. This laugh-out-loud quest through a patchwork of culture and community marks a monumental year for Mikron as they celebrate their 54th year of touring and the 90th birthday of their beloved vintage narrowboat, Tyseley. The production will tour nationally by canal, river, and road until Oct 24th. Mikron is known for telling untold stories and this rich production crafted by Maeve Larkin observes the voices of a unique county and it’s people. It…

Writers: Ben Ward and Claire Wetton Music: Richie Webb Director: Neal Foster Since it first hit our screens in 2009, the TV version of Horrible Histories has been a firm favourite with children. It’s a breath of fresh air for parents too, as the show combines genuinely fascinating history with humour and education. The TV show is packed with witty, memorable songs written and adapted by Richie Webb, helping to bring the past vividly to life. What a treat it is to bring these songs to the stage and allow avid fans to hear them performed live with a band…

Artistic Director: Federico Bonelli Choreographer: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa Northern Ballet’s world premiere of Gentleman Jack is an engaging, quirky and beautiful ballet that comfortably lands as the story of Anne Lister – the bold Yorkshire landowner and diarist who lived unapologetically on her own terms in the early 19th century, pursuing business, travel and romantic relationships with women while pushing firmly against the expectations of her time. The first half is an action-packed assortment of key moments with excellent character demonstrations, repeated motifs and movements. The storytelling is clear and accessible, even for those unfamiliar with Anne Lister’s life, and…

Writer: Fyodor Dostoevsky Adaptor/Director: Laurie Sansom This production of Crime and Punishment is configured to the size of a Studio Theatre. First staged at the Cast’s Second Space, it moves on a short tour of similarly sized venues. The number of actors is reduced to three: despite references to Northern Broadsides’ typical style. It is far distant from Barrie Rutter’s sweeping Shakespeare productions or Laurie Sansom’s debut production of Quality Street which added extra characters. The original novel runs to 500-plus pages – some task to cut down to a bare two hours of stage time. The central character, Raskolnikov, a student…

Writers: Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler Music and Lyrics: Joe Stilgoe Director: Ryan McBryde How do you present a dragon on stage? Well, Ryan McBryde relies on the well-known imaginative powers of your average 3-year-old and alternates human actors in colourful sort-of-dragon costumes with perfect little puppets which the humans manipulate in the bits that are really a touch difficult, such as the climactic flying doctor sequence. The play begins with Pearl (Jess Lobo) surrounded by animals, beginning to tell them the story of a dragon and a girl just like herself. Lotti Brogan is the severe, but kindly, Madam…

Conceiver and Director: Kevin Finnan Motionhouse’s Hidden combines fluid acrobatic spectacle with projected cityscapes and constantly reconstructed sets (designed by Simon Dormon) to explore a city and society at its most restless. In the first act, the audience swoops through the projected London scenes (created by Logela Multimedia), meeting a few recognisable archetypes in their natural habitats – an anxious commuter on the street, an amorous couple in their apartment, a moody teenager in a park, a self-contained gamer in his bedroom. The costumes (designed and created by Cathy Eddolls) are vibrant and everyday, leaning into the differences between these…

Writer: Sir Alan Ayckbourn Director: Michael Longhurst The night belongs to two stars – or should that be three, as the writer of this amazing play must not be forgotten. Sheridan Smith superbly stars as Susan and Romesh Ranganathan romps along as Dr Bill, together with the awesome writing of Sir Alan Ayckbourn. This combination makes for an unforgettable evening as Woman in Mind is brought to life at the Sunderland Empire. Woman in Mind began its life in 1985 premiering in-the-round at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. It later transferred to a proscenium arch staging for the West…

Writer: Malorie Blackman Adaptor: Sabrina Mahfouz Director: Esther Richardson A love story across the divide is hard to resist, from Romeo and Juliet to West Side Story, to Malorie Blackman’s famous novel of 25 years ago – Noughts & Crosses. Northern Stage’s young audience last night were entranced by Sabrina Mahfouz’s stage adaptation, which appears on the GCSE drama syllabus. There were collective intakes of breath as the F-word was uttered and ripples of excitement as star-crossed lovers Sephy and Callum declared their feelings with a swift and passionate kiss. A lot happens from the moment we enter the world of…