A “wide-ranging” programme of drama and dance is on the cards at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate through the autumn to Christmas and beyond.
Home-grown productions include the regional première of Sam Holcroft’s comedy Rules for Living which will be directed by Royal and Derngate’s former associate director Simon Godwin. It will be brought to the stage in conjunction with English Touring Theatre and Rose Theatre Kingston. The three previously worked together on Peter Whelan’s The Herbal Bed which won the 2016 UK Theatre award for best touring theatre. It plays on the Northampton Royal stage from 8 until 30 September.
Devised by the Wardrobe Ensemble, Education, Education, Education visits Northampton Royal from 10 until 14 October and is followed by a new production of Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker from 17 until 28 October.
Jessica Swale’s new adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book will be the Christmas 2017 attraction on the Royal stage from 28 November until 31 December while in Derngate Paul Nicholas, Sheila Ferguson, Jaymi Hensley and Kev Orkian will appear in Aladdin from 8 until 31 December. For under-sevens, The Singing Mermaid sails into Underground from 2 December until 13 January.
A new adaptation of E M Forster’s A Passage to India takes to the Royal stage from 11 until 20 January and a rediscovered production by Agatha Christie and Frank Vosper, Love from a Stranger, is the attraction from 23 February until 17 March.
The pick of touring drama and musicals includes E Nesbit’s The Railway Children from 19 until 24 September, Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine from 2 until 7 October, Richard Alston Dance Company on 5 and 6 October, Legally Blonde the Musical from 16 until 21 October, Blood Brothers from 6 until 11 November and the National theatre production of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler from 28 November until 2 December.