The Dukes’ 2020 season of theatre, comedy, dance and spoken word sees Northern Broadsides return to the Lancaster venue with regency romcom Quality Street from March 3 to 7.
Comedy-drama Ladies That Bus gives audiences the chance to experience a day in the life of the Route 555 bus from Lancaster to Keswick, featuring tales of journeys taken, and not taken, from February 6 to 8.
North West based HIV+ theatre maker Nathaniel Hall will perform his autobiographical solo show First Time about growing up positive in a negative world on February 18 and 19.
Aristocratic buffoonery abounds with Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, as P G Wodehouse’s classic characters are recreated from March 26 to 28.
For families, a Cbeebies favourite comes alive in Sarah and Duck’s Big Top Birthday, with a blend of puppetry, storytelling and music, on March 13.
Actor and Dukes’ honorary patron Christine Mackie’s semi-autobiographical one-woman play Best Girl tells the story of a veteran’s child on her way to change her life from April 9 to 11.
The venue will also host a month of dance in April with Northern Ballet offering families a chance to enjoy Little Red Riding Hood, Big Up North bringing together the best of emerging North West dance talent and James Wilton Dance’s epic The Storm.
Paul O’Donnell invites audiences to join him in creating an almost entirely imagined jukebox musical featuring the music of Bon Jovi in We’ve Got Each Other April 4.
April 10 and 11 sees Mr Men and Little Miss on stage, as Happyland bursts into life in a show told through puppetry and music.
New Old Friends are back with another instalment of their comedy-crime thrillers series, this time in the golden-era of Hollywood with Crimes, Camera, Action on May 14 and 15.
Comedy highlights include Flo & Joan: Before the Screaming Starts (February 20), Sofie Hagen: The Bumswing (March 7), Daliso Chaponda: Blah Blah Blacklist (March 14), Jen Brister: Under Priviledge (May 15) and Josie Long: Tender (June 13).
And The Dukes’ iconic Play in the Park returns after a year’s hiatus with Alice in Wonderland, from July 7 to August 22.
Other family highlights include Wolf! (February 21), Puss in Boots (March 28), Roald Dahl and the Imagination Seekers (May 1 & 2), Comedy Club 4 Kids (May 23) and Mischief and Mystery in Moominvalley (May 30).