Theatre unveils autumn season

From big-hearted, bold and brassy smash-hit productions to fantastic, festive shows for all the family; song-influenced spins on Shakespeare to fresh and exciting Studio pieces; classic Christie to West End hits; fabulous Derby Festé to family shows to inspire, excite and enthral; and a wealth of insightful workshops to an abundance of exciting and engaging participation opportunities for children, young people and the community; autumn 2015 at Derby Theatre is going to be a very busy one which promises an exciting theatrical ride for audiences and participants of all ages.

To open the 40th anniversary season, the venue presents the big-hearted and bold Brassed Off, based on the screenplay from the smash-hit film, on from September 18 until October 10. Brassed Off will be performed by a professional company of actors and will feature a small company of young actors from the region with live music from Belper-based Derwent Brass, the combination of which promises a thrilling and incredibly enjoyable night at the Theatre.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary, there will also be a Gala Performance of Brassed Off on September 22 and the theatre will hope audiences will join to celebrate the occasion and the arts thriving in the city. For £40 per ticket, with every penny going towards our work within the community, audience members on this night will receive a glass of bubbly and canapés on arrival, the performance plus post-show food, drink and entertainment.

Christmas 2015 offers two great Derby Theatre productions to suit all ages. Cinderella, a fun and feisty re-telling of the classic story, full of magic and humour performed by a merry band of actor-musicians, will run in the main house from December 4 until January 9.

The Elves and The Shoemakers, a tale of magic suitable for ages three-plus, will run in the Studio from December 8-26. Both productions follow in the footsteps of previous knockout festive shows and promise to enthral and delight. Family tickets are available on both shows.

Touring shows for the autumn include: the ever-popular Oddsocks with a high octane musical version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, on from September 2-4; The Agatha Christie Company celebrate their tenth anniversary with an all-star cast production of And Then There Were None, on from November 9-14, and Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, a laugh-out-loud comedy, that comes direct from the

West End and is on from November 16-21.

Derby Festé, the outdoor festival of live performances, music, dance and film makes another welcome return to the city from September 25-26. Derby City Centre will once again transform, for a ninth year,

into a world-class festival site and, through a multitude of exciting outdoor performance areas, will act as the perfect platform to play host to Derby Festé 2015.

Family Theatre shows include: Error 404, a funny, engaging and unusual production which asks audience members of eight and over to look again at everything they thought they knew; Bear & Butterfly, a beautiful and charming story about love, loss and friendship perfect for ages 4+; Our Teacher’s a Troll, a colourfully comic show about a pair of terrible twins with a talent for turmoil who run amok in their school and Bleu!, a show devoted to the sea ideal for ages two and over and their families.

Sarah Brigham, artistic director at Derby Theatre, said: “We are incredibly excited about our upcoming autumn season, which will also celebrate 40 years of Derby Theatre being at its current site on Theatre Walk in the Eagle Centre and Intu. Brassed Off is the perfect show for us to hosta Gala Performance and celebrate the 40th anniversary in style as it’s a show that encompasses everything that has

been great about our history.”

For more details call the box office on 01332 593939.