Teesdale Christmas Art Fair presents an exciting opportunity to purchase unique, locally made fine art in time for the festive season.

Following the success of the inaugural Teesdale Christmas Art Fair in 2016 we are delighted to announce dates for the second Teesdale Christmas Art Fair that will take place for an extended period of time giving visitors more of an opportunity to visit the exhibition and purchase unique gifts.

Teesdale Christmas Art Fair is a large, group exhibition of carefully selected art work by artists from across the region whose work will be displayed in exhibition spaces throughout The Witham. The exhibition comprises original works of art spanning fine art painting, drawing, sculpture, textile art, and limited edition prints in addition to applied art that will be on display and available to buy in the Shop at The Witham.

The Teesdale Christmas Art Fair will also form part of The Witham's vibrant programme of Christmas activity that sees visitors of all ages flock to the arts centre for activities and entertainment.

Closed Sundays and Mondays.

The Witham hosts the launch of the Castle Players’ Winter Tour - a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ever-popular story of ‘the parish boy’s progress’ - Oliver’s journey from workhouse orphan to adopted respectability via the dark and sinister underworld of 19th century London.

Dramatised and directed by Laurence Sach, the production brings a host of Dickens’ vivid characters to life - Oliver, the Artful Dodger, Mr Bumble the Beadle, Fagin, Bill Sykes, Nancy and many more

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The majority of the members of Barnard Castle Art Society have no formal artistic training, yet posses a relentless passion for creating art and immortalising the beauty of their Teesdale environs.

During the summer months members of Barnard Castle Art Society meet regularly to sketch together en plein air, making the most of the fine weather and the effects that the high, bright light has on the landscape at this time of year.

During the colder months, members of the group meet for practical work sessions, to share ideas, knowledge and techniques. These meetings and the support they offer inspire other members to produce work in preparation for their annual exhibition.  Closed Sundays and Mondays.

The corruption of innocence is at the heart of Verdi’s potent tragedy in David McVicar’s production for The Royal Opera.

Rigoletto, court jester to the libertine Duke of Mantua, is cursed by the father of one of the Duke’s victims for his irreverent laughter. When the Duke seduces Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda, it seems the curse is taking effect…

David McVicar’s production highlights the cruelty at the heart of the court of Mantua. Richly dressed courtiers engage in orgies and revelries to Verdi’s heady, spirited dances. The opera’s many musical highlights include the ebullient ‘La donna è mobile’, in which the Duke boasts of his disregard for women; Gilda’s exquisite, plangent duets with Rigoletto and the Duke; and the gorgeous Act III quartet that beautifully weaves the voices together as the story quickens to its shattering conclusion.

Giuseppe Verdi wrote in 1855 that Rigoletto was his ‘best opera’. He had had to overcome state censorship to stage it – the censors objected to its depiction of an immoral ruler – but he was vindicated by the premiere’s huge success in 1851. Rigoletto was performed 250 times in the next 10 years and has remained one of the most popular of all operas.

Approximate running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one interval. Sung in Italian with English subtitles

MUSIC GIUSEPPE VERDI
DIRECTOR DAVID MCVICAR
CONDUCTOR ALEXANDER JOEL
RIGOLETTO DIMITRI PLATANIAS
GILDA LUCY CROWE
DUKE OF MANTUA MICHAEL FABIANO

From the National Portrait Gallery London, Musée d’Orsay Paris & National Gallery of Art Washington DC. 

Exhibition on Screen is thrilled to present one of the most talked about exhibitions of the year. Dedicated to the portrait work of Paul Cézanne, the exhibition opens in Paris before traveling to London and Washington.

One can’t appreciate 20th century art without understanding the significance and genius of Paul Cézanne. Featuring interviews with curators and experts from the National Portrait Gallery London, MoMA New York, National Gallery of Art Washington, and Musée d’Orsay Paris, and correspondence from the artist himself, the film takes audiences beyond the exhibition to the places Cézanne lived and worked and sheds light on an artist who is perhaps the least known of all the impressionists – until now.

'Dunkirk review: heart-hammering and heroically British, this is Christopher Nolan at the peak of his powers.' The Telegraph

Director, Antony Nolan, delivers an utterly immersive film with stunning cinematography.  Staring Kenneth Branagh.The Witham Friends' Discount Event!

Learn how to capture the beauty of our local landscape. 

Working with local artist Anne Mason, enjoy a day learning the techniques to capture the stunning Teesdale landscapes in winter.

Join Alan Hinkes OBE for this special screening of the film about his life. 

Alan is the first Briton to have climbed the world’s highest mountains and this is the biopic of his life, created by critically acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker Terry Abraham and producer of the BBC hit ‘Life of a Mountain: Scafell Pike’ and ‘Life of a Mountain: Blencathra’. Hinkes is the first and only British mountaineer to summit all 14 of the world’s highest mountains, each over 8,000 metres. Alan will introduce the film and take part in a Q & A at the end of the screening. 

Film running time: 90 mins + intro with Q and A.

Enjoy the fresh produce on offer!  One of the longest running Farmer's Markets in the North, come to enjoy the delicious food of our region from the producers and farmers who produce it.

Tosca is one of the great evenings of opera, and from its strident opening chords conjures up a world of political instability and menace.

Jonathan Kent’s production for The Royal Opera captures the dangerous political turbulence of Rome in 1800. The Chief of Police, Scarpia – one of the most malevolent villains in opera – ruthlessly pursues and tortures enemies of the state. His dark, demonic music contrasts with the expansive melodies of the idealistic lovers, Tosca and Cavaradossi, who express their passion in sublime arias, including ‘Vissi d’arte’ and ‘E lucevan le stelle’. Giacomo Puccini’s dramatic work was a hit with audiences on its 1900 premiere and it remains one of the most performed of all operas – with its gripping plot and glorious music, it’s easy to see why.

A candle-lit church, Scarpia’s gloomy study with its hidden torture chamber and the false optimism of a Roman dawn: this handsome production throws into relief the ruthlessly taut drama, as the tension is wound up towards a fateful conclusion. Puccini’s meticulously researched score is infused with the same authentic detail, from distant cannon fire during the Act I Te Deum to tolling church bells and the sounds of a firing squad.

Approximate running time: 3 hours, including two intervals. Sung in Italian with English subtitles

MUSIC GIACOMO PUCCINI
DIRECTOR JONATHAN KENT
CONDUCTOR DAN ETTINGER
FLORIA TOSCA ADRIANNE PIECZONKA
MARIO CAVARADOSSI JOSEPH CALLEJA
BARON SCARPIA GERALD FINLEY

'A disaffected farmer’s fling with a Romanian worker reawakens his love of the land in Francis Lee’s tender, impressive debut.' The Guardian

Set and filmed in Yorkshire this critically acclaimed film follows the love story between a farmer and an immigrant worker.  'Pure poetry' EMPIRE *****

Scottish folk singer Emily Smith and New Zealand-born Jamie McClennan celebrate 15 years of making music together in 2017. 

With rich vocal harmonies , accordion, fiddle and sublime guitar backing, Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan are one of the most vibrant duos on the UK folk scene today.

Having spent much of 2016 off the road (with Emily on maternity leave) the couple have taken time to focus on writing new material with an album release planned in 2018.  The tour showcases a big new sound for the duo with originals by McClennan and reworked traditional songs from Smith paired with some of their favourites from the past 15 years.

Meeting in 2002 when McClennan moved from NZ to Scotland, fiddle player Jamie soon became an integral part of Emily’s sound, taking on the role of lead guitar and backing vocals and producing several of her albums.   They have performed throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Russia and North America with their music firmly rooted in the roots idiom drawing on influences from the folk tradition, Americana and beyond.  Emily’s emotive voice lifts souls with its simple beauty.  Paired with McClennan’s sensitive accompaniment and rich harmonies they are one of the most vibrant duos on the UK folk scene today.

A family crafty-workshop where the whole family can get involved in preventing Hen's eggs from cracking!

How will you protect Hen’s egg? Fox thinks Hen’s eggs look delicious and she needs your help to keep them safe. Using the materials on offer can you stop the egg from cracking and keep Hen happy and out fox the Fox.  Approx. 5- 11yrs

Christopher Luscombe, Director of Love Labour's Lost (2014) and Much Ado About Nothing (2016) returns to the RSC to tackle Shakespeare's greatest comedy.

'I am all the daughters of my father's house,
And all the brothers too.'

Twelfth Night is a tale of unrequited love – hilarious and heartbreaking. Two twins are separated in a shipwreck, and forced to fend for themselves in a strange land. The first twin, Viola, falls in love with Orsino, who dotes on OIivia, who falls for Viola but is idolised by Malvolio. Enter Sebastian, who is the spitting image of his twin sister...

Christopher Luscombe, Director of the ‘glorious’ (Daily Telegraph) Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing (2014 and 2016), returns to the Royal Shakespeare Company to tackle Shakespeare’s greatest comedy, a brilliantly bittersweet account of "the whirligig of time".

Exploring connections between artists, spaces and audiences.

Part of Navigator North's Latest Edition Project, this exhibition features six regionally based artists; Carol Devey-Haughton, Diane Watson, Becki Harper, Nick Kennedy, Theresa Easton and Alex Sickling. Includes ceramics, printmaking, textiles, photography and sculpture with an affordable artist designed gift range for sale.

Latest Edition is a Navigator North project building upon the success of previous professional development programmes and opportunities offered to visual artists. The focus of this project is around sustainable practice for artists who are interested in making work for exhibition and commission as well as sales of original and limited edition works and artist merchandise – exploring a range of income streams as part of creative practice.  Gallery closed Sundays and Mondays

The TBA 2017 is organised by Enterprise House and the awards ceremony is to be held on the Thursday 15th February 2018 at The Witham in Barnard Castle.

Working with category sponsors, Enterprise House is organising The Teesdale Business Awards.

The idea of the awards is simply for our local business community the opportunity to showcase and promote successes

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In the unfathomable darkness of space, an invisible missile starts its journey to Earth from Mars... 

In the unfathomable darkness of empty space, an invisible missile starts its journey to Earth from Mars. And another. And another. And another...

Ten missiles fired at the unsuspecting Earth and rushing through the empty gulf of space. Ten missiles carrying an invading force of Martians, their intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic. Hour by hour, day by day, closer and closer the Martians come, ready for war and the massacre of mankind.

The War of the Worlds charts the fortunes of a band of survivors as they become refugees in their own country, forced to flee from an unknown and unprovoked enemy, and battle against the devastation and destruction of their planet. Northern Stage's vivid and dynamic new production relocates H.G. Wells' iconic novel to the North East of England, in a contemporary re-telling of a sci-fi classic.

Suitable for ages 12+

A Northern Stage production

By H.G. Wells.  Directed by Elayce Ismail

A new adaptation by Laura Lindow

A concert of favourite popular songs from the world of Musicals and Operetta.

Duets, trios and ensembles with Simon Dearsley, Philippa Dearsley and Penny Randell-Davies.

Following his smash hit production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Benedict Andrews’ ‘thrilling revival’ (New York Times) stars Sienna Miller alongside, Jack O’Connell and Colm Meaney.
On a steamy night in Mississippi, a Southern family gather at their cotton plantation to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday. The scorching heat is almost as oppressive as the lies they tell. Brick and Maggie dance round the secrets and sexual tensions that threaten to destroy their marriage. With the future of the family at stake, which version of the truth is real – and which will win out?

★★★★ "A bold reimagining…innovative and powerfully acted"
Sunday Times

★★★★ "A brilliant, lacerating account of the play… unforgettable"
The Independent

★★★★ "Miller and O’Connell get to a raw and naked truth"
The Metro

Christopher Wheeldon, Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet, created his adaptation of Shakespeare’s late great romance The Winter’s Tale for The Royal Ballet in 2014. Building on the success of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Winter’s Tale received ecstatic praise at its premiere, acclaimed by critics and audiences alike for its intelligent, distinctive and emotionally powerful story, told through exquisite dance. It is now widely judged to be a modern ballet classic.
The story follows the destruction of a marriage through consuming jealousy, the abandonment of a child and a seemingly hopeless love. Yet, through remorse and regret – and after a seemingly miraculous return to life – the ending is one of forgiveness and reconciliation. With powerful designs by Bob Crowley and atmospheric music by Joby Talbot, The Winter’s Tale is a masterful modern narrative ballet.

Approximate running time: 3 hours, including two intervals.

CHOREOGRAPHY CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON
MUSIC JOBY TALBOT

Enjoy the fresh produce on offer!  One of the longest running Farmer's Markets in the North, come to enjoy the delicious food of our region from the producers and farmers who produce it.

Karen Babayan presents Patterns in Nature.  Spring is on its way and in celebration we will use plants and flowers as inspiration.  Participants will make a series of sketches, which they will then develop into relief prints incorporating repeat pattern and colour.

Carmen is the best-known work by French composer Georges Bizet, and one of the most famous operas in the entire art form – numbers such as the Habanera and the Toreador Song have permeated the popular consciousness as little else has. The opera’s heady combination of passion, sensuality and violence initially proved too much for the stage, and it was a critical failure on its 1875 premiere. Bizet died shortly after, and never learned of the spectacular success his Carmen would achieve: the opera has been performed more than five hundred times at Covent Garden alone.

This ever-popular opera is given a fresh point of view in Barrie Kosky’s highly physical production, originally created for Frankfurt Opera. The Australian director is one of the world’s most sought-after opera directors, whose Royal Opera debut with Shostakovich’s The Nose in 2016 was greeted with delight. For Carmen he has devised a far-from-traditional version, incorporating music written by Bizet for the score but not usually heard, and giving a new voice to the opera’s endlessly fascinating central character.

Approximate running time: 3 hours 20 minutes, including one interval. Sung in French with English subtitles

MUSIC GEORGES BIZET
DIRECTOR BARRIE KOSKY
CONDUCTOR JAKUB HRŮŠA
CARMEN ANNA GORYACHOVA
DON JOSÉ FRANCESCO MELI
MICAËLA ANETT FRITSCH
ESCAMILLO KOSTAS SMORIGINAS

Olav Lukesengard Mjelva (Norway), Anders Hall (Sweden) and Kevin Henderson (Shetland Islands), The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc are in great demand worldwide for their gripping unique blend of traditional fiddle music.

With a firm focus on the rich traditional fiddle music from where they each belong, they have developed a sound that has been described as “unique”, “meaningful”, “intense” and “invigorating”.

Their clever use of harmony, rhythm, riffs and bass lines creates a sound that leaves the listener enthralled but at the same time dumbfounded that the sound only comes from three fiddles.

“Seldom before can three fiddlers have sounded so well matched as the Nordic Fiddlers Bloc. And seldom before can three fiddles have sounded so much like four and at times five instruments without using electronic trickery.” – The Herald.

To date their music has taken them to the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland and across mainland Europe captivating audiences along the way.

2016 saw the release of their eagerly awaited second album, “Deliverance”, the follow up to their eponymously entitled debut album released in September 2011 to great critical acclaim.

“On the evidence to hand, pure fiddle doesn´t get much better than The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc.” Folkworld.

The Witham Friends' Discount Event!

Pianist Chiyan Wong has been astonishing audiences with the sincerity and authority of his playing and was recently awarded a prestigious prize as one of most promising young artists to appear at the International Mozarteum Summer Academy. 

He will be playing Bach's Goldberg Variations, Beethoven's Six Bagatelles, Busoni's Sonatina Seconda and Liszt's Don Juan.

LOVING VINCENT, the world’s first fully oil painted feature film, brings the artwork of Vincent van Gogh to life in an exploration of the complicated life and controversial death of one of history’s most celebrated artists.

More than six years in the making with the help of 125 specially trained painters, LOVING VINCENT is a uniquely animated film composed of 65,000 painted frames.

Drawn from meticulous research and inspired by van Gogh’s masterpieces, subjects, and 800 personal letters, LOVING VINCENT captures the world of van Gogh in a cinematic experience like no other

With ever increasing pressures on the NHS, there's never been a more important time to take positive action to take care of your own health.

Come along and find out about some of the good things available in Teesdale and the surrounding area to help you to achieve this.

John Otway is a singer-songwriter who has built a cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona.

'A cabaret act masquerading as a rock act. Gleeful, anecdotal, funny and life-enhancing.' Cambridge Fayre Review

Perhaps more than any other artist, Van Gogh’s life has long captured the imagination of storytellers. Delving deep into his fascinating and sometimes deeply troubled world comes this definitive, award-winning documentary directed by David Bickerstaff.

Showcasing Van Gogh’s iconic works like never before and featuring exclusive interviews with the curatorial team at the Van Gogh Museum, this EXHIBITION ON SCREEN favourite from Season 2 makes a welcome return to the big screen.

This diverse and vibrant exhibition celebrates our coastline in the North East and Cumbria with stunning artworks in a range of genres.

Featuring regional artists including:

Ann Whitfield, Aphra O'Connor, Colleen Vaux, Glenn Tomkinson, Helen Costello, Jenny Ullyat, Jill and Lee Brewster, Mark Sofilas, Sarah Hill

Gallery closed Sundays and Mondays

Ben Whishaw (The Danish Girl, Skyfall, Hamlet) and Michelle Fairley (Fortitude, Game of Thrones) play Brutus and Cassius, David Calder (The Lost City of Z, The Hatton Garden Job) plays Caesar and David Morrissey (The Missing, Hangmen, The Walking Dead) is Mark Antony. Broadcast live from The Bridge Theatre, London.

Caesar returns in triumph to Rome and the people pour out of their homes to celebrate. Alarmed by the autocrat’s popularity, the educated élite conspire to bring him down. After his assassination, civil war erupts on the streets of the capital.

Nicholas Hytner’s production will thrust the audience into the street party that greets Caesar’s return, the congress that witnesses his murder, the rally that assembles for his funeral and the chaos that explodes in its wake.

Jenny’s a vicar. But she’s got problems. Her creepy ex-husband keeps sending her flowers and won’t sign the divorce papers.

The church hall is being renovated by a dodgy builder, who’s being investigated by the police.

And her best friend Danny has turned up in the vestry with a gun. Danny has anger issues. He’s just had a fight with his best mate Benson. They’re in too deep and running out of options.

So when he turns to the church Jenny has to choose between doing the right thing or doing the legal thing.

Presented by Little Mighty

Learn how to tool and colour your own spring-themed leather, from pouches and tiles to wallets and bookmarks.

Mark Rowney has been tooling , carving  and hand painting leather Accessories, Sculptures and objet d'art for 30 years. He has a passion for 'The Arts & Crafts' movement, contemporary rural Art and Nature.  These can all be witnessed in his work.  Highly detailed and richly designed pieces are made bespoke for all clients. He has worked for Paul Smith producing leather products for his New York and Paris stores and has also worked in India as an embroidery designer.. He has spent the last few years building and designing 'The Hide', a purpose built studio/workshop decorated throughout with beautiful Leather work from which he teaches this wonderful Art form.

Each participant will create a min. of two items you have tooled yourselves to take home.

Reg Vardy have been North of England Brass Band Champions 35 times and are listing in the top 20 of the World Brass Band Rankings.

Based in Stanley, the band are renowned for giving high quality concerts of new original music alongside the more traditional brass band repertoire

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New Wayne McGregor / The Age of Anxiety / New Christopher Wheeldon

The Royal Ballet celebrates the centenary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth with an all-Bernstein programme from the Company’s three associate choreographers, Wayne McGregor, Liam Scarlett and Christopher Wheeldon.

Leonard Bernstein was one of the first classical composers in America to achieve both popular and critical acclaim. He was eclectic in his sources – drawing on jazz and modernism, the traditions of Jewish music and the Broadway musical – and many of Bernstein’s scores are remarkably well suited to dance. He was particularly associated with Jerome Robbins, their credits together including Fancy Free and West Side Story. To celebrate the centenary year of the composer’s birth, The Royal Ballet has united all three of its associate choreographers to celebrate the dynamic range and danceability of Bernstein’s music.

The programme includes two world premieres by Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, marking each artist’s first foray into Bernstein. At the heart of the programme is the first revival of Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett’s The Age of Anxiety, created in 2014 to Bernstein’s soul-searching Second Symphony. Both symphony and ballet are both inspired by W.H. Auden’s masterful modernist poem, itself written in response to the atmosphere of disillusionment and uncertainty that followed the end of World War II.

Inspired by Handel’s profound religious masterpiece, this acclaimed Bristol Old Vic production provides a rare chance to experience a powerfully dramatic account of Messiah and to rediscover the intense spirituality of its many well-known arias and choruses.

Staged by the Tony Award-winning director Tom Morris (War Horse), this extraordinary production features Europe’s most celebrated Baroque orchestra The English Concert, the magnificent Erebus Ensemble and a cast of internationally-renowned soloists.

The story explores the drama and struggle of faith, showing a group of people whose grief at the loss of their leader is transformed into hope through a narrative of resurrection. Through their despair, the Apostles gradually realise their mission is to redeem the world by sharing the story of Jesus’s life and death with all humanity.

Described by the critics as an ‘astonishingly beautiful’ (The Stage),‘direct and impactful interpretation’ (The Times), this dramatised concert is a rare treat for connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike.

Designer Makers Market showcases the very best regional designers and craftspeople, with original work and a strong up-cycled theme. Meet the designer makers and buy handcrafted goods of gallery quality. Some will be demonstrating their skills and others will be running 'have-a-go' sessions.

Admission is free but a donation to St Teresa's Hospice would be gratefully received.

An abundance of materials await in you in this workshop, just bring your imagination.

Come and create a character you have invented or an old favourite from a story, large or small it is up to you.

Once you’re done bring the puppet to life in the pop up theatre. This workshop is aimed at children aged approximately 3-11yrs but EVERYYONE is welcome.

Antonio Pappano conducts Verdi’s opera based on Shakespeare’s tragedy, with a magnificent cast including Anna Netrebko and Anna Pirozzi, Željko Lučić and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo.

Verdi’s life-long love affair with Shakespeare’s works began with Macbeth, a play he considered to be ‘one of the greatest creations of man’.

With his librettist Francesco Maria Piave Verdi set out to create ‘something out of the ordinary’. Their success is borne out in every bar of a score that sees Verdi at his most theatrical: it bristles with demonic energy.

Phyllida Lloyd’s 2002 production for The Royal Opera is richly hued, shot through with black, red and gold.

The witches – imagined by designer Anthony Ward as strange, scarlet-turbaned creatures – are ever-present agents of fate. Lloyd depicts the Macbeths’ childlessness as the dark sadness lurking behind their terrible deeds.

The Royal Opera’s production uses Verdi’s 1865 Paris revision of the opera, which includes Lady Macbeth’s riveting aria ‘La luce langue’.

Presented by Little Mightly.  Be enthralled by this epic musical folktale told on a miniature scale. A Heart at Sea uses haunting live music to tell the story of a young Boy who bottles up his heart and throws it into the sea. Original song-writing is set to breathtaking visuals centred around a beautifully carved wooden chest that holds the secrets to the story.

Intricate puppets are swept through a transforming wooden world created by the spectacular chest. Be astounded as backdrops flip up, pirouette and change, sending the Boy tumbling through danger and discovery. Puppets roam on this unique contraption to recount the story of whales, tiny boats, sea captains and beards.  Suitable for age 7+

'This beautiful show is indescribable' - Edinburgh Guide

Bought to The Witham thanks to Highlights Rural Touring Scheme.

Handcrafted Boutique Fair with a quality selection of handmade products from around the North East.

One of Scotland's premier traditional bands.  As they approach their 50th anniversary in 2018, the Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland's premier traditional bands. Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, and original ballads and lullabies. Their music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people. These versatile musicians have received worldwide accolades consistently over the years for their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can't get better...yet continue to do just that.

The Tannahills have turned their acoustic excitement loose on audiences with an electrifying effect. They have that unique combination of traditional melodies, driving rhythmic accompaniment, and rich vocals that make their performances unforgettable. As the Winnipeg Free Press noted, "The Tannahill Weavers - properly harnessed - could probably power an entire city for a year on the strength of last night's concert alone. The music may be old time Celtic, but the drive and enthusiasm are akin to straight ahead rock and roll."

Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland and named for the town's historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the group has made an international name for its special brand of Scottish music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms. The Tannahill Weavers began to attract attention when founding members Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie added the full-sized highland bagpipes to the on-stage presentations, the first professional Scottish folk group to successfully do so. The combination of the powerful pipe solos, Roy's driving guitar backing and lead vocals, and Phil's ethereal flute playing breathed new life into Scotland's vast repertoire of traditional melodies and songs.

Over the years the Tannies have been trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes.  In 2011 the band was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, and in 2014 they are joined by innovative piper Lorne MacDougall. Lorne comes with a high pedigree, having arranged and performed pipes for the Disney Pixar movie “Brave”, along with a long list of other accomplishments.

With their impending 50th anniversary in 2018, the Tannahill Weavers are firmly established as one of the premier groups on the concert stage. From reflective ballads to footstomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits.

Come and create things from space!   To celebrate Kitchen Zoo bringing Tin Foil Astronaut to the Witham why not join bring your little astronaut to create their own rocket, design a planet beyond Pluto or invent the uninvented?

Anyone fancy a balloon powered rocket race to the moon?

This workshop is aimed at approximately 3-11yrs but EVERYONE is welcome!

Brought to us by Suitcase Studio

Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of Sage Gateshead, is the UK’s only full-time chamber orchestra and the leading professional orchestra in the North East. The Witham are delighted to welcome an ensemble of players to play a programme including  Brahms’ String Quintet No.1 in F

A co-commission by ARC, Queens Hall Hexham, and Arts Centre Washington.  On your marks... get set... BLAST OFF!

Today is the day of the space race! A race to put the first human on the Moon! But our astronaut isn't quite like others, she's... different.

Alba has been in training and she has even made her own rocket! But can she really power a rocket with crisps? What is past Pluto? Are there robots in Space? And will anyone ever listen to the smallest of space explorers? It's one small step for most astronauts, but one giant leap for little Alba!

Join us for a surprising space race and see if Alba really can make it all the way to the moon.

A cosmic adventure to outer space!

A story of discovery, individuality and a celebration of differences for 3-7 year olds and their families.

From the makers of The Owl and the Pussycat.

A co-commission by ARC, Queen's Hall Hexham and Arts Centre Washington.

Performance recorded in HD from Teatro Comunale di Bologna.  Set in the idyllic 19th century Paris, La Bohème tells the story of a love affair between a poor poet and a seamstress. But they are soon faced by the cruel realities of poverty and ill health which ends up putting their relationship to the test.

This production of one of opera’s classic and unforgettable stories is led by a cast of four talented young artists as the lovers.

Starring: Mariangela Sicilia and Hasmik Torosyan

Conductor: Michele Mariotti

Stage Director: Graham Vick

Tight harmonies, killer songs, and a lot of fun!  Winter Wilson’s current tour showcases their latest album “Ashes and Dust”, the follow up to “Cutting Free” which made the Daily Telegraph’s ten recommended folk albums for Summer 2014.

Having honed their craft during many years as semi-professional musicians, the duo went full time in 2012 and haven’t looked back since. They have a fine repertoire of self-penned songs, telling stories of everyday life which often reflect the bigger picture of this life we lead. (“Songs for local heroes,” as one punter said.)

Kip Winter (vocals, accordion, guitar, flute) is one of the finest singers on the circuit, expressing power and emotion in equal measure “from melting to belting”.

Dave Wilson (vocals, guitar and banjo) is amongst the top tier of British song writers, with his songs covered by some of folk’s “greats”.

But it’s in live performance that Winter Wilson really excel, bringing a sense of intimacy to every stage, welcoming audiences into their world, mixing songs with stories of life on the road. “This isn’t a performance – it’s a domestic!”

Tight harmonies, killer songs and a lot of fun – that’s Winter Wilson.

Recently supported Fairport Convention!

RESCHEDULED: Shakespeare's tale of love and loss becomes compelling dance drama in Christopher Wheeldon's ballet adaptation, with music by Joby Talbot

Christopher Wheeldon, Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet, created his adaptation of Shakespeare’s late great romance The Winter’s Tale for The Royal Ballet in 2014. Building on the success of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Winter’s Tale received ecstatic praise at its premiere, acclaimed by critics and audiences alike for its intelligent, distinctive and emotionally powerful story, told through exquisite dance. It is now widely judged to be a modern ballet classic.
The story follows the destruction of a marriage through consuming jealousy, the abandonment of a child and a seemingly hopeless love. Yet, through remorse and regret – and after a seemingly miraculous return to life – the ending is one of forgiveness and reconciliation. With powerful designs by Bob Crowley and atmospheric music by Joby Talbot, The Winter’s Tale is a masterful modern narrative ballet.

Approximate running time: 3 hours, including two intervals.

CHOREOGRAPHY CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON
MUSIC JOBY TALBOT

The Witham Friends' Discount Event!

Presenting work by selected artists from TeesdaleArtNet.  Presenting work by selected artists from TeesdaleArtNet, the recently established network for all artists living or working in the dale.

This is an exciting exhibition running alongside the inaugural TeesdaleArtNet Open Studios event featuring all aspects of visual art created locally.

Closed Sundays and Mondays

The extraordinary true story of an unexpected friendship in the later years of Queen Victoria's (Academy Award winner Judi Dench) remarkable rule.  Judy Dench stars in this compelling drama about the true story of Queen Victoria's unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk.

Celebrate spring by making relief prints with inspiration from plants and flowers - this workshop was postponed from 3rd March. due to the adverse weather conditions.  Karen Babayan presents Patterns in Nature.  Spring is on its way and in celebration we will use plants and flowers as inspiration.  Participants will make a series of sketches, which they will then develop into relief prints incorporating repeat pattern and colour.

Nancy Kerr, James Fagan, Jess and Richard Arrowsmit.  From deep roots in their hometown’s vibrant music, song and dance scene, to smashing concert appearances in the UK and abroad, Sheffield-based Melrose Quartet have attracted a reputation for making music that truly connects with people. All four are internationally renowned singers, instrumentalists, writer/composers and teachers and in 2017 they were proud to be named the new patrons of Whitby Folk week.

Their latest album Dominion expands and strengthens the musical presence they first asserted with “Fifty Verses”, their 2014 BBC Folk Award-nominated debut CD.

In concert, Melrose Quartet perform a diverse repertoire - carousing chorus songs, lively dance tunes, ancient stories and modern pieces written in celebration of everything from weddings & birthdays to issues that affect all of our 21st century lives. This is music for everybody.

Melrose Quartet are known for their outstanding workshops ranging from harmony singing to accompaniment, and they also can offer The Melrose Ceilidh Band, with the addition of Nigel Holmes on Bass. This is a ceilidh with a difference, as the band use singing as well as instruments for the dance music, to great effect.

Live Screening by the Royal Ballet.

Kenneth MacMillan’s source for Manon was the 18th-century French novel by Abbé Prévost, already adapted for opera by Massenet and Puccini. Renowned dance musician Leighton Lucas and his assistant Hilda Gaunt provided a score drawn from across Massenet’s music, including his famous yearning Elégie as the theme for the lovers. The premiere was given on 7 March 1974, with the lead roles of Manon and Des Grieux danced by Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell. The ballet quickly became a staple of The Royal Ballet’s repertory, and a touchstone of adult, dramatic dance.

MacMillan found new sympathy with the capricious Manon and her struggle to escape poverty. Designs by his regular collaborator Nicholas Georgiadis reflect this, depicting a world of lavish splendour polluted by miserable destitution. MacMillan’s spectacular ensemble scenes for the whole Company create vivid, complex portraits of the distinct societies of Paris and New Orleans. But it is Manon and Des Grieux’s impassioned pas de deux – recalling the intensity of MacMillan’s earlier Romeo and Juliet – that drive this tragic story, and make Manon one of MacMillan’s most powerful dramas.

What does it mean to be a man or a woman?

Is gender innate or is it nurtured?

Kit is in an amusing and unique position, having transitioned from female to male in his early thirties, he has experienced adult life on both sides of the gender fence, giving him the opportunity to notice what differences there are in how he is treated by society - what he gains and what he loses by becoming a man. However, his biggest challenge comes when he enters a male gym changing room for the first time and is confronted by masculinity in all its forms - the good, the bad and the ugly. What kind of man will he be when he finishes changing? With this refreshingly honest and irreverent physical theatre comedy by critically acclaimed company Rhum and Clay and darkly comic theatre writer and director Kit Redstone, they explore the epic path that we all have to take when trying to forge an identity.

What kind of 'man' are you?

Winner of the best theatre show award at the Pleasance 2017 & nominated for the Peter Brook Empty Space Award 2017

Multi-layered and gripping physical theatre piece. - Lyn Gardner

Presented by Rhum and Clay

Jewellery, prints, jams, toys, cards, scarves, hats, chocolate, soaps, knitted-gifts, puzzles, wooden-gifts, bags, vintage

Based in Cumbria, Northern Crafts are event organisers, running arts, craft, gift and wedding events in Cumbria and the North East of England.

Founded in 2012, they aim to provide local artists and craftspeople with access to good quality venues and events at affordable prices.

They have a wide variety of artists and craftspeople featured on our website and present at our fairs, along with a selection of purveyors of quality gifts and foods.

Reviving the tradition of Longsword Dancing teams from Teesdale schools and further afield present the grand finale of the 'Day of Dance' in Barnard Castle - the first of its kind in the country - with Town Mayor Sandra Moorhouse presenting awards and certificates.

Shakespeare’s psychological thriller marks Christopher Eccleston’s RSC debut and Niamh Cusack’s return to the company.  Returning home from battle, the victorious Macbeth meets three witches on the heath. Driven by their disturbing prophecies, he sets out on the path to murder. This contemporary production of Shakespeare's darkest psychological thriller marks both Christopher Eccleston's RSC debut and the return of Niamh Cusack to the company

Winner of two BBC Folk Awards 2017: The Horizon Award for best newcomer and Best Traditional Track

Daoirí is one of the most important traditional singers to emerge in the last decade - Dónal Lunny

I’ve been listening to Daoirí’s emerging sounds since first hearing him at the Góilin Singers Club in Dublin when he was a young lad….always a treat to hear him sing - Christy Moore

Effortless, instinctive, natural…the real deal -  Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 Folk Show

A former electrician, who decided to change profession after seeing Christy Moore perform on Irish TV, Dublin-born traditional singer and bouzouki player Daoirí (pronounced ‘Derry’) Farrell is being described by some of the biggest names in Irish folk music as one of most important singers to come out of Ireland in recent years, and has delivered the album to prove them right.

After a promising debut album, The First Turn, back in 2009; Daoirí spent several years studying traditional music and performance at The University of Limerick. It was here that Fintan Vallely introduced him to the singing of the late Liam Weldon, an encounter that was to prove formative to his sound and his approach to folk song.

Daoirí had cut his teeth as a singer in Dublin’s famous Góilin Singers Club, where he was spotted early on by Christy Moore, and at other sessions across the city, many of which he still visits.  Following his studies he quickly found work accompanying artists including Christy Moore himself, as well as a list of names that sounds like a who’s who of folk music: Dónal Lunny, Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Alan Doherty, Danú, Dervish, Julie Fowlis, Arty McGlynn, The John Carty Big Band, Kíla, Sean Keane, Gerry O’Connor (Banjo), Gerry O’Connor (Fiddle), Lynched and more.  In 2013 he won the All Ireland Champion Singer award at the Fleadh in Co. Derry, and in 2015 won the prestigious Danny Kyle Award at Celtic Connections in Glasgow with the line-up FourWinds.

Daoirí finally stepped into the limelight launched his own solo live career at the 2016 Celtic Connections.

His determination not to put out another album until he was sure it was the best he could produce, means the long-awaited release of True Born Irishman in October 2016 was hugely anticipated.  And indeed when a stream of the album was accidentally leaked online for around an hour in July, it was being shared and tweeted about within minutes. The ten track album was recorded in Dublin across the first half of 2016 and was produced by Daoirí with Tony Byrne and Robbie Walsh.  It features contributions from, among others, Michael McGoldrick, and is dedicated to departed Irish traditional singer Liam Weldon.

As the final touches were being made to the album, and as a relative unknown to the UK audience, in May 2016 he was invited to fly to Manchester to do a live session on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe. Two UK tours and UK festival dates followed in 2016 including Moseley Folk Festival, Broadstairs Folk Week and FolkEast.

Calls were coming in from across the world and dates were put in place in Australia, Canada, Belgium, Denmark

Presented by award winning performance company, Curious Seed.  This internationally acclaimed production, Chalk About was created for young audiences aged 8+ and is a playful, funny and sometimes moving look at how we see ourselves and others, featuring dance, chalk, chat and one perfect scene containing everything you could wish for…

Chalk About explores the nature of identity and asking some BIG questions.  What makes us who we are?  Is it where we are from?  Or how we talk?  Is it the way we dance?  Our pasts, our futures?  And, most importantly, doesn’t everyone like pizza?

Bought to The Witham thanks to Highlights Rural Touring Scheme.

Award-winning performance company, Curious Seed, was formed in 2005 by Scottish choreographer, Christine Devaney.  Based in Edinburgh, we produce and present compelling, dance theatre work that questions the world we live in; work which touches and moves people, unlocking new ways of experiencing and feeling something different about the world.

They collaborate with exceptional artists - musicians, actors, dancers, designers and video makers – to create emotionally charged performances that reach across ages and art forms, and to bring something unique to the dance landscape of Scotland.  Their work has been presented across the globe from Milan to Macao, New Zealand to Norway; appearing at prestigious international festivals and venues from Sadler’s Wells to Sydney Opera House.

(For ages 8+)

Chalk About was commissioned by Imaginate, supported through the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund. Produced by Catalyst Dance Management and co-produced in association with Tanzhaus NRW [Dusseldorf] and The Work Room [Glasgow]. Supported by Fresh Tracks Europe and Artspace.

Felt Art - a workshop of wild abandon…… Learn how to create stunning pieces of textural felt art in this fun and creative session using a wonderful selection of wool (including merino), silks and other fibres. You will come away with at least two pieces of work, where you will experiment and understand how fibres go together in the process of felt making.

Presented by Luke Wright.  We all want something to believe in. It’s 1987 and Frankie Vah gorges on love, radical politics, and skuzzy indie stardom. But can he keep it all down?

Following the multi-award-winning What I Learned From Johnny Bevan, Luke Wright’s second verse play deals with love, loss, and belief, against a backdrop of skuzzy indie venues and 80s politics. Expect frenetic guitars, visceral verse, and a Morrissey-sized measure of heartache.

Written and performed in deft verse by Fringe First & Stage Award for Acting Excellence winner, Luke Wright.

With Frankie Vah, he’s managed to craft a gorgeously-worded powerhouse of a play, in one of the only verse dramas that could claim to get a crowd cheering and stamping their feet throughout. Again. ★★★★★ Broadway Baby

This is a mature, lyrical and politically relevant piece of poetic writing … beautifully performed…  I watched and listened in awe and pleasure, just drinking, drinking, drinking in the beauty of this show. ★★★★★ Exeunt

This isn’t just socialist agit-prop, though; it reaches far further than that. In his visceral, virile verse, Wright skewers the essential cadences of all political drama. ★★★★ The Stage

The Witham Friends' Discount Event!

Presented by Old Kent Road.  SEE THE SOUND. FEEL THE MOVEMENT.

The show takes a journey through quintessential jazz, entangling movement within the graceful perspective of tap dance. Conversations of question and answer between soloists of the band and the performers expose emotions and trigger manoeuvres back and forth between each art form on stage.

Led by a live musical force the show takes an experimental ride attempting to understand the journey of falling out of love. These fervent dancers find ways to uncover their passion, love for, and raw relationship with tap dance. Using the sparse setup of the wooden boards concealing how love can never be defined, Fall Out pushes the boundaries of strength and intensity through the bare sounds of music and dance, articulated through complex rhythms and spectacularly technical performance.

Running time: 55 mins, no interval

Age: All

Oscar and Golden Globe winning blockbuster starring Frances McDormand.  Martin McDonagh’s fiercely written, stabbingly pleasurable tragicomedy stars a magnificent Frances McDormand; watching it is like having your funny bone struck repeatedly, expertly and very much too hard by a karate super-black-belt capable of bringing a rhino to its knees with a single punch behind the ear.

The internationally acclaimed choreographer’s interpretation of the classic fairy tale has, at its heart, a true war-time romance. A chance meeting results in a magical night for Cinderella and her dashing young RAF pilot, together just long enough to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz. The sights and sounds of war-torn London are recreated by Lez Brotherston’s Olivier Award-winning costumes and sets, lighting by Olivier Award-winning Neil Austin and surround sound designed by Paul Groothuis. Matthew Bourne’s vivid story telling has never been more heart-stopping and touching, and will take the audience into the heart of Prokofiev’s magnificent score.

‘A dazzling spectacle’
The Times

‘A big-hearted ballroom Blitz. Cinders sets the stage alight in Matthew Bourne's wartime revival’
The Observer

'A Valentine to the power of love’
LA Times

Recorded at Sadler’s Wells, London in 2017
Running time: 110 minutes (3 acts, no interval)

We are also offering an afternoon tea at the Dispensary Café at 1.30pm - enjoy a scrumptious a selection of scones, cakes and sandwiches with Rington's loose leaf tea and Rounton's Coffee for £12.50, add a glass of Prosecco or an Allendale real ale to your Afternoon Tea for an extra £3. Book this through the ticket link above.

Ballet recorded live in HD from Teatro Alla Scala

Le Corsaire follows the swashbuckling adventures of a dashing pirate who journeys across the high seas to save his beloved from the Pasha’s harem with danger looming at every turn.
With lavish sets and costumes, the choreography mirrors Russian ballet master Maris Petipa’s revival from 19th century St. Petersburg.

Full of action, passion and a romantic twist form the heart of this unmissable ballet.

Conductor: Patrick Fournillier
Choreographer: Anna-Marie Holmes

Two of folk music's most highly regarded and celebrated musicians, John McCusker and Heidi Talbot, are joining forces for the first time as a duo.

2018 will see Heidi and John celebrate their tenth year as musical partners with a new EP released in November on Under One Sky Records and an extensive Uk & European tour. John has produced Heidi's last 3 albums, they have both toured all over the globe in each others live bands but this will be the first time the pair collaborate exclusively as a duo.

Between them they have shared the stage with among others - Paul Weller, Mark Knopfler, Alison Krauss, James Taylor, Teenage Fanclub, Graham Coxon, Eddi Reader, King Creosote, Tim O'Brien and Jerry Douglas.

“One of the UK’s most gifted and versatile musicians in any genre, John McCusker is equally in demand as a multi-instrumentalist, producer and

composer”. The Guardian

“Simply vocal heaven” The Sunday Times

Swan Lake has had a special role in the repertory of The Royal Ballet since 1934. While remaining faithful to the Petipa-Ivanov text, Scarlett will bring fresh eyes to the staging of this classic ballet, in collaboration with his long-term designer John Macfarlane.
Prince Siegfried chances upon a flock of swans while out hunting. When one of the swans turns into a

beautiful woman, Odette, he is enraptured. But she is under a spell that holds her captive, allowing her to regain her human form only at night. Swan Lake was Tchaikovsky’s first ballet score. Given its status today as arguably the best loved and most admired of all classical ballets, it is surprising Swan Lake was poorly received at its premiere in 1877. It is thanks to the 1895 production by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov that Swan Lake has become part of not only ballet consciousness but also wider popular culture. That success is secured not only by the sublime, symphonic sweep of Tchaikovsky’s score, but also by the striking choreographic contrasts between Petipa’s royal palace scenes and the lyric lakeside scenes created by Ivanov.
The Royal Ballet Choreography: Liam Scarlett and Frederick Ashton after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Music: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky

Four acts, approx. 180 minutes (including two intervals)

John Hurt's final performance as a terminally ill writer grappling with his own mortality, based on N.J. Crisp's acclaimed stage-play. He has two final missions: to be reconciled to his son, Michael, and secretly to ensure he is not a burden to his wife, Anna, as he goes into that good night.

Looking back Rattle says, 'I felt that I was finding my voice on that day'. Mahler’s multifaceted work is again on the programme when Sir Simon appears for the last time as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Sir Simon Rattle’s Farewell Concert will be broadcast live to cinemas on 20th June, with exclusive interviews and programme insights featured as part of this historic event.
One of today’s greatest conductors   Gramophone on Sir Simon Rattle
Broadcast live from Berlin Philharmonie
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 6 conducted by Sir Simon Rattle
Total Running time: 120 minutes (no interval).

Bursting with exotic colour and memorable melodies, Puccini’s seductive score conceals a dramatic blade that cuts to the heart. Blending authentic Japanese music with luscious European harmonies and orchestration, the opera is an irresistible fusion of East and West.
Praised by critics as a ‘thoughtful, provocative staging’ and a ‘scathing study of exploitation’, Annilese Miskimmon’s production updates the action to the 1950s. This post-war setting brings to the fore the darker elements of Puccini’s story. Little wonder that this opera has inspired numerous contemporary adaptations and reimaginings, including the hit musical Miss Saigon.
The emotional impact of the piece is devastating  ★★★★  Stage
Composed by Giacomo Puccini, sung in Italian with English subtitles.
Broadcast live from Glyndebourne, with Conductor Omer Meir Wellber, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and The Glyndebourne Chorus.

This breathtakingly beautiful Tony® Award-winning Broadway musical, inspired by the Oscar® winning MGM film, tells the impassioned story of discovering love in the ‘City of Light’.

Featuring the gorgeous music and lyrics of George and Ira Gershwin (including the classic hits ‘S Wonderful and I Got Rhythm), stunning designs, and show-stopping choreography. With a record-setting 28 five-star reviews from critics, An American in Paris is coming from London’s West End to a cinema near you.

Jerry Mulligan is an American GI striving to make it as a painter in a city suddenly bursting with hope and possibility. Following a chance encounter with a beautiful young dancer named Lise, the streets of Paris become the backdrop to a sensuous, modern romance of art, friendship and love in the aftermath of war...

Experience this “truly ravishing” (The Guardian) production in the comfort of The Witham.

Join us at The Witham for some of Barnard Castle's 1940s' weekend and learn some basic ballroom! The Glitterball awaits!

Come along with a dance partner or meet one at the class! Whirl away the hour learning the basic moves to the classic ballroom styles including Waltz, Quickstep, Foxtrot and Tango.

Suitable for ages 9 - 99!

If this class fills, we will look to hold a second class from 14:00 to 15:00.

The East Pointers write about real life, sketching out its joys and sorrows in vivid strokes.  The East Pointers - fiddler/singer Tim Chaisson, banjoist Koady Chaisson and guitarist Jake Charron – have spent the last two years touring Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia in support of their JUNO Award winning album, Secret Victory.
In 2016, they won ‘Touring Artist of the Year’ at the Music PEI Awards and ‘Ensemble of the Year’ at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Their sophomore album, What We Leave Behind, produced by songwriter/producer Gordie Sampson, will be released in September 2017.

What We Leave Behind carves a new path for The East Pointers, as they continue to blur the lines between traditional and popular music and develop a devoted fan base around the globe.

The ruined aftermath of a bloody civil war. Ruthlessly fighting to survive, the Macbeths are propelled towards the crown by forces of elemental darkness. 

Directed by Rufus Norris

Shakespeare’s most intense and terrifying tragedy, directed by Rufus Norris (The Threepenny Opera, London Road), will see Rory Kinnear (Young Marx, Othello) and Anne-Marie Duff (Oil, Suffragette) return to the National Theatre to play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Of Life & Land is a captivating, contemporary, photographic exhibition chronicling life in the Yorkshire village of Ampleforth. 

Featuring residents, both old and young, going about their everyday lives and work, the photographs are raw, honest and exceptionally beautiful.

In his foreword to the accompanying exhibition book, Ian McMillan says:

“These wonderful photographs are poems and short stories; they are miniatures and epics; they are tiny movements at the edge of the folding map and huge gestures at the vortex of the turning world. Once seen, they cannot be unseen. They hang around in the viewers mind, returning in the moments before sleep or on train journeys through the afternoon.

Lucy Saggers’ images have the timelessness of cave paintings but, somehow, the modernity of Instagram. Here is a man following a flock of geese; here is someone standing by an empty bier. Here is a woman baking, and we know that the recipe is not in a book but in her head in the voice of her grandma. Here they are: they are us. We share their humanity and they amplify ours.Lucy has captured a place that moves to ancient and unspoken rhythms of sunrise and sunset, of birth and death and the unending dance of the seasons.”  Ian McMillan (2017)
Lucy has previously been shortlisted for several awards and in 2015 made the second round of the prestigious National Portrait Gallery Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Award.

The exhibition is curated by Andrew Dalton and printed by Joe Cornish on paper provided by Fotospeed. The accompanying exhibition book is funded by Ryedale District Council.

Exhibition usually closed Sundays and Mondays

Inspired by a true story, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is the new award-winning five-star hit musical for today. Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. He is going to be a sensation.  Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight. Winner of 3 WhatsOnStage Awards including Best New Musical and nominated for 5 Olivier Awards.

To celebrate our new Hay Meadow interpretation trail, we are working with the wonderful Neil 'Mr Hayrake' Diment. He will be in the meadow from 11am giving talks and scything demonstrations.

Minibeast Adventure

Explore the world beneath your feet with Ecologist Rachel Clarke – learn more about the minibeast and enjoy a craft inspired by what we can find in the Meadow.

This workshop is aimed at age 4+ and their families, but all ages are welcome.

You can also enjoy a free guided walk from 2 - 4pm and can then head to the Dispensary Café to purchase your Hay Meadow tea!

Minibeast Adventure 4+

Explore the world beneath your feet with Ecologist Rachel Clarke – learn more about the minibeast and enjoy a craft inspired by what we can find in the Meadow.

This workshop is aimed at age 4+ and their families, but all ages are welcome.

Explore the world beneath your feet with Ecologist Rachel Clarke – learn more about the minibeast and enjoy a craft inspired by what we can find in the Meadow.

This workshop is aimed at age 4+ and their families, but all ages are welcome.

The Drystones are a young (just 21) lively folk duo from Priddy in Somerset playing violin, guitar and whistle, who have made a big splash since they formed in July 11.  The Drystones have played festivals all over the West Country (including Larmer Tree, Sidmouth, Broadstairs, Purbeck and Folk East), and at their 2013 Glastonbury Festival performance they were highlighted by Steve Lamacq on Radio 2 as his "recommendation of the day". According to Living Tradition “to describe their instrumental style as spirited and animated would be akin to asserting that Bellowhead can be quite an energetic band”!
Photo credit:  Kate Griffin

What if your first true love was someone you’d been told you must hate? 

Set in a world very like our own, this Romeo and Juliet is about a generation of young people born into violence and ripped apart by the bitter divisions of their parents.

The most famous story of love at first sight explodes with intense passion and an irresistible desire for change, but leads all too quickly to heartbreaking consequences.

An Oscar winning performance from Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in this retelling of his early days as Prime Minister. This epic drama will transport you to the early days of World War II.

Music Director John Butt conducts the Dunedin Consort—one of the UK’s leading Baroque ensembles—in Samling Academy Opera’s production of John Blow’s Venus and Adonis and Henry Purcell’s Come, ye Sons of Art.

Featuring Samling Artist Tim Morgan as Cupid and Samling Academy Singers, this production is directed by Samling Artist Miranda Wright and choreographed by Mandy Demetriou.

Don’t miss the chance to witness this double-bill of Blow’s masterpiece, considered the first English opera, and Purcell’s much loved Baroque ode dedicated to Queen Mary.

Samling Academy Opera is generously supported by The Shears Foundation, The Foyle Foundation, Sir James Knott Trust, Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, The Barbour Foundation, Newcastle University, Durham University, Sage Gateshead, The Joicey Trust

Photo credit: Samling Academy singers Rachel Bird and Peter Dunn © Jen Hart, 2017

If you were an elf, what would you grow? Join the wonderful Gemma McColl from Suitcase Studios and be part of this magically creative workshop. All you need to bring is your creativity and Gemma will have everything else you need to create your very own elf garden to take come and watch grow!

This workshop is aimed at age 4-11 year olds and their families, but all ages are welcome.

November Club performing arts company bring their storytelling rabble to weave a tale about the residents of their village P L A C E.

Inspired by folk, traditional music and including Teesdale stories, this is an award-winning show exploring rural life. Performed by a professional cast and musicians, with special appearances from local talent.

Ceilidh following the performance is included in the ticket price.
In partnership with Northern Heartlands, one of sixteen Great Place Schemes in the UK funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England.

Handcrafted Boutique Fair with a quality selection of handmade products from around the North East.

‘Amore, My Tribute to Love’, is the renowned violinists tribute to his love for music, and his love for both of his families; his wife and children, and of course for his Johann Strauss Orchestra, who he has performed with for over 30 years. Book yourself an Afternoon Tea at The Witham before the show!

This concert follows on from the release of his album ‘Amore’ last year, which features his own versions of classic love songs, from the worlds of popular and classical music.

For this very special concert, André will be offering a lucky winner the ultimate musical love dedication; all cinema-goers will be invited to dedicate one of André’s waltz’s to their loved ones. André will personally select a dedication and he will announce the winner during the concert on both nights.
The unforgettable concerts that take place in André’s hometown of Maastricht in the Netherlands are a sight to behold. Set against the incredible backdrop of the medieval town square, fans flock annually from all corners of the world to watch André perform with his 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra, as well as sopranos, tenors, and some very special guests. The concerts are packed full of humour, fun and emotion for all ages.

This annual celebration of music that is like no other is also experienced every year in full by hundreds of thousands of fans across the world from the comfort of their local cinema, also treated to some very special behind the scenes extras.

Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins hosts the presentation, interviewing fans and soaking up the joyous atmosphere that bursts right through the cinema screen – as well as catching an exclusive chat with André the moment he steps off stage!

You can also book a delicious Afternoon Tea, 1.30pm - enjoy a scrumptious a selection of scones, cakes and sandwiches with Rington's loose leaf tea and Rounton's Coffee.

The D Project Dance Company offer a wonderful dance workshop for 4+ years

Play with scale through movement and dance, interacting with props and letting your imagination run wild as we delve into a world where anything is possible!
Explore and all things LITTLE, small, intricate and interesting, through movement! All good things come in small parcels. How small can we be? The littlest movement can tell the largest stories and provoke BIG thoughts!

This workshop is aimed at age 4+ and their families, but all ages are welcome.

Jealous of the young warrior, King Saul turns against him, descending into violent, destructive madness that forces his children to choose between loyalty and love, tearing both a family and a nation apart.
Handel’s vision of a Lear-like king is astonishing in its psychological complexity, offering a musical portrait of mental collapse few have since matched. Combined with thrilling choruses that exploit the virtuosic potential of their singers, exquisite arias and bold orchestration filled with unusual instruments, it creates a Biblical drama of truly Shakespearean scope.
Barrie Kosky’s blazingly original and visually spectacular staging of Handel’s oratorio pairs baroque music with contemporary choreography and lavish designs to create an enthralling theatrical fusion of old and new.

‘This magical, mesmerising new production of [Handel’s] Old Testament-inspired oratorio has the wow factor in spades – music-theatre at its knockout best.’ ★★★★★ Daily Mail
Composed by George Frideric Handel, sung in English with English subtitles, recorded live at Glyndebourne in 2015.

Conductor, Laurence Cummings
Director, Barrie Kosky
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
The Glyndebourne Chorus

Following the success of our last two launches, Barnard Castle's vibrant arts centre iare presenting the exciting autumn season of events directly to you, here at The Witham on Tuesday 7th August from 6pm - 7.00pm.
If you haven't already, this is also an opportunity to say hello to our fantastic Interim Director, Shelagh Avery and learn from The Witham team not only what's coming up but also have a more indepth understanding about what's programmed and indeed, why!
So, please join us from 6 - 7pm for the programme launch and also, with the Gallerina 20|twenty exhibition launch running from 6.30pm - 7.30pm, this is your chance to be the first to see that exciting array of artworks too.

We hope you can make it! Please RSVP to sarah.gent@thewitham.org.uk to let us know if you are able to attend and please spread the word - the more, the merrier!

Thank you and we will hope to see you here.
Best wishes,
Shelagh and The Witham team

Celebrating 20 years with twenty paintings commissioned by Gallerina to help champion the North – our landscape, our coast, our people and streets but above all our talent. Gallery usually closed Sundays and Mondays.

Ever wandered into a Giant's garden?

Well, this is your chance to come and grow one at The Witham, working as a team, paint and create a Giant's Garden!

Join the wonderful Gemma McColl from Suitcase Studios and be part of this magically creative workshop.
This workshop is aimed at age 4-11 year olds and their families, but all ages are welcome.

Marvel’s most radical superhero movie and a watershed moment in film making. Thrilling and action packed with stunning performances and score.

Dive into the fun world of the clown where anything is possible.

Presented by Fun in the Oven theatre company, this workshop is open to those aged from 5 to 105 years.

Dive into the fun world of the clown where anything is possible.

A fun family workshop exploring imagination, silliness and play!

A rare opportunity to see Barber’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work – opera from the age of Hitchcock, with an atmospheric score and tense, psychological twists.

Abandoned by her lover Anatol, Vanessa retreats from the world, waiting and hoping with only her mother and her niece Erika for company. But when, 20 years later, Anatol’s handsome young son arrives unexpectedly, he shatters the calm of this shuttered household of women. Past and present love collides, and the aftershocks threaten to destroy them all.

An operatic thriller from the age of Hitchcock, Samuel Barber’s Pulitzer Prize-winning first opera boasts one of the 20th century’s most beautiful scores. Poised constantly on the edge of song, Vanessa unfolds in generous swathes of melody, rich in filmic strings and soaring brass, with echoes of Puccini, Berg and Strauss. It climaxes in a final quintet of Mozartean poignancy – one of the great ensembles of the contemporary repertoire.
Seldom performed in the UK, this is a rare opportunity to see Barber’s heart-breaking domestic drama. Olivier Award-winning director Keith Warner makes his much-anticipated Glyndebourne debut with this production, which promises to bring out the psychological tensions that sit just below the surface of this charged work.
Composed by Samuel Barber, sung in English with English subtitles.
Broadcast live from Glyndebourne, with Conductor Jakub Hrůša, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and The Glyndebourne Chorus

The D Project Dance Company offer a wonderful dance workshop for 4+ years inspired by all things BIG!

Play with scale through movement and dance, interacting with props and letting your imagination run wild as we delve into a world where anything is possible!
Explore all things BIG, grand and spectacular through movement! How can we make ourselves large, how big can we make things collectively. This fun workshop will help build the confidence to be bigger in more ways than one.

This workshop is aimed at age 4+ and their families, but all ages are welcome.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...this is the moment you've waited for... The world is singing along with the most entertaining movie of the year and now you can too with this special sing-a-long screening of The Greatest Showman, the Golden Globe winner for Best Original Song. It's your time to shine – have fun, sing loud and 'Come Alive' – It's Showtime.

Regarded as one of the world’s greatest tenors, Jonas Kaufmann has captivated audiences across the globe with his incredible voice.

Join Jonas Kaufmann this summer for a spectacular outdoor concert, captured live at Berlin’s iconic Waldbühne amphitheatre. The star tenor will perform famous arias and timeless Italian songs from his bestselling album Dolce Vita, in what promises to be a magical night of music under the stars.

120 Mins (including 20 minute interval)

Sheelanagig for over a decade have brought their array of foot-stomping folk tunes to audiences across the globe.

A quintet with a well-stocked armoury of stringed instruments – guitar, fiddle, double bass – added with the rhythmic energy of flute and drums and a bagful of joint-jumping tunes, these boys from the South-West of England create a real dynamic which is inherent in both their furious dance medleys as well as their interestingly arranged original pieces.
Putting the groove into a selection of traditional and original European Folk music dating from the medieval times to present day, it’s difficult – nay, impossible – for your limbs to remain stationary when you’re within earshot of them in full flight. The fact that they often play with a knowing wink shouldn’t obscure their impeccable technique, and outstanding musicianship that raises the roof in every place they play.
2018 sees an exciting brand new line up including flautist Luke Phillips-Griffiths fresh from the Newcastle Folk Music circuit, and Alex Bishop – acclaimed folk guitarist and luthier, who both bring an exciting new direction and energy to the groups much loved sound. Busying themselves this spring the band are preparing to hit the road to tour across France, Switzerland and Australia and will return for the summer festival season and a UK tour in November.
A completely top night out – Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2
The musicianship is tight and intense – Songlines

The Witham welcomes members of the local community to share feedback and tell The Witham what they like and what could be better.  The Witham Hall Limited Registered Charity Number 1146726

A collaborative exhibition from the National Innovation Centre for Ageing and The Age of No Retirement, inspired by the programme of events within the Great Exhibition of the North

Society is changing; demographics are changing. One of the major achievements of modern society is that people are living for longer - one in three babies born in the UK today will celebrate their 100th birthday.

As a society we are starting to realise the potential of this new age – an age where opportunities are vast and we are no longer bound by how old we are. It’s time to challenge existing stereotypes of what it is to be ‘old’; to understand that with a positive vision of ageing we can achieve so much more and to believe that our age does not define us.

Throughout September the National Innovation Centre for Ageing and The Age of No Retirement are hosting a month-long exhibition: ‘Age Does Not Define Us’. Through inspirational photography, films and a series of talks, in the historic setting of The Witham Art Centre, the personal narratives of people who demonstrate that age cannot and does not define them will encourage us all to radically rethink our understanding of age and ageing today. Living our lives to the full has no age limit. Age Does Not Define Us, is an exhibition for all ages and is key for every moment of our lives. It shows that how many birthdays we have had does not define who we are or how we should be seen. This is about living the best of ourselves, at every step of the way.  Gallery usually closed Sundays and Mondays.

Winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society's 'Young Artist Award', internationally acclaimed concert pianist Clare Hammond comes to Witham with a programme that showcases the sheer range of expression and imagination possible on the piano. 

With the romanticism of Rachmaninov’s second piano sonata, stately poise of Haydn’s Sonata in C major and Debussy’s portrayal of a fireworks display in Paris, this promises to be an exhilarating and inspiring evening!

The programme will include:

HAYDN - Sonata in C major, Hob XVI:48 (11’)
MENDELSSOHN - The Bee's Wedding Op. 67, No. 4 (2')
CHOPIN - Études, Op. 25 (30’)

INTERVAL

DEBUSSY - Selection from Préludes (20’ - Voiles, Feuilles mortes, Feux d’artifice, La cathédrale engloutie, Les Collines d’Anacapri)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (arr. Rachmaninov) - Flight of the Bumblebee (2')
RACHMANINOV - Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36 (1931 version) (21’)

by Polly Stenham after August Strindberg

Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, NT Live: A Streetcar Named Desire) and Eric Kofi Abrefa (The Amen Corner) feature in the cast of this brand new production, directed by Carrie Cracknell (NT Live: The Deep Blue Sea) and broadcast live from the National Theatre to cinemas.

Wild and newly single, Julie throws a late night party. In the kitchen, Jean and Kristina clean up as the celebration heaves above them. Crossing the threshold, Julie initiates a power game with Jean – which rapidly descends into a savage fight for survival.
This new version of August Strindberg’s play Miss Julie, written by Polly Stenham, remains shocking and fiercely relevant in its new setting of contemporary London.

Join popular local artist Anne Mason for a day learning to paint using acrylics or to improve your painting skills.

The subject for this workshop is the graceful hare who has inspired so many artists. Anne will talk you through how she paints a hare and guide participants in creating their own picture.

Down on his luck in the suburbs, John Falstaff plans to hustle his way to a comfortable retirement by seducing the wives of two wealthy men.  For a fat Englishman, a Welshman and a Frenchman, the only way is Windsor…Unknown to him, it’s the women of Windsor who really pull the strings, orchestrating Falstaff’s comeuppance amidst a theatrical smorgasbord of petty rivalries, jealousies and over-inflated egos.

From the World's Most Spectacular Opera series, experience the love, laughter and loss of La Bohème at the magnificent Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour.  Puccini’s beloved classic – the original bohemian love story – has long captivated audiences around the world. His music swells with love, soars in ecstasy, crackles with jealousy and cries with heartache. With lavish sets and costumes transforming the harbour-top stage into a romantic Paris winter, Opera Australia's glittering production will be an unforgettable delight.

FAREWELL TOUR Chilli Enterprises presents the legendary Eddie and the Hot Rods. Standing only.
The band famed for their top ten hit ""Do Anything You Wanna Do"" will present a high energy stage show that has earned them plaudits from all over the world during some 40 years of touring. Fronted by Barrie Masters this band know how to deliver a solid set that engages their audience, voted one of the Top 100 most influential bands by Mojo Magazine.

Also introducing our special guests The Thieves: A Young Mod/Indie Band from Bishop Auckland
Co Durham
Frankie Dobson - Lead Singer/Guitarist/Songwriter
Will Mills - Bass / Vocals

Eddie & The Hot Rods were included in the Mojo Top 100 of most influential bands and they are often cited as an inspiration for some of the high profile new bands – young Irish rockers, The Strypes being one example. One of the most highly influential and recognisable names from the English Rock scene,
Eddie & The Hot Rods have enjoyed a career that has now spanned over 40 years.
Although often categorised as one of the founding fathers of the punk era, they were simply interested in playing loud, fast, in your face Rock ‘n’ Roll rather than bad mouthing the Queen or fermenting anarchy.
The energy and attitude certainly endeared them to the punks, but the hard and fast style that made Eddie & The Hot Rods one of the most exciting bands of the era has never really dated or gone out of style.
Thanks to this enduring appeal, the band still tour all over the world as well as find time to write and record new material that now joins their classic back catalogue.
Led as ever by Barrie Masters, the line up of Simon Bowley (drums) Dipster (bass) and Richard Holgarth (guitar) has been on the road almost continuously for the last 14 years, serving up a high energy mix of those classic Eddie & The Hot Rods songs including “Teenage Depression”, “Quit This Town”, “Life On The Line”, “Gloria” and the Top Ten UK “Do Anything You Wanna Do”, alongside newer songs taken from their last two studio albums, including “Better Without You”, “Bad Time Again” and “Why Should I Care”.
Eddie & The Hot Rods have been seen out and about with Status Quo on their 2012 arena tour and often with old friends like Nine Below Zero, Dr Feelgood and From The Jam and as well as regular trips to Europe, and have toured the USA on five occasions.
Whether it’s in an Arena, Theatre, Club or Festival, Eddie & The Hot Rods always deliver a blisteringly energetic blast of good old Rock ‘n’ Roll."

Irresistibly frothy and lavishly theatrical, The Merry Widow has enough tangled affairs, narrow misses and jealous lovers to fuel a French farce.  The tiny principality of Pontevedro is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the dashing Count Danilo must rescue his country by marrying the newly widowed and fabulously wealthy Hanna Glawari. Only when they meet does he realise that she’s his childhood sweetheart – and that she hasn’t forgiven him for jilting her years ago.

Winners of the 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Original Track .

The Rheingans Sisters make playful, powerful and richly connecting music that is wholly contemporary while deeply anchored in folk traditions. Drawing on their pan-European musical scholarship (having studied extensively in France, Sweden and Norway) and their spirited mission to make connections between the music of different geographical roots, they have developed a rich artistic approach to the deconstruction and reimagining of traditional music alongside their own beguiling compositions. Since the release of their award-winning album Already Home (2015) audiences across the UK, Europe and Australia have been captivated by their live performances; as full-hearted performers and on-stage improvisors - via the adventurous use of fiddles, voices, banjo, bansitar, tambourin à cordes, poetry and percussion - The Rheingans Sisters are a unique and unmissable act on the folk and world music stage today. Their hotly anticipated third album 'Bright Field' is released in March 2018.

"Superb" - The Independent

“Magnificent… music you wish to return to again and again” ★★★★★ - Songlines

“The Rheingans Sisters enchanted one and all with their reverie on stage” - The Canberra Times

“Quite simply extraordinary”- fRoots

A tale beginning with a remarkable incident on the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940. The soldier who escaped from Hitler’s clutches at the last minute was Alex Turner. 
Four years later his son, Neville Turner, was born in Crook.

Wolsingham Grammar School and Edinburgh University prepared Neville for a fulfilling career in the veterinary profession, a lifestyle he loved. He often said that for someone with a deep affection for the natural world and the Northern Pennines it was a fabulous way to spend one’s working days.
However this busy and rewarding professional life was punctuated by serendipitous events which were to enrich his already busy schedule.
He achieved success as a writer, contributing to many local and national publications. Combined with his pictures, his writing was used in three successful quality “coffee-table” books, “Hill Farmer”, “The Border Collie”, and “The Dales Vet- a working life in pictures”.
His extensive collection of pictures of the Red Grouse were used by Saatchi and Saatchi in advertising campaigns for a “famous” brand of Scotch whisky.
His photographic library was used in hundreds of illustrated presentations which in 1996 moved from a parochial level to a global platform. For 22 years he has been in constant demand, presenting his illustrated lectures on cruise ships worldwide. He and his wife Chris have visited over 130 ports in 58 countries, including Bombay, Rio, Tahiti, the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal, Auckland, Acapulco, and Zanzibar.

In his presentation at The Witham, Neville tells how fortunate he has been, and how writing, photography, music making, history, a love of the natural world, and travel, have all contributed to “A Wonderful Life”.

Vane Women Press presents Barnard Castle's own Judi Sutherland reading from her exciting new book, The Ship Owner's House.  Vane Women Press presents Barnard Castle's own Judi Sutherland reading from her exciting new book, The Ship Owner's House.   Afterwards, Q&A and a chance to buy the book!

The Shape of Water is a fantasy drama in which a mute woman working in a research facility develops a relationship with an amphibious creature.

CAST INCLUDES Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer
DIRECTOR(S) Guillermo del Toro
Winner of four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director

Northern  Stage's  vivid  and  dynamic  production  relocates  H.G.  Wells'  iconic  novel  to  the  North  East  of  England,  in  an  inventive  re-telling  of  a  sci-fi  classic. 

In  the  unfathomable  darkness  of  empty  space,  an  invisible missile  starts  its  journey  to  Earth  from  Mars.  And  another.  And  another.  And  another...  Ten  missiles  fired  at  the  unsuspecting  Earth  and  rushing  through  the  empty  gulf  of  space.  Ten  missiles  carrying  an  invading  force  of  Martians,  their  intellects  vast,  cool  and  unsympathetic.  Hour  by  hour,  day  by  day,  closer  and  closer  the  Martians  come,  ready  for  war  and  the  massacre  of  mankind.  The  War  of  The  Worlds charts  the  fortunes  of  a  band  of  survivors  as  they  become  refugees  in  their  own  country,  forced  to  flee  from  an  unknown  and  unprovoked  enemy,  and  battle  against  the  devastation  and  destruction  of  their  planet.  Northern  Stage's  vivid  and  dynamic  production  relocates  H.G.  Wells'  iconic novel  to  the  North  East  of  England,  in  an  inventive
re-telling  of  a  sci-fi  classic.

"Laura  Lindow’s  adaptation  of  the  sci-fi  classic  is  a  thrilling  parable  of  complacency  that  allows  a  brilliant  cast  to  shine”
The  Guardian  ★★★★

A spectacular new show featuring live music and contemporary dance, based on familiar rock and pop songs.  With talented young local soloists, and youth and adult choirs.

Humanist hymns, ancient Chinese poems, feminist battle cries, and the title track’s reflections on the rise of racism in Britain make this Bella’s most wide reaching and richly rewarding album to date.  Bella Hardy, acclaimed songwriter and traditional music luminary, released Hey Sammy in November 2017, a record that bears the stamps of extensive musical expeditions far from home.

This autumn, Bella takes to the road with only her two fiddles and harmonium for company, stripping back the instrumentation from her latest record to return the songs to their newly written forms, and performing solo with the ‘Hey Sammy’ Acoustic Tour.

Bella Hardy, BBC Folk Singer of the Year 2014, found her first home in folk music through a childhood love for ballad books. A self-taught “fiddle singer”, she began performing at Cambridge and Sidmouth festivals from the age of 13. Her debut album Night Visiting, released ten years ago, established her reputation as a songwriter when her first original composition Three Black Feathers earned a BBC Folk Award nomination.

Bella has since become a regular on radio and television, notably singing solo in a sold-out Albert Hall at the Proms. She’s written and recorded with everyone from Beautiful South founder David Rotheray to folk luminary Eliza Carthy, and performed with the great Mary Chapin Carpenter on her UK tours. Her seven-week residency in the Chinese city of Kunming was arranged by the British Council and the PRS For Music Foundation and resulted in the 2017 recording and release of Eternal Spring - an album of songs and poetry made in collaboration with Chinese singers and musicians.

It seems entirely fitting that Bella Hardy should mark a decade of remarkable recordings with the exceptional step forward that is Hey Sammy.

“The Peak District troubadour springs another surprise… her eye for a bittersweet lyric hasn’t deserted her” - The Sunday Times

“Inspired by feminism, racism, and international travels, this is an accessible proposition, reaching out, standing tall” - The Guardian

“She relocated to Nashville, dividing her time between songwriting and working as a ranch hand; and the city of Kunming, in Yunnan Province, on assignment for the British Council. Her new album, Hey Sammy, bears the marks of both of those foreign stints.” - The Financial Times

“There are many levels on which to admire Bella Hardy. That voice, of course – so vulnerable, exposed and unadorned... but, as we first discovered with Three Black Feathers, she’s also one of the best songwriters of her generation” - fRoots

"A voice that can by turns soar, seduce, sigh and sparkle, Hardy's performances can't be faulted” - R2 Magazine

When we can have sex whenever we want, with whomever we want, why settle for a normal relationship? With the promise of fresh excitement just a swipe away, is Kat’s long-term lover really her lifelong dream?

One Life Stand is a late-night search for intimacy across a city obsessed with sex and screens, exposing the loneliness sometimes found in modern relationships, where the expectations of love and lust are ever-changing.

Written by Eve Nicol with music by James Frewer and Honeyblood, this is the latest gig theatre production from the award-winning company behind All We Ever Wanted Was Everything.

Middle Child are a Hull-based company creating gig theatre that brings people together for a good night out with big ideas. They tell untold stories which capture the electrifying moment when the beat drops, mixing original live music with bold new writing.

No prior experience is needed for this fantastic workshop, this is all suitable for both beginners and the more experienced.  

Aim of the session:
To design two 7x7 cm lino blocks which can be thought about before the session; or I can supply a choice of designs that can be used.
We will transfer the designs to lino blocks and carve this out with lino cutting tools.
When the lino block is cut we will take a print onto paper initially to see if we are happy or if there are other areas that we wish to cut away before printing onto the bag.
We will then choose a colour to print and transfer the print onto the tote bags.
The ink that we will use is easy to clean up with soap and water.
Once printed the bags will take a few day to dry and will then will need to be fixed with a warm
Ideal Christmas gift !!

TeesdaleArtNet's second exhibition at the Witham will feature work from over 30 artists and makers all living or working in Teesdale, and will run alongside our autumn open studios event. It is a wonderful opportunity to see a rich variety of art and high quality craftwork all produced in our beautiful dale - and maybe buy something really special for Christmas. Gallery usually closed Sundays and Mondays

A Fantastic Woman is Chilean drama in which a transgender woman struggles to adapt after the death of her boyfriend. CAST INCLUDES Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Küppenheim, Nicolás Saavedra, Amparo Noguera.  This film is in Spanish with English subtitles.
"Exquisitely compassionate portrait of a trans woman whose mourning for a lost lover is obstructed at every turn by individual and institutional prejudice." -- Variety.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

Britain’s Ultimate Pop Star, Cliff Richard is celebrating 60 years in the music industry and he wants to invite you to the most fabulous big screen party of the year!

103 album releases, 123 single hits and the equivalent of 20 years spent in the UK charts. Britain’s Ultimate Pop Star, Sir Cliff Richard is celebrating 60 years in the music industry and he wants to invite you to the most fabulous big screen party of the year!

The 60th Anniversary Tour will be broadcast LIVE to your local cinema on Friday 12 October 2018, with special encore screenings on Sunday 14 October in celebration of Cliff's 78th birthday. Featuring a selection of his greatest hits across six decades, this will be Cliff Richard's most exciting tour yet. His incredible energy and passion on stage will sweep you off your feet and be sure to have you swaying in the aisles.

DANGEROUS  DESIRES,  FAMILY  SECRETS  AND  POLITICAL  INTRIGUES  TWIST  THROUGH  EVERY  MOMENT  OF  DARING  CHOREOGRAPHY  IN  KENNETH  MACMILLAN’S  BALLET  INSPIRED  BY  TRUE  EVENTS.

Mayerling  is  a  classic  of  the  Royal  Ballet  repertory,  with  its  emotional  depth,  haunting  imagery,  and  one  of  the  most  demanding  roles  ever  created  for  a  male  dancer.  Kenneth  MacMillan  choreographed  a  complex  work  around  the  psychologically  tormented  heir  to  the  Habsburg  Empire,  Crown  Prince  Rudolf.  From  the  ballet’s  start,  the  glamour  of  the  Austro-Hungarian  court  is  contrasted  with  undercurrents  of  sexual  and  political  intrigue  that  drive  the  story  to  its  violent  climax  in  a  double  suicide.  The  large  cast  allows  for  impressive  ensembles  in  addition  to  the  ballet's  many  solos  of  distinctive  character  and  pas  de  deux  of  disturbing  eroticism.  This  ballet,  bursting  with  intensity,  madness  and  passion,  proves  that  sometimes  the  truth  is  more  scandalous  than  fiction.
CHOREOGRAPHY  KENNETH  MACMILLAN, MUSIC  FRANZ  LISZTARRANGED  AND  ORCHESTRATED  BY  JOHN  LANCHBERY

Rachel wants to tell you a story. A true story. The story of the dancing plague of 1518. A story of 100s of women dancing in the streets. And not stopping.

She also wants to tell you that in 2018 everybody is welcome on our streets, she has great comebacks to cat calls and spends most of her time feeling safe.
But she can’t do that because, she said she’d tell the truth. She’ll do that instead.

Told with tenderness and a racing heartbeat that echos the B.P.Ms of the tracks on your playlists titled ‘Guilty Pleasures.’

Luke is a Singer-Songwriter from Canterbury, Kent, who in 2013 was nominated in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for both the Horizon Award for Best Emerging Talent and The Young Folk Category. He was also winner of Fatea’s “Male Artist of the Year 2014” and 2016.

Over the past few years he has steadily been developing a reputation for himself in the Folk & Roots circuits either through his solo shows, many festival appearances or when opening for such luminaries as Fairport Convention, Show of Hands, Steve Knightley, Martyn Joseph, Seth Lakeman, Karine Polwart, Oysterband, Paul Brady, Glen Tilbrook and Sarah Jarosz .

As well as playing solo, Luke also performs as a Duo or Trio. In addition to the UK, he regularly tours across Europe playing in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany and in 2016 and 2017 visited the USA to play at the International Folk Alliance conference in Kansas. Luke has completed several joint headline tours with Grammy Award winning songwriter Amy Wadge, with Folk Award winning duo Greg Russel and Ciaran Algar and American singer-songwriter Rebecca Loebe.

Luke is an ever present in the live music scene, gigging relentlessly all over, and he remains a prolific songwriter in demand across the United Kingdom and Europe.

About Willy Porter
Searching for the shaman that lives inside the guitar has led Willy Porter on a musical and personal odyssey spanning over two decades, 11 albums, and multiple continents. He has literally logged millions of miles across America, Canada, the UK, and Europe, touring solo, as well as with various incarnations of the Willy Porter Band and in support of artists like Tori Amos, Paul Simon, Jethro Tull, Sting, and Jeff Beck.
Porter’s journey remains defined by an independent drive to evolve as a musician and human, affording him the freedom to create the next song on his own terms. Equally accomplished as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Porter’s songs weave a universal perspective about the questions, struggles, and triumphs of human existence. His live shows are guitar-driven events-- equal parts grit, soul, and muscle--that are electrifying, dynamic, and wholly original in the way that Porter’s voice blends and fuses with his virtuoso fret work.
In addition to making a life in music, Willy makes an impact in the local and global communities he visits. He has supported food sustainability, international peace efforts, and domestic assault advocacy for various organizations as well as promoting messages of inclusivity and service through his music and partnerships.
Willy Porter lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife, two children, and their dog Beagle/Terrier, Charlie.

Presented by Opera North, in partnership with Northern Heartlands.   If you haven’t been to a live opera, this bite-sized version is for you. Opera North’s lively singers and accordionist introduce the fascinating world of opera in this live, interactive experience. 30 mins, followed by a Q&A.

Come and explore the dark skies and stars creatively with artist Gemma McColl from Suitcase Studios as part of the North Pennines Stargazing Festival.  Enjoy learning how to paint on silk and create your very own constellation to take home!

This event is part of the North Pennines Stargazing Festival (20 October to 4 November 2018). For information on other events in the programme, visit  www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org.uk 

Headlining the 2018 North Pennines Stargazing Festival, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE will be looking at the wonders of space and what it can teach us, and will also offer insights into the world of space exploration and a perspective on women in science and engineering.

As well as fronting The Sky at Night, Maggie has appeared in many programmes, including Stargazing Live, The Science of Doctor Who, and In Orbit: How Satellites Rule Our World.

She is an engaging and passionate speaker whose enthusiasm for science and learning is infectious. This event is part of the North Pennines Stargazing Festival (20 October to 4 November 2018). For information on other events in the programme, visit  www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org.uk 

National Theatre Live: King Lear By William Shakespeare.  Considered by many to be the greatest tragedy ever written, King Lear sees two ageing fathers – one a King, one his courtier – reject the children who truly love them.  Their blindness unleashes a tornado of pitiless ambition and treachery, as family and state are plunged into a violent power struggle with bitter ends.

Evening Standard ‘With finely measured intelligence McKellen traces Lear’s inexorable movement from pomp via rage and shambolic delirium to melancholy tenderness and the agony of belated self-knowledge.’★★★★★

Metro ‘In Jonathan Munby’s thriller-paced and intimate production, McKellen meticulously explores Lear’s delusions of grandeur. The transformation from monarch to shuffling wreck is a complete portrait of decline, not just of a man, but of a nation too.’★★★★

I Newspaper ‘When a performance is as voraciously anticipated as Ian McKellen’s portrayal of King Lear there is an inevitable risk that reality must defeat expectation. But McKellen does not disappoint…. The modern setting, raw and visually potent, reinforces the enduring relevance of Shakespeare’s emotional truth.’★★★★★

The Times ‘Nuanced and powerful.’★★★★

Guardian ‘Smart, lucid, superbly detailed.’ ★★★★

The Stage ‘This King Lear is an intensely moving experience.’★★★★★

Evening Standard ‘Ian McKellen's detailed, intelligent performance is a triumph.’★★★★★

Independent ‘Ian McKellen adds to the roster of his greatest achievements with this extraordinarily moving portrayal of King Lear.’★★★★★

Daily Telegraph ‘Ian McKellen reigns supreme in this triumphant production.’★★★★★

Chilli Enterprises proudly presents live in concert the acclaimed singer songwriter Ady Johnson.

Ady is an inventive songwriter who's ebullient on stage delivery of life affirming and romantic songs has resulted in numerous festival performances including Latitude and the Cambridge Rock festival.  Ady joins us at The Witham fresh from a tour with Ivor Novello award winning musician Scott Matthews.
Earlier this year Ady released a new album to critical acclaim: "London Songs which follows his debut album Tell The Worry Dolls...might well be the first contender for album of the year....deserves to be massive"....9/10 Press Association.

BBC 6 music Tom Robinson recently conducted a live interview with Ady proclaiming ""He's damn good live""

Special guests for the night include local musicians, Andy Yeadon and Moray Nellis who will perform songs from their new album The Beast Below as well as the excellent Robin Koob on violin.

A great live show, not to be missed.

A fundraising concert from the Barnard Castle Brass Band in support of the Investing In The Witham Appeal

The Barnard Castle Band are delighted to support The Witham and will be delivering a program filled with a variety of pieces to entertain a wide audience.

Andrew Nicholson has been conducting the band for about two years, the band are experiencing an upturn in enthusiasm and commitment which is to the credit of all the members of the band, the band room is a happy place to be.

New members have joined and new members are always welcome.

Climate change is massive. Bees aren’t.  Our fuzzy little friends need our help and so we’re launching a political party disguised as a party party disguised as a show. Multi award-winning theatre company, ThisEgg, invites you to save the world - one bee at a time. A new comedy for children and adults alike. Plant the seed for change, join the Bee Party. Before it’s too late…

Journeys End

JOURNEY'S END is a British war drama, set in 1918, in which a company of British soldiers await their fate as the German army prepare an offensive. 

CAST INCLUDES Sam Claflin, Paul Bettany, Asa Butterfield, Stephen Graham, Toby Jones, Tom Sturridge
""Powerful, passionate and superbly acted"" - Guardian
""An outstanding cast savours performing a play that has stood the test of time. Avoiding sentimentality, this is a valuable rejoinder to those who would sugar-coat mass slaughter.""  - EMPIRE"

Mairearad (accordion and bagpipes) and Anna (guitar, banjo and fiddle) are an instantly captivating duo with a warm and friendly stage presence who offer a highly energetic performance. 

Having played alongside each other for over ten years, they revel in an intuitive approach to each other’s musical ideas and interpretations, and an “almost telepathic communication” on stage (Hi-Arts), effortlessly showcasing the fruits of duo partnership to the highest level , creating “music more than the sum of just two parts” (The Scotsman).
Now based in Glasgow, Mairearad and Anna both grew up in the Scottish Highlands amidst very similar musical backgrounds (most notably, mandolin playing Dads!), and so share an innate understanding of Scottish culture and music. As a duo they have enjoyed many successes, including five stars in The Scotsman and high praise from KT Tunstall, becoming a much-loved live act.

Handcrafted Boutique Fair with a quality selection of handmade products from around the North East.

Castle Players present Terence Rattigan's story of love & duty, courage & fear.  Set in 1942, on the Lincolnshire coast, interweaving the experiences and decisions of three couples against a backdrop of war time uncertainty, The Castle Players bring to life this classic inspired by Rattigan's time in the RAF.

When Winston Churchill saw Flare Path in '43 'he said he was very much moved by this play. It is a masterpiece of understatement... But we are rather good at that, aren't we?

Jewellery, prints, jams, toys, cards, scarves, hats, chocolate, soaps, knitted-gifts, puzzles, wooden-gifts, bags, vintage.  Based in Cumbria, Northern Crafts are event organisers, running arts, craft, gift and wedding events in Cumbria and the North East of England

In honour of the centenary of World War I, Conductor Simon Dearsley presents Elgar’s ‘The Spirit of England’ and Bliss’s ‘Morning Heros’

Barnard Castle School Festival Orchestra
Barnard Castle School Choral Society
Soprano: Philippa Dearsley
Narrator: Rory Thompson Barnard Castle School Festival Orchestra

In the year of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One, Highlights Contemporary Craft tour addresses the pertinent theme of conflict, which affects our communities locally, nationally and internationally.  In rural environments issues of conservation versus agriculture and industry, of rewilding versus farming are often in the news.  In the global environment the devastating effect of war on individuals and communities and culture and the subsequent refugee crisis; and finally, conflicts in relationships and families, personal and professional.

Our artists are carefully selected to bring you the most exciting work being made on the contemporary art scene in the UK and abroad.  They include:

• Conrad Atkinson - Ceramic Land Mine
• Paul Scott - Cumbrian Blue(s) Ceramics
• Mark Gibbs - Mixed Media Sculptures
• Mujahid Abu Aljoud - Film
• Sumi Perera - Mixed Media Assemblages
• Laura Moreton-Griffiths - Canvas Weapon Replicas and Film
• Elisabeth Turrell - Enamel and Mixed Media
• Morwenna Catt - Textile Installation
• Eva Mileusnic - Ceramic Installation
• Rhiannon Lewando - Earthenware and Porcelain
• Mathew Day - The Sculptural potential of prosthetic limbs
• Johanna Tornqvist - Project Precious Trash

For the first time, we will also be collaborating with Aileen Brindle of  ‘f.o.a.k’ who has worked in the international craft sector for over 30 years. Together we have curated a collection of global handmade design connected to the theme of craft and conflict. This will include work from refugees affected by conflict supported by the UNHCR MADE51 programme.

THE GALLERY IS USUALLY CLOSED SUNDAYS AND MONDAYS

NATALIA  MAKAROVA’S  PRODUCTION  OF  THIS  19TH-CENTURY  CLASSIC  BALLET  BRINGS  AN  EXOTIC  WORLD  OF  TEMPLE  DANCERS  AND  NOBLE  WARRIORS  TO  LIFE

Marius Petipa’s fantasy, set in legendary India, tells the tale of a temple dancer and the prince who loves her but marries another. The famous, moonlit ‘white act’ – The Kingdom of the Shades – is a corps de ballet highlight, as multiple images of the prince’s lost love haunt his mind. The choreography allows two opposing ballerinas to shine, while a bronze idol comes vividly to life in a stunning solo. Throughout, the melody and moods of Minkus’s music perfectly match the fluidity and precision of the classical choreography and the drama of the storytelling.

CHOREOGRAPHY  NATALIA  MAKAROVA  AFTER  MARIUS  PETIPA
MUSIC  LUDWIG  MINKUS
ORCHESTRATED  BY  JOHN  LANCHBERY"

Troilus and Cressida swear they will always be true to one another. But in the seventh year of the siege of Troy their innocence is tested, and exposed to the savage corrupting influence of war, with tragic consequences.

Virtuoso percussionist Evelyn Glennie collaborates with RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran to create a satirical futuristic vision of a world resounding with the rhythm of battle, broadcast live to cinemas from Shakespeare's home town.

The Greek army is encamped under the walls of Troy and, at the point at which the play begins, the war has reached stalemate. The Greeks are quarrelling amongst themselves. Achilles, their greatest champion, refuses to fight and has withdrawn to his tent with his lover, Patroclus. Equally at odds with themselves, the Trojans are debating the value of continuing the war merely for the sake of keeping Helen.

Troilus is much distracted from these military concerns by his love for Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan who has defected to the Greek camp. The young lovers are eagerly assisted by Cressida's uncle Pandarus, who acts as their go-between. However, after only one night together they are parted when Cressida is sent to join her father in the Greek camp. Almost immediately she betrays Troilus with the Greek Diomedes and, discovering this, Troilus is plunged into despair.

With the fall of Troy certain, Troilus vows revenge on Achilles.

Morwenna Catt works between Norway and the UK and is an artist working across media with a specialism in textiles.  Using her evocative installation Sweethearts & Sandbags in Craft+Conflict as inspiration, she will help you create your own personal embroidered maps with text and images

Morwenna will provide some images, texts about conflict and resolution and a variety of vintage fabrics to help us think about the journey of conflict in an abstract or personal way or to home in on historical or current narratives.

Participants can email their images and lines of text in advance to be printed onto silk or cotton.  Morwenna will also bring her camera/laptop/printer and do them on site.  Feel free to bring your own sewing boxes, sewing machines and any fabrics or you wish to use.  We will also work by hand on embroidery hoops.

Two halls showcasing approximately thirty 'handpicked' designers, artists & craftspeople from around the region and beyond. Meet the makers and buy or commission handcrafted goods of gallery quality, with original work and a strong 'up-cycled' theme. Watch demonstrations and ‘have-a-go’.
Admission is free but a donation to St Teresa's Hospice would be gratefully received.

Three Teesdale artists, Sharon Loddey, Jane Young and Ann Whitfield join together with singer/songwriter Alice May exploring life’s pathways. Gallery usually closed Sundays and Mondays.

Jewellery, prints, jams, toys, cards, scarves, hats, chocolate, soaps, knitted-gifts, puzzles, wooden-gifts, bags, vintage.  Based in Cumbria, Northern Crafts are event organisers, running arts, craft, gift and wedding events in Cumbria and the North East of England

Hannah James has been an unmatched force of innovation in British folk for nearly two decades.

A multi-faceted performer, James’ virtuosic talent spans all her four disciplines: singer, accordionist, composer and clog dancer. She has amassed an international touring career, multiple award nominations, and credits in some of Britain’s most respected folk projects, including Lady Maisery and Songs of Separation.

In 2015, James introduced her one-woman show, JigDoll. This innovative debut reinvented the notion of solo performance by combining all James’ disciplines simultaneously for an immersive, unforgettable song and dance experience. Utilising cutting-edge looping technology with vocal, accordion and composition skill, a multi-layered soundscape was woven onstage, providing the backdrop for James’ spellbinding fusion of traditional and wholly original dance.

Now, the JigDoll Ensemble sees James enhanced by three masters of their instrument: percussionist András Des (Hungary), fiddle player Kate Young (Scotland), and bassist Marti Tarn (Estonia) perfectly articulate James’ visionary ideas for song, tune and dance. The resulting live masterpiece debuted  at 2017’s English Folk Expo, gaining an awestruck standing ovation from distinguished folk industry professionals from around the globe. The JigDoll Ensemble is set to stun audiences when it tours in 2018.

"Allelujah!" by Alan Bennett ‘Leaves you bobbing on a wave of happiness’ Independent.  Alan Bennett’s sharp and hilarious new play is ‘just what the doctor ordered’ (Daily Telegraph). Filmed live at London’s Bridge Theatre during its limited run, don’t miss this ‘rousing chorus line for the NHS’ (Observer) in your local cinema.
The Beth, an old fashioned cradle-to-grave hospital serving a town on the edge of the Pennines, is threatened with closure as part of an efficiency drive. A documentary crew, eager to capture its fight for survival, follows the daily struggle to find beds on the Dusty Springfield Geriatric Ward, and the triumphs of the old people’s choir.
Alan Bennett’s celebrated plays include The History Boys, The Lady in the Van and The Madness of George III, all of which were also seen on film. Allelujah! is his tenth collaboration with award-winning director Nicholas Hytner.
Letterpress graphic by Alan Kitching, art directed by Michael Mayhew."

EXHIBITION ON SCREEN journeys from the streets of Paris to the heart of a superb exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, whose extensive collection of Degas’ works is the most representative in Britain. With exclusive access to view rare and diverse works, this film tells a fascinating story of Degas’ pursuit for perfection through both experimentation with new techniques and lessons learnt from studying the past masters.

“Art is not a matter of what you see, but what you make other people see.” Edgar Degas. Sometimes frustrated by his own failings, Degas was consumed by obsessive principles and failing eye sight but his determination to capture everyday life was evident in every mark he made. Never fully satisfied, many of Degas’ drawings and sculptures were kept in private during his lifetime but, now through close examination, they can be seen as some of the most beautifully detailed and expressive works in the modern era. Using written accounts by friends and commentators, and the narration of letters written by Degas himself, this film reveals a more complex truth behind one of the most influential French artists of the late 19th-century and serves as an exploration of the complex workings of Degas’ artistic mind.

Barnard Castle School Presents Messiah

Celebrate the start of festive season with Handel’s Messiah sung by Barnard Castle School Choral Society with Barnard Castle School Festival Orchestra,
Soprano Philippa Dearsley, Alto Tamsin Davidson, Tenor Austin Gunn and Bass Neil Turnbull.

The  past  and  the  present  are  about  to  collide.  Jonathan  has  recently  moved  into  a  care  home.  His  mind  is  deteriorating  and  reality  becoming  confused,  but  one  memory  stays  strong  -  the  one  memory he  wishes  to  forget.

A  present  is  left,  a  book,  a  copy  of  Dickens'  The  Haunted  Man  with  an  inscription  from  Jonathan's  past  sparking  a  ghostly  visitation,  a  Phantom  offering  an  irresistible  gift  -  the  gift  of  forgetting.  The  true  cost  of  the  Phantom’s  gift  soon  shows  itself  as  the  book  and  Jonathan’s  life  merge.  With  the  help  of  the  chaotic  Tetterbys,  the  Wild-Boy,  the  gentle Milly  and  a  host  of  other  Dickensian  characters,  Jonathan  sets  out  to  find  a  genuine,  lasting  peace  and  learn  the  true  value  of  memory  and  love.
Kindred  Theatre’s  atmospheric  production  of  love,  loss  and  friendship  is  a  blend  of  candlelight,  shadows,  music  and  theatrical  storytelling  perfect  for  those  autumn  &  winter  evenings.

Broadcast live from the National Theatre, Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo play Shakespeare’s famous fated couple in his great tragedy of politics, passion and power.

Caesar and his assassins are dead. General Mark Antony now rules alongside his fellow defenders of Rome. But at the fringes of a war-torn empire the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony have fallen fiercely in love. In a tragic fight between devotion and duty, obsession becomes a catalyst for war.
Director Simon Godwin returns to National Theatre Live screens with this hotly anticipated production, following broadcasts of Twelfth Night, Man and Superman and The Beaux’ Stratagem.

The Christmassy Christmas Show of Christmassy Christmasness! is an over-stuffed stocking of seasonal surprises crammed with puppets, songs, quizzes and comedy, and over-flowing with crazy characters, silly slapstick, tall tales and fantastic facts - all presented in that unique Squashbox style!Learn about Yuletide traditions old and new, hear the story of the first Christmas Tree and even explore some festive science. Meet a snowman who lives in the fridge, try and spot some naughty elves, play hunt the brussel sprout, endure the world’s worst Christmas jumper and gaze at the “beautiful” Christmas fairy...   Squashbox Theatre's new show is a celebration of everything Christmassy, from fir trees, fairy lights, sleigh bells and snowflakes to crackers, carols, presents and puddings! 

The Nutcracker has long been one of the most delightful ways to discover the enchantment of ballet – and makes for a delicious seasonal treat for all the family. Tchaikovsky’s much-loved music is matched to a magical adventure on Christmas Eve for Clara and her Nutcracker doll. Their journey to the Land of Sweets brings with it some of the most familiar of all ballet moments, such as the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the Flowers. Peter Wright’s production for The Royal Ballet keeps true to the spirit of this Russian ballet classic, with period details and dancing snowflakes. The many solo roles and ensembles put the world-class skills of the Company to the fore in this Christmas classic.

MUSIC  PYOTR  IL’YICH  TCHAIKOVSKY, CHOREOGRAPHY  PETER  WRIGHT AFTER  LEV  IVANOV

Antiques, art, cars and tv: live and unscripted.  A  live and unscripted talk by David Harper. Bring a question or an antique for evaluation!

Christmas  simply  wouldn’t  be  Christmas  without  a  visit  to  26  Oil  Drum  Lane  to  catch  up  with  the  nation’s  favourite  rag-and-bone-men  and  indulge  in  some  classic,  festive  misadventures! 

Albert  and  Harold  – united  by  blood,  divided  over  everything  else  – seem  doomed  to  spend  Christmas  in  each other’s  company.  But  Harold  has  his  flights  of  fancy...including  a  flight  he  fancies  abroad  or  to  throw  the  biggest  Christmas  party  London’s  ever  had  to  offer!  His  “dzirty  old  man” Albert,  of  course,  has  other  ideas...Who  wouldn’t  want  to  spend  Christmas  as  Mrs.  Boxwood’s  B&B  in  Bognor Regis  anyway??  These  much-loved  episodes  of  classic  comedy  from  Ray  Galton  and  Alan  Simpson  have  been  freshly  adapted  for  the  stage  and  are  presented  by  Hambledon  Productions  – the  company  behind  the  recent  sell-out  successes ’“Just  Like  That!  The  Tommy  Cooper  Show” and  “Steptoe  and  Son”

Multi-award-winning drama The Madness of George III will be broadcast live to cinemas, in National Theatre Live’s first ever broadcast from Nottingham Playhouse.
Written by one of Britain’s best-loved playwrights Alan Bennett (The History Boys, The Lady in the Van), this epic play was also adapted into a BAFTA Award-winning film following its premiere on stage in 1991.
The cast of this new production includes Olivier Award-winners Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Wolf Hall, NT Live Coriolanus) in the title role, and Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey, Upstairs Downstairs, After the Dance).
It’s 1786 and King George III is the most powerful man in the world. But his behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic as he succumbs to fits of lunacy. With the King’s mind unravelling at a dramatic pace, ambitious politicians and the scheming Prince of Wales threaten to undermine the power of the Crown, and expose the fine line between a King and a man.

Enh National Ballet Akram Khan’s Giselle.  Filmed  live  at  the  Liverpool  Empire  in  October  2017

Hailed  as  ‘a  masterpiece  of  21st  century  dance'  from  English  National  Ballet,  Akram  Khan’sGiselle  comes  to  cinemas  for  the  first  time  in  2018,  giving  ballet  fans  the  opportunity  to  see  this  award-winning  production  in  glorious  high  definition  on  the  big  screen.  One  of  the  greatest  romantic  ballets,  Giselle has  been  re-imagined  by  celebrated  choreographer  Akram  Khan  with  Artistic  Director  and  Lead  Principal  of  English  National  Ballet,  Tamara  Rojo,  dancing  the  role  of  Giselle,  one  of  a  community  of  migrant  workers  cast  out  of  their  jobs  in  a  condemned  garment  factory.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS is a mystery drama in which a renowned detective's holiday is interrupted when a murder is committed aboard the train on which he is travelling.

CAST INCLUDES Kenneth Branagh, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Lucy Boynton, Sergei Polunin, Marwan Kenzari, Olivia Colman, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Tom Bateman, Miranda Raison
DIRECTOR(S) Kenneth Branagh
"Kenneth Branagh’s lavish, all-star take on the Agatha Christie classic is endearingly nostalgic" - Guardian"

A beautiful blend of original and traditional songs drawn from her folk background combine to inspire and celebrate the festive season.  From humble beginnings in a rural farm shop in 2012 Emily has honed a unique, family friendly Christmas night out. In 2016 she released the accompanying album from which her song ‘Find Hope’ was play-listed on BBC Radio 2. Her material has also been featured on BBC Songs of Praise Christmas special.

Sing along with traditional carols, tap your toes to upbeat instrumentals or simply close your eyes and let Emily’s evocative voice help you dwell on the joy and peace that Christmas can bring.

Joined by her band on guitars, fiddles & vocals.

Beautiful…my new favourite Christmas song  Clare Balding, BBC Radio 2
The freshest sounding folk album in an age  Sunday Express ****