We are delighted to present the Barnard Castle Holiday Club – a fortnight of exciting activities from Monday 12 August to Friday 23 August. The Bowes Museum, TCR Hub and The Witham have teamed up to not only offer a childcare solution for working families but also exciting days of activities for those who are  8+ years to enjoy.  Price: £25.00 per day, £28.50 with lunch, siblings and multiple bookings £20.00 per day, £23.50 with lunch.

You can book into as many or few days as you like – just read on to explore what’s available and book into the days that take your fancy. There is a £5.00 discount for siblings and children attending multiple sessions, please select the appropriate option when booking. If you are booking multiple sessions, you may find it easier to book by phone by calling 01833 690606. Please carefully note the venue(s) at which you are booking a place as this is where the day's activity will take place.

These activities are all lead by professionals with all the necessary security checks and adults are not required!

Places are limited so early booking is recommended by clicking on the dates you would like to attend.

12, 13, & 14 August, 9.30–4.00, Turrets Takeover! @ The Witham

A fun-packed day of drama games, singing and movement. Enjoy playing and creating theatre with a short session for parents at the end of each day.

15, 20 & 22 August, 8.30 - 5.00, The Bowes Museum

3 days of arts and crafts, have a go at printing, painting and sculpture and get a Discover Arts Award. Get creative with LEGO® and find out about the Museum.

16, 19, 21 & 23 August, 10.00–3.00, The Hub

Help design and paint a bright, inspiring permanent piece of art at TCR Hub. Join local artist Holly M Scott and help create a striking mural to adorn the walls of the workshop area. Over the course of 3 sessions we will work collaboratively studying colour theory and geometric design, developing our ideas and painting the final design.

Town crier Ian Kirkbride reads stories at The Witham, either in the cafe or outside in the meadow depending on the weather

Grease is the word!
Make things inspired by Grease & sing along to the film that afternoon!

Join us for one of the greatest musicals of all time...... Grease IS the word!  Experience the friendships, romances and adventures of a group of high school kids in the 1950s. Welcome to the singing and dancing world of "Grease," the most successful movie musical of all time. A wholesome exchange student (Olivia Newton-John) and a leather-clad Danny (John Travolta) have a summer romance, but will it cross clique lines?

Dress up and sing out loud to your hearts content!

Horrid Henry’s Hullabaloo
Games and crafts inspired by Horrid Henry. Where: The Witham (with visit to Library)

With fantastic live music and an awesome atmosphere in The Witham which is located in the centre of Barnard Castle., our debut event at this venue will raise the bar for gin festivals.

Your ticket price includes:

Entry to the Festival

Limited edition, unique Mr Foxx’s Gin Fest gin glass

3 Gin Tokens ( with selected package)

Gin notepad and pen

Exclusive live entertainment with resident guest DJ

Photo wall….and more.

What can you expect?

In the spacious surroundings of The Witham our festival will showcase lesser known, small batch gin producers alongside bigger, more familiar names, with samples for you to taste. Our special Festival Guide will provide information on each of our producers.

After your three inclusive Gins, a single 25ml gin served with its paired garnish and Fever-tree mixer will be £5 from our bespoke Gin Bar. Operating on a token basis, these can be purchased from our dedicated stand (cash and cards accepted).

Choose from our hand-picked selection of gins, perfectly served in your own Mr Foxx glass to enjoy at the festival. Before you leave, purchase your favourites from our try-and-buy bar to take home.

Designated driver or non-gin drinker? Don’t worry, we offer a non-gin ticket option which includes entry, entertainment and full access to the regular bar. (Tickets are limited so don’t delay.)

Food will be available throughout the evening.

Supported by Fever-tree Mixers.

Over 18s only: ID will be required.

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/

Mad Hats and Masks
Let’s decorate our heads with a hat or a mask from your imagination!

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

On Tuesday, September 10th, the wait is over….The Testaments, Margaret Atwood’s highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, is revealed. The momentous literary event will be celebrated with an exclusive live cinema broadcast, as Fane Productions present an evening with the Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic and inventor.  The publication of Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale in 1985 and the current, Emmy Award-winning television series have created a cultural phenomenon, as handmaids have become a symbol of women’s rights and a protest against misogyny and oppression. Live from the London stage, Atwood will be interviewed by broadcaster and author Samira Ahmed in a conversation spanning the length of Atwood’s remarkable career, her diverse range of works, and why she has returned to her seminal handmaid story, 34 years later.

‘Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in.’

With exclusive readings from the new book by special guests, this will be an unmissable and intimate event with Atwood, spotlighting her signature insight, humour and intellect.

The Witham today is a thriving centre for the arts, creativity and business. Based on research in the archives and displaying a wealth of photographs and documentary material, this exhibition traces the Witham’s history from its foundation in the 1840s as a Dispensary, Mechanics’ Institution and Library serving the working poor of Teesdale.

Beginning with the remarkable philanthropy of the founders, Henry Witham and a group of local gentry, we follow its vigorous growth and expansion through the 1800s and 1900s, to its eventual flowering as the region’s main venue for cultural and social events.

This exhibition runs from Thursday 12 to Saturday 28 Sept and will usually be closed Sundays and Mondays.

From the creator of the hit show Black Is The Color Of My Voice come a new story about the 20th Century African American experience.  Against a powerful soundtrack of original music and traditional gospel and blues, two women, 42 years apart become involved in the struggle for civil rights.

One, a notorious Black Panther Assata Shakur; the other, Ambrosia a present-day university student enrolling as the 2014 Ferguson riots begin. Both challenge the American justice system, become criminalized through political activism, and ultimately are faced with the same choice: stay and fight, or flee?

Woke won the coveted Scotsman Fringe First Award for it’s premiere season, and was highly commended by the judges of the Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award.

Age recommendation 12 +

It is said that a change is as good as a rest, and for Katie Doherty it is both a rest, and a change, that provide the backdrop to her latest album 'And Then'  Back in 2007, Doherty became an award-winning songwriter, and released her debut solo album Bridges to much acclaim - including airplay from BBC Radio 2 - leading her to share stages with the likes of Karine Polwart, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, and Ray Davies. Life however - as it has a habit of doing - got in the way, putting the brakes for the moment on a soaring trajectory.

It was after the success of November Club’s rural touring musical Beyond The End of the Road, for which Katie composed the score, that a spark was ignited and The Navigators emerged. Shona Mooney on fiddle and vocals (The Shee, former BBC Radio Scotlands Young Traditional Musician of the year)and Dave Gray on melodeon and vocals (Världens Band) elevate Katie’s songs, and the trio often sound much bigger than a three.

It perhaps should not be a huge surprise then that much of Doherty’s new album is rooted in her keen observation of the concept of change. Whether the focus be on the changing seasons, life circumstances, the passage of time, or the shifting of social attitudes and behaviour, on And Then we see Doherty shine a light on how it feels to be part of a world that can be hard

“Hers is an ascent worth following… and then some.” - Folk Radio

“And Then is a timely interval, a brief moment if respite, an oasis of tranquility…thankfully there are those in the world who have the foresight to take stock and recognise whats important” FATEA Magazine

“Real life has rarely sounded as good.” - NARK Magazine

“This is lovely!” - Mark Radcliffe

“And Then is poetic, original and brings a traditional folk style into the 21st Century” - Maverick Magazine

“And Then, well, play it again. It’s an album of great musicianship to bring you joy and was well worth waiting for” - ArtsDesk.com"

2 pm - 3.30 pm, third Wednesday of the month (18 Sept, 16 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec)

Everyone can sing – however much we might protest – meaning it is the most accessible form of music making. It can also play a vital role in improving our health, well-being and social life.

If you are 55+ come along to our monthly singing session led by local musician and singing teacher Jane Ford.
A relaxed, fun atmosphere is guaranteed. Absolutely no experience required.

The cost of these sessions is only £2 and we will supply a hot drink for participants. It is not necessary to pre-book this event. However, if you are planning on joining us, click through to confirm as this will help give us an idea of numbers.
3rd Wednesday of the month, 2 – 3.30pm, the Witham Room

Phil Mews grew up on his family farm in Stanhope in the 1970s with his parents and two brothers.
When he was seven years old, Phil lost both of his parents in a ten week period and was subsequently sent to Barnard Castle School where he remained as a boarder for ten years.
Orphan Boys tells the story of Phil’s childhood on the farm, the events surrounding the death of his parents and chronicles the subsequent years that he spent as a pupil at Barney. Phil has spent the last twenty years in television production working alongside Barbara Windsor, Liza Minelli and Graham Norton and was nominated for a BAFTA in 2005 as part of the production team for the BBC’s Days That Shook The World series.
Phil has also presented from the red carpet at the BAFTAs for Channel 4 interviewing a number of Hollywood A List stars. After twenty five years away, Phil has recently returned to live in Weardale.

What sound does an elephant make? Or a tortoise? Or a kangaroo?
Join the fabulous players of the Orchestra of Opera North for this relaxed concert for babies, young children and their families where moving around and responding naturally to the music is actively encouraged.
During this magical interactive event, you will go on a unique journey with your child as you experience the wonderful music of Sans-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals really close up.

Recommended age: 0 – 4 years
Running time: 45 minutes

by Richard Bean
based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni, with songs by Grant Olding

Featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from host of the The Late Late Show, James Corden, the hilarious West End and Broadway hit One Man, Two Guvnors returns to cinemas to mark National Theatre Live’s 10th birthday.
Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6,000 from his fiancée’s dad. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers. Holed up at The Cricketers’ Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with one Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be re-united with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart. Simple.

12A
Running time: 210 minutes

It’s a warm Summer’s day in the local graveyard. Hassan and Jake are skipping school and shooting the breeze, while Sheila and Joanne are tracing a shared history among the headstones. The trees are in leaf and the wildflowers bloom, while in the distance a light aircraft draws ever closer through the clouds. Unknown to all of them, terror is lurking in the sky.  Join storyteller Matthew Bellwood for a new show about society, friendship and the things we hold dear about the places where we live. Thoughtful, intriguing and filled with warmth and humour, ‘Terror From The Skies’ asks important questions about how much those in power know, or care, about our communities.

The Acoustic Café gives local musicians the chance to play on the balcony in the Café and our visitors the opportunity to enjoy some great live music

Early music specialists, Pellingmans’ Saraband, present a concert of Division-Musick; a vibrant and virtuosic glimpse of music making in England from the time of Shakespeare to the reign of Charles II.

The art of ‘dividing’ upon a ground bass, or playing ‘divisions’, was the Renaissance and Baroque equivalent of our modern jazz tradition.

Skilled musicians, both amateur and professional, would improvise upon a fixed repeated harmonic sequence (the ‘ground’), often with astonishing inventiveness and virtuosity.

‘This is very much the home patch for Pellingmans’ Saraband, and these solos and duos are performed with the heavenly mixture and aplomb and breeziness that is such a trademark of these musicians. The arrangements are intelligent, the playing crisp and inventive and it is difficult not to be swept away by the seductive charm of their sound.’ (Review, The Viol)

Part of The Witham’s Sunday Afternoon recital season

The rocks beneath our feet shape the landscape around us, and in the North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark they tell a story spanning 500 million years.

See the work of the latest photographers to be inspired by this landscape. This is an exhibition of the top entries into the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s 2019 Framing the Land photography competition. The programme is supported by National Lottery players through the Heritage Lottery Fund.  Gallery usually closed Sunday and Monday.

Multi-award-winning director Emma Rice brings her unique, exuberantly impish vision to Angela Carter’s great last novel in this brand-new play. A big, bawdy tangle of theatrical joy and heartbreak, Wise Children is ‘pure, unadulterated theatre’ (★★★★★ Broadway World) performed by a talented ensemble cast. A celebration of show business, family, forgiveness and hope, with a generous dash of Shakespeare, scandal and mischief, this colourful all-singing and dancing show takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotion.

Filmed live at York Theatre Royal in March 2019
★★★★★ ‘Fantastic. Life-enhancing, brilliantly uninhibited, all-singing and dancing… Stars? I’m not sure why you would stop at five.’    The Observer
★★★★ ‘An explosion of theatrical glee’    The Times
★★★★ ‘Bonkers but brilliant, a very English Rice pudding’    Daily Mail
(15)   |   Running time: 150 minutes (one interval)

Expect to laugh, cry and sing along to the classics whilst four bridal-clad women attempt to entertain, delight and maintain their dignity.

Using their unique concoction of wildly entertaining dance theatre, Gracefool Collective invite you to be guests at the non-wedding event of the year as they take on themes of tradition, conformity and expectation.

It’s not a wedding, but it is a celebration, and everyone is invited.

“A brilliantly observed pastiche… hilarious” Culture Vulture
“You guys completely cracked it…some of the best work I’ve seen in 30 years in dance and theatre” Audience member

Feminist, forthright and fiercely funny, Gracefool Collective is made up of four female dance artists, all graduates of Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Previous commissions include Furnace (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Northern Connections (NSCD, 2015 and 2017) and Reveal Festival (Octagon Theatre).

Gracefool have performed nationally and internationally with their critically acclaimed work This really is too much, including a successful run at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of the Underbelly Untapped programme, an award for ‘exceptional and innovative new work’.

Running time: 1 hour 10 mins (no interval)
Age suitability: 11 years & up (contains swearing)

20  stalls of handmade gifts and goods from Jewellery, prints, jams, toys and cards to scarves, hats, chocolate, soaps, knitted-gifts, puzzles, wooden-gifts and bags.

On the remote Siula Grande in Peru in June 1985, mountaineer Simon Yates found himself in a desperately unenviable position. He was slowly being pulled off the mountain face by his injured partner, Joe Simpson, dangling on the rope 50 metres below.  His decision to cut the rope saved both their lives in the epic of survival that followed and with the publication of the book ‘Touching The Void’, the later film and now stage play, both climbers became household names. It was an experience that could have put many off the sport of mountaineering - but not Simon. Over 30 years later, he is still a very active exploratory climber and guide, making several expeditions to the mountains each year. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, Alaska to Central Asia there is hardly a significant range that he has not visited.

Come along and witness Simon’s tireless journey from that mountain in Peru to some of the remotest on the planet and share with him the drama, excitement and beauty of modern, lightweight alpinism. Told with wit, dry humour and lavishly illustrated with images and film collected on his great climbs.

“Simon is a totally engaging speaker, who both entertains and inspires.”

A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen…A Northern Stage production.  By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Adapted by Douglas Maxwell.  Directed by Jake Smith

Charles Baskerville is dead, and a terrifying beast is rumoured to stalk the moors around the remote Baskerville mansion.

When Sherlock Holmes sends Doctor Watson to investigate, Watson finds himself surrounded by dense fog and a community steeped in folklore, legend and rumour. At Baskerville Hall, the line between reality and myth is no longer clear.

Following the sell-out success of H.G. Wells’ The War Of The Worlds, Northern Stage presents Sherlock Holmes’ most infamous case, adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s gothic classic.

Age recommendation 12 +

This is a practical introduction to how radio drama is made with plenty of chances to have a go and practice the techniques used in the production of professional radio drama.

The morning session introduces the participants to the weird and wonderful world of radio - featuring playful exercises to include all participants.  In the afternoon we will make a short radio play and all participants will receive their own copy of the finished version following the course.  For all fans of radio drama, Archers Addicts and amateur performers or professional actors with little or no experience of radio drama.  Stefan Escreet is a freelance radio producer and director who was a BBC Radio Drama Producer working on programmes across the Radio 4 schedule.  He is also visiting tutor in Radio Acting for Manchester Metropolitan University School of Theatre.

£65 including copy of recorded play.  Makes a great gift as an Experience Day!

Only 10 places available.

Facebook page @RadioActingDays

2 pm - 3.30 pm, third Wednesday of the month (18 Sept, 16 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec)

Everyone can sing – however much we might protest – meaning it is the most accessible form of music making. It can also play a vital role in improving our health, well-being and social life.

If you are 55+ come along to our monthly singing session led by local musician and singing teacher Jane Ford.
A relaxed, fun atmosphere is guaranteed. Absolutely no experience required.

The cost of these sessions is only £2 and we will supply a hot drink for participants. It is not necessary to pre-book this event. However, if you are planning on joining us, click through to confirm as this will help give us an idea of numbers.
3rd Wednesday of the month, 2 – 3.30pm, the Witham Room

by William Shakespeare
‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’

A feuding fairy King and Queen of the forest cross paths with four runaway lovers and a troupe of actors trying to rehearse a play. As their dispute grows, the magical royal couple meddle with mortal lives leading to love triangles, mistaken identities and transformations… with hilarious, but dark consequences.
Shakespeare’s most famous romantic comedy will be captured live from the Bridge Theatre in London. Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Oliver Chris (Green Wing, NT Live: Young Marx), David Moorst (NT Live: Allelujah!) and Hammed Animashaun (The Barber Shop Chronicles) lead the cast as Titania, Oberon, Puck and Bottom.
Directed by Nicholas Hytner, this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will build on the success of his immersive staging of Julius Caesar (NT Live 2018). The Bridge Theatre will become a forest – a dream world of flying fairies, contagious fogs and moonlight revels, surrounded by a roving audience following the action on foot.

12A TBC
Running time: 180 minutes (TBC)

T

The Manchester-based quartet will take us on a fascinating journey through classical favourites including Haydn Opus 64 no 5, known as “The Lark” (naturally following on from “The Bird” they played in April) and Dvorak Opus 96 “The American”. Their third piece, or group of short pieces, has yet to be decided.

The players will guide you along the way with spoken introductions to all the music.

The rocks beneath our feet shape the landscape around us, and in the North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark they tell a story spanning 500 million years.

See the work of the latest photographers to be inspired by this landscape. This is an exhibition of the top entries into the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s 2019 Framing the Land photography competition. The programme is supported by National Lottery players through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

• 10:00 am
• 10:45 am
• 11:30 am
• 12:15 pm
• 1:30 pm
• 2:15 pm
• 

Based on NASA’s most nail-biting mission, Ron Howard’s suspenseful drama follows astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) as they leave Earth’s orbit. When an oxygen tank explodes, however, their intended moon landing is called off, and their mission becomes a battle to survive.

The Witham has programmed this classic film screening as part of The 2019 North Pennines Stargazing Festival (#NorthPennStarFest19) which runs between 23 October and 3 November – during Autumn Half Term.

With darkly Gothic sets and costumes, Northern Ballet is resurrecting Bram Stoker’s classic horror story for special LIVE screenings in cinemas this Halloween.   The haunting tale of passion and immortality is played out through a unique blend of sensuous dancing and gripping theatre - this is ballet with a dramatic bite. Created by Northern Ballet's Artistic Director David Nixon OBE, with atmospheric music by Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Pärt, Michael Daugherty and Sergei Rachmaninov, Dracula is a thrilling adaptation that will leave you thirsty for more.

From Billy Elliot to Close the Coalhouse door, When the Board comes in to The Pitmen Painters, hear the sounds and stories of the Pitmen Poets.After their sell out UK tour of 2017 the four Pitmen Poets return for their final tour in 2019.  Ex-Lindisfarne singer and songwriter Billy Mitchell, Warhorse Songman Bob Fox, leading exponent of Tyneside song Benny Graham, and much-covered Durham songwriter Jez Lowe individually and collectively celebrating the triumphs, tragedy, humour and hard times of North-East England’s coal mining tradition in an evening of music, song and spoken word.

Mountaineering talk by Doug Scott CBE

Legendary mountaineer Doug Scott give a fascinating insight into how a lad born in Nottingham during the darkest days of WWII got into climbing on the Black Rocks in Derbyshire – aided with nothing but his mother’s clothes line, and how this led him to Everest in 1975.

At dusk on 24 September, Doug and Dougal Haston became the first Britons to reach the summit of Everest as lead climbers on Chris Bonington’s epic expedition to the mountain’s south-west face. As darkness fell they scraped a small cave in the snow 100 metres below the summit and survived the highest bivouac ever – without bottled oxygen, sleeping bags and, as it turned out, frostbite. For Doug Scott, it was the fulfilment of a fortune-teller’s prophesy given to his mother: that her eldest son would be in danger in a high place with the whole world watching.

Scott and Haston returned home national heroes with their image splashed across the front pages. Scott went on to become one of Britain’s greatest ever mountaineers, pioneering new climbs in the remotest corners of the globe. His career spans the golden age of British climbing from the 1960s boom in outdoor adventure, to the new wave of lightweight alpinism throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Proceeds from the evening will support the work of Community Action Nepal www.canepal.org.uk and include a sale of Nepalese goods and an auction of signed framed mountaineering prints. Doug will update the audience about the post-earthquake reconstruction of CAN’s projects. He will also be signing copies of his posters and books

In their five years, Scottish firebrands Talisk have stacked up several major awards for their explosively energetic yet artfully woven sound, including 2018’s Belhaven Bursary for Innovation & 2017’s Folk Band of the Year both at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award.

Mohsen Amini – the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Musician of the Year 2018, Hayley Keenan and Graeme Armstrong seamlessly meld concertina, fiddle and guitar to produce a multi-layered, enthralling signature that has effortlessly captivated audiences from the USA to Australia, and throughout the UK.

Appearances at world-leading festivals – including the Cambridge Folk Festival, Denmark’s Tønder, WOMAD UK and Las Palmas, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Celtic Colours, Milwaukee Irish Festival and five successive outings at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections – have amassed a die-hard following, whilst the world’s folk and world music media have also lauded high credits upon the trio. The release of their hotly anticipated second album, Beyond, in October 2018 was met with a five-star ‘Top of the World’ review in Songlines, praising the band as “incredibly infectious and endearing… fresh, invigorating, accomplished and playfully frisky.”

“a rockin’ powerhouse” The Herald
“Doubling the power of three” The Scotsman
“The musicianship is phenomenal, the enthusiasm infectious” Folk Radio UK

Old Kent Road are a group of tap dancers who are together raising the game in the UK tap dance scene.

Their groundbreaking new show – the first work by a British tap dance company to be performed at Sadler’s Wells – is an energetic fusion of classical tap and street dance attitude. Oscillate explores human interactions and the effects of communication on relationships through a pounding piece of tap dance theatre performed to an orignal score of electronic dance music.

“Something very special and unique … this earthquake of a show transcends the boundaries of conventional tap … Transforms tap to a seemingly incomprehensible level of excellence … a delicious show that the tap world, and the world of dance generally, desperately needs!” Heart London ★★★★

“Impossible to keep your eyes off the stage for even one second” London Theatre Review

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.

Original work and a strong ‘up-cycled’ theme. Demonstrations and ‘have-a-go sessions’ for all ages.

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

2 pm - 3.30 pm, third Wednesday of the month (18 Sept, 16 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec)

Everyone can sing – however much we might protest – meaning it is the most accessible form of music making. It can also play a vital role in improving our health, well-being and social life.

If you are 55+ come along to our monthly singing session led by local musician and singing teacher Jane Ford.
A relaxed, fun atmosphere is guaranteed. Absolutely no experience required.

The cost of these sessions is only £2 and we will supply a hot drink for participants. It is not necessary to pre-book this event. However, if you are planning on joining us, click through to confirm as this will help give us an idea of numbers.
3rd Wednesday of the month, 2 – 3.30pm, the Witham Room

Written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Directed by Vicky Jones

★★★★★   ‘Witty, filthy and supreme.‘    Guardian

See the hilarious, award-winning, one-woman show that inspired the BBC’s hit TV series Fleabag, broadcast live to cinemas from London’s West End. Written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) and directed by Vicky Jones, Fleabag is a rip-roaring look at some sort of woman living her sort of life.

Fleabag may seem oversexed, emotionally unfiltered and self-obsessed, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With family and friendships under strain and a guinea pig café struggling to keep afloat, Fleabag suddenly finds herself with nothing to lose.

Playing to sold-out audiences in New York and London, don’t miss your chance to see this ‘legitimately hilarious show’ (New Yorker), broadcast live to a cinema near you.

15 TBC   |   Running time: 100 minutes (TBC)

Presented by DryWrite, Soho Theatre and Annapurna Theatre
Show image by Jason Hetherington

Just married. Buried alive. Hedda longs to be free. The Castle Players present Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, Hedda Gabler in an adaptation by Patrick Marber.

When Hedda returns from her honeymoon, she finds herself trapped in a dull and tedious marriage. As her world begins to close in around her, Hedda makes an attempt to regain control of her life. She begins a campaign of manipulation and lies, only to see her actions result in disastrous consequences.

Amanda Owen is a shepherdess, farmer’s wife, mother to nine children, a passionate photographer and a Sunday Times bestselling author. Amanda’s first book The Yorkshire Shepherdess from 2014 offers an inspiring account of her transformation from Huddersfield townie to rural sheep farmer. Her second book A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess made it to number 2 in the bestsellers charts. Amanda has also appeared on Countrywise (ITV), The Dales (ITV) and Ben Fogle’s New Lives In The Wild (C5).

by Simon Wood

Hansard; noun    |  The official report of all parliamentary debates.

See two-time Olivier Award winners, Lindsay Duncan (Birdman, About Time) and Alex Jennings (The Lady in the Van, The Queen), in this brand-new play by Simon Wood, broadcast live from the National Theatre in London.
It’s a summer’s morning in 1988 and Tory politician Robin Hesketh has returned home to the idyllic Cotswold house he shares with his wife of 30 years, Diana. But all is not as blissful as it seems. Diana has a stinking hangover, a fox is destroying the garden, and secrets are being dug up all over the place. As the day draws on, what starts as gentle ribbing and the familiar rhythms of marital scrapping quickly turns to blood-sport.
Don’t miss this witty and devastating portrait of the governing class, directed by Simon Godwin (NT Live: Antony & Cleopatra, Twelfth Night) and part of National Theatre Live’s 10th birthday season.

15 TBC
Running time: 180 minutes (TBC)

Blazin’ Fiddles are one of the world’s most prolific fiddle groups.
Celebrating their 21st year in 2019 – now with nine albums and many thousands of miles and behind them, yet a passion that burns brighter than ever – no other band has quite managed to capture the excitement, sensitivity and raw fire of Scottish music all at once.
With a ‘Blazers performance comes the unique opportunity to hear the regional expressions and diverse fiddle dialects from Scotland’s Highlands and islands, and the individual style from each music.
The four fiddle frontline of Inverness’ Bruce MacGregor, Shetlander Jenna Reid, Nairn’s Rua Macmillan and Orcadian Kristan Harvey are joined by guitar and piano from Anna Massie and Angus Lyon, where fiddles and bows ignite in a blend of ensemble and solo sets.
Whatever the hall – be it in a remote Highland village or London’s Royal Albert – this legendary, multi award-winning act never fails to set the hearts of their audiences alight.

We at The Witham are delighted to be welcoming the Blazin’ Fiddles back to Barnard Castle.

The Witham Hall Disco Is Back.. for the first time since 1988!

Let’s bring back the traditions of the 1980s with a soundtrack to match.  You can look forward to dancing to tracks such as Yazz – The only way up, Double Trouble and the rebel MC – Street tuff, Womack and Womack- Teardrops and Dexy’s – Come on Eileen.

Everyone welcome – even if you didn’t attend one of the original discos back in the day!

This is a fundraising event to support The Witham (long may it last and bring the disco back to new generations!)

2 pm - 3.30 pm, third Wednesday of the month (18 Sept, 16 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec)

Everyone can sing – however much we might protest – meaning it is the most accessible form of music making. It can also play a vital role in improving our health, well-being and social life.

If you are 55+ come along to our monthly singing session led by local musician and singing teacher Jane Ford.
A relaxed, fun atmosphere is guaranteed. Absolutely no experience required.

The cost of these sessions is only £2 and we will supply a hot drink for participants. It is not necessary to pre-book this event. However, if you are planning on joining us, click through to confirm as this will help give us an idea of numbers.
3rd Wednesday of the month, 2 – 3.30pm, the Witham Room