Thrilling drama, hilarious stand-up and a variety of Christmas shows are on their way to Bishop Auckland Town Hall as the new season gets underway.
The autumn programme sees a number of theatre productions including Charles Dickens’ Barnaby Rudge, a story of mystery and suspense set against the backdrop of the Gordon Riots of 1780 on Wednesday, 13 September.
Little ones will love Do Not Enter the Monster Zoo, a show based on the book by Amy Sparkes and Sara Ogilvie which comes to the Town Hall as part of this year’s Durham Book Festival on Wednesday, 4 October and is suitable for under 7s.
Baroque Theatre Company will return to the Town Hall with The Three Musketeers, a swashbuckling show ideal for families on Sunday, 8 October, followed by A Square World on Friday, 20 October which comes to the venue as part of this year’s TakeOff Festival.
Audiences can get into the Christmas spirit with three festive performances, starting with Welcome to Paradise which takes a tongue in cheek look at the festive season on Saturday, 18 November.
From Saturday, 25 November to Monday, 27 November, action-packed pantomime Dick Whittington and his Pirate Adventure comes to the venue with non-stop laughter and songs everyone loves.
On Thursday, 21 December, families can watch The Princess and the Goblin, an exciting adventure about the goblin’s attempts to steal away the princess with song, dance and fun along the way.
There’s also plenty of music planned for the coming months, with one of England’s leading period instrument groups The Avison Ensemble performing music from Handel, Purcell, Corelli and Geminiani to name just a few on Wednesday, 20 September.
Later in the season, 60s band My Generation return to Bishop Auckland to keep audiences entertained with music from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Gerry and the Pacemakers and many more on Saturday, 14 October.
Another great comedy line-up comes to the Town Hall this season, with popular Hilarity Bites nights promising plenty of laughs and featuring a variety of comedians from Lloyd Griffith who recently supported Jack Whitehall’s arena tour to Steve Gribbin, Liverpool’s guitar-wielding satirist who has appeared at festivals throughout the world.
From Monday, September 18 to Friday, 22 December an art exhibition featuring the work of one of the town’s most well-known residents will be on display.
Michael Dolan, who died earlier this year, managed many pubs and wine bars in the town but continued his love of art, particularly pencil drawing, pastel and watercolour. His pieces will now go on show for all to enjoy as part of this showcase of his work.
To view the full autumn programme and book tickets, visit www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk or call 03000 269 524.