Ten of the Best - Your guide to what to see around Northants in the coming days
From epic musicals to primary school singalongs, there’s plenty to enjoy
1 Frankie Goes to Bollywood, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Tuesday April 14 to Saturday April 18
A joyful and big-hearted show celebrating modern British South Asian life through love, laughter and Bollywood spectacle is coming to Northampton. Frankie Goes to Bollywood tells of an ordinary Huddersfield girl catapulted into a glittering world of Bollywood. As Frankie chases her dreams under the dazzling glare of fame, she must decide what she’s willing to risk, and what she’s prepared to sacrifice along the way. The production features new Bollywood songs by composer Harry Anand.
The show is presented by Rifco Theatre Company, which internationally recognised for producing bold and large-scale musicals that celebrate contemporary British South Asian stories. Founded in 2000 by artistic director Pravesh Kumar MBE, Rifco is known for combining spectacle, emotional storytelling and popular music to create theatre that resonates with diverse audiences nationwide.
Kumar, who has written and directed the show, said: “Frankie is a multi-layered piece of theatre. It offers a sumptuous British spin on the glorious stories of Bollywood – a breathtakingly colourful journey of romance, sweeping songs and vibrant dance, juxtaposed with exploration of the darker undercurrent within the culture.
"This is a celebration of everything glorious and spectacular about Bollywood and Indian culture while highlighting less-positive experiences women face. I wanted to highlight this issue, because it’s men’s responsibility to shine a light on sexism, and to call it out whenever and wherever they see it. I hope this show is a catalyst.
Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
2 Sister Act The Musical, The Core at Corby Cube, until Saturday April 11
Following their successful productions of Shrek The Musical and The Addams Family at The Core, Rutland Musical Theatre return to present the showstopping Sister Act The Musical. When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in one place the cops are sure she won’t be found: a convent. Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but in doing so, blows her cover. Soon, the gang is giving chase only to find them up against Deloris and the power of her newly found sisterhood. Visit thecorecorby.com or call 01536 470470 to book.
3 The Sensational 60’s Experience, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Saturday April 11
Music lovers will be transported back to the 1960s by some of the people who created the sound of that remarkable decade with The Sensational 60’s Experience. The show features an ensemble of original artists and band members, starring five of the biggest names to come out of the 1960s and still touring today – Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, The Trems – featuring Jeff Brown, former member of The Tremeloes – The Fortunes, Vanity Fare and Spencer James, who was lead singer of The Searchers for 40 years. The night is packed with timeless classics like The Legend of Xanadu, Silence Is Golden, Storm in a Teacup, Hippy Hippy Shake and Hitchin’ a Ride, plus many more. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
4 Party Season, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, until Saturday April 11
The sharp new comedy is billed as a show about “privilege, party rings and the pressures of being a parent”. Class identities collide, social niceties unravel and underslept parents do their best to hold it all together when three children’s parties take place across one weekend. Party Season is created by The Wardrobe Ensemble, long-term collaborators with Royal & Derngate and the multi-award-winning creators of The Last of the Pelican Daughters and most recently Mog’s Christmas, with the group having gained a name for their energetic and irreverent plays about life in the 21st century. The run in Northampton will include a relaxed performance, offering a welcoming environment for parents and carers with babes-in-arms and anyone who would benefit from a more informal theatre setting. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
5 James B Partridge: Primary School Bangers, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Tuesday April 14
The singing teacher turned viral star has taken nostalgic school assembly songs from the classroom to some of the UK’s biggest stages. With millions of TikTok views, sold-out tours across the country, and a Glastonbury set so popular the field had to be shut, James has become a true live phenomenon. Expect all the assembly classics – from He’s Got the Whole World to This Little Light Of Mine – plus surprises and mash-ups. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
6 Shrek the Musical, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, April 16 to 19
"Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek." Thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and there’s the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. The Tony Award-winning musical, based the Oscar-winning film, is presented by Castle Community Theatre Company. Visit castletheatre.co.uk or call 01933 270 007 to book.
7 Marcel Lucont: Les Enfants Terribles – A Gameshow For Awful Children, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Saturday April 11, 2pm
The deadpan French comic presents a wild family gameshow, in which kids get to be pests, politicians and pétomanes to be crowned the most awful child of the day. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
8 Too Much Too Young – The Music of 2-Tone and Beyond, Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, April 10
The show features timeless hits from legends like Madness, Bad Manners, The Specials, The Selecter, The Bodysnatchers and more. Visit lighthousetheatre.co.uk or call 01604 491005 to book.
9 Screaming Blue Murder Comedy Club, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Friday April 10
The theatre’s regular comedy club night showcases many of comedy’s rising stars, this time featuring Mark Maier, Jon Long and Louise Leigh, with compere Dan Evans. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
10 Miss Saigon, Milton Keynes Theatre, until Saturday April 11
In the last days of the Vietnam War, 17 year-old Kim is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as The Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American GI named Chris – but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he's fathered a son. The much-loved musical has been revamped in this new production, which features songs including The Movie in My Mind, Last Night of the World and The American Dream. Visit atgtickets.com/MiltonKeynes to book.