Ten of the Best - Your guide to what to see around Northants in the coming days
From wartime songs to comedy from beyond the grave, there’s plenty to enjoy
1 The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged), Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Thursday May 14 to Saturday May 16
The worldwide comic phenomenon returns with this updated and reinvented rollercoaster ride through all 37 of the Bard’s plays. After nine years in London’s West End, two TV specials and performances in over 20 countries, the Reduced Shakespeare Company is reinventing its classic comic masterpiece for the next generation of audiences. Expect Hamlet performed backwards, Titus Andronicus as a YouTube cooking tutorial, and all of the History plays turned into a chaotic football match where the crown is kicked from king to king. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
2 Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty, The Core at Corby Cube, Thursday May 14 and Friday May 15
It’s London in 1901. As the British Empire wages war in the name of a Queen whose health is failing, a series of mysterious events reveals a crack in the corridors of power, threatening to destabilise monarchy, government and Empire. And at its centre, controlling the flow of information and influence, a shadowy figure plans a final deadly move. Drawn into the game and unsure who to trust, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson find themselves confronting figures from their past in a desperate race against time, aware that the most powerful person in the world could be in the pocket of one of the most corrupt. Based on the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty is promises powerful performances, a haunting soundscape and innovative design. Visit thecorecorby.com or call 01536 470470 to book.
3 Ministry of Science: Science Saved the World, Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, Sunday May 17
Join the presenters as they dive deep into the world of science and look at how science shapes the world we live in – with a few loud bangs along the way. They’ll take an anarchic approach while looking at the scientists, engineers and inventors who have shaped the modern world. Expect 20ft liquid nitrogen clouds, exploding oxygen & hydrogen balloons, fire tornadoes, hydrogen bottle rockets, ignited methane and even a self-built hovercraft. Call 01536 414141 or visit lighthousetheatre.co.uk to book.
4 Ladies Day: A Comedy, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, Wednesday May 20 to Saturday May 23
Wellingborough Cooperative Amateur Dramatic Society present the exuberant comedy about four likely lasses from the Hull fish docks who head out on a day trip to the races. Work, love and life are just one long, hard slog for the fish-filleting foursome. Their fortunes are set to change when Linda finds tickets to Ladies Day at Royal Ascot the year it relocated to York. If their luck holds, they could hit the jackpot - and more besides. Visit castletheatre.co.uk or call 01933 270 007 to book.
5 The D Day Darlings: Victorious, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, Sunday May 17
This show takes audiences on a nostalgic journey through the defining sounds of the 20th century, from the heartfelt harmonies of the 1940s to the swinging rhythms of the post war eras.
With vintage glamour, soaring vocals, and moving storytelling, Victorious pays tribute to the heroes of the past while aiming to ignite the spirit of a new generation. Visit castletheatre.co.uk or call 01933 270 007 to book.
6 Calendar Girls, Plaza Centre, Thrapston, Wednesday May 13 to Saturday May 16
Thrapston Amateur Dramatic Society presents the much-loved play, based on a true story and the hit 2003 film. When Annie’s husband dies of leukemia, she and her best friend Chris decide to raise funds for the local hospital. Despite raised eyebrows from locals, they create a calendar featuring themselves and their friends from the Women’s Institute – in tastefully nude poses. As they embark on their fundraising journey, the friends discover a newfound sense of confidence and sisterhood, breaking free from societal expectations of middle age. And as the word begins to spread, the Calendar Girls begin to turn heads and capture hearts around the world. Any money made from the production will be split evenly between Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Cransley Hospice and Macmillan Nurses. Call 07543 321219 or visit tadsthrapston.org.uk to book.
7 Kenny! – The Kenneth Williams Centenary Musical, Uppingham Theatre, Saturday May 16, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
In the year in which he would have turned 100, a new musical will open at Uppingham Theatre to celebrate the centenary of the legendary comedy actor. Wink Taylor stars as Williams in the musical, while Uppingham actor and writer Henry Dawe has written the book and lyrics, with music composed by Tom Neill. Henry said: “Kenneth Williams was one of the most extraordinary men Great Britain has ever produced. No other British comedy actor has ever held such a fascination for the public in his lifetime and so many years after his death. One hundred years on from Kenneth’s birth, our mission is to pay tribute to Kenneth in the exciting form of a musical and to recognise the contribution he made whilst fighting his troubles.” Visit www.uppingham.co.uk/arts-programme or call 01572 820705 to book.
8 A Beautiful Thread, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Wednesday May 20
Starring Anton Lesser (Endeavour, Wolf Hall, Game Of Thrones), A Beautiful Thread weaves Thomas Hardy’s life – dramatic as any of his books – with his beautiful poetry and great novels, including Far From The Madding Crowd, Tess Of The d’Urbervilles, and Jude The Obscure. Hardy put much music into his work, and Orchestra of the Swan’s on-stage musicians weave Hardy’s own words with a performance of Holst, Purcell and contemporary folk. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
9 Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe: Dead, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Saturday May 16
Yorkshire’s Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer 2024 is back, after yet another sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Billed as the nation’s favourite demonic entertainer, owner of a Working Men’s Club in Rotherham that is also a portal to hell, and dead himself, Frankie promises to dazzle from beyond the grave. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
10 Welsh National Opera: The Flying Dutchman, Friday May 15, and Blaze of Glory, Saturday May 16, Milton Keynes Theatre
It’s a chance to enjoy live entertainment at its most epic. In The Flying Dutchman, Wagner's orchestrations from the thunderous overture to its haunting arias become the heartbeat of the story, evoking the power of the ocean. Blaze of Glory os a toe-tapping, heart-warming adventure set in a 1950s Welsh Valleys community. After a devastating mining disaster, a small group of Welsh miners decide to reform their Male Voice Choir to lift spirits and raise the roof. Visit atgtickets.com/MiltonKeynes to book