Dancing Schools UK! 2025

Mathew Horne: In Conversation

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

A very special afternoon talking all things Gavin & Stacey with none other than the show’s lead: Mathew Horne! For the very first time since the series’ hilarious and explosive finale, Mathew is sitting down in front of live audiences at select theatres, deep in conversation all about his Gavin & Stacey journey – talking his absolute favourite moments, revealing hilarious tales of behind the scenes misadventures, and exploring the quite colossal impact the show’s had on his own day-to-day life! There will be a Q&A with the audience at these special events – so please come ready with your questions for Mathew! These shows are a very rare opportunity for an intimate audience with the lead of the nation’s very favourite series; early booking is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment!

Sibelius’ Symphony No.2 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

Vasily Petrenko Conductor Boris Giltburg Piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Nielsen Maskarade Overture Grieg Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No.2 The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) returns to the Royal & Derngate stage, joining forces with acclaimed pianist Boris Giltburg and conducted by RPO Musical Director, Vasily Petrenko. ‘Titanic’ was how one critic described the playing of Boris Giltburg, and they didn’t stop there: ‘Giltburg had enormous reserves of firepower – and of musing poetry, too – to open up whole worlds of feeling and imagination.’ Now imagine him bringing all his wizardry to one of the best-loved showpieces of all time – Grieg’s evergreen (and gloriously tuneful) Piano Concerto. It’s the big heart of a concert that begins with the bright and witty Overture from Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s neo-classical comic Opera Maskarade, and ends beneath the Northern Lights of Finland, as Sibelius’ mighty Second Symphony grows from tranquil beginnings to a soaring hymn of triumph. ‘He made me listen to the music afresh… the whole trajectory of the piece became clearer. The audience’s reaction was fervent and impassioned, and rightly so.’ Seen and Heard International on Boris Giltburg, February 2024

Ed Byrne

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

Our headliner at this very special evening of comedy is a certified legend of stand-up! With a TV career now in its third decade, Ed Byrne has regularly appeared on the likes of QI, Mock The Week, The Pilgrimage, Dara And Ed’s Road To Mandalay, The Graham Norton Show and Have I Got News For You, as well as hosting Live At The Apollo and Comic Relief Bake Off. His latest tour, Tragedy Plus Time, won British Comedy Guide’s Best Comedy Show Of The Year and sold out venues nationwide, becoming his most critically and commercially successful yet. With legions of fans both in the UK and abroad, Ed remains the observational stand-up to see. The brilliant opening and middle comedians for this night will be confirmed soon!

Russell Watson: The Evolution Tour

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

Celebrating 25 Remarkable Years of The Voice Join Russell Watson for a celebration of his 25-year career as the UK’s most prolific classical recording artist. Known as The Voice, Russell will be performing some of his best-known tracks and favourite pieces both old and new including Va, pensiero, Nessun Dorma, Caruso,Where My Heart Will Take Me (from Star Trek: Enterprise), plus new songs Shine and Grow. Russell’s legendary career began with a bang and only grew louder. As the first UK artist to score a transatlantic No. 1 in both the UK and the US, he has since achieved an incredible 8 top-ten albums, over 7 million album sales worldwide, and 4 Classical BRIT Awards. With a presence in the UK Top 20 on 17 separate occasions, Russell’s voice has cemented his place in the music history books as a global icon with achievements unmatched in the world of classical crossover music. Beyond the recording studio, Russell Watson has performed for some of the world’s most notable figures, including multiple appearances for Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles, and the late Pope John Paul II. Russell’s star power extends musical theatre as well, with roles in classics like Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds and Chicago. Performing...

Rich Hall: Chin Music

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

“Chin Music” has two meanings. One is idle talk. The other is a brushback throw in baseball or cricket to intimidate the batter. Both describe Rich Hall’s comedy. Idle but intimidating. Sharp, quick, splenetic, and sublimely improvisational. If you’ve never seen him, you need to hustle down to your local venue and grab a seat because he never disappoints. Ever.

Kae Kurd: What’s O’Kurd

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

Stand up sensation and social media star Kae Kurd returns with his highly anticipated brand new tour: What’s O’Kurd. Co-host of the hit podcast Aint Got a Clue, voice of ITV’s Loaded in Paradise and star of Live at the Apollo (BBC), Mock the Week (BBC Two), Celebrity Masterchef (BBC One) and The Apprentice: You’re Fired (BBC Two) As a hugely in-demand writer, his credits include Cunk & Other Humans (BBC Two), Have I Got News For You (BBC Two) and A League of Their Own (Sky One) ???? THE HERALD ???? EVENING STANDARD

Matt Green

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

Following his debut sell-out national tour, online comedy star Matt Green returns with brand new jokes about the state of politics, the world and himself. Matt has moved house and the world has moved into an even more chaotic state. But we can still laugh about it – right? Is selling a flat more annoying than Donald Trump? Will Keir Starmer ever be cool? And what happens when an algorithm knows you better than you know yourself? Or are these all just illegitimate concerns? As seen and heard in his viral clips on social media and YouTube, James O’Brien’s show on LBC, Radio 4’s POV, Oh God What Now?, Paper Cuts, Mrs Sidhu Investigates, The Marlow Murder Club and even as a news reporter in Doctor Who! You might also have seen the back of his head in A Very Royal Scandal, but only if you were really paying attention in the wedding photographer scene.

Ardal O’Hanlon: Not Himself

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

Oh, it’s all there! All the trademarks are in evidence in Ardal O’Hanlon’s latest show. Beautifully crafted stand-up comedy? Yes. Celebrated use of language? Tick. Lateral thinking, surreal flourishes, sharp observations? Of course. As for the occasional profundity? Maybe. Despite his best attempts over many decades to put the world to rights, it is still a colossal mess. And so, Ardal has no choice but to go out on the road again. Like the good comedy doctor he is, he fearlessly diagnoses the various pathologies and neuroses that are currently ravaging humanity. Disclaimer: No solutions provided. After an alarming experience at the supermarket, Ardal reflects on who he is as a man and a comedian. He examines his own ethnic and religious background. And thinks twice about the very core of his identity as a voice of reason. Is everything a big lie? With no major trauma of his own to draw on for material, apart from the drag of getting older, he also turns his gaze outwards at the joys and follies of contemporary life. Towel Animals? A.I.? Chair Yoga? Cauliflower as a main course? Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes. No current idiocy is left unexamined. With a highly developed sense of the ridiculous, and proper comedy bones, Not Himself, is a testament to the healing power of humour....

Sara Pascoe: I am a Strange Gloop

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

Have you ever been awake in the middle of the night and thought something so smart and astute that you couldn’t wait for the world to wake up so you could tell them? THIS SHOW IS THAT THOUGHT. In that it doesn’t make much sense and is a bit weird on reflection. Sara Pascoe is a comedian and her children don’t sleep and her kitchen won’t clean itself and her husband “doesn’t want to be in it”. As seen and heard on Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo, The Great British Sewing Bee, Last One Laughing UK, QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Mock the Week and co-host of Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club podcast.

Recurring

Jimmy Carr: Laughs Funny

Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP

Jimmy Carr’s brand new live tour, Laughs Funny, is on sale now. Jimmy Carr laughs funny and he wants to make you laugh by being funny.

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