Northampton BID

The Cube Disability Arts Academy – Cube Love 2022
2022-09-24 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Royal and Derngate Theatre, 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DP
Cube Love 2022 is coming to Royal & Derngate this September and is the highly anticipated sequel to last year’s incredible production.
Immerse yourself in the talent our The Cube Disability Arts Academy students have to offer and come and support all their hard work as we put them front and centre stage for a night you will not forget.
Set to be our biggest production yet, this is one you will not want to miss, book early to avoid disappointment and come and spread the Cube Love!

Dawn French Is A Huge Tw*t
2022-09-25 19:30 - 22:00
A statement from Dawn French:
“This show is so-named because unfortunately, it’s horribly accurate.
There have been far too many times I have made stupid mistakes or misunderstood something vital or jumped the gun in a spectacular display of tw*ttery.
I thought I might tell some of these buttock-clenching embarrassing stories to give the audience a peek behind the scenes of my work life…
Roll up! Book early to see the telly vicar lady be a total tw*t on stage, live in front of your very eyes. And ears.”

Essential 80s Featuring Paul Young + T’Pau + Hue & Cry
2022-09-27 19:00 - 21:00
The decade of fun and flamboyancy, the era of music videos, the 12 inch, compilation CDs and some of the most enduring popstars in the world! Essential ’80s brings the very best chart-topping artists of the era to the stage for a nostalgic tour of everyone’s favourites!
Eighties heartthrob Paul Young, shot to fame with his much-loved album No Parlez’ followed by a steam of top 10 hits such as Wherever I Lay My Hat, Love Of The Common People, Everytime You Go Away’ and Everything Must Change.
Carol Decker of T’Pau, broke hearts with her powerful vocals on huge hits such as China in Your Hands and the uniquely arranged debut single Heart and Soul. The flame-haired songstress became a teen icon in the ’80s for many a young girl who aspired to be like her!
Scottish duo Hue & Cry were a force majeure with their high energy hit Labour Of Love. Their seminal album Remote was released to not only huge acclaim but to multi-platinum success, spawning the singles Ordinary Angel, Violently and Looking For Linda.
VIP Package Includes:
Meet & Greet with Paul Young
Premium Seats in the first few rows
VIP laminate and lanyard
Signed tour print

Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited – Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights
2022-09-28 19:45 - 22:30
Hot on the heels of his most successful solo tour ever, Steve Hackett brings his Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights tour to Northampton in 2022. The tour will mark the 50th anniversary of the legendary Genesis album Foxtrot which, in 1972, was pivotal in establishing the band as a major force in British rock.
Guitarist Steve Hackett joined Genesis in 1971, making his band debut on the Nursery Cryme album which enjoyed a greater commercial success in Europe than the UK. After extensive touring, the band were encouraged, by audience reactions, to further experiment with ever longer compositions and develop their ability to incorporate strong narratives. This, in turn, allowed frontman Peter Gabriel more opportunity to indulge in the theatrics which helped to raise the band’s profile.

Martin Bayfield’s Rugby Legends
2022-09-30 19:30 - 21:30
From the police beat to the Hollywood movie screen to a Five Nations Grand Slam and MasterChef final, Martin Bayfield has had a varied life!
Join the former England international and true giant of the game as he embarks on his Rugby Legends UK tour. Martin will take to the stage with former players to reveal never-heard-before stories and incredible insight into the sport we all treasure.
The audience can expect stories with soon to be announced special guests about international games, local teams; legends emerging from coal mines, farms, police stations, classrooms, universities. Matches played on 6” of grass, mud in the winter, hard pan in the autumn and spring months. Riotous end of season tours and half cooked lasagne or chilli con carne after the game washed down with beer, then the long, meandering journey home.

Scott Bennett – Great Scott
2022-09-30 20:00 - 22:00
Scott Bennett has been blazing a trail through the stand-up circuit for the best part of a decade. He’s written for many high-profile acts such as Chris Ramsey and Jason Manford, and recently recorded his debut for Live at the Apollo. In massive demand as a comedy writer and with regular appearances on The News Quiz and The Now Show, Scott is an act on the verge of breaking through into the big time.

Dave Gorman – Powerpoint To The People
2022-10-01 19:30 - 21:30
Dave Gorman, the man behind Dave TV’s hit show Modern Life Is Goodish as well as Are You Dave Gorman? and Googlewhack Adventure, is back on the road with a brand new live show, Powerpoint To The People.
The ‘high priest of the comedy Powerpoint talk’ (The Times) is touring again – as much as anything to demonstrate that a Powerpoint presentation doesn’t have to involve a man in a grey suit standing behind a lectern and saying ‘next slide please’. We’ve all had enough of that, so let’s put it all behind us and never speak of it again – there are far more important things to analyse. Well…they’re more important in Dave’s head anyway.

The Color Purple
2022-10-04 19:30 - 21:30
Leicester’s Curve theatre and Birmingham Hippodrome‘s critically acclaimed, award-winning 2019 co-production of The Color Purple comes to Northampton this Autumn.
Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel and adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winner Marsha Norman,The Color Purple tells the powerful and life-affirming story of courageous heroine Celie. Abused and oppressed throughout her youth, Celie embarks on a journey through joy, despair, anguish and hope, discovering her own unique voice thanks to the incredible women in her life. From an unbreakable bond with her sister Nettie, to friendship with fiercely independent Sofia and a life-changing affair with glamorous singer Shug Avery, Celie learns to love herself.
With a profoundly evocative score by Grammy award-winners Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray and drawing inspiration from jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues, this landmark musical celebrates life, love and the strength to stand up for who you are and what you believe in.

Jordan Brookes – FIX
2022-10-07 20:00 - 22:00
What do you do when the end of the world finally comes, and you realise it’s going to happen slowly and boringly? No sudden meteor strike. No thrilling zombie apocalypse. Just a gradual ebbing away of life as you knew it. Do you fight to fix things before it gets worse, dedicating your life to making the world around you better? Nah! You close your curtains, hunker down and fixate over something s***y someone said to you in 2019.
The longest reigning Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner is back with a new show! As seen on Late Night Mash (Dave), Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club (ITV), and his own stand up special coming soon to Amazon Prime.

The Two Popes
2022-10-11 19:30 - 21:30
From the writer of the Academy Award-winning Bohemian Rhapsody, Darkest Hour, and The Theory of Everything , comes the play that sparked a major motion picture.
Nine years ago, Pop Benedict XVI stunned the world by resigning, the first Pope in 700 years to do so. What drove this arch conservative to break with sacred tradition and make way for a one-time tango club bouncer, football-loving reformer with the common touch to become Pope Francis, one of the most powerful men on earth?
Starring Anton Lesser (Game of Thrones, The Crown, Endeavour) and Nicholas Woodeson (Baptiste, The Death of Stalin, The Danish Girl) this gripping and entertaining play by Anthony McCarten premiered at Royal & Derngate, Northampton in 2019 and was adapted into the multi-award winning film for which McCarten was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Awards. It now returns to Royal & Derngate as part of a major new tour.
Directed by Royal & Derngate’s Artistic Director James Dacre (2020 Olivier Award nominee for Our Lady of Kibeho) with the original music by Grammy and BRIT Award- winning composer Anne Dudley.
The Two Popes is a fascinating, humorous story that shines a light into one of the world’s most secretive institution. At its heart lies a timeless question: in moments of crisis, should we follow the rules or our conscience?

Lucy Worsley
2022-10-15 19:30 - 21:30
Spend an evening with the Queen of History, Lucy Worsley, as she delves into the fascinating life of the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie.
For these unique, live illustrated talks, Lucy will present one of the most elusive and enigmatic figures of the twentieth century. Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was ‘just’ an ordinary housewife, when she clearly wasn’t? Agatha went surfing in Hawaii, she loved fast cars, and she was intrigued by the new science of psychology, which helped her through devastating mental illness. So why – despite all the evidence to the contrary – did she present herself as a retiring Edwardian lady of leisure?
Sharing her research based on the writer’s personal letters and papers, Lucy will uncover the real Agatha Christie – the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman.
This promises to be an entertaining and enlightening evening, emphasising not just Agatha’s unique gifts as a storyteller but her revolutionary qualities as a determined, successful, and thoroughly modern woman.
Lucy is Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces and a hugely popular writer, broadcaster and speaker. Her recent TV series include Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley (BBC One) and Lucy Worsley Investigates (BBC Two). Lucy has an OBE for services to history, and her series Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley won the BAFTA.

10cc
2022-10-16 19:30 - 21:30
Among the most inventive and influential bands in the history of popular music, 10cc are one of the very few acts to have achieved commercial, critical and creative success in equal measure.
The line-up features Graham Gouldman (bass, guitar, vocals), Rick Fenn (lead guitar, bass, vocals), Paul Burgess (drums, percussion) – both of whom have been with the band since the early years – Keith Hayman (keyboards, guitars, bass, vocals) and Iain Hornal (vocals, percussion, guitar, keyboards) to perform many of their classic hits including Rubber Bullets, Dreadlock Holiday and I’m Not In Love.

Al Stewart With His Band The Empty Pockets
2022-10-17 19:30 - 21:30
Al Stewart reprises’ his 2019 touring line-up with The Empty Pockets. His first major tour since finding himself side-lined for most of 2020 due to the pandemic.
Once again Al and the Pockets will be joined by saxophonist Marc Macisso. He will be playing his old favourites Year Of The Cat, Time Passages, On The Border, Nostradamus and Roads To Moscow along with selections from his deep catalogue.
The Scottish-born singer-songwriter has released nearly 20 introspective and lyrically powerful records featuring brilliant backing musicians (Jimmy Page, Phil Collins, Richard Thompson, Peter White, etc.). His biggest platinum successes, Year Of The Cat and Time Passages, were released in 1976 & 1978 respectively. He’s had several top 20 singles, including the above-mentioned titles, as well as On the Border and Song On The Radio.

The Pundits
2022-10-18 19:30 - 21:30
Come and join football punditry royalty. Host Jeff Stelling is joined by the ultimate panel of pundits including Paul Merson, Matt Le Tissier, Phil Thompson and Charlie Nicholas. The boys are really back in town!
Jaw-dropping revelations and hilarity ensue as the quintet with an opinion on absolutely everything, do what they do best – talk football…from players to managers and everything in between. Anecdotal stories of the guests’ colourful playing days on and off the field make this a dream night for any soccer fan.
The event will feature a Q&A, enabling YOU to ask the lads whatever you want. Make sure you don’t miss out on what is sure to be the best football pundit show that you will see live this year!

Jon Richardson: The Knitwit
2022-10-19 20:00 - 22:00
Will the recycling be put out on the right day? Who is going to smooth over the top of the margarine? How many lights are on upstairs when everybody is downstairs? Watch Jon pretend that these aren’t his foremost concerns as he leaves home on his first tour since the last one.
Best known as a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Cats Countdown (Channel 4), host of Dave’s Ultimate Worrier, and upcoming sitcom Meet The Richardsons. As well as Would I Lie To You (BBC One), Have I Got News For You (BBC One), Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (BBC One), and Taskmaster (Dave).

Al Murray – Gig For Victory
2022-10-21 19:30 - 21:30
As the dust settles and we emerge blinking into the dawn of a new year, the men and women of this great country will need answers. Answers that they know they need, answers to questions they never knew existed.
And when that moment comes, who better to show the way, to provide those answers, than the people’s man of the people, the Pub Landlord? Steeped in the deep and ancient barroom wisdom of countless lock ins, the Pub Landlord is there to show the way. Wherever you are, he will – within sensible travel limits and theatre booking policy – come, offering people thirsty for common sense a full pint of the good stuff.

Sean McLoughlin – So Be It
2022-10-22 08:00 - 17:00
International microstar Sean McLoughlin is back on the road with a scintillating new stand-up show.
The world may be a strange and scary place but there’s no need for the b******s to get you down. Come sit in a dark room and listen to some jokes told by “an impassioned and uniquely brilliant talent” (The List). Widely acclaimed for his hilarious and incisive stand-up, Sean has recently supported Ricky Gervais in arenas across the globe having previously opened for Bill Burr at the Royal Albert Hall. He has made multiple TV appearances, been nominated for a Chortle Award and released two extremely successful U.S. comedy albums.

Sir Bryn Terfel – Songs And Arias
2022-10-23 19:30
The Welsh bass-baritone, Sir Bryn Terfel performs an evening dedicated to the world of Songs And Arias.
A concert that brings together some of his signature roles from opera along with famous tunes from musical theatre and music-hall. Bryn will perform songs and arias he adores to sing, accompanied by Annabel Thwaite on piano and Hannah Stone on harp. The personal playlist from one of the world’s most sought-after singers will include music from Mozart to Wagner, to some sublime music from his native Wales, in an evening that will be one to remember!
The Songs And Arias tour is a wonderful chance for Sir Bryn Terfel’s fans to reconnect with one of the world’s most cherished and esteemed live performers.
“I’m delighted to be hitting the road with a UK tour of my favourite ‘Songs and Arias’ this October and bringing my wife Hannah Stone on harp and Annabel Thwaite on piano, with me on my journey. I’ve chosen a selection of my best-loved pieces from opera to musicals and Welsh songs…a bit of everything and I can’t wait to present this programme to the audiences of Scotland, England and Wales.” Sir Bryn Terfel

Upfront Comedy Slam
2022-10-23 20:00 - 22:00
A blockbuster line up to warm the autumn cockles, featuring comedy heavyweight Kane Brown, Athena Kugblenu (Athena’s Cancel Culture), award winning Ali Woods, Jay Droch (Asian Comedy Network), hosted by comedian & Teletubbie John Simmit.

NC Jazz Presents – Toni Kofi Quintet: A Tribute to Cannonball
2022-10-24 20:00 - 22:00
Alto-sax master Tony Kofi fronts this loving celebration of the jazz giant (in every sense) Julian ‘Cannnonball’ Adderley. With Andy Davies (trumpet), Alex Webb (piano), Andrew Cleyndert (bass) and Alfonso Vitale (drums) the group traces the explosive music of Cannonball from his first session as leader in 1955 through work with Miles Davis to the soul-jazz of the 1960s. The repertoire includes Adderley brothers classics like Things Are Getting Better, Work Song, Del Sasser, Sack o’Woe and many others.

Derren Brown – Showman
2022-10-25 19:30 - 21:30
The multi-award-winning master of mind control and psychological illusion, Derren Brown, is back, launching his first brand new theatre show in six years: Showman.
Derren is at his very best on stage. His one-man shows have received wide critical acclaim and more Olivier wins and nominations than any other in history!
The content of Showman remains a closely guarded secret, but if you’ve seen him before, you know you’re in for a powerhouse treat!

Maisie Adam – Buzzed
2022-10-25 19:30 - 22:00
Fresh from Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, and The Last Leg, Best Newcomer nominee Maisie Adam is back with a brand new show for 2022, Buzzed.
Rammed with witty observations, high-octane energy, and some right good jokes. This high-energy show promises to be better than whatever else you had planned (unless you had plans to go dancing with Cher).

Kiri Pritchard-McLean – Home Truths
2022-10-26 19:30 - 21:30
Kiri Pritchard-McLean (Have I Got News For You?, Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie to You?, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown) is back with a brand new tour.
It’s been a big few years for most of us and Kiri is no different. She’s moved back to her home island of Anglesey, struggled with lockdown and got herself some rescue chickens. You can expect jokes about skinny jeans, learning Welsh and white supremacy – something for everyone.

Rich Hall
2022-10-26 20:00 - 22:00
Fresh on the heels of his critically acclaimed memoirs, Nailing It, Montana’s transatlantic messenger returns with new rants, knife-edge observations, thrilling musical interludes and an ever-formidable knack for laughs on the fly. You’ll pay for the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge of it.

Chris McCausland – Speaky Blinder
2022-10-27 19:30 - 22:00
One of the UK’s top stand-ups Chris McCausland is on tour with a stand-up show about life, family, and loads of other nonsense as well!

Ralph McTell
2022-10-28 19:30 - 21:30
Ralph McTell is touring his album Hill Of Beans. Produced by the legendary Tony Visconti, it is Ralph’s first album of original material for 10 years. The performance will feature plenty of songs from his 50+ year career in addition to showcasing some of his most recent work.
A singer songwriter of international acclaim who has played across the world, McTell brings his exquisite song writing to life with virtuoso guitar picking and evocative stories. His spellbinding songs and wry humorous anecdotes take the audience from his busker days in Paris, to concert halls in Australia and America and through the Streets of London.

Sh*t Faced Shakespeare – Macbeth
2022-10-29 20:00 - 22:00
The smash-hit, internationally acclaimed, multi sell-out fringe phenomenon is touring the UK with one of Shakespeare’s most loved plays: Macbeth.
Sh*t-faced Shakespeare is the hilarious combination of an entirely serious adaptation of a Shakespearean classic, with an entirely sh*t-faced cast member. With one cast member selected at random and given four hours to drink before every show we present to you classical theatre as it was always meant to be seen. With a gin in one hand, a cup of wine in the other and a flagon of ale in the other…What could possibly go wrong?
Sh*t-Faced Shakespeare seeks to introduce a new generation of theatre-goers to the works of the Bard by reviving the raucous, interactive and vibrant nature of Elizabethan theatre with a very modern twist – reminding them as we go to always enjoy Shakespeare responsibly.

Sofie Hagen – Fat Jokes
2022-10-29 20:00 - 22:00
Edinburgh comedy award winner Sofie Hagen presents; Fat Jokes. A show bursting with big jokes and fat punchlines. Sofie returns to her craft of devastatingly brilliant joke writing and storytelling and has created this collection of fat jokes and unforgettable moments that you can laugh at without feeling like sh*t. Come as you are and enjoy an actual fat person at the top of her game.

The Mirror Crack’d
2022-10-31 19:30 - 21:30
1960s England and a wind of change is blowing through the land.
It has even reached the sleepy village of St. Mary Mead. There’s a new housing estate to make the villagers curious and fearful. And even stranger, a rich American film star has bought the Manor House.
Jane Marple, confined to a chair after an accident, is wondering if life has passed her by.
Then there is a vicious murder, and Miss Marple must unravel a web of lies, tragedy and danger.
This adaptation of Agatha Christie’s famous novel brings real emotional depth and psychological insight to a thrilling story of revenge and the dark secrets that we all hide. But can anything be hidden from Miss Marple, the sweet old lady with a mind like a steel trap?

Calendar Girls The Musical – Northampton Musical Theatre Company
2022-11-01 19:30 - 21:30
A Musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth
The death of a much-loved husband prompts a group of ordinary women in a small Yorkshire Women’s Institute to raise money for charity by doing an extraordinary thing – creating a ‘nude’ calendar.
This musical, based on the true story and the hit film Calendar Girls, is coming to Royal & Derngate in November.
Having performed over 30 shows on the Derngate stage, including most recently Shrek The Musical and Made In Dagenham, Northampton Musical Theatre Company return once again to perform this heartwarming and funny story by Tim Firth, accompanied with music and lyrics by Gary Barlow.
Originally Produced by David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and The Shubert Organisation Based on the play Calendar Girls written by Tim Firth and on the motion picture Calendar Girls written by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi
