National Theatre Connections Festival 2026 For the past 31 years The National Theatre Connections Festival has been a celebration of young people, theatre and the importance of access to the arts. Each year the National Theatre commissions a collection of new plays for young people to perform, uniting some of the most exciting UK playwrights of today with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. Royal and Derngate are proud to host the largest and most diverse of the regional Connections festivals in the country, and we are thrilled to be welcoming hundreds of young people to Northampton again in April 2026 for what promises to be an exciting week of new writing packed with young talent. School groups and Youth theatres from across the region will perform in compelling new plays including Cloud Busting by Helen Blakeman, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth by Kirsty Housley, Sycamore Gap by Al Smith, Wildfire Road by Eve Leigh, The Animals by Sean Buckley, Fishville by Afsaneh Gray, and Royal & Derngate’s own Young Company will take part in the festival performing Britney’s Lock by Alexandra Wood Tuesday 21 April Sycamore Gap St Peter’s Catholic School 12pm in The Royal Wildfire Road Halesowen College 2pm in The Underground Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Kettering Science Academy 5.30pm in The Royal Wednesday 22 April Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Ousedale 11.30am in The Royal Sycamore Gap Alderbrook School 1pm in Underground...
National Theatre Connections Festival 2026 For the past 31 years The National Theatre Connections Festival has been a celebration of young people, theatre and the importance of access to the arts. Each year the National Theatre commissions a collection of new plays for young people to perform, uniting some of the most exciting UK playwrights of today with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. Royal and Derngate are proud to host the largest and most diverse of the regional Connections festivals in the country, and we are thrilled to be welcoming hundreds of young people to Northampton again in April 2026 for what promises to be an exciting week of new writing packed with young talent. School groups and Youth theatres from across the region will perform in compelling new plays including Cloud Busting by Helen Blakeman, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth by Kirsty Housley, Sycamore Gap by Al Smith, Wildfire Road by Eve Leigh, The Animals by Sean Buckley, Fishville by Afsaneh Gray, and Royal & Derngate’s own Young Company will take part in the festival performing Britney’s Lock by Alexandra Wood Tuesday 21 April Sycamore Gap St Peter’s Catholic School 12pm in The Royal Wildfire Road Halesowen College 2pm in The Underground Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Kettering Science Academy 5.30pm in The Royal Wednesday 22 April Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Ousedale 11.30am in The Royal Sycamore Gap Alderbrook School 1pm in Underground...
National Theatre Connections Festival 2026 For the past 31 years The National Theatre Connections Festival has been a celebration of young people, theatre and the importance of access to the arts. Each year the National Theatre commissions a collection of new plays for young people to perform, uniting some of the most exciting UK playwrights of today with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. Royal and Derngate are proud to host the largest and most diverse of the regional Connections festivals in the country, and we are thrilled to be welcoming hundreds of young people to Northampton again in April 2026 for what promises to be an exciting week of new writing packed with young talent. School groups and Youth theatres from across the region will perform in compelling new plays including Cloud Busting by Helen Blakeman, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth by Kirsty Housley, Sycamore Gap by Al Smith, Wildfire Road by Eve Leigh, The Animals by Sean Buckley, Fishville by Afsaneh Gray, and Royal & Derngate’s own Young Company will take part in the festival performing Britney’s Lock by Alexandra Wood Tuesday 21 April Sycamore Gap St Peter’s Catholic School 12pm in The Royal Wildfire Road Halesowen College 2pm in The Underground Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Kettering Science Academy 5.30pm in The Royal Wednesday 22 April Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Ousedale 11.30am in The Royal Sycamore Gap Alderbrook School 1pm in Underground...
National Theatre Connections Festival 2026 For the past 31 years The National Theatre Connections Festival has been a celebration of young people, theatre and the importance of access to the arts. Each year the National Theatre commissions a collection of new plays for young people to perform, uniting some of the most exciting UK playwrights of today with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. Royal and Derngate are proud to host the largest and most diverse of the regional Connections festivals in the country, and we are thrilled to be welcoming hundreds of young people to Northampton again in April 2026 for what promises to be an exciting week of new writing packed with young talent. School groups and Youth theatres from across the region will perform in compelling new plays including Cloud Busting by Helen Blakeman, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth by Kirsty Housley, Sycamore Gap by Al Smith, Wildfire Road by Eve Leigh, The Animals by Sean Buckley, Fishville by Afsaneh Gray, and Royal & Derngate’s own Young Company will take part in the festival performing Britney’s Lock by Alexandra Wood Tuesday 21 April Sycamore Gap St Peter’s Catholic School 12pm in The Royal Wildfire Road Halesowen College 2pm in The Underground Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Kettering Science Academy 5.30pm in The Royal Wednesday 22 April Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Ousedale 11.30am in The Royal Sycamore Gap Alderbrook School 1pm in Underground...
National Theatre Connections Festival 2026 For the past 31 years The National Theatre Connections Festival has been a celebration of young people, theatre and the importance of access to the arts. Each year the National Theatre commissions a collection of new plays for young people to perform, uniting some of the most exciting UK playwrights of today with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. Royal and Derngate are proud to host the largest and most diverse of the regional Connections festivals in the country, and we are thrilled to be welcoming hundreds of young people to Northampton again in April 2026 for what promises to be an exciting week of new writing packed with young talent. School groups and Youth theatres from across the region will perform in compelling new plays including Cloud Busting by Helen Blakeman, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth by Kirsty Housley, Sycamore Gap by Al Smith, Wildfire Road by Eve Leigh, The Animals by Sean Buckley, Fishville by Afsaneh Gray, and Royal & Derngate’s own Young Company will take part in the festival performing Britney’s Lock by Alexandra Wood Tuesday 21 April Sycamore Gap St Peter’s Catholic School 12pm in The Royal Wildfire Road Halesowen College 2pm in The Underground Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Kettering Science Academy 5.30pm in The Royal Wednesday 22 April Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Ousedale 11.30am in The Royal Sycamore Gap Alderbrook School 1pm in Underground...
National Theatre Connections Festival 2026 For the past 31 years The National Theatre Connections Festival has been a celebration of young people, theatre and the importance of access to the arts. Each year the National Theatre commissions a collection of new plays for young people to perform, uniting some of the most exciting UK playwrights of today with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. Royal and Derngate are proud to host the largest and most diverse of the regional Connections festivals in the country, and we are thrilled to be welcoming hundreds of young people to Northampton again in April 2026 for what promises to be an exciting week of new writing packed with young talent. School groups and Youth theatres from across the region will perform in compelling new plays including Cloud Busting by Helen Blakeman, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth by Kirsty Housley, Sycamore Gap by Al Smith, Wildfire Road by Eve Leigh, The Animals by Sean Buckley, Fishville by Afsaneh Gray, and Royal & Derngate’s own Young Company will take part in the festival performing Britney’s Lock by Alexandra Wood Tuesday 21 April Sycamore Gap St Peter’s Catholic School 12pm in The Royal Wildfire Road Halesowen College 2pm in The Underground Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Kettering Science Academy 5.30pm in The Royal Wednesday 22 April Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth Ousedale 11.30am in The Royal Sycamore Gap Alderbrook School 1pm in Underground...
Seen by over 22 million people worldwide This sensational multi award-winning West End show first opened in 1989 and has been thrilling audiences around the world ever since. Now it triumphantly returns to Royal & Derngate as part of its 2025/26 UK Tour. Forget feel good, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is FEEL GREAT! Experience the drama, passion and excitement as a multi-talented cast of actor-musicians tell Buddy Holly’s story, from his Texas rockabilly beginnings to international stardom and his legendary final performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, before his tragic death at the age of just 22. Featuring two terrific hours of the greatest songs ever written, including That’ll Be The Day, Rave On, Johnny B. Goode, Oh Boy, La Bamba, Chantilly Lace, Raining In My Heart, Everyday, Shout and many many more, this show is just Peggy Sue–perb! Book now for the most successful Rock & Roll Musical of all time! ‘IT’S BUDDY BRILLIANT’ The Sun
Seen by over 22 million people worldwide This sensational multi award-winning West End show first opened in 1989 and has been thrilling audiences around the world ever since. Now it triumphantly returns to Royal & Derngate as part of its 2025/26 UK Tour. Forget feel good, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is FEEL GREAT! Experience the drama, passion and excitement as a multi-talented cast of actor-musicians tell Buddy Holly’s story, from his Texas rockabilly beginnings to international stardom and his legendary final performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, before his tragic death at the age of just 22. Featuring two terrific hours of the greatest songs ever written, including That’ll Be The Day, Rave On, Johnny B. Goode, Oh Boy, La Bamba, Chantilly Lace, Raining In My Heart, Everyday, Shout and many many more, this show is just Peggy Sue–perb! Book now for the most successful Rock & Roll Musical of all time! ‘IT’S BUDDY BRILLIANT’ The Sun
After entertaining 700,000 guests across the UK, USA and Europe, The Rock Orchestra is back in the UK with a brand new setlist! Prepare for a spellbinding 90- minute spectacle that infuses iconic Rock & Metal anthems with a hauntingly beautiful energy. In ethereal candlelit settings, this band of 14 classical musicians unleash effortlessly enchanting melodies alongside powerful walls of distortion. Witness the unexpected union of Classical music and Metal. The Rock Orchestra is a rotating collective of classical musicians, featuring some of the world’s greatest instrumentalists and vocalists. Performing the music of iconic bands including: Metallica, Guns N Roses, AC/DC, System Of A Down, The Cranberries, My Chemical Romance, Linkin’ Park, Rage Against The Machine, Nirvana, The Rolling Stones & more! The Rock Orchestra and its events are not affiliated with the artists and composers listed. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Preston Hedges Academy Trust and Silhouette Youth present their version of Twelfth Night. All the year 5 children have been working on the play and have engaged with Shakespeare through the performing Arts. They have each been given a section of the play and have used the performing arts to bring it to life. They have created dances, original music and have developed their dramatic talents is a safe, secure and creative space. This evening is a testament to the importance the trust places on the performing Arts and Oracy and how they seek to develop every young person within the trust. By working with Silhouette we have been able to give them this opportunity to shine. We hope you enjoy the show and we cant wait to share this incredible story!
The UK’s Favourite 100% LIVE Motown Show – as it is, as it was, as it should be. Delivers first class music with slick choreography and an amazing band for a stunning ‘not to be missed’ Motown experience. Seen by over one million people this show will have you Dancing On The Ceiling with songs from legendary artistes such as The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five, The Isley Brothers, Edwin Starr and many more! “They had the moves, the looks, the voices and every Motown Classic you could ask for” Jersey Evening News, Sarah Harding The ULTIMATE celebration of the sweet sound of Motown Let’s Get Ready… to Go Loco, Down in Acapulco Dancing is welcome in certain sections during this performance! Please listen for announcements from the stage, stay considerate of those around you and for your safety ensure fire exits remain clear. If you’d like to change your seat, our team is here to help—just let us know, and we’ll do our best to accommodate your request (subject to availability).
Justin Fletcher is back on stage in a brand-new live show! Get ready to sing, dance and laugh along with BAFTA Award-winning Justin, star of Something Special, Justin’s House, Gigglebiz and Gigglequiz as he and his friends are back in a brand-new live theatre show bursting with music, dancing and plenty of giggles. When DJ Engelbert, the coolest canine in the dog-house, launches a contest to find the best rock song in all the land, Justin and his band – Justin Time to Rock! – are determined to win! But can they get their song to DJ Engy before the sneaky Rock Lord and his sidekick Vulture try to steal it? With classic favourites like The Hokey Cokey, Music Man and Hands Up, plus brand-new songs written by Justin and his team, Justin Live – Justin Time to Rock! is a high-energy, feel-good family show guaranteed to get everyone dancing in their seats and leaving with a smile on their face!
Get ready to experience a Cher show like no other – heading to theatres across the UK and Europe in 2026! ‘Turn Back Time’ with The Shoop Shoop Show – The Cher Collection, an exhilarating music-led production with a party atmosphere. It is led by international powerhouse vocalist Rachael Hawnt, the winner of ITV’s Starstruck. The show spans every decade of Cher’s incredible career so be prepared to be dazzled by disco HITS and pop rock chart-toppers. As the show unfolds Rachael’s spot-on impersonation will make you ‘Believe’. As if that wasn’t enough, the singing sensation performs songs from Cher’s iconic Dancing Queen album, belting out unforgettable sing-along renditions of ABBA’s greatest hits. ‘Dressed to Kill’ with incredible custom-made costumes, jaw-dropping production, choreography and a world class live band, The Shoop Shoop Show – The Cher Collection will have you singing and dancing the night away. 2026 really is the ULTIMATE time to celebrate the music of Cher, as the Goddess of Pop herself turns 80. So, grab a ticket, glam up, and come and experience the magic of one of the greatest Divas of all time! Dancing is welcome during this performance! Please listen for announcements from the stage, stay considerate of those around you and for your safety ensure...