Royal and Derngate Theatre

Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust presents the first major event of the season, Youth In Concert, with performances by five award winning senior ensembles of NMPAT: County Youth Concert Band, County Youth Choir, County Youth Brass Band, County Youth Big Band and County Youth Orchestra.

What happens when a psychopath is in power? Could you learn to spot a psychopath? Are you working for a psychopath? Is there a little bit of psychopath in all us? Following a box-office busting, sell-out tour in 2024, Jon Ronson’s Psychopath Night returns with new live dates. Sixteen years have passed since Jon embarked on the adventure that became his ground-breaking and best-selling work, The Psychopath Test. Now, the renowned journalist, filmmaker, and author reopens the case with exclusive anecdotes and fresh reflections, taking you on a thrilling exploration of madness and the elusive psychopathic mind. Join Jon in 2025 for another electrifying journey into the enigmatic world of psychopaths and the perplexing concept of normalcy. In an age where society’s rationality is called into question, Jon will deliver an evening of incisive inquiry, seasoned with his trademark wit and profound insights. This unmissable show prominently features mystery special guests whose extraordinary, twist-filled true tales are central to the story but not found in the original edition of the book. The less you know about them, the better… Don’t miss this unforgettable night of revelation, intrigue, and mind-bending insights. With a chance to ask Jon your own questions…book your tickets now before they’re...

Why not come and join us on Sat 15 November for an afternoon of music, dance, and much more with Amazon and some great performers from SEND Schools and Community Partners. Tickets are £2.50 per person. We will have enterprise stalls and raffle. All of the proceeds will go to the schools and community partners.

Described as ‘the funniest dad on Instagram’, stand-up comedian George has racked up hundreds of millions of views for his hilarious online sketches about the big things in life, like owning an air fryer, watching a David Beckham documentary, and the excruciating experience of trying to do a jigsaw with your kid. Now he’s bringing his brand new stand up show to the stage. It won’t just be about parenting though, because he has done loads this year. He’s bought a new hoover, watched some more stuff on Netflix… loads. Between #makingmemories with his kids, George has also appeared on The Stand Up Sketch Show and Comedy Central Live, written a best selling book (Don’t Panic! All the stuff the expectant dad needs to know) and has supported Romesh Ranganathan, Tom Allen, Russell Kane and Josh Widdicombe on their national tours. So, activate the parents’ whatsapp groups, dump the kids with whoever is willing to have them, and join George for a brilliant night out.

Rave On is the 50s and 60s musical sensation sweeping the nation. Featuring leading performers from West End Productions The Buddy Holly Story, Million Dollar Quartet and Dreamboats & Petticoats, Rave On transports you back to the fabulous 50s and swinging 60s in stunningly authentic style. Charting the meteoric rise of Rock and Roll, Rave On is a thrilling tour through music’s most revolutionary decades. Prepare to be enthralled with an evening of singing along, vibrant vintage costumes, colourful staging and dancing in the aisles! Featuring note perfect renditions of the most loved 50s and 60s songs, Rave On is performed by an incredibly talented, era-obsessed group of musicians. From the emergence of rock and roll at Sun Records in Memphis, to the British Invasion and beyond, this is a musical adventure you won’t want to miss! Rave On features hits from the likes of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Connie Francis, The Who, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Lulu, The Beach Boys and many more.  Rave On is a musical experience like no other.

Featuring stars of the West End show The Rat Pack, Live From Las Vegas, this stylish, fully-choreographed show has something for everyone. Including all your favourites such as Fly Me To The Moon, Mr Bojangles and That’s Amore, not to mention the songs you simply cannot help singing along to, such as New York, New York and My Way. Truly emulating the ‘Kings of Cool’, The Rat Pack: Swingin’ At The Sands, will bring flair and class that only Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr could. So take three outstanding singers, add perfectly timed comedy, rousing camaraderie with a pinch of the greatest songs ever written and what do you get? The perfect night’s entertainment with The Rat Pack: Swingin’ At The Sands.

On a single day in May 1915, nearly 11,000 British and Indian soldiers were wounded or killed during the ill-fated Battle of Aubers Ridge. Among them were hundreds of young men from Northamptonshire, many of whom never made it more than a few metres from their trenches. Performance poet Toby Thompson presents a powerful reflection on the lives lost during this devastating chapter of the First World War. Through vivid and evocative poetry, the piece delves into not only the brutality of the battle but also the youthful hope of the summer of 1914, and how modern generations continue to connect with the legacy of the Great War. Featuring a rich soundscape by Buster Grey-Jung, and direction by award-winning theatre maker and Artistic Director Jesse Jones, A Day To Remember brings history into sharp focus through the voices of the present. Originally commissioned by Royal & Derngate in 2015 as part of a wider project exploring the impact of the First World War on local communities.

Dave O’Higgins – tenor sax Rob Luft – guitar Jim Watson – organ Billy Pod – drums Saxophonist Dave O’Higgins & guitarist Rob Luft may be more than a generation apart, yet are very much of one musical mind. Now recording their 3rd album together, they have been touring with extensively since 2019. The line-up at Northants tonight is the classic organ combo, drawing on influxes from George Benson, Joe Henderson, Grant Green, Michael Brecker and many more as a springboard for Luft’s lush soundscapes & O’Higgins’ impassioned tenor. Joining them on organ is the virtuosic Jim Watson, and the magically swinging drummer form Greece, Billy Pod.

‘Dogger, Fisher, German Bight’: Charlie Connelly brings the shipping forecast vividly to life in this hilarious and moving celebration of an iconic cultural institution. Charlie explores the broadcast’s remarkable history, unlocks its beguiling mysteries and tells riproaring stories of his own adventures among the sea areas, ensuring the forecast will never sound the same again. How did a weather forecast for ships capture the hearts of a nation, from salty old sea dog to insomniac landlubber? How is it possible for ‘rain later’ to be ‘good’? And where the hell is North Utsire? Delving into the history of the forecast and the extraordinary people who made it, Charlie explains what those curious phrases really mean, celebrates its wide cultural impact, shares riproaring adventures from his own extraordinary journey through the 31 sea areas – the times he was accused by the media of trying to annex Rockall from the British government and sang sea shanties with Tom Hardy in a Manx hotel bar while Scary Spice pulled the pints – and presents his case for the shipping forecast being our finest achievement. Inspired by Charlie’s bestselling book, which has sold more than a quarter-of-a-million copies worldwide, this pacy, moving and hilarious show...