& CULTURE Music, laughter T
■■Romeo & Juliet, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds: A new adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play comes to the Quarry Theatre of the WYP exchanging Verona for a contemporary northern cityscape. Directed by Amy Leach, the production tells the classic tale of a community torn and star-crossed lovers. Tickets are £13.50 to £30 from wyp.og.uk or 0113 2137700. ■■Ross Noble’s Brain Dump, Victoria Theatre, Halifax: Known for his exuberant style, Ross Noble is on a 15-date tour with his cerebral brand of comedy. A regular on programmes such as QI, Have I Got News For You and Room 101, he’s the king of improvisation, so promises a new show at every venue. Tickets are £26 from victoriatheatre.co.uk or 01422 305952. ■■80’s Invasion Tour, Huddersfield Town Hall: See Paul Young, Toyah, China Crisis and Martika in an explosion of 1980s sounds. These blasts from the past have sold 40m records worldwide between them and will be performing their greatest, now iconic, hits. Tickets are £35.50 from kirkleestownhalls.co.uk or 01484 225755. ■■Brighouse & Rastrick Floral Dance, Huddersfield Town Hall: The world famous band celebrates the 40th anniversary of its chart-topping Floral Dance. Bringing together original band members from the era as well as current players, the evening promises a concert of epic proportions. Tickets from £13. Visit kirkleestownhalls.co.uk or 01484 335755. ■■The Searchers, Leeds City Varieties: Sweets For My Sweet; Needles and Pins; Don’t Throw Your Love Away; Sugar and Spice – the truly iconic hits of this superband from the 1960s are known to millions. See them in concert, live in Leeds, still going strong after half a century. Tickets are £22.60 from cityvarieties.co.uk or 0113 2430808. ■■Shirley Valentine, Leeds Grand Theatre: Willy Russell’s heartwarming comedy, which became a film starring Pauline Collins and Tom Conti, was originally a
one-woman monologue-style play. Jodie Prenger stars in this 30th anniversary revival tour of the comedy. Tickets are £19.50 to £34 from leedsgrandtheatre.com or 0844 8482700. ■■John Godber’s The Empty Nesters’ Club, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield: The new comedy from one of the nation’s greatest living playwrights is a joint production with his own company and the Theatre Royal, Wakefield. Join Vicky Barret for the inaugural meetings of The Empty Nesters’ Club and share her tales of empty bedrooms, fresher’s flu, long goodbyes and ■■Kay Mellor’s A Passionate Woman, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds: On the morning of her son’s wedding, Betty retreats to the attic whre she re-lives her long-lost youth and the passions of the past. This romantic comedy is by the Leedsbased writer, famed for In the Club and Band of Gold. Tickets are £13.50 to £30 from wyp.og.uk or 01113 2137700.