& CULTURE The seasons to T
HE Lawrence Batley Theatre has unveiled its spring and early summer season and promises everything from world premieres to stunning contemporary dance and even a spectacular circus.
It is split into different genres from Performance (plays and magic) through In Motion (dance and circus) to Imagine (productions for young children).
The Performance series celebrates northern companies and northern stories.
It begins with Andrea Dunbar’s classic, gritty play Rita, Sue and Bob Too (Tuesday, January 30 to Saturday, February 3); family favourites High Jinx magic, illusion and circus (Saturday, February 24) return with more unmissable trickery in February half-term. LipService Theatre – dubbed “Britain’s favourite literary lunatics” celebrate the work of Jane Austen in Mr Darcy Loses The Plot (Tuesday and Wednesday, March 7 and 8), and prolific writer John Godber returns to star in his new play Scary Bikers (Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14).
In May, audience favourites Northern Broadsides are back at the LBT with Hard Times (Wednesday, May 2 to Saturday, May 5), an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ great northern novel and the performance season comes to a close with Mikron Theatre Company presenting the world premiere of Revolting Women on Saturday, May 26.
The LBT’s In Motion series presents more world-class contemporary dance and circus. Elements are explored in Acrobuffo’s Air Play (Tuesday, January 23 to Thursday, January 25) which brings to life the very air we breathe in a circus-style family adventure and National Dance Company Wales tell stories from the earth we build our communities on in their brand new triple bill Terra Firma (Tuesday, February 13).
In April ballet Lorent return with the final instalment of their fairy tale trilogy, Rumplestiltskin (Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7) with verse by Carol Ann Duffy and score by Doctor Who composer Murray Gold.
The In Motion season goes out with a crazy, colourful and chaotic bang in the spectacular Now Or Never (Thursday, June 21 to Saturday, June 23) by Circus Tsuica, an unmissable circus celebration held in a big top in Greenhead Park.
Over the Easter weekend the LBT will be holding their first theatre festival. This Fringe-style festival will champion innovative new work that explores talent, identity, purpose and issues that matter right now.
Shows announced so far are Demi Nandhra’s powerful performance about women, mental illness and religion called Oil And Water (Friday, March 30); award-winning poet Jackie Hagan’s solo show, This Is Not A Safe Space (Friday, March 30), which features original poetry and real-life anecdotes from working class disabled people and Testosterone (Saturday, March 31), a refreshingly honest and irreverent comedy about gender identity from critically acclaimed theatre makers Rhum and Clay.
The LBT’s Imagine series gives the youngest audiences the chance to experience the joy of live theatre.
Lyngo Theatre present Tom Thumb (Saturday, February 10)