Sheffield Theatres announce summer season
Highlights of the season include a revival of Kay Mellor’s 2010 BBC Drama A Passionate Woman starring Lynda Bellingham in the leading role as Betty, alongside her All Creatures Great and Small co-star Christopher Timothy as husband Donald. [Mellor will make her Sheffield Theatres debut as she directs her own play at the Lyceum Theatre from Tuesday 10 – Saturday 21 September. Following its Sheffield performances, the production will tour nationally.
Opening the Crucible’s summer season in May is Alan Bennett’s award winning comedy, full of teenage angst and one-liners; The History Boys. Michael Longhurst’s new production starring Matthew Kelly and Nicholas Day sees the play staged in the city where it is set.
Artistic Director Daniel Evans will direct his second musical – following the success of My Fair Lady – from 19 June – 20 July; a brand new musical comedy from Tim Firth entitled This Is My Family.
In the Studio Theatre, a collaboration takes place with Sheffield Hallam University from 12 – 20 July, in the form of Jack Steele and Family; a comedic yet moving play about Jack, his family, and their connections with Sheffield’s industrial heritage.
Concluding the summer season is a new production of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale in the Crucible theatre from 2 October – 2 November.
The Lyceum theatre’s calendar is also packed full of touring productions visiting Sheffield; in May The Old Vic’s production of Noises Off makes an appearance after its sell-out run in London, The Pitmen Painters visits in June, The Rocky Horror Show in April, Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 in April and there many more.
Outside of the summer season programme, theatregoers can look forward to this year’s family pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk from 6 December 2013 – 5 January 2014; the seventh pantomime produced by Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes.
Daniel Evans, Artistic Director, hopes audiences will share his enthusiasm for the summer season’s quality, diversity and choice: “I’m delighted to announce details of our forthcoming work in Sheffield. Whilst this is undoubtedly a challenging time for us, having received our third round of local authority cuts in as many years, it’s crucial that we continue to celebrate the essential part Sheffield Theatres plays in making Sheffield a vibrant place to live…I’m thrilled that we continue to welcome some of the best productions currently on tour to the Lyceum stage and hope our audiences will join us for what I am sure will be another fantastic season.”
The new season at Sheffield Theatres goes on sale to the public on Saturday 23 March from 10.00am. For full details of the new season and to book tickets call the Box Office on 0114 249 6000 or visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
