A varied and exciting line-up of comedy, music, film screenings and much more is set to entertain audiences at Bishop Auckland Town Hall in the New Year.
Tickets for the town centre venue’s spring season are now on sale and there’s plenty of choice to suit all tastes.
A host of top notch comedians are set to entertain audiences over the coming months courtesy of Hilarity Bites Comedy Club, which returns on Friday, 20 January with headliner Carl Hutchinson. Carl recently performed to three sell-out audiences in Gala Theatre’s studio.
Daliso Chaponda headlines Hilarity Bites on Friday, 17 February, with Steve Shanyaski taking the helm on Friday, 17 March and 2014 Comedian’s Comedian Award-winner Gavin Webster stepping up on Friday, 21 April.
There’s Gothic storytelling at its very best on Wednesday, 8 March with Northumberland Theatre Company’s visually exciting production of Dracula. Imaginative, scary and atmospheric yet also funny, the show will appeal to family audiences with a mix of audience participation, music and humour.
There’s more live theatre in the spring with The Chef Show on Wednesday, 25 January. Father and son, Abdul and Kamal, are having a busy night in their restaurant as they struggle to deal with customers ‘out front’ and staff in the kitchen.
And the drama continues on Saturday, 18 March, when Blackeyed Theatre presents a brand new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Gothic horror masterpiece Frankenstein, fusing storytelling, live music and puppetry with stunning theatrics.
There’s also plenty to entertain music fans, with a wide range of acts performing at Bishop Auckland Town Hall throughout the season.
Prolific songwriter John Wrightson and north east entertainer Bert Draycott hit the Town Hall stage with their folk music extravaganza Life in a Pit Village on Saturday, 11 February.
Fusing rock, blues, folk and punk, The Pistoleros, perform on Saturday, 25 February, while award-winning folk singer-songwriters Tilston and Lowe take to the stage on Friday, 7 April, having joined forces for a series of concerts filled with music and banter.
There’s fun for all the family, on Monday, 3 April with Kitchen Zoo bringing to life Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussycat, a curious tale of an unexpected sea voyage to a curious land.
Film-lovers are also well-catered for this spring with a collection of Hollywood blockbusters and a more local production.
On Thursday, 26 January, the town hall will be screening The Legend of Tarzan; on Thursday, 23 March, it’s the 2016 production of Ben Hur; and on Thursday, 27 April, there’s a chance to catch The Girl on the Train.
There will also be a screening of Chris Anderson’s documentary A Story of Bishop Auckland, celebrating the people and activities that have put the town firmly on the map in recent years, on Wednesday, 1 March.
Capping off the season on Wednesday, 26 April, Ballet Theatre UK presents Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Based on Lewis Carroll’s much-loved children’s books, the show is a captivating piece brimming with wit, humour and charm.
The full programme is available at www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk. To book tickets, contact the box office on 03000 269 524.