Royal Exchange theatre, ManchesterSparring lovers play a capricious game in Blanche McIntyre's revival " but the cut and thrust is kept witty, rather than curdling into danger In director Bl…
York Theatre RoyalJohn Doyle's atmospheric production shrouds Frances Hodgson Burnett's story in the ghosts and secrets of the grownups at Misselthwaite Manor In this version of Frances Hodg…
Crucible theatre, SheffieldA dynamic team of actors capture the spirit of female footballers during the first world war " though the storytelling is sometimes fumbled The rise of interest in…
York Theatre RoyalIn Catherine Dyson's absorbing play, the audience become a class of year 9 pupils visiting a Holocaust exhibition with an emotional support animal Can we ever truly learn f…
The Other Place, Stratford-upon-AvonWhitney White's thrilling, song-filled show flips Shakespeare's great characters and asks why we still lap up these tales of sexy men killing sexy women I…
Hope Mill theatre, ManchesterAmy Gavin's production amps up the dangerous dance of desire and violence between these troubled ex-spouses but loses the delicate balance between comedy and mal…
York Theatre RoyalPaul Hendy's panto includes some silly surprises, well-handled audience interaction and a twinkling dame Anyone remember the bit in Sleeping Beauty with the velociraptor na…
Royal Exchange theatre, ManchesterA charismatic Louis Gaunt stars as Raz Shaw's version of the classic musical hits all the key beats with crowd-pleasing confidence Raz Shaw's exuberant prod…
Elmet, a novel that was shortlisted for the Booker, is a lyrical, richly written tale of a woodland family on a collision course with an avaricious landowner. Can it work on stage in Bradfor…
Sheffield PlayhouseSet against the backdrop of Tory rule and Section 28, this rousing musical is based on the real-life hub for feminist and queer protest set up by three pioneering women Th…
Aviva Studios, ManchesterResisting simple titillation, this sprawling four-hour odyssey through often naked rituals has weddings, funerals and eye-popping love potions Factory International'…
Live theatre, NewcastleBased on real-life testimonies, this harrowing tale follows a 17-year-old subject to relentless cruelty at Medomsley Detention Centre There is a warning on the screen …
Manchester Opera HouseThe stage version of the 2004 film has bright choreography and a likeable lead performance by Lucie Jones, even if the songs are a bit underpowered The adaptation of mo…
Crucible theatre, SheffieldElizabeth Newman's debut show as artistic director captures the play's humour and heartbreak yet leaves you wishing for more ecstatic abandon Dancing at Lughnasa b…
York Theatre RoyalPropulsive show with a sometimes cliched script takes inspiration from the choir formed by local women while their husbands were in Afghanistan In writer-director Debbie Is…
Royal Exchange theatre, ManchesterNtombizodwa Nyoni's deft and nuanced play balances ideologies and ambition, personality clashes and generational conflict at key 1945 Manchester conference …
Royal Exchange theatre, ManchesterThis version of Mike Leigh's classic brings out the boozy claustrophobia, while Kym Marsh as Beverly and Tupele Dorgu as Susan brilliantly draw out the sadn…
Leeds PlayhouseMorgan Bailey's one-man show explores the many lives of Eugene Bullard, but for all its cinematic flourishes, emerges as a frustratingly shadowy character study How do you cap…
Crucible, SheffieldThe perseverance of runners Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell is well conveyed with stage and auditorium becoming training ground and racetrack Sheffield Theatres has reviv…
In an industry often focused on young debut talent, companies are using creative methods to nurture playwrights of all ages and experiences 'It is really, really awful for playwrights at the…
Lowry, SalfordJack Godfrey's witty show is about a lovable dreamer who took flight in a garden chair attached to helium balloons 'What makes a man try to fly in a lawn chair?" sing the ensem…
Aviva Studios, ManchesterAvant garde director Robert Wilson's adaptation of the classic tale prioritises surreal setups and atmosphere over family friendly narrative What does it look like w…
Northern Stage, NewcastleStories from across the world intertwine through activism in an ambitious production, but the delicate threads never quite mesh The title of Open Clasp's new show re…
The international theatre jamboree in Yorkshire kicks off with confessions from hundreds of young people and a fancy dress party about grief International festivals can easily feel detached …
King's Manor, YorkLarge-scale community play has Henry VIII cancelling the city's beloved Mystery Plays as a clever framing device in a striking adaptation There's more than one kind of myst…