The players of Little Grimley Amateur Dramatic Society are back – but will they have an audience as the country moves tentatively into the post-Lockdown era? His fellow members are sceptical, but chairman and impresario Gordon has the ‘ghost’ of an idea that, he believes, will bring the punters flooding back and raise a load of cash for our NHS heroes. At least, that’s the plan....

This one-act play will have 50% of the ticket revenue donated to local NHS charities.

This one-act play adaptation by Matthew Harper explores the terror and climaxes which exist in the original short story by Charles Dickens, first published as part of the Mugby Junction collection in the 1866 Christmas edition of “All the Year Round”. Dickens’ original story allegedly took inspiration from the Clayton Tunnel Crash of 1861 and topics from that time of the Victorian period have also been explored during conversation between the Gentleman and the Signalman. This is a fabulous little ghost story with suspense, gripping story-telling and wonderful characterisation.

As the name Alan Ayckbourn has become an almost permanent feature on our season leaflets, it’s only fitting that we delve into the archives and bring you the play that first put him on the map to represent the 1970s.

Relatively Speaking follows three couples over the course of an eventful Sunday. The problem: there are only four people, not six. We’ve Ginny, attempting to balance her current boyfriend and former lover; Greg, Ginny’s boyfriend who’s determined to meet her parents; Philip, Ginny’s former lover, attempting to hide it from his wife; and Sheila, Philip’s befuddled wife. Cue near misses, miscommunication and all the staples of an Ayckbourn farce.

Our original 1970 production was praised for its set and lighting design, the latter for “skilfully” evoking a “sun-drenched” summer cottage. Overall, a cast which “plunged straight into the deep-end of the humour” and the “professional touch” brought by director Eric Saint, resulted in a “delightfully constructed farce”. Ayckbourn had his first West End hit with this play in 1967 (after debuting in Scarborough in 1965), a production which also launched the career of Richard Briers. Since then, it’s been revived numerous times, most recently in 2013 with Felicity Kendall in the role of Sheila. Come September, you can live the good life too and enjoy this classic farce with us.

It's back - and it's BIGGER than ever!

Join Cannyvilles favourite yummy mummy Dame Bella Trott (Bella Bluebell) and her silly son Jack Trott (Simon Stuart) as they try to save Jill (Megan Laing) from the Giant of the North. In the land of Cannyville, Dame Trott is so poor she can’t afford to pay her bills. So she decides to sell Daisy her cow but silly Jack sells her for five ‘magic’ beans! Meanwhile, Fleshcreep (Brodie Daniel), the Giant’s manservant, has kidnapped Jill for his master, who can’t decide whether to eat her or make her his slave, along with the rest of the townspeople. Jill’s Mother, Mayoress Maggie (Dawn Wolfe) has ordered Colin the Town Cryer (Martin Anderson) to put across the land that anyone who can help save her Jill, and defeat the Giant of the north.

They will be rich beyond their wildest dreams, Jack is determined to make his mother rich so sets out on this quest, and luckily Mother Nature (Melissa Cavanagh) decides to help him win the day. Will the Giant of the north and his sidekick Fleshcreep succeed in destroying the town of Cannyville? Will Mother Nature help with the magic beans? Will Dame Bella ever find her fella?

Only one way to find out... and that’s to book for this year’s GIANT adventure!

9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL is getting down to business at the Little Theatre Gateshead.

Dolly Parton’s smash-hit musical is the most fun you’ll have in musical theatre all year.

With a rip-roaring score by the Queen of Country, it tells the story of three workmates pushed to boiling point by their sexist and egotistical boss. Concocting a plan to kidnap and turn the tables on their despicable supervisor, will the ladies manage to reform their office - or will events unravel when the CEO pays an unexpected visit?

Inspired by the hit film, this hilarious production is about teaming up, standing up and taking care of business!

The death of a much loved husband prompts a group of ordinary women in a small Yorkshire Women's Institute to do an extraordinary thing.

Blasting away all preconceptions of what it is to be in a women's institute, they decide to do an artistic nude calendar to raise money for charity. Upturning preconceptions is a dangerous business and none of them expect the emotional and personal ramifications, but gradually the making of the fabulous and funny calendar brings each woman unexpectedly into flower.

The true story of the Calendar Girls launched a global phenomenon, a million copycat calendars, a record breaking movie, stage play and musical written by Tim Firth and Gary Barlow which coined the term "craughing" - the act of crying and laughing at the same time. With unforgettable songs, every performance continues to add to the millions already raised for charity and also prove that there is no such thing as an ordinary woman.

**Please note this play contains Nudity/Partial Nudity and is rated as a PG-13