Ten of the Best - Your guide to what to see in the coming days
From spooky thrills to stand-up stars, there’s plenty to enjoy
1 Bat Out Of Hell, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Monday September 15 to Saturday September 20
The classic music of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf will once again shake the stage, promising an electrifying journey that will ignite theatregoers’ love for rock. Complete with powerhouse eight-piece live band on stage,the production features sprawling multi-level platforms to transport audiences from Raven’s bedroom to the underground world of the Lost in a visual feast. The score includes I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), Paradise By The Dashboard Light, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, Dead Ringer For Love, and, of course, Bat Out of Hell. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
2 Uncanny: Fear of the Dark, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Tuesday September 23
Astonishing tales of the supernatural will be explored on stage in Northampton when Danny Robins returns. Robins’s first Uncanny live stage show I Know What I Saw was one of the best-selling paranormal shows in theatre history. Now, Robins and his team of experts are back with new, thrillingly terrifying real-life stories and witness accounts that promise to have audiences gripped.
It may be based on a podcast, but Uncanny: Fear of the Dark has a backdrop of spine-tingling sound design, video projection and theatrical magic. Robins will bring to life accounts of hauntings, apparitions, poltergeists, UFOs and events that seem to defy logical explanation, examining them with the help of experts, psychologist Dr Ciarán O’Keeffe and writer and parapsychologist Evelyn Hollow, with input from audiences who will get the chance ask questions, come up with theories and share their own potentially paranormal experiences. Believers and sceptics alike are invited.
Danny Robins is creator of the hugely successful BBC Radio 4 podcasts and global hits, Uncanny, The Battersea Poltergeist and The Witch Farm, the BBC TV series Uncanny and the award-winning West End play 2:22 – A Ghost Story.
The recommended age limit is ten and above, but parental discretion is advised, and the running time is 120 minutes plus interval. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
3 Breaking The Code, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, until Saturday September 27
Arguably one of the most important and inquisitive minds of the 20th century, Alan Turing is famed for cracking the Enigma code at Bletchley Park, helping secure victory for the Allied forces in the Second World War. Hugh Whitemore’s acclaimed play Breaking The Code helps theatregoers get to know a human being who loved, lost and never stopped asking questions in a quest for truth and understanding. For the first time, the original play will feature a new epilogue taking into consideration Turing’s recent royal pardon. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
4 Highland Harmony, Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, Sunday September 21
An uplifting night of Scottish music, culture and Celtic pride awaits in Kettering. Highland Harmony features soaring renditions of classics by The Proclaimers, Wet Wet Wet, Bay City Rollers, Deacon Blue, Paolo Nutini, AC/DC, Lewis Capaldi, and more. The show also bridges borders and generations, withIrish treasures like Lord of the Dance and traditional Celtic melodies.
Music comes from the internationally loved MacDonald Brothers. From their breakout moment on The X Factor, where they secured a Top 5 finish, to sharing arena stages with Westlife and recording a song gifted by Sir Elton John, Brian and Craig MacDonald have become known for their with heart, harmony and love of their Highland heritage.
Multi-instrumentalists to the core, the brothers switch seamlessly between accordion, fiddle, piano, guitars, and Irish whistles, all while delivering tight vocal harmonies.
Visit lighthousetheatre.co.uk or call 01536 414141 to book.
5 Tim Peake: Astronauts, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Monday September 22
With fewer than 650 people having reached Earth’s orbit, nobody is more qualified than Tim to celebrate the historic achievements and human endeavours of space exploration. Up until now, Tim has brought his own remarkable journey to life through unparalleled storytelling and extraordinary archive footage. In this new show, Tim will share the remarkable stories of some of his fellow astronauts and explore the spectacular evolution of space travel, from the first forays into space in the 1950s, to the first human missions destined for Mars. As he recounts the awe-inspiring endeavours of astronauts across the ages, Tim will reveal what spaceflight is truly like: from the wondrous view of Earth, living in weightlessness, the unique dangers and unexpected moments of humour, to the years of training and psychological and physical pressures that an astronaut has to take on. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.
6 Gaia by Luke Jerram and other activities, The Core at Corby Cube, until Sunday September 21
The Core at Corby Cube its marking its 15th anniversary with an array of performances – all under a remarkable model of planet earth. Building on the success of 2020’s Museum of the Moon, the theatre is transformed once again, this time with Gaia by Luke Jerram, a seven-metre installation of the planet, suspended high above the auditorium. Audiences are invited to experience the magic of live performances, creative workshops, and special events unfolding beneath the sculpture. Visit www.thecorecorby.com/GAIA for the latest information on events taking place.
7 A Night To Remember: Motown Show, Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, Thursday September 18
Starring The Voice UK finalist Bizzi Dixon, and backed by the soulful vocal dynamics of The Motown Divas, this musical celebration promises a high energy show, packed with the greatest Motown hits of all time. Visit lighthousetheatre.co.uk or call 01536 414141 to book.
8 The Best in Comedy, Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, Friday September 19
The stand-up night returns with an array of top talent. Taskmaster star Lucy Beaumont is an acclaimed stand-up, comedy actress and writer from Hull. She stars in and co-wrote the highly-rated sitcom of the fictional view of her marriage to TV’s Jon Richardson, Meet The Richardsons. Lucy has also appeared on numerous entertainment shows including The Great Celebrity Bake Off, The Jonathan Ross Show, Would I Lie to You & Live at the Apollo. The Guardian called her “extravagantly talented”.
Also on the bill are Angela Barnes, Phil Ellis and Finlay Christie. After a career in health and social care, Angela Barnes took the plunge and embarked on her life-long dream to be a comedian. Within just a couple of years she had won the BBC New Comedy Award in 2011 and has now gone on to star in BBC Two’s Mock The Week, Live At The Apollo and Hypothetical on Dave. Phil Ellis is an award-winning comedian who has entertained audiences of all ages with his blend of offbeat observational material and physical comedy. Most recently, he was nominated for the Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. And at 19, Finlay Christie became the youngest ever winner of the So You Think You’re Funny competition. His YouTube channel, featuring sketches and stand-up clips has hundreds of millions of views. He has appeared on 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, The Stand-Up Sketch Show and The BBC New Comedy Awards.
Visit lighthousetheatre.co.uk or call 01536 414141 to book.
9 Lionel: The Music of Lionel Richie, Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, Friday September 19
Following his appearances with Richie himself Sunday Night At The Palladium and The Graham Norton Show, Malcolm Pitt presents a high octane show celebrating the star. Visit castletheatre.co.uk or call 01933 270 007 to book.
10 The Illegal Eagles, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Wednesday September 24
The acclaimed show features the very best from the Eagles’ catalogue of classics including Hotel California, Desperado, Take It Easy, New Kid In Town and Life In The Fast Lane. Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 to book.