Events at Ilkley Playhouse

As many of you will know by now, Ilkley has been named as the Best Place to Live by The Sunday Times. The judging panel were particularly impressed by the energetic community spirit in Ilkley and they acknowledged that volunteering is a big part of life in our town. Certainly, at Ilkley Playhouse, we rely almost entirely on volunteers and volunteering really is at the heart of everything we do. We simply wouldn’t be able to exist without our wonderful volunteers and we want to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ for all that you do.

Our volunteers have been instrumental in putting on our next play Time of My Life, written by Alan Ayckbourn, opening on Thursday, April 21. Time of My Life is a witty and insightful masterclass in its portrayal of the dysfunctional Stratton Family. When Gerry Stratton plans a family meal out with his wife Laura and two grown up sons to celebrate his wife’s birthday and proposes a toast to ‘happy times’, he has no idea of the events that will unfold over the course of that evening. Their elder son Glyn is now back together with his long-suffering wife Stephanie, and their younger son Adam, has brought along his new girlfriend Maureen, an outrageous hairdresser, to meet the Stratton family for the first time. Family skeletons intrude on cheerful domesticity as we get a glimpse of Glyn and Stephanie’s story unfolding. Meanwhile, at another table in the same restaurant, Adam and Maureen’s story is played out in reverse chronology, with Gerry and Laura remaining in the present time, unpicking their marriage and recalling first love. Set in three different time zones in a small restaurant in Northern England, Ayckbourn’s play explores life’s comic and tragic moments and of the need to ‘live in the moment’. A beautifully crafted and timeless play which will continue to have resonance for as long as there are family units. The play runs until Saturday 30th April in the Wharfeside Theatre.

On Saturday night Stagefright Comedy Club returns to Ilkley Playhouse frontlined by Maisie Adam and Marcel Lucont. Maisie’s anecdotal material and rib-tickling charm have won her praise all over the UK. She has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, QI, Have I got News For You and 8 out of 10 Cats. ‘Go and see Maisie now and have bragging rights for years to come’ (The Herald). With TV credits including Comedy Central at the Comedy Store and The John Bishop Show, Marcel Lucont is the self-professed greatest UK-based French comedian around. Flaneur, raconteur and bon viveur, he’s an unforgettably sardonic character creation. Joining them is Tom King who has supported major UK acts around the country and has quickly gained a raft of accolades including winning The Stagefright comedy ‘Crooked Smile New Act of the Year’. He takes surreal comedy to new heights with his flair for inventive wordplay and observational wit. Also performing is Joe Kent-Walters. Expect props, costume changes, pizazz and outrageous character comedy from the winner of the 2021 Chortle Student Comedy Award. All of this expertly compered by the talented Anthony J Brown.

From Monday, May 9, the Wildman Studio opens its doors offering audiences an evening of unforgettable, hilarious comedy. Written by Skipton-born Blake Morrison, The Cracked Pot is adapted from Heinrich von Kleist’s German comedy Der Zerbrochene Krug into a Yorkshire dialect version, set in Skipton in 1810. The play concerns Judge Adam, Skipton’s sole agent of justice, who is far from happy to be visited by the magistrate Walter Clegg, seeking out signs of malpractice. The trial that Walter oversees seems uncomplicated at first – the formidable Martha is suing her daughter’s fiancé Leslie, for breaking her jug. However, many family grievances are unearthed and discovering the identity of a mysterious man seen with the daughter becomes crucial to the case.

For details of all our plays and events and to book tickets visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or contact Ilkley Playhouse box office on 01943 609539.