What's on at Ilkley Playhouse

On a dark night, Jacob stands on a motorway bridge, the wrong side of the railings. Liam, an off-duty paramedic happens to walk past. One man whose job it is to save people and one who has come to a moment in his life where he needs to be saved. What follows is an unexpected conversation, a purging of fears and regrets, as they finally open up about what has brought them to this moment and discover whether the time they spent together on the bridge might change them both forever.

The last decade has seen a growing conversation about men’s mental health, and an awareness that the power of men talking about how they feel can and does save lives. Yet still in 2022 suicide was the biggest killer of men under fifty. Bridge is a pitch-black comedy about the fragility of men trying to survive 21st century life. The play explores the pressures and challenges they face, the detrimental effect on their mental health and the power of talking to someone. Dean Smith, a proud Yorkshire man, joined BBC One’s Waterloo Road in 2008 and has since had an extensive career in British television, performing in Last Tango in Halifax, Hollyoaks and The Village. Tom Gibbons was born and raised in Leeds and has starred in Doctor Who, Young Dracula, Funny Cow and has a regular role on BBC Radio Four’s The Archers. Playwright and Director Sarah Nelson won the 2019 INSPIRE award for Women in Film, Art and Media and her play Letter to Boddah (previously performed at Ilkley Playhouse) won the BOBBY award for Best at the Fringe 2019. Sarah is particularly passionate about telling Northern stories and exploring challenging material with depth, compassion and humour.

Back by popular demand on Friday 31st May is Celtic rock folk band Gaelforce. The band was voted winner of the Great British Folk Festival Introducing Stage in January 2023 by public vote, to an audience of three thousand people. Since winning the GBFF, Gaelforce has been selling out ticketed gigs in Yorkshire & beyond, attracting plenty of interest from folk and rock festivals.

Country rock band Laurel Canyon Union returns to the Wildman Studio on Saturday 8th June. Formed in the summer of 2015 by US Grammy Nominated, ex Acoustic Alchemy drummer John Shepard, this union of fully professional, experienced musicians take their inspiration from the late 1960s/early 1970s American West Coast singer song writer era, playing well-known songs from artists such as Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Eagles, The Byrds and James Taylor.

On Friday 14th June Chris Bannister will be performing the music of John Denver including Annie’s Song, Take Me Home Country Roads, Calypso and Leaving On A Jet Plane. Chris’ distinctive vocal style has always led to him being compared to the great American singer, but from the very start he was determined not to copy the visual aspect of John’s performances but to maintain his own identity. He has played to sold out audiences across Europe and is recognised as one of the best performers of John Denver’s music across the world.

Stagefright Comedy Club returns to Ilkley Playhouse on Saturday 15th June. The evening will be frontlined by Justin Moorhouse where he will be previewing his Edinburgh Festival show ‘The Greatest Performance Of My Life.’ Justin played Young Kenny with the tiger-striped face on Phoenix Nights, he has performed at Live At The Apollo, in 8 Out of 10 Cats, QI, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, Dave's One Night Stand, Coronation Street and his own acclaimed Radio 4 show Everyone Quite Likes Justin. Jimmy Carr describes him as 'easily my favourite comedian’. Joining him on the night is Karl Porter. Karl’s slow motion goal celebration routine went globally viral. He is a brilliant, natural born gagster hailing from the North West of England. You can’t help but love his cheeky and unique self -deprecation, laced with tall tales and hilarious observations. ‘Jaw droppingly good physical comedy’ (BBC online). Also performing is Sunny Shine. 'His DIY routine was very good and Sunny built up the momentum....he closed his performance on a high' (Notts Comedy Review). This will all be brilliantly compered by Anthony J Brown who has ‘more stings in the tail than a scorpion with a migraine' (Leeds Guide).

The next Wharfeside Theatre production is Peter Quilter’s Glorious! (Image: submitted)

Our next Wharfeside Theatre production is Peter Quilter’s Glorious! opening on Thursday 20th June. This fascinating play is based on the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a soprano singer and performer in 1940s America. Often described as “the diva of din” and “the first lady of the sliding scale”, she was ridiculed for her poor timing, pitch, tone and terrible pronunciation of foreign lyrics. Despite this, in 1944, at the age of seventy-six, she played Carnegie Hall in New York to a capacity audience. Florence’s story is one of triumph in the face of adversity, the power of conviction and courage and the belief that with dedication and commitment, a true artist can achieve anything. Come and experience this fabulous play and enjoy an evening filled with music and laughter. The play runs until Saturday 29th June.

As part of National Refugee Week, Amnesty International is delighted to be screening the 2023 Ken Loach film The Old Oak in the Wharfeside Theatre on Sunday 23rd June at 7.30pm. The Old Oak pub is the only remaining public space where people can meet in a once-thriving mining community in North-East England. The Landlord is hanging on to the pub by a thread but his hold becomes increasingly endangered when the pub becomes contested territory after the arrival of Syrian refugees. Following the screening there will be a discussion about the film in the bar and information will be available from the local Amnesty International branch.

To book tickets for all our plays and events visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or contact Ilkley Playhouse box office on 01943 609539.