MATT Hartley’s warm and moving play Here I Belong opens this Tuesday 8th February in the Wildman Studio. The play explores village life over six decades and all is told over a nice slice of cake. It is a play about the lifetime of a village. Elsie lives in the countryside, it has been her home for sixty years and she doesn’t want to leave. It’s where her daughter grew up, it’s where her husband died and it’s where she is going to stay. Four actors tell Elsie’s story at different stages of her life and her lifetime battle to stay where she feels she belongs. This is a sensitive, charming and honest play about village life and the right to grow old in your own home. The play runs until Saturday 12th February so get your tickets soon!

Back by popular demand, the Rob Dylan Band returns to Ilkley Playhouse on Saturday 19th February. Formed by a group of musicians who share a passion for the music of Bob Dylan, their performance captures the spirit of the Rolling Thunder Revue with exciting, dynamic playing and powerful vocals. It was a sell-out performance the last time they performed at Ilkley Playhouse so book your tickets early!

Ilkley Playhouse is delighted to welcome JVB Productions to the Wildman Studio on Friday 25th February to perform The Circle of Life. Having lost her job a matter of weeks before lockdown, Julie Victoria Boyle decided to write. And The Circle of Life is the play she wrote during the global pandemic of 2020. Come and join us as we share some poignant, funny, bitter, sweet moments in time. You can't erase the past, you can only look forward and enjoy the ride as best you can. Please note that this production contains swearing and strong adult themes and we suggest an advisory age of 16+.

Be afraid! Be reasonably afraid...The Hound is coming to Ilkley Moor. Well, technically it's coming to Dartmoor. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his classic tale of The Hound of the Baskervilles involves a cast of seventeen characters, however we are performing this play with just three actors. Sherlock Holmes' most famous case starts when Holmes and Watson are called in because Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the moor (of course!), a look of terror on his face, and the paw prints of a gigantic hound by his body. With rumours of a cursed giant hound loose on the moors, they must act fast in order to save the Baskerville family’s last remaining heir. This ingenious adaptation combines an exhilarating collision of farce, theatrical invention and wonderfully comic performances to offer a brand-new twist on the greatest detective story of all time. The Hound of the Baskervilles opens in the Wharfeside Theatre on Thursday 3rd March and runs until Saturday 12th March. Please note that the performance on Monday 7th March will have socially distanced seating.

We have some great live music events coming up in March and April starting with the return of Laurel Canyon Union and Nick Hall on Friday 25th March. Expect the gentle reflection of James Taylor to the rebel fury of Neil Young, with favourites from Jackson Browne, the Eagles, The Byrds, Crosby Stills & Nash and many more along the way. On Saturday 26th March the Otley-based, high energy, folk, rock and roll Jon Palmer Acoustic Band perform. They are best described as “exploding out of the same box as The Pogues, The Saw Doctors, and The Waterboys”.

On Friday 1st April Cilla and the Swinging 60s perform at Ilkley Playhouse for the first time. Expect a highly entertaining show, stylishly celebrating the life and music of the legendary Cilla Black as well as a handpicked selection of her well known contemporaries, including Dusty Springfield, Lulu, Petula Clark and The Beatles. Starring the unforgettable voice and previous West End Singer Sandy Smith as Cilla, the show will take you on a journey through many of the greatest pop songs of the 1960s.

On Saturday 2nd April, we see the return of the popular The Art of Simon featuring special guest Graham Hodge. Lose yourself in nostalgia as Bryan and Jeremy perform the classic hits of Simon and Garfunkel. The Art of Simon faithfully recreate Paul Simon’s songs from Mrs Robinson, through to Homeward Bound and Bridge over Troubled Water. If you are a lover of contemporary music, this is a show you must not miss.

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.