WE HAVE just a few more nights of our gripping production of The Vortex at Ilkley Playhouse. It runs until Saturday, May 14; audiences so far have been thrilled with both performances and production. A few tickets are still available, so book now to avoid disappointment.

We are fortunate to have Charlotte Armitage, a year 12 student at Ilkley Grammar School, providing the publicity photos for this production – she has perfectly captured the mood with this shot of Will Lovell who plays the protagonist Nicky Lancaster. This is a part that made Coward's name back in 1924 and Will is doing a superb job of portraying the troubled Nicky.

Charlotte also took the photos that appear in The Vortex’s set, marvellously recreating realistic period shots to add character and depth to the production. Charlotte is currently studying A-Level photography and hopes to continue working in this field. You may have seen her work before when Charlotte took photos for the Playhouse’s productions of The History Boys and Steel Magnolias.

We are passionate about encouraging and nurturing new talent at The Playhouse: on-stage, The Vortex showcases three young actors to watch in the future. So, as always, whatever your age, if you have an interest in the theatre – in front of the audience or backstage – please get in touch.

Our next Wharfeside production is also full of young talent! One Slight Hitch, by American comedian Lewis Black, is an American farce, featuring gentle humour and abstract social situations. Set in the 1980s, its canny combination of humour and social commentary will delight audiences. It runs from the 25th of May to the 5th of June and tickets are already selling.

Lewis Black, the author, is a Grammy-award winning actor/ writer/comedian from New York. Although he is an internationally renowned stand-up comedian, One Slight Hitch is a rounded piece, aiming for more than just laughs. It is a well-crafted piece of theatre that uses familiar but fun stock tools to tell the story of an ordinary suburban family in (comic) crisis.

One Slight Hitch taps into a rich vein, drawing on classics like The Philadelphia Story (from the 30s) to Never Too Late (from the 60s), as well as touches of Neil Simon: the nostalgia is simply a joy. As with most good comedy, an underlying seriousness adds depth and bite to the humour.

Both The Vortex and One Slight Hitch have talented young members of the playhouse in their casts. They have come to appear in The Wharfeside and Wildman theatres after taking part in our Greenroom youth theatre group. More information about what happens and what you can learn is on our website. The classes make an important contribution to confidence building in young people, as well as the more obvious benefits in the improvement of public speaking and theatrical skills. The accent is on learning through doing, with a good element of fun thrown in!

To find out more about the Greenroom classes or to book for any of our productions or events visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or call 01943 609539. You can follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest news, reviews and pictures.