IT’S all go at Ilkley Playhouse at the moment. Wherever you look, there’s something exciting going on. And that’s just the way we like it!

Even as you read this, tables and chairs are being laid out in the Wildman Studio for the one and only Stagefright Comedy Club which returns this weekend on Saturday. There are still a few precious tickets left for this event, so if you’re free, why not pop down and enjoy an evening with cult favourite Barbara Nice, YouTube legend Masai Graham and the award-winning master of deadpan Anthony J Brown. The bar will be open all night and we guarantee you’ll have a right laugh!

As soon as the final Comedy Club stragglers vacate the premises, holding their sides and wiping tears of mirth from their eyes, our dedicated team of helpers will be back at it, mopping up beer spillages and moving furniture as they ready the Wildman Studio for its transformation into the retro shopping paradise that is our Vintage Fair. On Saturday, October 29, from 10am to 4pm, Ilkley Playhouse will become a treasure trove of unique fashion and homeware as 20 stall holders offer their wares at this event organised by Alfie Robot Retro. Get the date in your diary and bag yourself a very special vintage bargain.

And whilst all this is going on, you may spot some familiar faces clutching dog-eared scripts and mugs of tea because rehearsals for our much anticipated production of The Glass Menagerie are now well underway. First premiering in 1944, this semi-autobiographical memory play catapulted Tennessee Williams from obscurity to fame. Ilkley Playhouse’s presentation is directed by Mervyn Button and stars some exceptional actors, able to perfectly capture the layers of illusion and resentment that resonate throughout the play. The story is based on the memories of one of the characters, Tom Wingfield - son of Amanda, a faded Southern belle and brother to the fragile Laura for whom Amanda is desperate to procure a suitor. Tom invites an old high-school acquaintance home for dinner and the action centres around the effect that this visitor has on the cloying world of the Wingfields. This is a play that speaks to both heart and mind in equal measure and will stay with you for a long time to come. As Tom Wingfield himself says, “Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you the truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion.”

Finally, the ladies in the Playhouse Office and Box Office have also been having a busy time and the eagle-eyed amongst you have probably noticed that we have a shiny new website! Hopefully, this will make booking online even easier – as well as providing information on all our upcoming productions and events. Visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk to see what you think – and find out more about the season ahead.

Stagefright Comedy Club is on Saturday, October 22, with doors opening at 7.30pm for an 8pm start.

The Glass Menagerie runs from Wednesday, November 2 to Saturday, November 12.

To book tickets for these – or any of our other events – visit our website www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or phone the Box Office on 01943 609539.

The Vintage Fair will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, October 29. Entry is £1, with under 16s free. Pay on the door.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest Ilkley Playhouse news and some backstage gossip!

by Vani Midgley