Ilkley Playhouse

THE Ilkley Playhouse is delighted to welcome back the Ilkley Literature festival over the coming weeks.

The Playhouse is already starting to fill with books and bustle and will soon be overflowing with authors, poets and literature lovers.

While the written word is at the forefront of the Ilkley Literature Festival there is much more about the spoken word going on behind the scenes.

Rehearsals are underway for Handbagged, by Moira Buffini, which examines the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher.

It’s a feisty comedy that features imagined conversations based around historical fact, and while its subject matter resides in the past there are prescient modern-day parallels. As you can imagine with two very strong women the tension evolves around a battle of wills, while there is much humour to be drawn. There are also some amusing cameos from the men in their lives, and some interesting segments where the women, in later life, pass judgement on their younger selves. An intriguing play about the not so distant past, and a glimpse into the lives of two very different women.

Later this year we welcome back the incredibly popular Rob Dylan Band (Friday, November 22nd), who stage sell-out shows and are definably one not to miss. The Rob Dylan Band was formed by a group of musicians who share a passion for the songs of Bob Dylan. Their show captures the spirit of his songs in a powerful and dynamic way, creating a magical atmosphere and raising the roof of the Wildman.

More music is to come with Soul Train. This Yorkshire-based band are fast becoming one of the most sought-after authentic soul acts in the UK, delivering outstanding performances with their fantastic renditions of timeless Stax and Motown classics, paying tribute to legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Wilson Pickett and many more. This will be a great night out, so book soon to avoid disappointment.

Tickets are selling well for our December production of The Wind in The Willows, a perfect family production for Christmas. Directed by Playhouse favourite Damian O’Keefe, it’s the much-loved Kenneth Grahame classic book as adapted by Alan Bennet. If this sounds like something you would like (or the smaller people in your life would like!) then book soon to avoid disappointment.

Visit our website for tickets or more information about all our events, productions and courses: it’s at www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk.

Claire Emmott