Get ready to be transported to Manhattan and Havana all in one night at Ilkley Playhouse. Famous Broadway musical Guys and Dolls opens this Tuesday 10th January and promises audiences a joyous evening of vitality, energy and pure pleasure. Hailed by many as the perfect musical comedy, it tells the story of Nathan Detroit, a Manhattan gambler who needs to find a new location for his crap shooting game. He is helped by Sky Masterson, who takes a chance on Nathan, settling their deal on a bet: Nathan bets Sky that he can’t take a woman of his choosing on a date. But as they meet their “doll” Sarah Brown (Salvation Army mission worker), the odds of falling in love go down until it’s almost inevitable. With many recognisable and much-loved songs including ‘Luck Be a Lady’, ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat’ and ‘My Time of Day’, you can be sure this is a show you do not want to miss. The backdrop in the Wharfeside Theatre is a jigsaw puzzle of dice, against which our fabulous cast generate all the energy, chaos and romance of the Big Apple, kicking and flicking their way through Ted Oxley-Kirk’s wonderful musical staging and choreography. So sit down and join the cast as they head down Broadway and meet the sassy Hot Box girls, the high-rolling gamblers and the ever-hopeful missionaries of the Save-a-Soul Mission. Guys and Dolls runs until Saturday 21st January.

The Rob Dylan Band returns to Ilkley Playhouse on Friday 27th January. 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 and dynamic playing and powerful vocals. It was a sell-out performance the last time they performed at Ilkley Playhouse so book your tickets early!

Kick of the New Year with a laugh! Stagefright Comedy Club returns on Saturday 28th January. Frontlining this event is Matt Richardson, a brash but self-deprecating, multi award winning comedian, delivering every memorable punchline with an irresistible twinkle. His TV credits include Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Celebrity Juice, Pointless Celebrities, and Dancing on Ice. He also has his own critically acclaimed show on Virgin Radio. Joining him is Masai Graham, twice winner of the Funniest Joke of the Edinburgh Fringe Award and former UK Pun Championship winner. Expect puns, one liners and dizzying wordplay. Also performing is Percy Savage, a middle class Cumbrian with a plethora of inventive and effortlessly rib-tickling perspectives. And Eddy Midgley, an endearing chap in his early twenties making sense of the bizarre world of grown-ups with devastating comedic aplomb. This is all fabulously compered as usual by Anthony J Brown.

Our first Wildman production of the season opens on Tuesday 7th February with Three Mothers, written by Matilda Velevitch. Given what is happening in the world at the moment, this is most certainly a play of our time. Set in present day and post-World War Two, the audience is immersed in the personal lives and dilemmas facing three female characters. We follow the stories of Kardy, Gisella and Erika as they make difficult decisions that despite risking everything they know, might change their lives forever. This is outstanding storytelling. There is pathos, nostalgia and some laughter. You will leave feeling uplifted and inspired.

Following a stunning debut performance at Ilkley Playhouse earlier in the year, the Jon Palmer Acoustic Band returns on Saturday 18th February. Based in Otley, this high energy, folk, roots and rock and roll band is best described as “exploding out of the same box as The Pogues, The Saw Doctors and The Waterboys.” They have a great reputation for finishing off the night in a joyful, energetic and chorus filled way.

We have a ten-week twentieth century poetry course starting on Thursday 12th January. The course is aimed at anyone who enjoys reading and discussing poetry, focusing on the latter half of twentieth century poetry in English. You will have the opportunity to hone your reading skills and consider how the poems you read relate to your own lives. This course welcomes newcomers and learners from our previous course last Autumn. Each session starts at 10.30am, finishing at 12pm. The course runs each Thursday until 30th March and is £70 for the 10 weeks.

Ilkley Playhouse is hosting a 6-week History of Modern Art course starting on Wednesday 22nd February. This course offers a selective introduction to the history of modern art focusing on major artists who are less well known. Each session addresses a specific artist and art movement and its related themes and contexts. Topics covered include Camille Pissarro and Impressionism; Maurice de Vlaminck and Fauvism; Francis Picabia and Dada; Philip Guston, Abstract Expressionism and after; Ed Ruscha and Pop Art; Gerhard Richter, photorealism an abstraction. Each session offers an introduction to an aspect of modern art and will address specific themes, contexts and artists. The sessions will typically consist of two halves: the first giving a broader overview of an artist’s career; the second a more in depth discussion of a particular issue or work.

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