Representing the University

Last summer we saw a wonderful array of university representation around the UK. Durham Student Theatre continues to stimulate all sorts of exciting, professional, and polished theatre. From sketch comedy and student writing to Shakespeare, students involved in DST were given the opportunity to push the boundaries of theatre beyond Durham. Here are what a few students had to say about the exciting opportunities offered to them by DST:

The Durham Revue:

“Last August, I was lucky enough to go to Edinburgh Fringe with The Durham Revue - Durham University’s premier sketch comedy troupe that has brought you the likes of Stevie Martin, Ed Gamble and the humble author of this section of the article you’re reading. Being part of the group gave me the opportunity to perform at the festival for the whole month every single day in a professional venue. Though merely a Durham Uni student, I was able to watch and rub shoulders with fellow comedians, actors and writers alike. Some of my fondest memories from Fringe were passing conversations with other acts in the venue green room; even the opera singer who insisted they do full vocal warm up on the sofa right next to me had a story to tell and a place they were going. For me, it demonstrated that the Fringe is still the place to be for performers no matter their age or stage of career. Indeed, one of the most rewarding moments was performing our show for a sold out audience that just so happened to include Durham Revue alum Stevie Martin; Stevie had just finished her latest run at the Fringe and had very kindly come to support her old sketch group. 

At the close of the festival, the Durham Revue and five other university sketch groups came together for ‘Sketch Off’ - a joyous celebration of what student comedy has to offer. This year, the event was opened by the likes of Nish Kumar and judged by industry professionals. The event epitomised the importance of the performing arts in a university setting. Without a long-running group like the Durham Revue, which financially supports each of its members by providing accommodation for the whole month, Fringe for myself and many of the other students I was huddled in the ‘Sketch Off’ green room with, would have not been possible. Rocketing Fringe costs are hitting student performers the hardest, and yet as ‘Sketch Off’ shows, university groups produce some of the most vibrant offerings of the festival. The support isn’t only financial. Without the fabulous performing arts culture of Durham University, I doubt I would have even considered it possible for me to complete a full run at the Fringe. It is always a privilege to step from the train into Edinburgh during festival season, and we must continue to celebrate it for years to come.”

Jude Battersby, Durham Revue Co-President 2025-2026

It’s Okay, We’ll Be Okay:

“Following a couple of nights of performances in Durham, it was incredibly exciting that Sixth Side Theatre Company was able to take ‘It's Ok, We'll Be Ok.’ to the Edinburgh Fringe. DST were very supportive and especially helpful for advice on venues and Fringe registration. We opted for a corner stage venue to create an immersive feel and completed a week-long run with Greenside Venues. Across our run we had some fantastic audience reviews and even a standing ovation at our final show. As a writer and director it was lovely and a bit surreal to see my work performed outside of Durham with such a fantastic cast and producer making it all happen.”

Alysia Orbell, Director

Castle Theatre Company’s National Tour:

Castle Theatre Company’s Annual Shakespeare Tour (colloquially known as ‘Tour’) is one of the highlights of the DST calendar. This year, our intrepid troupe of 13 actors, 1 Musical Director, 1 Tour Coordinator, and 1 Director brought a luxury-resort-inspired performance of ‘Twelfth Night’ to select locations across England. Although faced with a sprained ankle, a collapsed tent, and a broken-down car, the troupe this year nevertheless delivered a stellar production, with some of the best reviews of any CTC tour in recent memory. Described by the Palatinate as ‘brilliantly conceived and perfectly executed’, this year’s tour was an experience that I’m sure the members won’t forget in a hurry. A huge thank you to Durham Student Theatre for their support: personal grants offered many of our cast members the financial support to tour the country, an opportunity that would have been unavailable to them otherwise. A long-standing tradition, we’re looking forward to 2026’s Merry Wives of Windsor, the 47th year of the National Tour.”

Henry Skinner, Tour Director 2025

Durham Opera Ensemble’s ‘Iolanthe’:

“This summer, Durham Opera Ensemble took our Gilbert & Sullivan production of Iolanthe to the International Gilbert and Sullivan festival and we were honoured to win the Gertrude Marsh LOOI Unifest Champions Award, as well as awards for best director (Sarah Johnston), best musical director (Michael Kohn), best female performer (Mathilda Ketterer) and best chorus. The initial production was hugely successful during its Durham run, and we are so lucky to have been able to take this project further to the heart of G&S fans and bring our love of both opera and G&S to the beautiful Buxton. The show saw wonderful responses from audience members and proved a triumphant success! We also met the founder of the DOE and enjoyed a sing-song at the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival Club before heading back to Durham. After such a success, we cannot wait to bring this year’s production of Will Todd’s Alice in Wonderland to Durham audiences and hopefully see some of you there as well!"

Amanda Cross-Court, DOE President 2025/2026

Alumni Achievements

In regards to other notable achievements in the last academic year, DST saw a huge number of graduates continuing their creative progression in further study, at some of the absolute best schools in Britain. This year, fifteen DST Alumni have enrolled in courses to continue their theatrical development. Keep your eyes out for them!

Alumni Maariya Khalid and Horatio Holloway are both undertaking a Master’s Degree in Playwrighting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), alongside Tristan Betts, who is enrolled on the Undergraduate Degree in Acting at RADA.

Harry Threapleton is undertaking the MA screenwriting course at The University of Manchester.

Emily Power and Luke Mallon are both undertaking a Master of Arts degree in Creative Producing at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

DST Alumni Charlie Holliday, Charlie Moscrop, and George Cass are all undertaking Master’s degrees in Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music.

Hannah Thomas and Ben Cawood are both enrolled on the Master of Arts Degree for Directing at Mountview Academy of Theatrical Arts. Charlotte Dixon is also enrolled in a Master of Arts Degree in Acting at Mountview.

Last year’s 2024/2025 DST President Bethan Avery is undertaking a Master of Arts Degree in Acting at the Manchester School of Theatre.

Alannah O’Hare, Durham Revue President 2024/2025, is enrolled in the Master of Arts Degree in Acting at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art.

Abby Greenhalgh, writer of last year’s Palatinate-award winning Strange Young Girls, is enrolled on the MA Drama Writing course at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Michaelmas Recap

Moving into Durham Student Theatre’s first term of the 2025/2026 academic year, we had a huge success for expression, talent, and polish on the Assembly Rooms stage and beyond. DULOG’s 'Sweeney Todd’ was the best selling show in Assembly Rooms history, selling out six performances over five days.

This term also saw physical theatre, musical showcases, gothic tributes, and comedy-of-manners shine. We had two Oscar Wilde works staged in the Assembly Rooms: an adaptation of ‘The Picture of Dorian Grey’ staged by Pitch Productions, and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ staged by DUCT. We also saw modern classics like ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller and ‘Pygmalion’ by George Bernard Shaw staged, alongside modern plays like ‘Brontë’ by Polly Teale and ‘Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons’ by Sam Steiner taking Durham by storm.

We also saw welcomed new performers and creatives with this year’s Freshers Play, ‘Blithe Spirit’ by Noël Coward, staged with support from the Durham Student Theatre Committee. Our new generation are fantastic, and we’re excited to support them in the rest of their journey through the performing arts at Durham.

Check out the fantastic ‘Performing Arts Wrapped’ for more stats and facts about this term for theatre and music!

This term has also seen Durham Student Theatre’s support of theatrical journalism remain strong. DST First Night has continued as a fantastic platform for budding writers to support the theatrical community; we have succeeded in reviewing every show staged this term. Student magazines Palatinate Indigo and Wayzgoose have been more involved with theatre than ever. Furthermore, Purple Radio live show ‘Durhama’ and podcast ‘What’s the Drama?’ have relaunched with brand new hosts, offering even more ways for audiences to engage with Durham Student Theatre.

Michaelmas term has also been huge for outreach. DST have been supporting Movember: we saw a fair number of very disappointing moustaches (and some great ones) over the month. DUCT have continued their partnership with CORAM Shakespeare Schools, and have raised over £1500 pounds for the charity this term alone. Most notably, DST have collaborated with local primary schools in Durham. Here’s what Outreach and Charities Officer Noah Lazarides had to say about the hard work which has gone into the project:

Bringing theatre to local school children – DST Outreach, Michaelmas 2025

“Our outreach and charitable projects have been ambitious and in full swing this term, giving Durham students the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the wider community. We are particularly proud of our initiatives which bring theatre to local school children… and bring local school children to the theatre. Thanks to the committed volunteering of our members, we have been able to deliver weekly drama workshops to both Parkside Academy and Sugar Hill Primary School. All term we have been building up to a day trip for each school to visit the Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, in which the young performers will be able to perform the plays we have been working on to an audience of their friends and family. The children gain so much from this experience as they build their self-confidence working on a creative project together. We are proud to be able to put the resources with which the Assembly Rooms are furnished to such invaluable use, increasing accessibility to the arts and broadening these talented children’s horizons. These projects are all the more special because we have been able to cover all the costs ourselves (including expensive transport to and from the schools and theatre), thanks to our generous donors. This means that those children who would otherwise not have access to similar opportunities are included. One grateful teacher wrote that it has been “particularly moving to see pupils who have previously not accessed such workshops, or those that previously not have had the confidence, join in and even thrive upon the stage”.

Those of our members who have been volunteering have hugely enjoyed running these sessions and watching the children grow and develop as performers and as young people. We were all now very excited to invite them into the theatre, see the hard work come together, and watch their performances on the 16th and 17th of December!”

Noah Lazarides, Outreach and Charities Officer 2025-2026.

New year, new DST

Next term is shaping up to be incredibly exciting for Student Theatre at Durham. We’re looking forward to some extremely exciting productions going ahead this academic year. Make sure to check out the ‘What’s On’ page of the Durham Performing Arts website for more information.

Highlights include Wrongtree’s 'The Seagull’, being staged 22 to 24 January, Durham Opera Ensemble’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, being performed 25 – 28 February, and Durham University Classical Theatre’s ‘Julius Caesar', being staged aptly before the Ides of March on 12 – 14 March.

Rehearsals have also already begun for the largest show put on by Durham Student Theatre over the course of the academic year, DULOG’s ‘Grease' in the Gala Theatre. The musical is running for seven shows over five days at the end of January. Good luck to all involved! More information can be found below:

Durham University’s biggest musical theatre company, DULOG, returns for their annual production in the Gala theatre, 27th-31st January 2026!

Funny, frank and upbeat, ‘GREASE’ has remained one of the world’s most popular and enduring musicals since its electric Broadway and West End debut in the early 1970’s. Featuring hit songs, “Greased Lightnin’,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “You’re The One That I Want,” and “Summer Nights,” ‘GREASE’ follows the journey of Danny and Sandy, alongside the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies, as they navigate high school to the unforgettable rock n’ roll soundtrack that defined generations. 

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. "Hopelessly Devoted to You", "You're The One That I Want", "Sandy" and "Grease" used by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.

“GREASE” is presented through special arrangement with and all authorised performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW), www.theatricalrights.co.uk

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Thank you for reading our first iteration of the Durham Student Theatre Alumni Newsletter. If you’re not already receiving this as an email in your inbox, please sign up to our mailing list here to receive newsletters in the future. If you want to get in touch, to help promote your future endeavours or alumni successes, or to ask any questions about patronage, please get in touch at [email protected].

Durham Student Theatre needs your support! Due to cuts in arts funding across Durham University, student theatre is relying more on external patronage than ever before. If you’re looking to support future generations of performers, directors, technical wizards and so much more, please consider donating at the link below. Every penny counts. If you would like more information on alumni and patronage, I’d love to hear from you at [email protected].

Your money goes directly to supporting Durham Students.

Most importantly, your money will be used to increase the grants available to support small theatre companies looking to stage new and innovative theatre. More money provided through grants will allow companies to rent tech, hire theatres, and buy costumes and props for their shows. £50 would allow set and costume designers to expand their horizons for design, allowing them to realise their visions without cutting costs.

Due to budget cuts we’ve recently been forced to limit the number of external judges for the Durham Drama Festival. £100 would help us secure judges by allowing us to reimburse accommodation and travel. This is a valuable opportunity, as it allows students to chat to industry professionals who can offer advice and feedback on their work.

Donations also support outreach offered by Durham Student Theatre. £500 would allow us to pay the entire annual Assembly Rooms levy for our yearly staging of performances by local school children, which would allow us to continue our partnership with Sugar Hill primary and Parkside Academy and cement the bond between our society and the local community.

If you wish to specify a certain DST society for your donation, you’re welcome to do so on the form below. Thank you.

DONATION LINK

This newsletter was written, edited, and formatted by Edward Clark, the Alumni and Patrons Officer for 2025/2026.

We’re also excited to see nine brand new student written plays staged all across Durham as a part of the Durham Drama Festival, running from the 16th to the 22nd of February. This week-long event is the highlight for student writing in the academic year, and we can’t wait to see what our writers, directors, and performers have been preparing. You can catch this year’s festival at the Mount Oswald Hub, Collingwood Arts Centre, and the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre in February.