Upcoming Events
The Durham Revue: Returner's Show
The Durham Revue return to Durham after their Edinburgh Fringe run for one last performance with their most recent troupe.
Black History Month Showcase
Roots x ACS are proud to present an evening commemorating and honouring our cultures, featuring a variety of performances from monologues to musical numbers, celebrating Black Heritage from across the diaspora.
Monstrous Regiment
Borogravia's at war. To help her country, Polly disguises herself as a man and joins the army. She soon learns that not everything is as it seems.
The Hollow
A weekend party soon turns fatal when a body is found, covered in blood next to a smoking gun. To solve the case, a web of romantic obsession and deadly family secrets must be untangled...
Open Call: The Hild Bede Theatre Cabaret
Roll up, roll up! Hild Bede Theatre invites you to enjoy their “Open Call” cabaret to introduce to you our newest recruits in what promises to be a star-studded event.
The Freshers' Showcase 2026
The annual Fresher’s Showcase returns for another year. Join Tone Deaf Theatre Company as we showcase Durham’s newest and brightest talent in an evening of dazzling musical theatre.
Twenty Years of Durham Opera Ensemble
Celebrating 20 years of DOE, join Durham Opera Ensemble and Durham University Palatinate Orchestra for an evening of operatic highlights from The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and more!
Into the Woods
Once upon a time… but never quite as expected. Venture ‘Into the Woods' this November in Stephen Sondheim’s critically acclaimed musical production, where familiar fairytales collide with unexpected consequences
Nostalgia & Memory
A charity showcase in support of Children NorthEast following the theme of Nostalgia & Memory with performances that are designed to indulge audiences in the nostalgic worlds of our childhoods.
tick... tick... BOOM!
As his 30th birthday approaches, Jonathan Larson faces the ticking clock of time, ambition and uncertainty, questioning whether to pursue his passion or choose security.
Oklahoma!
In the year 1906, right before the Oklahoma territory becomes its own state, a cowboy falls in love with a farm girl against all odds.
The Suffragette's Murder
Secret feminist plots, an eccentric crew, and a dead body collide in ‘The Suffragette’s Murder.’ This hilarious 1857 farce brilliantly mixes screwball comedy with the fight for human rights.
Next to Normal
A raw, explosive and unforgettable sung-through rock musical about love, loss and mental illness. As one family fights to hold itself together, how far will they go to find hope?
A Doll's House
In late nineteenth-century Norway, Nora and Torvald Helmer prepare for Christmas when they receive an unexpected visit from an old colleague who threatens to unveil Nora's deepest, darkest secret.
Alice in Wonderland
Fall into a haze of sinister insensibility in Walkabout’s immersive, dark-fantasy adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale.
'“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Richard III
Murderer. Traitor. Villain. History has not been kind to Richard III, yet is such a reputation justified? Castle Theatre Company’s retelling invites the audience to answer that for themselves.
Did Richard always covert the crown? Did he plot against his own family? Did he kill his nephews, the Princes in the Tower? Did he poison his own wife? Shakespeare seems to think so. Yet is History ever so black and white? Can one man truly be that villainous? The Wars of the Roses was a time of plotting and betrayal, but was Richard a villain or a victim? Don’t take Shakespeare’s word for it, decide for yourself.
Shakespeare’s Richard III chronicles the bloody rise and swift fall of the Duke of Gloucester, a ruthlessly ambitious and physically deformed nobleman. Desperate for the English throne, Richard orchestrates a web of manipulation, deceit, and murder, eliminating anyone in his path—including his own brothers and young nephews, the Princes in the Tower. After seizing the crown, his tyrannical reign is short-lived. Plagued by guilt-induced nightmares and mounting rebellion, Richard faces the Earl of Richmond at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Abandoned and unhorsed, Richard is killed in battle, ending the Wars of the Roses and launching the Tudor dynasty.
£10 Standard
£9 Concession
£7 Performing Arts Members
This performance will take place at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 N Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.
The performances will begin at 7pm and last approximately 3h with interval. Doors will open 30m before the show begins.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
On a Mississippi plantation, a family gathers for Big Daddy’s birthday, but beneath the celebrations, unresolved tensions, secrets, desires and expectations threaten to tear them apart.
Shrek the Musical
‘Shrek The Musical’, the hilarious, heartwarming and wonderfully witty musical experience is coming to the Gala Theatre this January! Packed with unforgettable characters, infectious songs and plenty of ogre-sized fun, this is one fairytale you won’t want to miss.
Sister Act
A woman hiding in a convent helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she rediscovers her own.
RENT
An electrifying rock musical about love, loss and survival, RENT captures young artists in early-1990s New York fighting to live boldly in the face of adversity, measuring life in love.
D'Oscars 2026
Step into the spotlight at Durham Student Theatres annual D’Oscars ball! Join Durham Student Theatre for a glamorous black tie event featuring awards, drinks and dancing. Channel your inner star and Dress to Impress.
Crystal Unclear: An Improvised Séance
Join our Medium for an unscripted séance where the prompts you give decide the fate of those involved. An evening of laughs is guarenteed!
The Finalists' Showcase
This showcase celebrates Durham Student Theatre’s graduating year. Led entirely by final year students, the performance promises an exciting evening packed with monologues and musical numbers.
Gilbert and Sullivan in Concert
Durham Opera Ensemble presents a night of all of the best bits from Gilbert and Sullivan's Operettas, perfect for G and S lovers, or those new to opera.
The Birthday Party
Harold Pinter's first full-length play, 'The Birthday Party' is a comedy of menace. Disquieting and oppressive, The Collingwood Woodplayers are excited to present Pinter's masterpiece in the round.
Dear Evan Hansen
The Tony, Grammy and Oliver award winning hit musical Dear Evan Hansen comes to Durham! Follow high schooler Evan Hansen on a deeply moving story as he becomes entangled in a misunderstanding after his classmate Connor is found with a letter addressed “Dear Evan Hansen” after taking his own life.
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Castle Theatre Company is delighted to announce its 2026 touring production of one of Shakespeare’s most entertaining comedies: The Merry Wives of Windsor. Set in 1960s suburbia, the show includes a number of musical interludes sure to put a smile on your face! Packed with trickery, duels, and a whole array of unique costuming, The Merry Wives of Windsor promises a side-splitting night of laughter and chicanery.
Quantum Entanglement
Over Easter weekend in a university pub garden, an unexpected pregnancy forces a group of students to confront love, heartbreak and adulthood, as fragile friendships unravel and lives become forever entangled.
TCMS Through Time
'TCMS Through Time' is a celebration of musicals performed over TCMS' history, showcasing renditions of classic musical numbers. Whether it's high-energy ensemble numbers or softer emotional ballads - this show has it all!
Candelight Concert
A candlelit journey through musical theatre’s favourites, telling stories of love in all its forms, through heartbreak, hope and the belief that love is always worth holding onto.
The Witches of Eastwick
Three desperate housewives in small town America wish for the man of their dreams and get more than they bargain for in this devilish musical.
For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy
‘For Black Boys…’ follows six young British men as they meet for group therapy, they unpack deep-rooted issues, unravelling what it means to be a Black in 21st century Britain.
DULOG Boat Party 2026
We are delighted to announce the return of the DULOG Boat Party! An end-of-year party for the whole society, celebrating all achievements and accomplishments of the past year!
ANTIGONE
Set in a 1950s Burnley textile mill, Antigone faces her uncle’s wrath after defying his decree and burying her ‘traitor’ brother. An unflinching examination of family, power and gender, ANTIGONE asks us what we would dare for those we love.
Palatinate Awards 2026
Durham University Performing Arts invites you to an evening of celebration and entertainment to recognise the achievements of the outstanding members of our theatre and music community.
Included in your ticket price is entrance to the event, your very own wood-fired pizza, a pop-up bar, and live music!
The event will begin at 7 pm, but feel free to arrive from 6:30pm to take advantage of the bar, house music and photographer!
The official dress code is formal, but please wear what makes you feel most comfortable.
Standard £15
Nominees £10
Medea
Set in the ancient past, Euripides' 'Medea' tells the story of a betrayed wife's revenge on her deceitful husband.
Poetry Club
Martin has high hopes for his newly established poetry club. He’s got someone coming to write about it from the gazette, for what he hopes will be an hour of insightful discussion about poetry. Playing out over the first meeting, Poetry Club brings together a dysfunctional group of people who navigate first impressions, grief, and (much to Martin’s despair) local gossip. Come along to Poetry Club: does what it says on the tin.
Final Eggsamination
Fancy a guaranteed laugh following exams? Come and watch our improvisers battle with their Final Eggsamination!
To All The Roles I've Never Played
A one-night only musical theatre showcase that follows a group of performers through the different dream roles they've had throughout their lives, but never had the opportunity to play.
Are You Having a Laugh?
Just before they go on a 6-week expedition around London, Durham, and Edinburgh, The Durham Revue are back! Back with 100% new content and two special guests, the Durham Revue have one question for you... Are You Having A Laugh?
Comedy Cabaret
Castle Theatre Company's iconic night of stand up, sketch and improvised comedy acts, hosted in Durham Castle's stunning Great Hall.
Death on the Nile
Murder on the Nile by Agatha Christie follows the passengers on board the idyllic Lotus steamer in Egypt, but a horrendous crime takes place, putting everyone under scrutiny.
Be More Chill
Based on the novel by Ned Vizzini, Be More Chill is a comedy musical that focuses in on high school life tackling questions of identity and self.
Othello
Shakespeare’s Othello is a timeless tale of betrayal, deceit and revenge. When overlooked for a promotion, Iago begins to plant seeds of doubt in the mind of his general, Othello, with tragic consequences.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
On the streets of Paris: a tale of love, conflict, and acceptance. With a soaring score, an onstage choir, band, and cast bring the musical rendition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame to life with vivd spectacle.
Hill v Bailey 2026
Hill vs Bailey is back! Shellshock's annual battle of the colleges return as they go head-to-head in an epic battle of wits, quick thinking and laughter!
Dusk to Dawn: A Cabaret
A dazzling journey of classic musical theatre numbers within the themes of light and shadow. With mysterious, moody pieces, and bright, hopeful harmonies: this cabaret takes a worthy spotlight.
Orlando
Spanning three centuries and two genders, this magical adventure follows Orlando on a quest for love and identity. From Elizabethan courts to the modern age, one soul remains eternally young.