Fans of live performance are in for a treat – with a fantastic range of shows heading to Storyhouse during 2023.
Whether you love theatre, dance, music, comedy or the spoken word, there is something for audiences of all ages on the programme over the next 12 months as Chester welcomes new and returning theatre companies and a host of talented performers.
Storyhouse creative director Suzie Henderson said: “I’m really pleased that we’re able to bring Chester audiences such an exciting and diverse range of productions, concerts and events for 2023.
“From new musicals like Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) and TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] to fascinating ‘in conversations’, wonderful music, thought-provoking dance and delightful children’s shows, it’s already shaping up to be a busy and memorable year.”
Theatre
The programme opens with Chris Bush’s acclaimed Faustus: That Damned Woman, running 3rd-18th February.
The unforgettable re-telling of the Faustus legend is a co-production between Storyhouse and the brilliant Fallen Angels Dance Theatre and explores what we must sacrifice to achieve greatness.
Musicals
Cult extravaganza The Rocky Horror Show takes to the stage 27th February – 4th March.
Take a trip over to the Frankenstein place and do the Time Warp with Brad, Janet and the charismatic Dr Frank’n’Furter himself with Richard O’Brien’s love letter to the B-movies of his youth.
The acclaimed Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is on its first UK tour, with a stop at Storyhouse 11th-15th April.
The smart, funny and irreverent re-telling of Jane Austen’s much-loved classic features a string of pop classics from You’re So Vain to Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
The premiership of Tony Blair receives a rip-roaring ‘reckless reappraisal’ in Harry Hill and Steve Brown’s TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] which bursts onto the stage 11th-15th July.
The show, with music by Ian McCluskey, follows the former Labour leader’s time as PM from his landslide victory in May 1997 to his resignation 10 years later.
Famous faces
Legendary explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes pays a visit to Chester on 8th March to tell incredible stories of his childhood, army life and many extreme adventures in his new show Living Dangerously.
Sir Ranulph’s expeditions have taken him to both Poles, across the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans and above the clouds in the Himalayas.
Culinary queen Prue Leith brings her first ever live show to Storyhouse on 16th March.
Frank, revealing and very funny, Nothing in Moderation will take its audience through the ups and downs of being a successful restaurateur, novelist, businesswoman…and of course, Great British Bake Off judge. There will also be a chance to put your own question to Prue.
Much-loved poet Pam Ayres will be making Chester audiences laugh with her verse and irresistible stories on 21st March.
She will perform pieces from her many volumes of poetry and other writing, including her new book Who Are You Callin Vermin? as well as her 2021 bestseller Pam Ayres on Animals.
Investigative journalist, presenter – and Strictly celebrity champion – Stacey Dooley will be ‘in conversation’ on 6th June to coincide with the release of her new book Are You Really OK? Understanding Britain’s Mental Health Emergency.
Football legends
Hear from Ronnie Whelan, Steve McMahon and Jan Molby in An Audience With Liverpool Legends on 30th May. There’s also a chance for a special meet-and-greet.
And An Audience With Manchester Legends on 28th June promises the ultimate evening for fans, with Brian Robson and Brian McClair live on stage together.
Dance
Strictly Come Dancing favourite Giovanni Pernice brings his new show Made in Italy to the main stage, 6th-7th March.
The popular pro dancer, who won the 2021 competition with actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, will be joined by an ensemble of great dancers and singers for a fantastic evening of entertainment.
Avant Garde Dance takes centre stage on 28th March with Tony Adigun’s Illegal Dance, a unique and mesmerising multisensory experience which combines contemporary choreography and innovative technical stagecraft to explore a future where artistic expression is forbidden by oppressive regimes around the world.
Music
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain brings ukulelemania to Storyhouse on 17th March, sharing joy and sheer musical artistry along the way.
Mike Oldfield’s seminal solo album Tubular Bells turns 50 in 2023, and on 19th March there’s a chance to celebrate by listening to the musical masterpiece played live with a full band, arranged and conducted by Oldfield’s long-term collaborator Robin Smith.
English Touring Opera brings two new productions to Storyhouse – Donizetti’s tragic masterpiece Lucrezia Borgia on 31st March and Rossini’s comic opera Il Viaggio a Reims on 1st April. Both productions are accompanied by music played on period instruments in partnership with the Old Street Band.
On 2nd April the BBC Big Band presents The Sound of Cinema, celebrating iconic songs and soundtracks from the last 80 years of the silver screen – including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Alfie, James Bond and Mission Impossible – joined by guest vocalist Emer McParland.
First lady of folk Kate Rusby pays a visit to Storyhouse on 21st April as part of her celebrations marking 30 years in the music business which also include a new album – 30: Happy Returns – featuring a host of guest artists. She will be joined in Chester by her band, including her husband and producer Damien O’Kane.
Younger audiences
Joss Arnott Dance brings Tin Man to Hunter Street on 6th April. The enchanting retelling of a classic story imagines the much-loved character’s encounters with the Witch in the deep wood, and the new friendships he makes with the Scarecrow and Lion along the way in a story told with humour and pathos.
Tales From Acorn Wood, based on stories by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, arrive at Storyhouse 8th-9th April. The show features Rabbit’s Nap, Fox’s Socks, Hide-and-Seek Pig and Postman Bear and is packed full of toe-tapping songs and puppetry.
Hey Duggee – The Live Theatre Show takes over the main stage 17th-20th August in a new show featuring loveable Duggee, the Squirrels and many more.
Comedy
There’s also a fabulous line-up of comedians this year – including Tom Allen: Completely (11th-12th March), Mike Wozniak: Zuza (28th April), Tim Vine: Breeeep! (23rd July) and Frankie Boyle: Lap of Shame (4th-5th September).
Then 18th-19th October, Sarah Millican returns to Storyhouse with her new stand-up show Late Bloomer.
About Storyhouse
Storyhouse is one of the UK’s foremost cultural centres – incorporating a library, theatre and cinema.
It is one of the country’s most successful arts buildings, with more than a million customer visits each year.
The pioneering new library within Storyhouse, where members of the community work alongside city librarians, boasts the longest opening hours of any UK public library and is open every day until 11pm.
Storyhouse also runs the country’s most successful regional open-air theatre, in the city’s Grosvenor Park, and Moonlight Flicks open air cinema.
It also currently holds the official title as the UK’s most welcoming theatre.
Listings
Faustus: That Damned Woman
Date: 3rd-18th February 2023
Time: 7.30pm/5.30pm (8th February) and 2.30pm (11th-12th and 18th February)
Tickets: From £18
The Rocky Horror Show
Date: 27th February- 4th March 2023
Time: 8pm / 5.30pm and 8.30pm (Fri and Sat)
Tickets: £23.20-£46.50 / under 26s get 25% off.
Giovanni Pernice: Made in Italy
Date: 6th-7th March 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £29.60-£87.50 (limited VIP meet-and-greet available)
Living Dangerously with Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Date: 8th March 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £30.75 / £26.25 (non-members £34 / £29)
Tom Allen: Completely
Date: 12th March 2023
Time: 8pm
Tickets: sold out
Prue Leith: Nothing in Moderation
Date: 16th March 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £29.40 / £26.50 (non-members £32.50 / £29)
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Date: 17th March 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £25.80 / under 16s £19.50 (non-members £28.50 / £21.50)
Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells: A 50th Anniversary Celebration
Date: 19th March 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £19.50-£56.50
Pam Ayres – Live
Date: 21st March 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £24.90 (non-members £27.50)
Avant Garde Dance: Illegal Dance
Date: 28th March 2023
Time: 7.20pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £22.50 / Child £15 (non-members £34 / £18)
English Touring Opera: Lucrezia Borgia
Date: 31st March 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £20-£32.40 (non-members £22-£36)
English Touring Opera: Il Viaggio a Reims
Date: 1st April 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £20-£32.40 (non-members £22-£36)
BBC Big Band presents The Sound of Cinema
Date: 2nd April 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £24.50 (non-members £27)
Joss Arnott Dance: Tin Man
Date: 6th April 2023
Time: 6pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £11.50 / Child £9.50 (non-members £13 / £11.50)
Tales From Acorn Wood
Date: 8th-9th April 2023
Time: Sat 1.30pm / Sun 11am and 2pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £15 / under 16s £13.20 / under 18 months free (non-members £16.50 / £14.50)
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)
Date: 11th-15th April 2023
Time: 7.30pm / 2.30pm (Wed and Sat matinees)
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £24.75-£37.35 (non-members £27.50-£41.50)
Kate Rusby
Date: 21st April 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £26.70 (non-members £29.50)
Mike Wozniak: Zuza
Date: 28th April 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: sold out
An Audience With Liverpool Legends
Date: 30th May 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £33.90 entry / £84.90 meet and greet (non-members £36.50 / £93)
In Conversation With Stacey Dooley
Date: 6th June 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse members £25 (non-members £27.78)
An Audience With Manchester Legends
Date: 28th June 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £33.90 entry / £84.90 meet and greet (non-members £36.50 / £93)
TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera]
Date: 11th-15th July 2023
Time: 7.30pm / 2.30pm Sat matinee
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £17.50-£30.50 (non-members £19.30-£33.60)
Tim Vine: Breeep!
Date: 23rd July 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £26.50
Hey Duggee
Date: 17th-20th August 2023
Time: 10am Sat-Sun / 10.30am Thurs-Fri / 1pm Fri-Sun
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £15.50-£21.50 / children £2 off / under 18 months free (non-members £17.50-£24)
Frankie Boyle: Lap of Shame
Date: 4th-5th September 2023
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: Storyhouse Card £26.50 (non-member £29)
Sarah Millican: Late Bloomer
Date: 18th-19th October 2023
Time: 8pm
Tickets: £34
