Joining the previously announced collaboration with Wise Children, North by Northwest, adapted and directed by Wise Children’s Artistic Director Emma Rice; and Gary Oldman returning to the stage in Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape, are the return of the acclaimed production of E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children adapted by Mike Kenny; a major new community project His Last Report about York born Seebohm Rowntree; and in the studio, The Storm Whale, in a co-production with Engine House, Little Angel and The Marlowe, Canterbury.
The Railway Children is presented in a co-production with Bradford 2025, and in partnership with the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. Staged at Keighley & Oxenhope stations, the production is conceived and directed by Damian Cruden.
In the summer of 2025, York Theatre Royal in association with Riding Lights Theatre Company will stage a large-scale community project – His Last Report, which focuses on pioneering social reformer Seebohm Rowntree and his groundbreaking investigation into the harsh realities of poverty, the play will be told through the voices of York’s residents, both past and present. Applications will be open shortly for local people to get involved either as part of the acting company or behind the scenes. Further information on how to apply will be announced shortly.
Further highlights of the visiting programme include RSC’s First Encounters: The Tempest (24-25 Feb) Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, (4 – 7 June), John Godber’s Do I Love You? (10-14 June) and Kim’s Convenience (16-21 June). In addition, York Theatre Royal will host another Old Paintshop Season in their Studio with a diverse programme including jazz, cabaret, and burlesque.
CEO Paul Crewes said today, “We are so proud of the programme of produced work we have on our stage for 2025. Following on from our production of Aladdin this Christmas, we look forward to collaborating with Emma Rice and the Wise Children team on North by Northwest, adapted from the great Alfred Hitchcock film. In spring, we welcome Gary Oldman back to the stage where he started his career in our own production of Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece Krapp’s Last Tape. We also see the return of our beautiful co-production of The Storm Whale in the Studio. Our final piece of produced work is our large-scale community production His Last Report with Riding Lights Theatre Company, where we will work with hundreds of local people to bring to life a local story with a national impact.
We are thrilled to welcome world-class dance performances from Matthew Bourne and New Adventures who are bringing us The Midnight Bell, and the Jasmin Vardimon company who are celebrating their 25th anniversary. The RSC are back with their First Encounters project The Tempest and over the summer we have John Godber’s Do I Love You? and Kim’s Convenience starring Ins Choi. Local York companies including York Settlement Community Players will be staging work in our Studio and York Opera are back with the wonderful Tales of Hoffman in our Main House.”
Priority booking for YTR members opens on 25 November at 1pm with general onsale on 30 November at 1pm. Please note, North by Northwest, The Railway Children and Krapp’s Last Tape are already on sale to the public.
