ILKLEY Playhouse is fizzing with activity in preparation for a diverse and delightful set of September offerings.

We will welcome back audiences with a pre-season fringe production of the modern classic My Night with Reg, which runs from Thursday, September 7 to Saturday, September 9.

Kevin Elyot’s 1994 play invites you into the intertwining lives of a group of gay friends over the course of four years.

Set in the mid-eighties, the shadow of AIDS looms large, but the darkness is offset by a great deal of laughter.

It’s wickedly funny and deeply affecting, with enough twists to keep you engaged - the characters are so lovingly drawn that you are drawn straight into the story.

The show will be staged in the smaller Wildman Studio rather than the more formal Wharfeside Theatre, an intimate setting which suits the play’s shifting moods and brings the audience closer to the group of friends.

My Night with Reg is a topical play for the Playhouse’s fringe season: 2017 marks 50 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Channel 4’s recent 50 Shades of Gay documentary season and the BBC’s Gay Britannia both celebrated the anniversary, and the Playhouse feels privileged to mark the anniversary in our own small way by bringing such a quality piece of drama to Ilkley. Please be aware that My Night With Reg contains both swearing and nudity.

To launch the new season in the Wharfeside Theatre we have a theatrical gem by much-loved playwright and Yorkshireman J B Priestley.

Eden End, a lesser known work from 1934, is an affecting and poignant family drama of which Priestley said he had 'a special tenderness like that which some parents feel for a certain child'.

It’s brought deftly to the stage by experienced theatre director Andrew Leggott, and we’re delighted that this production is sponsored by The Priestley Society.

The eponymous Eden End is the house at the centre of the story. It is the home of Dr Kirby, a retired Yorkshire GP who receives a surprise visit from his daughter eight years after she left home to pursue her dreams as an actress.

One October afternoon in 1912 she returns to find the childhood home she remembered has changed almost beyond recognition. The domestic, familial setting recalls Chekov, while one of the over-riding themes – the elusive search for happiness and fulfilment – is universal.

Eden End will run from Wednesday, September 13 to Saturday, September 23.

Finally, the Playhouse doors burst open on Saturday, September 2 for the next Stagefright Comedy Night, featuring four terrific acts.

You may recognise Alfie Moore from ITV’s Show Me The Funny or Channel 5's The Wright Stuff. He’s been described by David Mitchell as ‘genuinely hilarious’, and his recent Edinburgh Festival show Viva Alf Vegas was both critically

acclaimed and a box-office success.

Joining Alfie is Patrick Draper, who mixes deadpan with visual gags and songs. An English Comedian Of The Year finalist in 2015, his debut show Absolutely Vacuous won a Highly Recommended accolade at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Finally, there’s Jo D’Arcy, who’s been tentatively compared to a female Rik Mayall. The evening will be compered by Anthony J Brown, of Phoenix Nights fame.

To book tickets for any of our productions please visit ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or phone (01943) 609539. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news and backstage gossip!