Ilkley Playhouse

THE intimacy of the Wildman Theatre is the ideal setting for our next play Flamingoland – a thought provoking piece by Deborah McAndrew.

At the age of 58, Mari is getting ready to die; she has terminal cancer and wants to make her death as organised as possible. From labelling her possessions so that her daughter Kathleen knows what to do with them, making sure her family have rehearsed their farewell speeches for the funeral, shredding bank statements, dealing with the squirrels in the loft, she is leaving nothing to chance.

But Mari is lonely. She is too weak to go out and nobody comes to visit, fearing they won’t know what to say. It is a bittersweet tale of mothers, sisters, love and lies. Expect to be taken on an emotional rollercoaster causing tears to be shed and laughter to bellow.

This fabulous play is a bittersweet comedy with witty Victoria Wood-like observations on ordinary, working class life, with memories of Mablethorpe and day trips to Flamingoland. It is a drama strong on family relationships and the impact the past has on the present. The play runs from September 23rd to 25th in the Wildman Studio.

On Saturday, September 18th you can enjoy a memorable evening of first class musical entertainment. Fire and Rain will be performing the music of James Taylor and Carole King.

You can expect the classic James Taylor & Carole King songs played with skill, passion, emotion, humour and humility. Fire and Rain is not a tribute or sound-a-like act. It is simply a collection of five of the best musicians from the North of England coming together to play the music they love.

On October 6th Letter to Boddah opens in the Wildman Studio.

When Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994 he left a letter addressed to his imaginary childhood friend Boddah.

In it he quoted Neil Young’s words “It’s better to burn out than to fade away”.

That sentiment is taken up by two childhood friends Billy and Neil as they contemplate blowing up the local Tesco.

The play is set entirely in the disabled toilet where they make their last minute preparations and think about the enormity of what they are about to do.

Letter to Boddah is gripping, dark and funny. This is an outstanding piece of work that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.

The characters are performed by two phenomenal professional actors: Tom Gibbons of Coronation Street and The Archers, and Dean Smith of Waterloo Road and Last Tango in Halifax. The play runs from October 6th to the 9th.

For details of all our plays and events and to book tickets visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or contact Ilkley Playhouse box office on 01943 609539.