David Chadderton

Manchester

Theatre Writer and Editor at British Theatre Guide

Writer at Freelance

Theatre writer, editor of @BritTheatreGuid, teacher for Mainstream Theatre Arts & @rosebruford etc.

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Articles

Middle Child playwriting festival line-up announced

6 days ago | britishtheatreguide.info | David Chadderton

Hull's Middle Child theatre company has revealed the programme for its Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival, taking place in the city's Fruit Market 19–20 July 2025.
Hope Mill expands for 10th birthday

6 days ago | britishtheatreguide.info | David Chadderton

Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre has announced plans to expand into other parts of the 200-year-old former mill building in Ancoats and restore its community hub, which was forced to close in 2024 due to the cost of keeping it running.
British Theatre Guide Newsletter no. 1216

1 week ago | share.sender.net | David Chadderton

Do you remember when theatre programmes were called “souvenir programmes”? When kept with the ticket to prove you were actually there, they were something special to look back on, with their frozen-in-time cast biographies, photos and related articles—even the adverts can be interesting.
What Does it Take to Slay a Dragon?

2 weeks ago | britishtheatreguide.info | David Chadderton

This story of the slow radicalisation of 'white van man' Billy is the latest production from political theatre company Take Back Theatre, set up by actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, writer Becx Harrison and visual artist Grant Archer "as an artistic response to the politics of austerity", which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The dragon of the title is the one supposedly slain by St George, whose flag is displayed on the dashboard of Billy's (Simon Naylor) van.
Pride & Prejudice

2 weeks ago | britishtheatreguide.info | David Chadderton

I think I realised the route this adaptation of a novel that reached its 250th anniversary this year was to take when I noticed that the rather formal-sounding string quartet piece playing the audience to their seats was actually "True" by Spandau Ballet.
Theatre news: Scottish critics announce best theatre of 2024–5

2 weeks ago | britishtheatreguide.info | David Chadderton

The latest Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland winners from 140 eligible productions created in 2024–5, 120 of which were new plays, were awarded at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre on Sunday 8 June 2025 with guest presenter Johnny McKnight.
British Theatre Guide Newsletter no. 1215

2 weeks ago | share.sender.net | David Chadderton

We have plenty of new stuff on the site this week for you to look at or listen to.
Coliseum will not reopen for 2025 panto

2 weeks ago | britishtheatreguide.info | David Chadderton

Oldham Coliseum's much-publicised reopening, announced last year after it had closed seemingly permanently in March 2023, has now been put back to 2026. A major part of the announcement in July 2024 was that it would be open in time to restore its annual panto, of which it has always been proud, but the theatre has said that more time is needed for the construction work necessary for it to reopen.
Tess from Ockham's Razor at HOME Manchester

3 weeks ago | britishtheatreguide.info | David Chadderton

A telling of one of Hardy's Wessex novels through circus, two things that on the surface don't seem to go together, was intriguing enough to make me want to see how—and whether—they could pull it off. But they do. While it may not have the finer nuances of the novel, all the important story beats are there and told well, even though there is no dialogue between the characters.
Come Fall in Love: the DDLJ musical

3 weeks ago | britishtheatreguide.info | David Chadderton

Manchester is getting another British première of a new musical, this time with a subtitle that references the highest-grossing Indian film of 1995 and one of the most successful ever, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The Brave-Hearted Will Take the Bride).