Autumn touring programme announced for new £37m Storyhouse in Chester

The inaugural touring season has been announced for Storyhouse – the brand new £37m theatre, cinema and library…in Chester.

Storyhouse is in the old art deco Odeon in the city centre, and features a 800/500 seat-theatre; a 100-seat cinema; a 150-seat flexible studio theatre; library spaces; digital production and broadcast facilities; a café bar and restaurant.

Today has seen the first programme of events revealed including musicals, international drama, stand-up comedy, dance and opera.

West-End hit, Footloose, the musical based on the 1984 movie opens the autumn season from 5–9th September. Another musical Blood Brothers, starring Maureen Nolan, can be seen the following month from 9–14th October.

Storyhouses’ promo team notes: “Dance lovers finally have a reason to travel to Chester as the acclaimed all male dance company BalletBoyz perform their new show on 30 October. The sound of Buenos Aires comes to Chester on 18 October with the hit show Tangomotion, featuring world-class tango dancers and live music from the acclaimed quartet Tango Siempre.”

The programme release continues with details of comedians including Stewart Lee (BBC 2’s Comedy Vehicle) with his new show Content Provider and 8 of 10 Cats does Countdown regular Jon Richardson, on 3 October and 19 September respectively.

More laughter will be on offer as the smash-hit musical Spamalot! inspired by the classic comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, comes to Storyhouse from 31 October – 4 November, featuring comic delights including killer rabbits and a very expensive forest.

Brassed Off, the play that tells the story of the miners’ strike through the travails of a colliery brass band, is on stage in October and will feature a ‘locally-based’ brass band alongside the company of professional actors.

Artistic Director of Storyhouse, Alex Clifton said “We are delighted with the range of our opening touring season. This is a programme that tells stories in so many guises: through dance, music, comedy and drama. We are thrilled to be welcoming some of the country’s leading producers and after so many years without a theatre, Chester is once again at the centre of great culture. To provide a home for these wonderful shows that all pack an emotional punch, and to open our doors to audiences of all ages and tastes is exactly the reason we’re here. See you soon at Storyhouse!”

Storyhouse opens its doors for the first-time on 11 May with the inaugural home-produced season includes a brand-new version of The Beggar’s Opera, Alice in Wonderland, and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar.

All four productions will be performed in rep by a company of 26 actors -the largest rep company in the UK outside of the RSC and National Theatre.

Storyhouse’s £37m build cost has been made possible via investment from Cheshire West and Chester Council, with support from Arts Council England and major local employer MBNA. Funding has also been attracted from major national trusts and foundations.

You can find out more via the Storyhouse website here.