What to expect from The Royalty Theatre this season

The community theatre off Chester Road has raised the curtain on its autumn/winter programme, which will open with a production of Arnold Ridley’s The Ghost Train.

The comedy from the Dad’s Army star will open what the theatre hopes will be a bumper season. Comedy fans can also look forward to Neil Simon’s classic The Odd Couple in March.

Those who prefer a serious drama will be treated to The Judas Kiss, David Hare’s play about the tragic downfall of Oscar Wilde, in February.

In May, audiences will be able to see the rescheduled The Pitmen Painters, Lee Hall’s smash-hit which was recently cancelled due to safety reasons.

Family plays continue to prove popular, and the Royalty’s annual pantomime, Aladdin, looks set to be no exception. Children’s classic The Machine Gunners is scheduled for October, and the season finishes with an adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, which will include a Saturday matinée.

Artistic director Andrew Barella said: “As with every season, we try to better what we’ve done in the previous one, and we believe that with this choice of plays we will do that. We believe we’ve got something for everyone, with plays that will entertain as well as plays that will challenge our audiences.”

The running order is The Ghost Train, September 19-24; The Machine Gunners, October 24-29; Aladdin December 8-18; The Judas Kiss, February 6-11; The Odd Couple, March 20-25; The Pitmen Painters, May 15-20 and Oliver Twist June 19-24.

The Royalty Theatre opened its doors in 1925 and stages at least seven plays per season.

Tickets for the next season will go on sale on September 1. They can be booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366.