Theatre

Take your seats Ladies and Gentlemen … five minutes until tonight’s performance. A ripple of anticipation is guaranteed among any audience as they wait for the curtain to rise in Shakepeare’s country. So get dressed up and enjoy the show, be it in London’s Theatre district a-buzz with acting, or in a smaller quirky local venue.

1. Hull Truck Theatre

Hull Truck is a well-regarded theatre company whose productions tour widely as well as being shown at the Hull Truck Theatre in Hull. The company does at least four national tours per year.

2. The Crucible Sheffield

The Crucible offers an intimate, open-feel theatre space in a venue known more commonly for snooker (as stage for the World Snooker Championships). The Theatre offers free tickets for under 26s on the first Tuesday of the month, on a first-come first-served basis.

3. Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

Celebrate the life and work of William Shakespeare in the town where he was born. Shakespeare’s birthplace is open to visitors. The Royal Shakespeare Company, based here, perform in a number of theatres including the  Royal Shakespeare Company . Through their acting they ensure that a love of Shakespeare and an understanding of his work is kept alive.

4. The ADC Theatre Cambridge

Home to the Footlights theatre group, the ADC has an impressive history of famous actors walking the boards (including Rachel Weiss and Emma Thompson). The theatre is the main space for Cambridge University theatre. Student tickets available. Take a guess at who will be a star of the future.

5. Sunderland Empire

Sunderland Empire is one of the few remaining UK auditoriums to house four tiers, namely the Orchestra Stalls, the Dress Circle, the Upper Circle and the Gallery. It's also known as the theatre where a certain Dame Helen Mirren made her stage debut. The venue (whose strapline is The West End of The North East) attracts big name stars and a lively audience.

6. Theatre in the Forest, Grizedale

The  Theatre in the Forest is beside the Visitor Centre in Grizedale Forest in the Lake District . There are around 120 performances a year here. During the day, the theatre is open to the public with artwork on show. An out-of-the ordinary setting for a performance. 

7. Bristol Old Vic

The  Bristol Old Vic theatre company is based in a complex which includes the Theatre Royal. Opened in 1766, this is the oldest theatre auditorium in the UK. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the London Old Vic theatre.

8. London’s Theatre District

What to choose when there are so many star-studded shows running in the capital ? Take your pick from Chicago, Dirty Dancing, The Lion King, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, Wicked and Billy Elliot for starters. Many theatres are concentrated around the  West End (Leicester Square) area.

9. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Take a picnic and cross your fingers for a sunny evening at  Regent’s Park . The 2011 season includes Lord of the Flies, The Beggar’s Opera and Pericles. Each performance is slightly different in that the weather provides the special effects.

10. Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond

There is plenty of history in evidence at this quaint  Georgian theatre . The theatre seats just 214 people and is a Grade 1 listed building and a museum. There are tours every hour on the hour, six days a week.