Ripon Theatre Festival

An Audience with Barrie Rutter OBE
2023-10-01 18:00 UTC | Ripon Arts Hub, 49 Allhallowgate, Ripon, HG4 1LQ, United Kingdom
For one night only, Barrie Rutter, OBE and founder of the ground-breaking theatre company Northern Broadsides visits Ripon.
With over 50 years of experience on stage and screen, Barrie has had a fascinating career which has taken him to China, India, Brazil and Skipton Cattle Market with all points in-between.
His belief that the Northern voice was a vibrant sound to embrace the energy of Elizabethan England led to the creation of one of the most successful companies in British theatre.
A recipient of the 2003 Sam Wanamaker Award, Barrie joins us for this very special evening as he shares his wealth of memories and his passion for language and the theatre.
“Barrie Rutter is one of the reasons why there are so many amazing theatre companies in the greater north nowadays – he is a genuine trail blazer.” Alan Lane, Artistic Director, Slung Low
Presented in partnership with Ripon Poetry Festival.

Ticket price: £18

Robin Hood
2023-06-11 18:00 | Fountains Abbey, Fountains Abbey, West Gate Entrance, Ripon, HG4 3DY, United Kingdom
This summer, the award-winning company presents Robin Hood, an action-packed heist for the whole family. A team of cheeky misfits swoop in to bring down the greedy Sheriff of Nottingham, and they never miss. This fast-moving production delivers huge laughs, swashbuckling adventures, and well-deserved revenge!
Pack a picnic and cheer on the underdogs as Illyria hits the target in another unforgettable season of outdoor theatre.
Adapted by Oliver Grey. Presented by Illyria.
Running time (approx): 1hr 50mins (including 20 minute interval). Suitable for ages 5+
Sponsored by Elstob & Elstob Auctioneers
Please bring your own rug or folding chairs (but no umbrellas!), picnics welcome.
Dogs are NOT allowed at the performance.
Performance continues regardless of weather.
Sunday 11th June, 6pm
Tickets £10.00 – £16.00

Dream of the Sea
2023-06-11 15:30 - 16:15 | Ripon Spa Gardens, Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX, United Kingdom
The adventure of a lifetime turns into a disaster for this fisherman!
But when a friendly whale shows him the truth of the sea, his life is changed in ways he could never have imagined.
The ocean comes to life around him with more beauty than he knew existed and as time passes it changes him for the better.
Filled with energy, light and sound, this show for all ages shows a world usually hidden from view below the waves.
With plenty of laughs, special effect, movement, live audio and light effects, it’s guaranteed to leave you in awe at the wonder of the sea.
Free event – just turn up

Where is Mrs Christie?
2023-06-11 14:00 | Ripon Arts Hub, 49 Allhallowgate, Ripon, HG4 1LQ, United Kingdom
Agatha Christie was one of the greatest and most prolific thriller writers of all time.
In 1926, she was at the centre of a mystery as perplexing as any of her fiction, sparking one of the biggest and most extensive police hunts in history.
Her crashed car was discovered in Surrey with the famous author missing. She was presumed dead by many but eleven days later, found staying at a luxury hotel in Harrogate.
The author claimed that she remembered nothing of the events. Neither the press nor the police believed her….
Did she lie, or was it really amnesia?
Was it a publicity stunt or was there a darker secret behind the disappearance?
As in every good thriller, all will be revealed!
Find out the fascinating truth in a stellar performance by Liz Grand.
Written and directed by Chris Jaeger. Presented by On a Role Productions
Sponsored by Specsavers, Ripon
Ticket price: £10 – £12

A la Puppet Carte
2023-06-11 13:00 - 15:45 | Ripon Spa Gardens, Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX, United Kingdom
On the menu is not one, not two, but three pop up puppet stages built onto the backs of electric tricycles.
Each mobile stage is a show full of surprises, fun and heart-warming stories of friendship and a sense of home.
Stories include the Story of the Scary Noise and the Magic Samovar.
Presented by Thingumajig Theatre.
Suitable for all ages.
1pm-1.45pm & 3pm–3.45pm
Also catch them on the Market Place at 11am
Free event – just turn up

Circus Skills with The Fire Man Dave
2023-06-11 12:30 - 14:30 | Ripon Spa Gardens, Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX, United Kingdom
A drop-in session for all ages.
Have a go with juggling balls or clubs, plate-spinning, diabolo, hula hooping and more.
A great way to spend some time before the next show begins!
Drop in any time between 12.30 and 2.30
Free event – just turn up

Noah’s Ark
2023-06-11 12:00 - 12:30 | Ripon Spa Gardens, Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX, United Kingdom
School assembly favourites Open the Book present a pop-up open-air theatre version of the famous Old Testament story in front of the bandstand.
Let’s hope the deluge remains imaginary.
Free event – just turn up

Wonderland of Games
2023-06-11 11:30 - 15:30 | Ripon Spa Gardens, Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX, United Kingdom
Join Rhubarb Theatre as you shrink into the gardens of the Queen of Hearts to find yourselves amongst her large lawn games.
Once there you might get knotted up in the Alice-themed twister, go crackers with the croquet, or become champions of the chequers board.
But watch out for her court jokers, bringing mayhem and madness, as well as the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter.
An interactive experience from Rhubarb Theatre combining street theatre, family games and weird and wonderful walkabout characters.
11.30am – 12.30pm & 2.30pm – 3.30pm
Free event – just turn up

Seeing Red
2023-06-11 11:00 - 14:30 | Ripon Spa Gardens, Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX, United Kingdom
A modern retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood tale, full of red-related surprises, a pinch of feminism and a mini mob of original puppet characters; all crammed into one large, furry suitcase!
When Gran and Red contemplate their fate inside the wolf’s stomach, a flash of motivation leads our heroine to ‘see red’ and plan a dramatic escape…
Expert puppeteers Frolicked remind us that it’s okay to be angry and that little girls have just as much courage as anyone else. Including the big bad wolf!
Show lasts 25 minutes.
Age guide 5+
11am, 12.30pm & 2pm
Free event – just turn up

Steve Bonham: Stumbling Over Eden
2023-06-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Claro Lounge, 39 Market Place, Ripon, HG4 1BZ, United Kingdom
Based upon Steve’s much-loved book of the same name, Stumbling Over Eden is a one-hour show that combines story and song to celebrate the adventurer, explorer and vagabond within us all.
From the notion of freedom and the beauty of the trail to the joy of travelling companions and the meaning of home.
Not just the story of an eccentric journey from the top of the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara desert, but an invitation to explore just what is adventure?
Funny, moving, authentic, and – sometimes! – profound, with great songs, it is a show like no other.
“This is a ‘boy’s own’ – and girls! – adventure from the nineteenth century, acted out and described in the twenty-first century on the doorstep of Europe.
In his account of the 540km walk from the High Atlas mountains, across the Anti Atlas, then following the exotic river Draa into the Saharan sand dunes, you will fall into a world and people as fascinating and friendly as any fairy tale.” Mike McHugo OBE, co-founder of the Kasbah du Toubkal
Combine with brunch for a perfect Sunday morning.
Pay What You Can (PWYC)

Seastorm in a Teacup
2023-06-11 10:30 - 23:00 | Ripon Spa Gardens, Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX, United Kingdom
A mermaid is an amazing gift for a young adventurer. But what do you do when it just won’t stop growing?
A chance meeting, an act of kindness and an unusual present lead a lonely young girl on the most unexpected journey.
This new play by Gemma Curry (The Sleep Pirates) will take you on an epic adventure of mystery, magic and mermaids.
With storytelling, music, movement and puppetry, little people will love this original tale about finding friendship presented by Hoglets Theatre.
Age guide 3-7
Free event – just turn up

Drama at the Workhouse
2023-06-11 10:30 - 15:30 | Workhouse Museum, Sharow View, Allhallowgate, Ripon, HG4 1LE, United Kingdom
Following on the success of last year’s Jubilee at the Workhouse, the museum will once again come alive with Victorian characters based on real lives.
Explore the Workhouse corridors, immerse yourself in its history and hear tales from within the cloistered walls.
See the staff who were charged with maintaining the strict rules and judge whether they were successful. Smell scents of summer blossom in the well-tended gardens or carbolic soap and cooked cabbage in the kitchen and maybe hold your nose as the midden is mucked out. Learn the stories of those you meet or chance upon, from the Marquess of Ripon himself to the lowliest down and out. But above all don’t get on the wrong side of the Matron!
Find out if you’d like to play a part in next year’s festival as a community performer, maybe you’ll be inspired to join the lovely group of volunteers or just come along and experience a day in the life of a Victorian Workhouse.
Cost of admission gives access to all three museum sites and optional 2 hour drama workshop for ages 12+ at 10.30am or 1pm.
Usual admission charges apply

Family Events in Ripon Spa Gardens
2023-06-11 10:00 - 16:00 | Ripon Spa Gardens, Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX, United Kingdom
A whole day of family entertainment in the attractive surroundings of the Spa Gardens.
With open-air theatre for all ages, puppet shows, interactive games and even a chance to practice your circus skills, this will be a boredom-free zone.
The professional programme will be complimented by music, drama and dance performances from local groups inside and outside the bandstand.
Bring a blanket and a picnic, buy an ice-cream from the café and plan to stay all day!
All events are free. The running order is:

Lawns
Bandstand area

10.30am-11am
Seastorm in a Teacup
Trinity Singers

11am-11.30am
Seeing Red
Ripon Walled Garden Performers

11.30am-12noon
Wonderland of Games
Cricket on the Hearth Dancers

12noon-12.30pm
Wonderland of Games
Noah’s Ark

12.30pm-1pm
Seeing Red / Circus Skills
Ripon Goes to Bollywood

1pm-1.30pm
Circus Skills
A La Puppet Carte

1.30pm-2:00pm
Circus Skills
A La Puppet Carte

2pm-2.30pm
Seeing Red / Circus Skills
Ripon U3A Ukulele Band

2.30pm-3pm
Wonderland of Games
Trinity Handbells

3pm-3.30pm
Wonderland of Games
A La Puppet Carte

3.30pm-4pm
Dream of the Sea
A La Puppet Carte

4pm-4.30pm
Dream of the Sea

Seastorm in a Teacup

A mermaid is an amazing gift for a young adventurer. But what do you do when it just won’t stop growing? A chance meeting, an act of kindness and an unusual present lead a lonely young girl on the most unexpected journey.
This new play by Gemma Curry (The Sleep Pirates) will take you on an epic adventure of mystery, magic and mermaids. With storytelling, music, movement and puppetry, little people will love this original tale about finding friendship presented by Hoglets Theatre.
Age guide 3-7
10.30-11am

Seeing Red

A modern retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood tale, full of red-related surprises, a pinch of feminism and a mini mob of original puppet characters; all crammed into one large, furry suitcase!
When Gran and Red contemplate their fate inside the wolf’s stomach, a flash of motivation leads our heroine to ‘see red’ and plan a dramatic escape…
Expert puppeteers Frolicked remind us that it’s okay to be angry and that little girls have just as much courage as anyone else. Including the big bad wolf!
Show lasts 25 minutes.
Age guide 5+
11am, 12.30pm, 2pm

Wonderland of Games

Join Rhubarb Theatre as you shrink into the gardens of the Queen of Hearts to find yourselves amongst her large lawn games. Once there you might get knotted up in the Alice-themed twister, go crackers with the croquet, or become champions of the chequers board. But watch out for her court jokers, bringing mayhem and madness, as well as the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter. An interactive experience from Rhubarb Theatre combining street theatre, family games and weird and wonderful walkabout characters.
11.30am – 12.30pm & 2.30pm – 3.30pm

Noah’s Ark

School assembly favourites Open the Book present a pop-up open-air theatre version of the famous Old Testament story in front of the bandstand. Let’s hope the deluge remains imaginary.
12pm – 12.30pm

Circus Skills with The Fireman Dave

A drop-in session for all ages. Have a go with juggling balls or clubs, plate-spinning, diabolo, hula hooping and more. A great way to spend some time before the next show begins!
12.30pm-2.30pm

A la Puppet Carte

On the menu is not one, not two, but three pop up puppet stages built onto the backs of electric tricycles. Each mobile stage is a show full of surprises, fun and heart-warming stories of friendship and a sense of home. Presented by Thingumajig Theatre.
Suitable for all ages.
1pm-1.45pm & 3pm–3.45pm

Dream of the Sea

From the team that brought us Winne and Warwick (pictured) in 2022. The adventure of a lifetime turns into a disaster for this fisherman! But when a friendly whale shows him the truth of the sea, his life is changed in ways he could never have imagined. The ocean comes to life around him with more beauty than he knew existed and as time passes it changes him for the better.
Filled with energy, light and sound, this show for all ages shows a world usually hidden from view below the waves. With plenty of laughs, special effect, movement, live audio and light effects, it’s guaranteed to leave you in awe at the wonder of the sea.
3.30pm – 4.15pm

Local Performers
Enjoy some super local performers throughout the day, including:
Ripon Goes to Bollywood
Image credit: Nathan Ward
Trinity Singers

Ripon U3A Ukele Band

Cricket on the Hearth

Trinity Handbells

The Little Bird Artisan Market
2023-06-11 10:00 - 15:00 | Ripon Marketplace, Market Place, Ripon, HG41BP, United Kingdom
The Festival teams up with Little Bird Artisan Markets to bring you colourful characters, music and puppetry throughout the day.
Watch out for the Have-a-Go Pirates, Monsieur Monsieur the Mime Artist and characters from Alice in Wonderland mingling with buskers and community performers.
Highlights of the day include tricycle-pulled puppet shows from Thingumajig Theatre and the Rock Choir.
Lots of free entertainment whilst you browse the curated stalls from independent traders across the region.
The running order for the Market Place Zone is:

9.30am-10.30am
Puppets for Breakfast (The Unicorn)

10am-10.30am
Rock Choir

10.30am-11am
Monsieur Monsieur

11am-12noon
A La Puppet Carte
Stumbling Over Eden (Claro Lounge)

12noon-12.30pm
Have-a-Go Pirates
Trinity Singers

12.30pm-1pm
Lily Worth

1pm-1.30pm
Wonderland characters

1.30pm-2pm
Have-a-Go Pirates

2pm-2.30pm
Passion for Movement Dancers

2.30pm-3pm
Steve Bonham

Have A Go Pirates

Although these pirates might look the part they haven’t really got that much experience pirating. Actually they haven’t got any, but they’re trying really hard.
As they make their way through the crowded streets they practice their pillaging techniques, although being so overly critical of their own performances they never actually manage to get any pillaging done.
With their ‘Practice Pirate Ship’ and their pirate wits about them all around will want to join in the banter and help them become the true pirates that deep down they know they are.

A la Puppet Carte

On the menu is not one, not two, but three pop up puppet stages built onto the backs of electric tricycles. Each mobile stage is a show full of surprises, fun and heart-warming stories of friendship and a sense of home. Stories include the Story of the Scary Noise and the Magic Samovar. Presented by Thingumajig Theatre.
11am – 11.45am

The Queen of Hearts and The Mad Hatter

Monsieur Monsieur the Mime Artist

Steve Bonham

Local Performers
Enjoy some super local performers and buskers throughout the day!
Rock Choir

Trinity Singers

Lily Worth

Passion for Movement

Puppets for Breakfast: The House that Jack Built
2023-06-11 09:30 - 10:15 | The Unicorn Hotel, 2 Market Place East, Ripon, HG41BP, United Kingdom
Hazelsong Theatre present The House that Jack Built – a high energy puppet show for children and families.
Come and watch the two bungling performers try to control their wayward puppets popping up in all the wrong places.
They are going to need help to stop everything falling apart…
Age guide 3+
Pay What You Can (PWYC)

Overblown!
2023-06-10 20:00 | Ripon Arts Hub, 49 Allhallowgate, Ripon, HG4 1LQ, United Kingdom
The thirteenth coolest place to live in the UK?
Join our team of well-meaning residents attempting to sell the charms of our unique city and demonstrate community cohesion in action.
Nothing goes quite to plan as local farmers, pub quizzers and pantomime dames come together in comic chaos.
An evening of sketches and musical numbers provide a flavour of Ripon like you’ve never tasted before.
Stay Awhile Amid its Ancient Charms, just beware of the locals!
A community performance directed by Ryan Stocks.
Age guide: 14+
Ticket price: £8

Kate Fox: Bigger on the Inside
2023-06-10 17:00 | Ripon Arts Hub, 49 Allhallowgate, Ripon, HG4 1LQ, United Kingdom
Poet and comedian Kate Fox once thought receiving a positive diagnosis for autism had as much a chance of happening as a female Doctor Who.
As such, since the Doctor’s 13th incarnation (played by Jodie Whittaker) in 2018, Fox’s life has changed quite a bit.
Blending stand-up and spoken word with personal memoir and her warm performance style, Kate looks at neurodiversity through the theme of Doctor Who.
Taking us through the ways the iconic sci-fi show has shaped her view of the world, she shines a light on how our ideas of normality need an update and how we are all Bigger on the Inside.
Kate is a stand-up poet and broadcaster, a regular voice on Radio 4 and a ‘gentle activist’ for the voices of Northerners, the working class, women and the neurodiverse.
Ticket price: £8 – £10

The House that Jack Built
2023-06-10 15:00 - 15:45 | Little Ripon Bookshop, 12-13 Westgate, Ripon, HG4 2AT, United Kingdom
Hazelsong Theatre present The House that Jack Built – a high energy puppet show for children and families.
Come and watch the two bungling performers try to control their wayward puppets popping up in all the wrong places.
They are going to need help to stop everything falling apart…
Age guide 3+
Free event – just turn up

Gav Cross: Twisted Tales for Terrible Children
2023-06-10 14:30 - 15:15 | Curzon Cinema, 75 North Street, Ripon, HG4 1DP, United Kingdom
Scratch the surface of all the tales we have heard since childhood and we find they are dark, nasty and full of dubious intention…
A slight twist reveals the terrible, the silly and the downright incredible ’truths’ hidden in plain sight.
Gav Cross: Storyteller, Show Off and Chief Idiocy Wrangler vividly brings these old fables to life again.
45 minutes of nonsense and nastiness that will trigger giggles and gasps, with the added risk of ruining your childhood forever…
Age guide 7+
Also on at The Courthouse Museum at 12noon.
Pay What You Can

The Hare and the Moon
2023-06-10 14:30 - 15:00 | The GreenHouse, 11 North Street, Ripon, HG41JY, United Kingdom
Performed in miniature on beautiful sets within a vintage suitcase, the tale of the adventurous Hare and her patient friend Moon is told through five delightful minutes of puppetry, spoken word and music. Children and adults alike will be charmed by this enchanting story of night skies, light and the joy of friendship.
10-10.30am The Cabmans’ Shelter, Market Place
11.30am-12noon Minster Gardens, Minster Road (next to the Cathedral)
1-1.30pm The Little Ripon Bookshop, Westgate
2.30-3pm The GreenHouse, North Street
Free event – just turn up

Open the Book
2023-06-10 14:00 - 14:30 | Little Ripon Bookshop, 12-13 Westgate, Ripon, HG4 2AT, United Kingdom
Tales from the Lion Storyteller Bible brought to life by school assembly-favourites.
Age guide 5+
Free event – just turn up

Beached
2023-06-10 13:30 - 16:30 | Ripon Cathedral, Minster Road,, Ripon, HG4 1QS, United Kingdom
A mini marvel of a show for a mini audience. Put on your headphones and become immersed in the tale of Arnold, whose walk quickly becomes an adventure.
A soundtrack is played on earphones for each audience member, creating a little world to share.
Each performance by renowned mask and puppet company Strangeface lasts for 10-15 minutes.
“Spellbinding and magical!” “I’m speechless. Absolutely amazing! I want to see it again now!”
Suitable for everyone old enough to sit still and/or wear headphones.
Every 20 minutes from 1.30pm – 2.30pm & 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Also on at Claro Lounge at 10.30am – 11.30pm
Pay What You Can (PWYC)

Crash - or the Last 30 Minutes of a Life
2023-06-10 13:00 - 13:45 | Curzon Cinema, 75 North Street, Ripon, HG4 1DP, United Kingdom
A man is seeing his life ebb away from him, and as it does so his mind fills with past memories as they weave in an out of his consciousness, gradually fragmenting the closer he gets to death.
With a nod to both T.S.Eliot and Samuel Beckett, Crash is an examination of memory and time, and what it is to be human.
Written and performed by Ian Gouge, a prolific author, poet, and creative writing mentor, with strong ties to numerous writing groups both within and beyond Ripon.
Directed by Andrew Bates from Hazelsong Theatre.
Age guide 14+
Pay What You Can (PWYC)

The Hare and the Moon
2023-06-10 13:00 - 13:30 | Little Ripon Bookshop, 12-13 Westgate, Ripon, HG4 2AT, United Kingdom

Upstage Academy: Student Mini Dramas
2023-06-10 12:30 - 13:00 | Curzon Cinema, 75 North Street, Ripon, HG4 1DP, United Kingdom
A gripping half-hour from some of Upstage Academy’s prize-winning drama students.
These young people take their theatre seriously and regularly sweep the board at competitions with their intense monologues and dynamic two-handers.
Upstage Academy in Ripon offers classes to children aged 6-18years in all disciplines of performance.
Age guide 14+
Pay What You Can (PWYC)

Gav Cross: Twisted Tales for Terrible Children
2023-06-10 12:00 - 12:45 | Courthouse Museum, Minster Road, Ripon, HG4 1QS, United Kingdom
Scratch the surface of all the tales we have heard since childhood and we find they are dark, nasty and full of dubious intention…
A slight twist reveals the terrible, the silly and the downright incredible ’truths’ hidden in plain sight.
Gav Cross: Storyteller, Show Off and Chief Idiocy Wrangler vividly brings these old fables to life again.
45 minutes of nonsense and nastiness that will trigger giggles and gasps, with the added risk of ruining your childhood forever…
Age guide 7+
Also on at The Cellar at the Curzon Cinema at 2.30pm
Pay What You Can

Steve Bonham: How to have an adventure
2023-06-10 12:00 - 12:30 | Little Ripon Bookshop, 12-13 Westgate, Ripon, HG4 2AT, United Kingdom
Steve Bonham shares stories (and maybe a song or two) that celebrate the adventurer, explorer and vagabond within us all.
Catch Steve again at Claro Lounge at 11am on Sunday 11th June.
Free event – just turn up

The Hare and the Moon
2023-06-10 11:30 - 12:00 | Minster Gardens, Minster Road,, Ripon, HG4 1QS, United Kingdom

The Wanderer
2023-06-10 10:30 - 15:15 | Ripon Cathedral, Minster Road,, Ripon, HG4 1QS, United Kingdom
Come and follow the footsteps of countless pilgrims down into the ancient crypt of Saint Wilfrid.
Lit only by the guttering flame of candlelight, meet the Wanderer. An exile who has journeyed north from the stormy south coast of Manhood End.
Hear his service and be warmed by his words as you take your own journey from darkness into light.
Inspired by the Anglo Saxon poem of the same name and by Kipling’s poem Eddi’s Service.
Fell-Foss presents a special and intimate performance in the oldest structure of any English Cathedral and a place of almost continuous worship since 672.
Written and performed by Mark Cronfield

Starting every 15 minutes from 10.30-12 & 1.15pm-3.15pm
Free event – just turn up

Beached
2023-06-10 10:30 - 10:45 | Claro Lounge, 39 Market Place, Ripon, HG4 1BZ, United Kingdom
A mini marvel of a show for a mini audience. Put on your headphones and become immersed in the tale of Arnold, whose walk quickly becomes an adventure.
A soundtrack is played on earphones for each audience member, creating a little world to share.
Each performance by renowned mask and puppet company Strangeface lasts for 10-15 minutes.
“Spellbinding and magical!” “I’m speechless. Absolutely amazing! I want to see it again now!”
Suitable for everyone old enough to sit still and/or wear headphones.
10.30am, 10.50am, 11.10am
Also on at Ripon Cathedral between 1.30pm and 4.30pm
Pay What You Can (PWYC)
