DURHAM University has announced a packed spring season at its recently refurbished Assembly Rooms Theatre.

The theatre reopened in October 2019, following a £2.4m restoration project which is part of the university’s efforts to offer a student experience to rival the best in the world.

Kate Barton, head of student theatre for Durham University and theatre manager, said: “We are thrilled to officially open the doors of the Assembly Rooms Theatre, and we have planned a very exciting programme of events that will place the theatre at the heart of Durham’s cultural community, not just for our students and staff but for residents across the county and beyond.”

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Elvira Parr, an English literature student at Durham University, added: “London’s theatre scene is, of course, brilliant, but it is also almost 300 miles and a very expensive train ticket away. The Assembly Rooms Theatre is contributing to the ever-vital presence of theatre right here, right now.”

The spring programme at the Assembly Rooms features something for everyone including poetry, comedy, landmark drama and a sprinkling of Shakespeare.

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The Durham Showcase (March 19 and 20) is a free production, showcasing some of the university’s most talented student actors. The showcase is previewing in the Assembly Rooms Theatre before moving on to London, where the troupe will perform at The Tristan Bates Theatre.

Look Back in Anger (May 13 to 16), by John Osbourne, revolutionised British drama and became an enormous commercial success. The tale of life and marital struggles in the 1950s is reimagined in an electrifying new production created especially for the Assembly Rooms Theatre.

If comedy is your thing, There’s Someone Coming Through is not to be missed. Written by Sunderland playwright Lee Stewart, this unique North-East production takes an affectionate look at what happens to famous clairvoyants when they fall from grace. The production takes the form of a semi-serious evening of clairvoyance and runs for one night only (Thursday, May 28).

For more information and full listings, visit: www.theassemblyroomstheatre.org