A FIGUREHEAD of theatre in the North of England will be among the acts making up the new spring and summer season at Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal.

The actor and director Barrie Rutter OBE – best-known for setting up the pioneering touring company Northern Broadsides – will be presenting a one-off fundraising gala performance on Saturday, March 21.

In an evening of poetry and prose, Mr Rutter will share tales and anecdotes from his life and career that took him from son of a Hull fishworker given a part in the school play to Royal Shakespeare Company actor and director of one of the country’s foremost touring companies.

All proceeds from the evening will go towards the Theatre’s recently launched ‘A Living Theatre Campaign’ to safeguard the future of Britain’s oldest working theatre in its original form.

Alongside Barrie Rutter are many other leading performers from the world of drama, comedy and music who are also part of the new Spring and Summer line-up, on sale from Wednesday, January 15.

The first two shows of the season are both firm comedy favourites. On February is Rose d’Or winner for radio comedy Paul Sinha. Arabella Weir, on February 29, the bestselling author and star of The Fast Show and Two Doors Down with her new show Does My Mum Loom Big in This?

Drama is particularly well-catered for in the season ahead. On March 6, the popular Lipservice theatre company present the hilarious railway spoof Strangers on a Train Set which is followed by The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde from Arrows and Traps Theatre on March 7. Arrows and Traps return later in the season with Chaplin: Birth of a Tramp on May 16, which tells the story of the world’s best-loved clown. Reaching further back into history is a new version of Geoffrey Chaucer’s classic The Canterbury Tales, March 12, which promises to be fast, furious, filthy and funny.

Details of all shows are available on the website, www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk. or by calling the Box Office on 01748-825252.