Storyhouse Autumn Season: On Stage

On Stage Autumn 2018

Musicals

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Comedy

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Drama

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Family

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Dance

Key partners:

Funded by:

Sponsored by:

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Principal Sponsor:

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Welcome

After a wonderful first birthday celebration and a fantastic inaugural year that welcomed over a million visits, it is our pleasure to announce our next touring programme with something for all ages - from musicals to dance, music and comedy.

Entertainment for our younger theatre fans comes in the form of Bing! Live & The Gruffalo’s Child.

Comedy fans are in for a treat with a stellar comedy line up including Tim Vine, Dave Spikey, Jason Manford and classic comedy from An Evening of Eric and Ern. Autumn may be upon us but that won’t stop us going on a Summer Holiday when the smash hit musical tour arrives.

The Full Monty swings in to town with an allstar cast for the stage play version of the hit film.

Candoco Dance Company join us for a brand new double bill. Dance fans will also enjoy critically acclaimed Michael Clark Company: to a simple, rock ‘n’ roll … song. Fagin’s Twist uses a contemporary hip hop style to tell an untold tale of the notorious Oliver Twist villain.

Singing sensations Russell Watson, Thea Gilmore and Kate Rusby will take to the stage.

We are also excited to welcome back the world-renowned George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

With such an exciting line-up we’re really looking forward to our second year.

Alex Clifton and Andrew Bentley

@StoryhouseLive

storyhouse.com

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Bing Live 5-6 September

Calling all Bingsters! Bing and his friends are coming to Storyhouse in the first ever Bing stage show!

10am, 1pm & 4pm

Join Bing, Sula, Coco and Pando as they find out how to tell stories by pretending, dressing-up and singing songs.

Tickets from £16.50 Flop and Amma are there to help, but in this magical world of make-believe things don’t always go according to plan…

Don’t miss the chance to see your little one’s face as their favourite characters are brought to life in this brand-new show. Full of fun, laughter and music, Bing Live! is the perfect first theatre trip for pre-schoolers and their families.

Going to the theatre… it’s a Bing thing!

All children over the age of six months must have a ticket.

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Summer Holiday: The Musical 11 – 15 September

The hit 1960’s film starring Cliff Richard has become the feel-good musical of the year starring Ray Quinn!

7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday & Saturday

In 1963 Cliff Richard and the Shadows took off on a joyous jaunt across Europe in a Routemaster bus in the film Summer Holiday.

Tickets from £20.50

Now this iconic film is a heart-warming stage musical with Don and his fellow London Transport bus mechanics journeying through Paris, the Alps, Italy and then Greece, along the way picking up a girl group in a clapped-out Morris Minor and a young American pop star on the run from her domineering mother!

This hit-filled musical includes classics such as In the Country, Summer Holiday, Travellin’ Light, Bachelor Boy, Move It, Living Doll, The Young Ones and On the Beach.

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Candoco Dance Company: Face In and Let’s Talk About Dis 18 September

Candoco Dance Company, the internationally renowned company of disabled and non-disabled dancers, presents a dramatic and powerful double bill: Face In and Lets Talk About Dis.

7.30pm Tickets from £16.50 Schools £12

Face In is a sensual and disturbing ode to intimacy and imagination, expressed through striking images and daring uninhibited dance. Set to an urban indie score, Candoco invites you to a wild fictional world that feels uncomfortably familiar yet strangely distorted.

Let’s Talk About Dis is a playful and intimate piece that builds on an exploration of the dancers’ personalities and bodies, interrogating questions of what identity is and how it is formed. With seductive charm, Hetain Patel challenges audiences to think beyond surface appearances.

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Rob Brydon: I Am Standing Up 21 September

8pm

SOLD OUT

Rob Brydon is perhaps best known for the television shows Gavin and Stacey, Would I Lie To You? and The Trip as well as Marion and Geoff, Human Remains, Little Britain, The Rob Brydon Show, Best of Men, Gangster Granny and QI. Earlier this year in London’s West End he starred opposite Sir Kenneth Branagh in The Painkiller.

I Am Standing Up represents Rob Brydon’s first stand up tour since his sell out national tour and West End run of 2009.

George Hinchliffe’s

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain 23 September

7.30pm

Tickets £25

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain has become a global sensation and nothing short of a UK national treasure. Heresy II Heritage, their new tour, charts the Uke’s rise from curiosity to virtuosity, from village hall to the Royal Albert Hall. The Ukes of GB have performed for the British Royal Family, the BBC Proms, Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall.

On an ongoing “hand-luggage only” world tour, the Ukes provide pure entertainment, dead-pan British humour and irresistible foottapping music. @StoryhouseLive

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The Full Monty 24 – 29 September

The Full Monty is one of the most acclaimed British films EVER and The Full Monty stage play has become one of the most phenomenal theatrical productions EVER.

7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday & Saturday Tickets from £20.50

This “chuffing brilliant” production about six out-of-work, impoverished steelworkers from Sheffield with nothing to lose, took the world by storm and has become one of Britain’s most successful shows.

Based on his smash hit film and adapted for the stage by Oscarwinning writer Simon Beaufoy, this hilarious and heartfelt production has received standing ovations every night and won the prestigious UK Theatre Award.

Featuring Gary Lucy who has made the part of Gaz his own, with an all-star cast of Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Joe Gill, Kai Owen and James Redmond with songs by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones you really should… drop absolutely everything and book today!

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Michael Clark Company: to a simple, rock ‘n’ roll . . . song.

2 October

See the latest work by Michael Clark, acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. Described by London’s Evening Standard as ‘an adrenaline shot that sends you away buzzing’.

7.30pm At first, a reflection on Erik Satie and his influence on Clark’s mentors past and present – the dance meticulous and coolly refined. Next, commanding choreography pulsating with a propulsive force to the punk rock of Patti Smith’s landmark album, Horses. Then, an iridescent tribute to David Bowie, intricate, sublime, the mood moving from elegiac to joyously rebellious.

Tickets fom £23

Enjoying its world premiere at the Barbican, London in 2016, the Olivier Award-nominated to a simple, rock ‘n’ roll . . . song. comprises a triple bill of gorgeously arresting choreography.

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Tim Vine: Sunset Milk Idiot 4 October

7.30pm

Tickets £25.50

Hey people! It’s Tim Vine back on tour, telling lots of silly new jokes, showing off new homemade props, singing some new daft ditties, and all with the appearance of confidence.

The following subjects will be touched upon briefly: pixie football, ice cream and nibble feeders. Come along, sit down, and laugh. The quantity won’t let up. This is comedy without a message.

“A symphony of silly.” The Times

An Evening of Eric and Ern 6 October

2.30pm & 7.30pm

Tickets £23.50

A brilliant homage crammed full of renditions of those famous comedy sketches, that hits all the right notes! It’s a show full of Morecambe and Wise’s most loved routines, songs and sketches and of course a musical guest. You’ll feel you’ve experienced the real thing and been taken back to a world of sunshine and laughter.

From Jonty Stephens and Ian Ashpitel, the Olivier nominated duo behind the hugely celebrated and critically acclaimed West End hit.

@StoryhouseLive

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An Afternoon with Stacey Dooley 14 October

2.30pm

Tickets £19.50 (Under 21s £16.50)

In 2007, Stacey Dooley took part in the BBC series Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts which saw her live and work alongside Indian factory workers making clothes for the UK High Street.

This sparked her series of hugely popular investigations, establishing her as one of BBC3’s most celebrated presenters.

Catch Stacey in this rare live appearance as she discusses everything from gender equality and domestic violence, to sex trafficking and sexual identity.

There will also be a book signing post event.

An Evening with Sir Michael Parkinson 14 October

7.30pm

Tickets £28.50

An Evening with Sir Michael Parkinson celebrates the life and career of a man who has interviewed over 2000 of the most important cultural figures of the 20th and 21st centuries.

In conversation with his son Mike and showing highlights from the Parkinson archive this is a unique opportunity to get an intimate, entertaining and informative look at his remarkable journey from a pit village in Yorkshire to the top of those famous stairs whilst reliving the best moments from a show that for many defined their Saturday night.

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Russell Watson: Canzoni d’Amore 16 October

7.30pm

Tickets £45

Having sold more than seven million albums worldwide, Russell Watson is firmly established as the UK’s best-selling classical crossover artist of all time. To date, his illustrious career has included performances for Her Majesty The Queen, The Pope and two US Presidents. Following a series of sell-out performances in 2015-16, “The People’s Tenor” returns to the stage with his brand-new show Canzoni d’Amore.

“He sings like Pavarotti, and entertains the audience like Sinatra” The New York Times

Kate Rusby in Concert 19 October

7.30pm

Tickets £25

Kate returns to Storyhouse after her sell-out 2017 concert.

Forever proud to call herself a folk singer, Kate’s beautiful, expressive vocals never fail to connect the emotional heart of a song to that of her audience. The crossover appeal Kate enjoys is unprecedented for a folk singer and has been achieved without resort to compromise.

@StoryhouseLive

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This Christm on a wonder

Based on the classic MGM motion Somewhere Over The Rainbow a

By L. Fran With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. H

Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard Orchestration by Larry Wilcox Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare

ONLY AT STORYHOUSE 7 DEC – 6 JAN

mas we’re off rful journey

n picture and featuring the songs and We’re Off To See The Wizard

nk Baum Harburg Background Music by Herbert Stothart

e Company Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co and distributed in all media by Warner Bros

BOOK NOW storyhouse.com

Henning Wehn: Get On With It 18 October

8pm

SOLD OUT

You couldn’t make it up; surely the German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn hasn’t bosched out yet another new show? And what’s he still doing here anyway? Well, his lack of transferable skills is what keeps him here and his belief that practise makes perfect is what keeps him going.

This show is a much needed call to arms.

Listen, everyone: stop pondering and handwringing. Instead get on your bike and put your face to the grindstone!

Chris Ramsey Live: The Happy Just To Get Out of the House Tour 5 November

7.30pm

Tickets £21.50

Critically acclaimed and award winning stand-up comedian, host of his own TV entertainment show and Stand Up show on Comedy Central, Celebrity Juice regular and the only person to ever put Katie Hopkins in her place; Chris Ramsey brings his BRAND NEW 2018 live tour to Storyhouse.

His tour sold out last time so snap tickets up as soon as you can!

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Storyhouse Comedy Weekend 27 - 28 October

This Autumn, the best UK comedy talent will turn Storyhouse into the funniest building in Chester.

Full programme announced very soon

From newly discovered talent from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to household names on tour, all performers at Storyhouse Comedy Weekend will be at the top of their game. See some of the country’s best-known acts and stumble across the next big thing, all under one roof!

Take your pick from a plethora of performances, or pick up a day pass to experience all of the action! Full programme announced very soon‌

@StoryhouseLive

storyhouse.com

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The Gruffalo’s Child 30 - 31 October

The Gruffalo said that no gruffalo should Ever set foot in the deep dark wood. . .

11am & 2pm

Join the Gruffalo’s Child on her adventurous mission in Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of the much-loved picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. One wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s Child ignores her father’s warnings about the Big Bad Mouse and tiptoes out into the deep dark wood. She follows snowy tracks and encounters mysterious creatures – but the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist… does he? Songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged three and up and their grown-ups, in the smash-hit West End show that’s toured Britain and the world!

Tickets £14 Groups and Schools £10

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Fagin’s Twist 2-3 November

Presented by Avant Garde Dance and The Place A tale you think you know unravels and explodes.

7.30pm Tickets from £18 (Under 16s £14)

Fagin’s Twist is commissioned by Theatre Bristol, East London Dance, Pavilion Dance South West, Dance East and The Place, and co-produced by The Place. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Tony Adigun is a Work Place artist.

Fagin’s Twist is the untold story of a notorious and complex villain.

It imagines Fagin’s youth, driven by greed and ambition in the face of overwhelming poverty. The streets are a place of little comfort and fairy-tale endings are hard to find in this poignant coming-ofage tale.

See Dickens’ Oliver Twist in a new light as Tony Adigun’s Avant Garde Dance flips your expectations of five familiar characters, with their unmatched contemporary hip hop style.

@StoryhouseLive

storyhouse.com

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Stopgap Dance Company: The Enormous Room 6 November

In the latest epic production from Stopgap Dance Company, we follow a father and daughter gradually coming to terms with the loss of Jackie – their wife and mother.

7.30pm Tickets from £16.50 Schools £12

Combining exquisite detail in movement with evocative text and design, The Enormous Room takes the audience somewhere in between this world and the next.

Thoughtful, moving and uplifting, this is a show about saying goodbye and moving on.

“An absorbing encounter with grief and loss” Bachtrack

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Dave Spikey: Juggling on a Motorbike 8 November

7.30pm

Tickets £18.50

30th Anniversary Tour.

Dave had been working in the NHS for 19 years as a Biomedical Scientist when in 1988 someone uttered the immortal words, “You’re really funny, you should be a comedian”.

This show looks back on his life and journey from working class lad to Chief Biomedical Scientist to comedian and writer via Phoenix Nights, Eight out of Ten Cats, Bullseye, Dead Man Weds, Magnolia, The Royal Variety Show and many more.

Jason Manford 9 November

7.30pm

SOLD OUT

He’s back! It’s been a busy few years for Jason since his last smash-hit stand up show but fans of his Absolute Radio show will know this nationally acclaimed comedian hasn’t changed a bit. Muddle Class promises to feature a wealth of new material about Jason growing up ‘working class’ then finding, over the years, that part of him has become ‘middle class’ – causing much confusion! Delivered with Jason’s amiable charm and captivating wit, this is a show not to be missed.

@StoryhouseLive

storyhouse.com

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Thea Gilmore: Christmas Party Tour 9 December

Since releasing her debut as a teenager nearly 20 years ago, the Oxfordshire-raised, Cheshire-based singer and songwriter Thea Gilmore has gained global acclaim for making music not only of extraordinary beauty, but of rare honesty and insight.

8pm Tickets £20

In 2009 Thea released Strange Communion, an immediately acclaimed collection of seasonal songs. The album contained That’ll Be Christmas which became the most played festive song on BBC Radio 2 that year.

Her 2018 acoustic Christmas Party UK tour will feature material from Strange Communion laced liberally with the occasional diverse, highly individual versions of a Christmas classic. Enjoy the superb musicianship always on display from Thea’s band and, at the heart of the show, Thea’s spine-tingling, pure-toned voice guaranteed to leave you moved, exhilarated and spellbound.

“Unarguably one of the finest singer-songwriters of her generation” Sunday Times Culture

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Community Performances at Storyhouse

Castaway Theatre’s Oliver 11 -13 October

7pm plus 2pm Saturday

Tickets from £12

Castaway Theatre presents the family favourite Oliver! An all-time family favourite, Oliver! tells the tale of the boy who dared to ask for more!

Packed with unforgettable songs such as Food, Glorious Food, Consider Yourself and the mischievous Reviewing the Situation it’s a recipe for a great night out for the whole family.

For this production a discounted family ticket is available in the Circle and Gallery sections, which admits up to 4 people (including at least one child) for just £49.

House of Dance 21 October

6pm

Tickets £15 Under 16s and Over 60s £12

We are super excited to announce that this year’s HOUSE of DANCE annual production will be held at Storyhouse. Come and join us to celebrate these insanely talented youngsters from across Chester.

Welcome to the world of HOUSE of DANCE!

@StoryhouseLive

storyhouse.com

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Annie 25 – 30 March 2019

Direct from the West End, Annie returns in 2019! This ‘glorious revival’ (The Times) comes to Chester for one week only!

7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks.

Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family…

Tickets from £20.50 Schools £15* Groups 10+ £5 off* Groups 20+ £6 off* Groups 40+ £7 off* One child half-price with a paying adult* *Mon-Thu only, not premium seats

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With its Tony® award-winning book and score, including the unforgettable songs It’s The Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and Tomorrow, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll love it!

BASED ON THE OSCAR-WINNING LOVE STORY

Ghost 4-9 March 2019 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday Tickets from £20.50

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Walking back to their apartment late one night a tragic encounter sees Sam murdered and his beloved girlfriend Molly alone, in despair and utterly lost. But with the help of a phony storefront psychic Sam, trapped between this world and the next, tries to communicate with Molly in the hope of saving her from grave danger…

The movie ‘Ghost’ has proven to be one of cinema’s biggest all-time hits. Starring the late Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg it was the highest grossing film of 1990 and won an Oscar for screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin who has adapted his screenplay for this musical. The movie and the musical feature The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody alongside many more terrific songs co-written

by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart.

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‘Beautiful, moving and stunningly emotional’ Sussex Newspaper ‘Even more spectacular than the original film...

One of the best’ Evening Times ‘A roaring success. The house was brought down with thunderous applause’ The Gazette

‘THE BEST OF TIM RICE AND ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S MUSICALS’ THE EVENING NEWS

®

LYRICS BY

TIM RICE

® Technicolor is a registered trademark of the Technicolor Group of Companies

BILL KENWRIGHT

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP PRESENTS

MUSIC BY

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

Joseph 15 - 20 April 2019 Tue 7:30pm, Wednesday & Thursday 2:30pm & 7:30pm, Friday 5pm & 8pm, Saturday 2pm, 5pm & 8pm Tickets from £20.50

Bill Kenwright’s ‘Amazing’, ‘Superb’, ‘Wonderful’ and ‘Brilliant’ production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sparkling family musical continues on its record breaking tour having sold to date an estimated 15 million tickets.

‘A dream come true It is utterly irresistible, go, go, go, jo!’

Mail on Sunday

Retelling the Biblical story of Joseph, his eleven brothers and the coat of many colours, this magical musical is full of unforgettable songs including Those Canaan Days, Any Dream Will Do and Close Every Door To Me. ® Technicolor is a registered trademark of the Technicolor Group of Companies”

@StoryhouseLive

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How to book Online: Storyhouse.com By phone: 01244409133 In person: at Storyhouse Address: Hunter Street, Chester, CH1 2AR Company no 05541255 Charity no 1121007

Please note: Exclusions and limited availability may apply to discounts and concessions. Proof of ID, with a valid expiry date, may be required with discounted or concessionary tickets.

Transactions are subject to a £2.50 booking fee per ticket

Mon – Sat 8am – 11pm Sun 9.30am – 11pm Bank holidays 9.30am – 11pm Visit storyhouse.com/booking for more information

Access If you require an essential companion – including a guide dog – to accompany you to Storyhouse events, then you can bring a personal assistant at no charge.

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To join the Access Register: Call 01244 409 113 (option #1) or speak to a member of staff at Storyhouse. Once you are registered, you can access Free Essential Companion tickets when you book in any of the following ways: • at storyhouse.com (log in to your web account before booking) • over the phone by calling 01244 409 113 (option #1) • in person at Storyhouse If you need specific seats or advice when booking, our Box Office line (01244 409 113 – press option #1) will be happy to help.

The whole building, including the library, theatre, cinema and studio, is accessible via a lift, with wheelchair access to all areas.

• Fixed, counter-top and portable hearing loop systems available across the building • Wheelchair spaces are available in the

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theatre (Stalls, Circle & Galley level), studio and cinema Assistance Dogs welcome throughout the building and to all events Low level counter for service at the bar in The Kitchen. For the Garret Bar, please use the end of the bar next to the window Large format print available on request Ramp access at ground floor levels.

Accessible toilets are available on every floor, with a Changing Places toilet on the ground floor.

Baby changing facilities are provided in all accessible toilets

Disabled parking and drop-offs • The nearest car park is Market which has 8 disabled spaces – 200 metres from nearest exit • There is free on street parking /car park for blue badge holders on Hamilton Place and Goss Street (4 hours max) – c.300 metres away • The best place for drop-offs is Northgate Street – 20 metres away

Eat

Drink

The Kitchen at Storyhouse has been a huge success for daytime and pre-theatre dining and is open for evening dining seven days a week – fresh, colourful, modern cuisine, inspired by the flavours of the Levant.

Storyhouse’s bars – The Kitchen on the ground floor and the Garret Bar in the copper box are open until 11pm every night.

With the crossroads of the Eastern Mediterranean as our culinary starting point, we have collected recipes and ingredients from Greece to Turkey, Libya to Lebanon and returned to the kitchen to cook up wonderment! Food is served every day from 8am to 9.30pm (except Sundays 9.30am - 9pm).

You can grab take-away fresh food to enjoy in the café, library, cinema and theatre, and drinks bought in Storyhouse can be safely taken into both the theatre and cinema to enjoy during an event.

@StoryhouseLive

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Produced by

10 November – 1 December

Annual autumn festival of words and ideas, featuring a raft of writers, poetry readings, workshops, networking events, interviews, storytelling and spoken word events.

INFORMATION & BOOKING storyhouse.com/literature @StoryhouseLive #ChesterLitFest