WHAT’S ON SPRING 2023
1936. Fascism is sweeping Europe and the Jewish East End is under threat. Shylock has already fought for survival in Russia and is now fighting for a better future for her daughter, running a small business from a cramped terraced house. Privileged City trader Antonio desperately needs a loan – so desperately that he makes a dangerous bargain with Shylock. But after years of abuse at Antonio’s hands, will Shylock finally take her revenge when the opportunity presents itself? Or will she unexpectedly meet her match in society beauty Portia?
Tracy-Ann Oberman (EastEnders, Doctor Who, Friday Night Dinner) leads an incredible cast as morals, prejudice and power collide in this exciting retelling of one of Shakespeare’s best-known – and controversial - plays. Join us for this vivid new look at a dark but inspiring chapter in Britain’s history and an exploration of what turns a single working mother to violent revenge.
The Merchant of Venice is produced by Watford Palace Theatre in association with HOME Manchester.
EDUCATION PROJECT
A project with local creatives, Watford Football Club and Stand Up Education, exploring the themes of the play and antisemitism and hate in today’s society. It will include participatory workshops
TUE 28 FEBRUARY – SAT 11 MARCH 2023,
Tracy-Ann Oberman stars in Shakespeare’s classic The Merchant of Venice.
2023, 7.30PM (MATINEES 2.30PM THU & SAT) TICKETS A range of seating options are available! ON-STAGE A unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the action and be on the front line at the Battle of Cable Street! Our cabaret-style on-stage seating offers a brand-new perspective on The Merchant of Venice! VIP Enjoy a special VIP experience for just £8 more than the top priced ticket! You’ll receive designated VIP seating in either a Box for 4 guests, the Stalls or Circle; themed drinks and nibbles will be served prior to the show in our VIP area. PREVIEWS 28 FEB — 2 MAR Price band A (VIP) £33 Price band B £25 Price band C £18 Price band D £15 Box 4 seats (VIP) £132 STANDARD 3 — 11 MAR Price band A (VIP) £35 Price band B £27 Price band C £20 Price band D £15 Box 4 seats (VIP) £140 and events and a unique online digital experience. To find out how you or your organisation can be involved, please email: takepart@watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk On Stage Seating £15 Concessions £2 off (not VIP or on stage) Rumour members £5 School rate £11, with 11th ticket free Groups rate 10% off for groups of 10+ | 15% off for groups of 25+ Refer to our website for performance schedule
Age Guidance: 6+
Journey with us into the wild world…
A girl with no name finds a magical book of spells that conjures up a wild world. Moths appear from nowhere; Owls light up the dark; a Red Fox leads the way down a rabbit hole to a brand new wonderland.
As she journeys through the wild world, she meets a host of wonderful characters on a fantastical adventure like no other: she learns the dandelion time, meets a boy who turns into a seal, flies with a band of jackdaws and battles with conkers –on a quest to find that which was once lost.
A fun, wild and boisterous adventure full of paw-tapping music and dancing, played live on-stage by talented actormusicians, The Lost Spells is a riot of colour - a new Alice in Wonderland, celebrating the magic, power and wonder of nature that could be just outside your window.
The show is adapted from the ‘cultural phenomenon’ and bestselling book that has delighted and inspired people of all ages, by globally renowned writer Robert Macfarlane and artist Jackie Morris. Moving, joyful and funny, The Lost Spells is a new musical for anyone who wants to celebrate and save the natural world around us – be that in the city or countryside - before it’s lost forever.
TUE 28 MARCH – SAT 8 APRIL 2023
TICKETS
Price
School
Groups
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tue 28 Mar 10.30am
Wed 29 Mar 10.30am
Thu 30 Mar 1pm
Fri 31 Mar 1pm 6pm
Sat 1 Apr 2.30pm 6pm
Mon 3 Apr 11am
Tue 4 Apr 11am 2.30pm
Wed 5 Apr 11am 2.30pm
Thu 6 Apr 11am 2.30pm
Fri 7 Apr 2.30pm
Sat 8 Apr 2.30pm 6pm
band A £18 Price band B £14 Price band C £10 Box (4 seats) £72
rate £10, with 11th ticket free
rate 10% off for groups of 10+ | 15% off for groups of 25+
FILMS
LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE (ROH LIVE)
Thu 19 January 2023, 7.15pm
Tickets: £15.50
Christopher Wheeldon’s new fulllength ballet brings the magic realism of this famous modern Mexican novel to The Royal Ballet.
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (ROH LIVE)
Wed 15 February 2023, 7pm
Tickets: £15.50
With vocal fireworks, scheming lovers and one very busy barber, Rossini’s comic opera is packed with fun and mischief.
CINDERELLA (ROH ENCORE)
Sun 16 April 2023, 2pm
Tickets: £15.50
A new production of the much-loved Royal Ballet fairy-tale classic.
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY (ROH LIVE)
Sun 24 May 2023, 7.15pm
Tickets: £15.50
Magic and fairy-tale characters are brought to life through ballet in this well-known family favourite.
IL TROVATORE (ROH LIVE)
Tue 13 June 2023, 7.15pm
Tickets: £15.50
A devastating curse rises from the ashes in Verdi’s monumental tale of superstition and rivalry.
BRING YOUR OWN BABY COMEDY
Wed 11 January 2023, 11.30am
Tickets: £10
Age guidance: Purely adult entertainment; bring your baby of up to 15 months.
The award-winning lunchtime comedy show for parents... and you can bring your baby! These shows feature the funniest comedians from TV and the circuit telling their grown-up jokes in a totally baby-friendly environment. If you need to whip out a bum (the baby’s please!), a boob or a bottle then feel free.
The event features two acts, plus compere. Run time is around 75 minutes.
THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN CALAMITY
Sat 14 January 2023, 2.30pm
Tickets: From £10 Age guidance: 4 – 12 years
This is a wild mix of magic and mayhem like no other.
Expect jaw dropping family fun featuring marvellous magic, baffling balloon bursting, beautiful bubbles, silly science, gigglesome games, cheeky tunes, one or two custard pies and enough craziness to send you into a fit of giggles!
QUEEN RHAPSODY
Sat 21 January 2023, 7.30pm
Tickets: From £24.50
QUEEN RHAPSODY is the ultimate live concert experience with stunning accuracy in sound and vision, producing a high energy show which will rock the house! Featuring hits from every decade of Queen’s musical legacy, this all new live spectacle faithfully recreates the energy, showmanship and emotion of a classic Queen concert. Relive The Magic!
CHINESE
YEAR
29 January 2023,
Everyone is invited to join us to
the Year of the Rabbit.
festivities
Chinese New Year.
Abbots Langley Gilbert and Sullivan Society Present
IOLANTHE
Thu 2 – Sat 4 February 2023, 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee Sat 4)
Tickets: From £10
Abbots Langley Gilbert & Sullivan Society flutter back to the Watford Palace Theatre stage with their production of the fantastical Gilbert & Sullivan classic, ‘Iolanthe’. Be swept into the magic of Fairyland and witness the sheer hilarity of ineffective Peers from the House of Lords.
THE LITTLE PRINCE
Sat 11 – Sun 12 February 2023, 4pm (Sat), 11am & 2.30pm (Sun)
Tickets: From £12
guidance: 5+
enchanting story of love and friendship for children and grownups alike, retold on stage by a pilot stranded in the desert. Based on the world-famous story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince is brought to life using Protein’s critically acclaimed mix of dance, humour and spoken word. Winner of the Fantastic for Families’ Best Family Event Award 2020 and nominated for Best Modern Choreography
the National Dance Awards 2021.
NEW
CULTURE SHOW 中国新年文艺滙演 Sun
6pm 二零二三年 一月二十九日 星期日 晚上六时正
Celebrate
Enjoy an evening of
celebrating the
誠请大家与我们共同庆祝兔年。 欣賞一晚庆祝中国新 年的精彩節目。 For more information, please see our website. 详情请浏覽我们的网站
Age
An
at
SHARK IN THE PARK
Tue 14 – Thu 16 February 2023, 1.30pm (Tue), 10.30am & 1.30pm
Tickets: From £10
Age guidance: 3 – 8 years
Timothy Pope is looking through his telescope – but wait, is that a Shark, in the Park!? Featuring all 3 of the ‘Shark in the Park’ Series –Shark in the Park, Shark in the Dark and Shark in the Park on a Windy Day – this fin-tastic, family musical follows Timothy Pope (and his telescope!) on 3 exciting adventures…
BRING THE HEAT
Thu 16 March 2023, 7.30pm
Tickets: From £19
Age guidance: 14+
Turn up the beat, get on your feet and Bring The Heat!
For the first time on stage in the UK, see phenomenal Latin artists bring you some of the greatest 90’s classics. Featuring Let’s Get Loud, Hips Don’t Lie, Bamboleo, Despacito and many many more!
Celebrating artists that have sold over 400 MILLION records worldwide, won 8 Grammys, and been awarded Billboard’s ‘Top Latin Artists of ALL Time’this is your ticket to the HOTTEST night in town.
CURIOUS INVESTIGATORS
Wed 12 April 2023, 2pm
Tickets: £10
Age guidance: 3 – 7 years
An interactive engineering adventure for young scientists.
Scribble and Clipboard have a job to do: sort the recycling. But Scribble keeps finding new things to investigate. When she discovers a mysterious egg hidden in the rubbish, the pair need the audience’s help to rescue an unborn chick. Can we save a mysterious egg from a smashing? And what will we discover along the way? A 20-minute stay-and-play crafting & engineering workshop will follow the show, where young investigators can make their own scanners!
CURIOUS INVESTIGATORS is a cracking adventure created in collaboration with engineering experts from Lancaster University: a delightfully surprising, highly visual show for 3-7 year olds and their grown-ups.
POP PRINCESSES
Fri 14 April 2023, 2pm
Tickets: Standard £17.50, VIP £25 (VIP includes a meet and greet with the Princesses before the show!)
A Magical show where beautiful Princesses become Pop Stars!
This is the children’s pop concert with a big difference. A musical spectacular starring four fabulous fairy tale Princesses who just love to sing! It’s the perfect mix. Featuring a soundtrack of top pop hits from artists such as Little Mix, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Meghan Trainor and Miley Cyrus! Come and join the fun!
TWIRLYWOOS LIVE
Fri 21 – Sun 23 April 2023, 4pm (Fri), 10.30am & 1.30pm
Tickets: From £12 Age guidance: 1+
THE TWIRLYWOOS ARE BACK FOR A GREAT BIG ADVENTURE!
Join Great BigHoo, Toodloo, Chickedy, Chick and their friends as they discover the wonderful world around us! Expect mischief, music and plenty of surprises as they set sail in their big red boat.
The funny, loveable Twirlywoos are brought to life on stage with beautifully inventive puppetry promising an hour of colourful fun and laughter. From the producers of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, Twirlywoos Live is an enchanting introduction to theatre for all ages.
RAVE ON: THE BRITISH INVASION
Sat 29 April 2023, 7.30pm
Tickets: £22.50
Rave On is the 50s and 60s musical sensation sweeping the nation. Charting the meteoric rise of Rock and Roll, Rave On is a thrilling tour through music’s most revolutionary decades. Prepare to be enthralled with an evening of singing along, vibrant vintage costumes, colourful staging and dancing in the aisles! Experience the history of rock and roll music like never before. Rave On features hits from the likes of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Connie Francis, Neil Sedaka, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Lulu, The Beach Boys and many more. Featuring leading performers from West End Productions The Buddy Holly Story, Million Dollar Quartet and Dreamboats & Petticoats, Rave On transports you back to the fabulous 50’s and swinging 60’s in stunningly authentic style.
Sweeney Entertainments present
DREAMCOAT STARS
Sat 13 May 2023, 7.30pm
Tickets: £25
Any Dream Will Do runner-up Keith Jack will feature alongside stars from the hit production Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Experience the powerful star vocals of four Josephs, coming together for a magical evening of West End and Broadway musical classics. This colourful production is packed with vibrant and energetic songs from the nation’s most loved musicals including Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar, SIX, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, We Will Rock You, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Moulin Rouge and more. Draw back the curtains, sing along and relive all your favourite productions in one epic show.
LUCY PORTER: WAKE-UP CALL
Fri 26 May 2023, 8pm
Tickets: £18
Age guidance: 16+
A brand new stand-up show from the TV and radio favourite. As heard on Radio 4’s The News Quiz and The Now Show and seen on Would I Lie to You, QI and Live at the Apollo. Wake-Up Call is a show about revelations, realisations and epiphanies - both large and small. Subjects covered include: Bin collection schedules, the novels of Jean Rhys, cats, school fair booze tombolas, the Scottish Enlightenment, pressure washers and Huel. It’s an exuberant, silly show with some wisdom sprinkled on top.
DISCO INFERNO
Sat 27 May 2023, 7.30pm
Tickets: From £19
Age guidance: 7+
The funkiest get down in town! If you ever dreamt of going to New York’s Studio 54, Disco Inferno takes you there – in an all-singing, alldancing celebration of everything D.I.S.C.O. Get ready for the grooviest era ever known to man.
WALK LIKE A MAN
Sat 24 June 2023, 7.30pm
Tickets: From £19
Age guidance: 14+
Let us take you back to 1962 – to four guys barely scraping a living, singing doowop beneath the streetlamps of the tough New Jersey streets. This multi award-winning tribute to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons & the musical phenomenon Jersey Boys is not one to miss.
DINOSAUR ADVENTURE LIVE!
Wed 26 July 2023, 11am and 2pm
Tickets: £13.50
The Greatest Prehistoric Show on Earth
65
Are
Join
years in the
for the
a
Dinosaurs!
million
making...
you ready
adventure?
our intrepid rangers on
quest to recover the data crystal, restore power to the island and save the
Feel the excitement as you come face-to-face with a T-Rex and hear it’s roooooooarrrrrr! This awe-inspiring interactive stage show captivates both young and young at heart, immersing audiences in the enthralling & realistic world of Dinosaurs. “It’s Totally T-rex-iffic” OUR BROCHURE CONTAINS JUST A FLAVOUR OF WHAT’S ON! SCAN THE QR CODE TO SEE THE FULL PROGRAMME & BOOK! ACCESS FOR ALL We offer a range of performance options including: captioned, audio described, relaxed, and touch tour. Please refer to the individual events for details. Wheelchair spaces are available in the Stalls for all shows. If you have additional requirements, please ask our friendly Box Office team when calling to book your tickets on 01923 225671, Mon to Fri 10am – 4pm; performance days until 15 minutes after the start of the show.
