The Y Theatre Spring 2024 brochure

WhAT’S ON? Jan - Jun 2024

Box Office 0116 255 7066

ytheatre.co.uk

@theytheatre

WhAT’S ON?

Welcome to our new brochure for Leicester’s oldest surviving theatre!

We’ve got a jam-packed line up this Spring, crammed full of familiar favourites, brand new shows, and famous faces we’ve been waiting to welcome to our stage.

jan - Jun 2024

JANUARY 16 17-18 19-21 23

Pinggg...K! Annie JR Sister Act JR Rough Draft

21 25 25 21

FEBRUARY 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 14 16 17 18 18 20 21 21 22 23 23 24 25 25

Rosie Jones Sun 11 Feb, 7.30pm, £15

27 29

Leicester Mercury Comedian Of The Year

Richard Herring Comedy Heaven Rough Draft Sultan Stevenson Quartet

24 9 9 6 7 4 5 8 7 6 7 24 8 5 6 10 8 21 11 24 4 25 10 9 5 10 21 19

MARCH 2

2

Loving Laughing Final An Interview With Mark Watson Mark Watson Aurie Styla Get Off Live Comedy Fundraiser Vittorio Angelone Fin Taylor John Kearns Matt Green Fesshole Rosie Jones The Amazing Edie Eckhart Gary Meikle Gay Comedy Night Count Arthur Strong Popcorn Funnies Jessica Fostekew Pinggg...K! Notflix Notflix Kids Chloe Petts Graffiti Classics CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation

The Ultimate Commitments and Blues Brothers 18

KEY 8 9 10 15 16 19 20 21 22 23 26

Comedy

Performance

Music

Family

Ajay Srivastav The Peacock Lounge Jeff Innocent Undr The Cosh Wrestling Resurgence Pinggg...K!

17 20 13 20 22 21 The Mark Nightingale/ Alan Barnes Sextet 17 Lloyd Griffith 13 The Coral 16 Matt Forde 15 Rough Draft 21

APRIL 5 7 11 12 13 16 18 19 20 25 26–27 28 30

Tatty MacLeod Clinton Baptiste Stand-Up Challenge Spiers & Boden Stephen Bailey Pinggg...K! Hejira: Celebrating Joni Mitchell Show Of Hands MC Hammersmith Steve Harley The Voices Of Black Folk The Muslims Are Coming Rough Draft

11 14 15 19 12 21 19 16 12 17 21 14 21

StillMarillion Pinggg...K! Sukh Ojla Rough Draft Rachel Parris With more shows to be announced.

18 21 12 21 14

MAY 4 21 26 28 30

All information is correct at the time of going to press but The Y Theatre reserves the right to make such changes, as may become necessary, without prior notice.

This year we are supported by:

Mark Watson Wed 7 Feb, 8.15pm, £20

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vittorio angelone

who do you think you are? i am!

FRI 9 feb • 7pm £17 Viral sensation and all-round great guy Vittorio Angelone is one of comedy’s fastest-rising stars.

Following his 5-star, sold-out, award-nominated debut (which solved literally every problem in the world) his new show looks inward to find out who exactly he thinks he is.

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JUST WOW The Guardian

chloe petts

if you can’t say anything nice thu 22 Feb • 7.30pm • 14+ £15 Fresh from her smash-hit Edinburgh Fringe run and Soho Theatre sell-out debut, Chloe Petts returns with her follow-up hour. Everyone complimented her on how polite she was with big issues in the last show so now she’s cashing in those points and plans on being really rude.

Expect routines on Greta Thunberg, the footie and calling you all a bunch of virgins. A first show that was worth waiting for.

ASTONISHINGLY ASSURED DEBUT FROM PETTS… YOU’LL LEARN THINGS, BUT YOU’LL LAUGH EVEN MORE The Guardian

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NEVER RUNS OUT OF SHARP-WITTED MATERIAL, SHE IS DEFINITELY ONE TO WATCH EdFringe Review

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gay comedy night fri 16 feb • 7.30pm • 16+ pay what you feel The longest running (we think) gay comedy night is back, platforming hilarious LGBTQ+ comedians for over 26 years. This year, as always, we’ll bring you some of the best LGBTQ+ comics on the scene, nationally and from the Midlands - previous acts have included Rosie Jones, Jess Fostekew, Zoe Lyons, Graham Norton, Susan Calman, and Jen Brister.

fin taylor

ask your mother!

FRI 9 Feb • 9pm £13.50 Fresh from the viral success of his hit web series Fin vs The Internet, that comedian your mother doesn’t like you seeing shares a new hour of brutally funny stand-up for 2024. When he’s not in a roll neck making influencers squirm, he’s appeared on BBC’s Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You and The Mash Report, and Comedy Central’s Roast Battle.

Host Sian Davies will be joined by the hilarious Sikisa, Stephen Bailey and more acts TBC. This event is Pay What You Feel which supports our continued work with new artists.

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GLEEFULLY PROVOCATIVE AND PACKED WITH BIG, HARD LAUGHS The Guardian

richard herring’s leicester square theatre podcast sun 25 feb • 3:30pm • 14+ £20 Richard Herring brings his critically acclaimed podcast, RHLSTP, back to Leicester Comedy Festival.

His interview podcast is usually recorded in London’s glittering West End at the Leicester Square Theatre, but now it’s going on the road.

RHLSTP sees him interview top comedians in front of a live audience for his podcast but includes all the chat that is too controversial for broadcast! Previous guests include Stephen Fry, Michael Palin, Katherine Ryan, Dawn French, Stephen Merchant, Kathy Burke, Grayson Perry, Nish Kumar and James Acaster. The show regularly receives 1 million downloads a month, won three Chortle Internet Comedy Awards and is the only non-BBC show to ever win a Sony Best Comedy Award.

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aurie styla the aurator

thu 8 feb • 6pm • 16+ £14 After a year of performing worldwide, award-winning comedian Aurie Styla is back on tour, with his biggest one to date. Join him as he talks about this wild world, and his journey to make sense of it, in The Aurator!

fesshole: live SAT 10 Feb • 8:30pm • 18+ £15 Forgive me Leicester, for I have sinned!

As seen on Deep Fake Neighbour Wars (ITVX), Comedy Central Live, Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club (ITV), Life’s A Pitch (Sky), Don’t Hate The Playaz (ITV), The Stand-Up Sketch Show (ITV2), Mo Gilligan’s Black British & Funny (Chanel 4) & more.

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Following a sell-out 2022 show, Rob Manuel, creator of Fesshole and B3ta, returns to Leicester with the internet’s naughtiest, funniest, cringiest confessions.

UNIQUE, FUNNY, HONEST, AND GENUINELY UPLIFTING The New Current

Expect an evening of some of the best and worst confessions known to mankind as Rob digs into the bin of unpublished confessions and uncovers the depths of human grotesqueness. Full of humour & heart, this show is not to be missed!

HIS ABILITY TO MASTER A ROOM IS WELLFOUNDED Chortle

count arthur strong

In ‘And It’s Goodnight From Him’ SAT 17 Feb • 8pm £24 Part one of Count Arthur Strong’s farewell tour. (Of the World. Potentially. (Certainly Jersey). Having consulted with top Harley Street specialists, the St Anne’s Jombulance Brigade and Professor Twitty, that did covid, (the bald one), Count Arthur Strong has decided to gradually phase in his farewell tour over a, yet to be specified number of parts, because of the likelihood of people doing ‘Cold Turkey’ in theatres over him.

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Get off live comedy fundraiser thu 8 Feb • 8.30pm £12 Get Off Live Comedy! joins Leicester Comedy Festival with another star-studded night of comedy, raising money for the independent HR organisation set up to tackle sexual harassment in the live comedy industry. Hosted by the amazing Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Nina Gilligan (Get Off! co-founders) alongside big names generously giving their time for free. Previous acts include: Sara Pascoe, Russell Howard & Nish Kumar.

Matt green that guy

SaT 10 Feb • 6pm £13.50 The debut national tour from that guy you’ve seen on Twitter being funny about politics. A stand up show featuring jokes about politics and jokes not about politics.

That probably covers it. Watch him try to make sense of the world as we head into another year of elections, culture wars and who knows what else. Plus discover: exactly who is that guy behind the videos?

REALLY FUNNY The Scotsman

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Broadway Baby

Rosie jones triple threat sun 11 feb • 7.30pm £15 Rosie Jones is on the road for a UK tour and, boy, she is EXCITED. Join Rosie as she ponders whether she is a national treasure, a little prick, or somewhere in between! This show is guaranteed to be full of unapologetic cheekiness, nonsensical fun and unadulterated JOY from the triple threat herself.

Best known for her hit travel series’Trip Hazard and Mission: Accessible, and for numerous appearances on shows The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Cats Does Countdown, Hypothetical, Mock the Week, The Ranganation and Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back to name just a few!

BSL/Captions available on request

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DOWNRIGHT HILARIOUS Edinburgh Festivals Magazine

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Jessica fostekew

John kearns

sun 18 feb • 6pm £17

sat 10 Feb• 3pm • 14+ £18.50

A brand new stand-up show about passion, pace and purpose from the critically-acclaimed star of BBC’s QI, Live at the Apollo and Channel 4’s Travel Man.

Stand up comedian to the stars, John Kearns, returns following a sold-out show with us last year. The Varnishing Days is his heart-stopping, glasses-dropping, hard-rocking, wig-shaking, levothyroxine-taking, knee-knocking, bootlicking, justifying, teeth rattling, digressing new show.

mettle

Jess’ son’s joined a cult AND her cat’s learnt to talk – but despite all that she’s fine, actually. In fact she’s hurtling faster and hustling harder than ever for the things that she wants and needs.

the varnishing days

Jess is a regular co-host of The Guilty Feminist podcast, host and creator of her own podcast about eating, Hoovering, and star and writer of BBC Radio 4’s Sturdy Girl Club. Jess has also appeared in the award-winning sitcom Motherland and most recently hugely-acclaimed feature film Scrapper which won the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance festival.

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FIERCELY FUNNY The Times

 The Independent  Chortle

gary meikle wed 14 feb • 7:30pm £22.50

8

Heya guys, thanks for thinking about coming back again to watch me build up the show, so what can you expect? Well I’m calling the show Facts so you’ll hear lots of them and my take it them obviously but as usual it’ll be focused around my family life as a single papa and a dad to two girls that are in process of rinsing me for every penny I have for the their up coming wedding.

An Interview with Mark Watson WED 7 FEB • 6.30pm £8 / Joint ticket with main show £26 Join Mark Watson in conversation with Leicester Comedy Festival founder Geoff Rowe as they discuss Mark’s comedy career. In aid of registered charity Big Difference Company.

mark watson search

wed 7 feb • 8.15pm • 14+ £20 Mark Watson’s 12-year-old son has just got a phone. His 70-year-old dad has been through the most frightening experience of his life. Both a dad and a kid himself, around the midpoint of his life, the Taskmaster star and multiple award-winner. He’ll consider the search for meaning that we’re all on, with or without Google. There’ll be a lot of jokes, and a show that’s different every night.

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WITTY, WARM, PERFECTLY JUDGED The Telegraph

leicester mercury comedian of the year competition 2024 sat 24 feb • 7:30pm • 16+ £20 / £18 Now celebrating its 30th edition, the stellar list of past winners include Josh Widdicombe, Johnny Vegas, Jason Manford, Seann Walsh and Rhod Gilbert. Join us as we present this year’s finest up and coming acts, nominated by top comedy promoters from across the UK. A serious comedy competition, headlined by 2023 winner Daniel Petrie, hosted by the fabulous Sindhu Vee (Mock the Week, QI, Live at the Apollo).

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csi: crime scenE improvisation fri 23 feb • 8.30pm £12 / £10 No one knows who the killer is, not even the cast!

Mirth meets murder in the world’s daftest who-dunnit. The award-winning, sell-out festival favourite returns to Leicester with rip-roaring crime comedies made up entirely on the spot.

Who? What? Where? The choice is yours: The problem is theirs.

WINNER- Best Musical/Improv Show Leicester Comedy Festival 2023

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A NOVEL IDEA EXECUTED SUPERBLY The Wee Review

popcorn funnies

comedy heaven

In Association with BFI Network sun 18 feb • 3pm £8 / £6

sun 25 feb • 7:30pm • 16+ £18

A Kitchen Olympiad, Godlike chickens and who knows what else! Welcome to the world of short cinema – comedy films that range from the bizarre to the outright hilarious. A showcase of the best of the Midlands film scene – cherry picked beauties to delight the comedy connoisseur. (tldr - You get to see some awesome comedy shorts, chat to the BFI NETWORK, see a film

by Joe Lycett, have a Q & A session with the filmmakers and a networking session after!)

10

The spectacular finale show for Leicester Comedy Festival 2024, returns this time at the iconic The Y Theatre. Some of the best acts of the festival gather to raise money for good causes and see the festival out in style.

Hosted by MC Alex Hylton, featuring Fatiha El-Ghorri, Darren Harriott, Plastic Jeezus, Tamsyn Kelly and headlined by Nabil Abdulrashid.

notflix

the improvised comedy musical wed 21 feb • 8pm £14 The “Spice Girls of improv” return in their five star, sell-out, totally improvised musical comedy Notflix.

Inspired by audience suggestions, the all-female cast improvise the musical version of your favourite films, creating movies with 100% more singing, 99% more women and a full live band.

tatty Macleod fugue

fri 5 apr• 8pm • 18+ £16.50 Hot off the back of a sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run and first Bristol show, Tatty MacLeod is bringing her certain je ne sais quoi to the stage with her debut hour of comedy.

Broadway World Best Comedy nominee. As seen on Sky TV, STV, BBC 5 Live

Building on her hugely popular English vs French online sketches she asks the important questions like; Is he a f*ckboi or is he just French? Do I have a drinking problem or am I just English? This is a stand up show about belonging, finding your tribe, or not, and how to be ok with that.

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2023 Edinburgh Fringe 10 Best Comedy Shows Time Out

NOTFLIX MIGHT VERY WELL BE THE BEST SHOW YOU SEE THIS YEAR, THE YEAR AFTER THAT AND HOPEFULLY FOREVER Broadway Baby

2023 Edinburgh Fringe 12 Rising Star Comedians Evening Standard

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 Fest Mag

A LITTLE PIECE OF THEATRICAL GENIUS North West End

 Time Out

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MC hammersmith straight outta brompton sat 20 apr • 7:30pm • 18+ £15 MC Hammersmith is the world’s leading freestyle rapper to emerge from the ghetto of middle-class west London.

He presents an hour of improvised comedy raps based on your suggestions, featuring brand-new routines for 2023! You’ll leave astounded at the speed of his brain, the spontaneity of his jokes and the stability of his upbringing. Jaw-dropping, hilarious, utterly unbelievable. He is also known as Will Naameh, the skinny posh one from Spontaneous Potter.

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STOMACH-ACHINGLY FUNNY RAPS Ed Fringe Review

stephen bailey

sukh ojla

sat 13 apr • 8pm • 16+ £15

sun 26 may • 6pm • 16+ £18

Star of BBC’s Live at the Apollo and Would I Lie To You?, comedian and TV’s Stephen Bailey makes a very welcome return to the stage with his brand new live show, CRASS.

Sukh Ojla keeps being told that she’s successful.

She’s been on telly, had a book published and even been trolled on Twitter. So why does she still feel like a toddler who has lost their Mum in Tesco’s?

crass

From a working-class background in Manchester, six years working at Sainsbury’s, many a carvery and putting his hometown Denton on the map, a lot has changed for Stephen who is five years deep into a relationship, bought a home, become an uncle and climbed his way to the middle of the showbiz ladder – proving why he’s much more than a crass act.

BAILEY’S CONFIDENT, FUNNY AND SUITABLY RUDE The Reviews Hub

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hot aunty summer

Join Sukh as she approaches 40 and figures out middle-age, pretending to be a grown up and the joy of a Tupperware set.

lloyd griffith

jeff innocent

thu 21 mar • 7:30pm • 14+ £17

sun 10 mar • 8pm • 16+ £18

Fresh from supporting Jack Whitehall on his 2023 UK arena tour, comedian Lloyd Griffith is back with a brand new show Baroque and Roll. It’s a big year for Lloyd, he’s turning 40 and with it, the impending midlife crisis - or ‘renaissance’ as he’s insisting it’s called; complete with body hair removal, head hair additions, teeth whitening and obviously the obligatory half marathon sign up. It’ll be funny and yes, there’ll be the odd song or two from that magnificent voice of his.

British Comedian of the Year Winner and social media sensation Jeff Innocent is embarking on his first ever nationwide UK tour. He brings his unique and hilarious cultural insights on the road for the first time in a career that has spanned almost three decades and earned him a reputation as one of the greatest living comedians the country has to offer.

Baroque And Roll

smart casual

A MASTERCLASS IN STAND UP COMEDY The Times

A WARM, RELATABLE AND HILARIOUS SHOW The Sunday Post

six chick flicks

OR A LEGALLY BLONDE PRETTY WOMAN DIRTY DANCED ON THE BEACHES WHILE WRITING A NOTEBOOK ON THE TITANIC sun 2 jun • 7:30pm • 13+ £22 Two actors. Six beloved films. One hilarious parody!

Fresh from a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, this smash hit comedy parodies your favourite chick flicks in one hysterical, fast-paced show.

Grab your besties, your cinephile pals, or even your brunette nemesis for a night of fun, frothy comedy.

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NOT TO BE MISSED Daily Mail

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rachel parris

clinton baptiste

thu 30 may • 7.30pm £18

sun 7 apr • 7.30Pm • 14+ £27.50

The BAFTA-nominated comedian, The Mash Report (BBC2) star, Live at the Apollo (BBC1) star and viral sensation, presents a dazzling new hour of her signature blend of stand-up and songs

Solo again, Britain’s most celebrated clairvoyant medium psychic from Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights returns with his brand new hilarious one-man stand up show.

Poise

THIS IS CLASSY, CLEVER COMEDY UPROARIOUS The Scotsman

roller ghoster!

Laugh, gasp, scream your head off…but whatever you do….strap in and hold tight as Clinton takes you on a rip-roaring ride through the twists and turns of his heady life.

VENOMOUSLY WITTY Evening Standard

the muslims are coming sun 28 APR • 6pm • 18+ £18 The Muslims Are Coming … so round up your friends and join us for an uplifting night of laughter! It’s a comedy night with a whole heap of halal-hilarity to celebrate Ramadan & Eid. The line-up features Tez Ilyas (Mock The Week), Faizan Shah (BBC New Comedy), Aatif Nawaz (Radio 4) and Nabil Abdulrashid (Live At The Apollo).

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matt forde

richard herring

sat 23 mar• 8pm • 14+ £17.50

FRI 14 JUN • 8pm • 16+ £20

Host of hit political podcast The Political Party Matt Forde (Spitting Image, Have I Got News For You, The British Scandal, The Last Leg, The Royal Variety Performance) explores the dark comedy horror that is British politics, ahead of the next election. Plus silly voices.

In 2021 Richard Herring went to his GP to find out why his right ball seemed to be growing bigger. It turned out that he had testicular cancer and one month later he was lying in hospital waiting to have his murderous gonad removed.

Would he survive? (No spoilers!).

inside no 10.

CAN I HAVE MY BALL BACK?

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OUR FOREMOST SATIRICAL STAND-UP...

WHATEVER YOUR POLITICS, YOU’LL FIND EXCELLENCE HERE The Sunday Times

For a comedian who had done a whole show on male genitalia (Talking Cock) and written a book about toxic masculinity (The Problem With Men) this felt like some cruel trick of fate.

In his much-anticipated return to stand-up after six years, Richard talks bollocks and answers the question on everyone’s lips: Is a severed gonad in a jar a fitting prize to bring in for Taskmaster?

Leicester stand up challenge 2024 thu 11 apr • 7.30pm • 16+ £25 / £15 The Stand Up Challenge is supported by individuals from a wide variety of organisations and businesses who take up the challenge to write and perform their first ever 5 minutes of original stand-up comedy live on stage, in front of their colleagues, clients, friends and family – whilst raising funds for a local charity.

All proceeds support local Leicester charity Big Difference Company.

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the coral

the making of the debut album fri 22 mar • 7.30pm £26 The Coral are celebrating the 21th anniversary of their eponymous debut album. The record was described by NME as being the funniest and most refreshing British debut in years.

In this intimate evening, singer and songwriter James Skelly will be joined by keyboardist Nick Power for an evening of conversation, audience questions and acoustic songs.

The Coral’s eponymous debut remains a totemic release. Twentyone years on, that records sounds as fresh and remarkable as it did when it was released on 29th July 2002.

show of hands

full circle part II Tour fri 19 apr • 7.30pm £35 / under 21s £17.50 In the Spring of 2024, music enthusiasts and folk fans across the nation are in for a treat as Steve Knightley and Phil Beer prepare to embark on their final tour and journey back to where it all began. With a rich history spanning three decades the duo are renowned for their unique ‘hands-on’ cottage industry approach to touring, and this upcoming tour promises to be a celebration of their enduring legacy.

This will be an opportunity to reconnect with their loyal supporters, and a chance to inspire a new generation of folk musicians. One of the defining aspects of Show of Hands’ career has been their unwavering commitment to supporting grassroots promoters. This ethos has not only enriched the folk music scene but also strengthened the bonds between artists and their audiences.

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The Mark Nightingale/ Alan Barnes Sextet

steve harley

wed 20 mar • 7.30pm £16 / student £5

thu 25 apr • 7.30pm £28 / Meet & greet £70

The band was put together to play arrangements commissioned by John Billet of JBGB Events, who chose his favourite “Great Jazz Tunes”. Mark has applied his fecund imagination to these well known themes and come up with some brilliant re-thinks. Tunes you will recognise done in a completely new way by some of the best players around.

A prodigious kid who grew up on the poetry of Eliot and Lawrence, the prose of Steinbeck, Woolf, and Hemingway, and the music of Bob Dylan, Steve Harley soon realised his life would be preoccupied with words and music. He met The Rolling Stones as a kid, and the die was cast. He enjoyed huge success with Cockney Rebel and such hits as Sebastian and the iconic Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me).

Featuring James Davison

come up and see me... and other stories

And now, it’s time to reflect. Come Up And See Me… And Other Stories, will feature music and stories, as Steve tells stories about his career, while playing acoustic versions of the biggest hits. Steve will be accompanied by long-standing band member Barry Wickens.

Ajay Srivastav fri 8 mar • 7.30pm £15 Ajay Srivastav is a critically acclaimed musician who reflects the life and lessons learnt as a British born artist of Indian heritage, with uplifting songs of protest and change.

His unique rootsy guitar style is layered with inflections of sitar and sarod. This ability to merge scales, and techniques from classical Indian music with slide guitar playing, are down to his continual search for commonality where there is difference.

A BEAUTIFUL BLEND OF MUSICAL CULTURES Cerys Matthews, BBC Radio 2

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stillmarillion best of all worlds sat 4 may • 2pm & 8pm £16 & £18 / Joint ticket £30 StillMarillion pay homage to the classic EMI era of Marillion and return to Leicester for a very special weekend event of two shows in one day covering entirely different sets and eras.

Afternoon show 2pm - Seasons Vigil For the afternoon set will be a best of all worlds set with a very special focus on Seasons End and select cuts from Fish’s first solo output Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors.

Evening show 8pm - Totally Fugazi At this classic evening show StillMarillion will perform a classic Fish Era set with a focus on the Fugazi album.

The Ultimate Commitments and Blues Brothers Experience sat 2 mar • 7.30pm £20 In a show that has been described as “absolutely amazing” and “truly authentic”, take a trip down memory lane as you re-live the story lines and all the brilliant music of both classic films of The Commitments and the The Blues Brothers in a full live-band experience, where Chicago Blues meets Dublin Soul.

The stage show includes iconic scenes from both cult-classic films, and expect top quality musical performance from the professional Big Soul Band, along with authentic performances including songs from favourites such as Aretha Franklin, The Blues Brothers and Andrew Strong.

Songs including Everybody (needs somebody), Try a Little Tenderness, R.E.S.P.E.C.T and Jailhouse Rock can be heard in the repertoire in a night to truly remember.

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sultan Stevenson quartet

Hejira: celebrating Joni Mitchell

thu 29 feb • 7.30pm £16 / Student £5

Thu 18 Apr • 7.30pm £16 / student £5

Pianist Sultan Stevenson is one of the fastest emerging young artists on the London jazz scene. His quartet is already established as an outfit to catch when billed to play live and is being tipped for success on national and international stages.

Celebrating Joni Mitchell: Following a successful 2023 sell out UK tour, the 7-piece band Hejira performs the greatest works of the genius singer-songwriter. Fronted by the outstanding vocalist/guitarist Hattie Whitehead, this band fully captures the poetry, passion and beauty of Mitchell’s masterpieces.

I HIS WAY OF PLACING SILENCES AND MAKING A SIMPLE FOUR-NOTE LICK GROW INTO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT SHOWED AN INCIPIENT MASTER AT WORK The Times

spiers & Boden fri 12 apr • 8pm £20 Described by The Guardian as ‘the finest instrumental duo on the traditional scene’, Spiers & Boden first rocketed onto the music scene in 2001, quickly winning a clutch of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and going on to form and front the extraordinarily successful folk big band Bellowhead, which have sold out The Royal Albert Hall several times, provides the theme tune for Radio 4’s The Archers and were recently heard on the soundtrack of BBC 1’s Beyond Paradise.

The much-loved duo reformed in 2021 after a seven-year hiatus, arriving with a brand-new album Fallow Ground which went on to reach number 3 in September ‘21’s Official Folk Albums Chart and was a Mojo magazine top 10 folk album of 2021.

IT’S ALL EXQUISITELY PLAYED – THE PAIR ARE STILL THE DONS The Observer

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The Peacock Lounge Burlesque & Cabaret sat 9 mar & sat 15 jun • 8pm • 18+ £18 Balcony £29 VIP Cabaret (with a free glass of Bubbly) Leicester’s most decadent cabaret and burlesque experience is back!

Harking back to the traditions of variety in vaudeville and music hall, The Peacock Lounge is a sumptuous cabaret environment unique to the city’s oldest surviving theatre.

The Y Theatre provides the perfect backdrop to a glittering soirée featuring award-winning burlesque and cabaret acts handpicked to captivate you; from the sublime and beautiful to the outrageous and downright ridiculous this show will leave you feeling mesmerised and eager for our next instalment!

john lydon

i could be wrong. i could be right sun 23 jun • 7.30pm £33 / VIP £50 / meet & greet £90 He’s a legend and an icon, a revolutionary and an immortal.

John Lydon – aka Johnny Rotten – changed the face of music and sparked a cultural revolution. The frontman and lyricist of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd (PiL) caused a political earthquake and transformed music for good. In his spoken word show, I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right, Lydon is touring the UK. He will talk about how he sees life, along with his unique and extraordinary career, and take audience questions during a pyrotechnic, one-off tour. Lydon will be sharing his thoughts with audiences. He Could Be Wrong.

He Could Be Right.

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undr the cosh live fri 15 march • 7.30pm • 15+ £20 Since the first episode in early 2018, Undr The Cosh has fast become one of the UK’s most popular football podcasts, seeing over 100,000 audio downloads and 50,000 video views each week, 5.3 million downloads overall and featuring in the UK Sports Top 10 Podcast Chart throughout 2019 through to 2022.

Undr The Cosh Live first took to the road in 2019 and has since sold out venues across 15 different cities, bringing the cult heroes of football to fans and we are delighted to welcome them back to Leicester!

Rough Draft FOURTH Tuesday of every month (23 Jan, 27 feb, 26 Mar, 30 Apr, 28 May, 25 jun) • 7.30pm FREE We love new stuff. We can’t get enough of it. From gut-wrenching theatre to side-splitting comedy, melodic music to punchy poetry, and all those arty bits in between, we love seeing all the new and exciting things that fall out of those creative brains.

But more often than not, the first stumbling block when making something new is getting it seen, finding out if it works, and finding people to help you make it. Put together by a handful of Leicester creatives, Rough Draft is a platform for artists to do just that. Once a month we hold our scratch nights, each artist getting fifteen minutes to share their work, be that script in hand or something more polished, and get feedback from fellow creatives.

pinggg...k!

Third tuesday of every month (16 Jan, 20 Feb, 19 Mar, 16 apr, 21 May, 18 jun) 7.30pm FREE Pinggg…K! is a lively spoken word event based in Leicester and run by gay poet, Bobba Cass.

It welcomes ‘metrosexual verse’ and features poets, artists and performers as part of its monthly free programme.

Performers have included Carol Leeming, Liz Gray, Joe Coghlan, Maria Taylor, Nicky Pywell, Dori Kirchmair, Stuart Snowden and Rob Gee.

the voices of black folk in unexpected places fri 26 & sat 27 apr• 7.30pm £20 / £15 Written and directed by Khareem Jamal, (playwright of Black Heroes In the Hall Of Fame and The Abolitionist), The Voices of Black Folk: In Unexpected Places shares with us the fascinating lives of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin considered the ‘father’ of Russian literature; the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus; Britain’s first Black Queen Philippa of Hainault; and composer, violinist, swordsman and army General Joseph Bolgone all who pop up in history in places we wouldn’t expect such as the birth of modern Russia, the Roman empire, the British Royal family and the French Revolution.

The show is latest instalment in Africology’s ‘Voices of Black Folk’ series dedicated to shining a light on the forgotten rich history of black voices across the UK, Europe and the world.

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wRestling resurgence sat 16 mar & sat 1 jun • 6:30pm £22 / under 16 £12.50 / standing & restricted view £15 / Family of 4 £60 Art, theatre and wrestling collide!

Experience the thrills, spills, comedy, drama and excitement live, as the men and women of Wrestling Resurgence tear it up in this unique performance spectacle! Suitable for wrestling fans of all ages.

Featuring many of world’s leading wrestling stars.

Audience feedback: INCLUSIVE, ACTION PACKED, FUN-FILLED WRESTLING EVENTS WHAT AN AMAZING EVENT

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rosie jones: The amazing edie eckhart sun 11 feb • 3.30pm £4 Are you ready to meet the amazing Edie Eckhart, the hilariously brilliant children’s book character from comedian Rosie Jones? Rosie will introduce Edie, her friends and family and you’ll hear about Edie’s experiences starting secondary school and navigating the perils of the first term – and beyond!

FRESH, FUNNY AND ULTRA COOL Jacqueline Wilson EDIE IS A REAL AND RELATABLE CHARACTER, FLAWED, FEARLESS AND FUNNY, WHO JUST HAPPENS TO HAVE A DISABILITY. A HUGELY ENJOYABLE READ The Scotsman

notflix kids wed 21 feb • 5.30pm £12 / £10 A family-friendly version of the five star, sell-out, totally improvised musical comedy Notflix. Inspired by audience suggestions, the all-female cast improvise the musical version of your favourite films, creating movies with 100% more singing, 99% more women and a full live band.

SPONTANEOUS, SURPRISING & DELIGHTFUL FringeBiscuit

loving laughing final wed 7 feb by invitation only An annual showcase of the comedic talents of primary school children from across Leicester and Leicestershire!

We have been working with young people to teach them the basics of joke telling and comedy performance and the participants will take to the stage to show off what they have learnt and we will crown one school “Leicestershire’s Funniest School”.

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graffiti classic

the comedy string quartet fri 23 feb • 6pm • 4+ £16 / £14 Musicians can be comedians, dancers and storytellers as well as just virtuosos on their instruments.

Think you know music? You’ve never heard it like this before. Think you know comedy? Is it even funnier if the comedian is also playing the double bass? Jokes? We’ve got them. Music? We play it. Stories? A million of them. Ever wonder what happens when an Irishman tells jokes, plays a folk song and dances at the same time? Come and find out.

Street performance meets comedy meets folk songs meets… a string quartet!? See for yourself!

A SIMPLY WONDERFUL SHOW The Times

annie jr

cosmic theatre school

sister act jr

cosmic theatre school

Wed 17 & Thu 18 Jan • 7.30pm £14

Fri 19 - Sun 21 Jan • various times £14

Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning best musical by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, Annie JR. tells the story of a spunky Depression-era orphan determined to find her parents.

Leicester – Hallelujah! Cosmic Theatre present their “divine” production of Sister Act JR. The musical tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a high-spirited aspiring singer, who witnesses a murder and is forced to enter the Queen of Angels convent under witness protection.

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book your tickets today!

Box office 0116 255 7066

Our box office is open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and one hour before a show.

Online www.ytheatre.co.uk

You can book tickets online 24 hours a day and right up until a show starts on our website.

Refunds

Tickets are non-refundable except in exceptional circumstances. To be agreed with management.

General Terms

The Y Theatre reserves the right to: • Refuse ticket holders entrance or ask them to leave the venue • Introduce or change special offers, ticket prices and fees • Change seat location of a ticket without prior notice

Concessions

Fees

We charge a booking fee of £1.50 per ticket, capped at £10 per transaction. This helps us to stay open and keep bringing you the shows you want to see.

Protect your booking

You can now add refund protection for your tickets for £1.50 per ticket. This enables you to get a full refund should you or anyone in your party be unable to attend due to injury, illness, adverse weather, vehicle breakdown, and many other unforeseen instances.

Where a reduced price is given concessions are available for children under 16, full time students, people unemployed and in receipt of benefits, and senior citizens unless otherwise stated.

Please be prepared to show appropriate identification on entry.

Advance permission should be sought from the venue for the use of flash photography or filming equipment.

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HOW TO FIND US Car Parking

East Street NCP is our closest car park, with discounted tickets available when you book.

Please ask for details.

A594 A594

DOVER STREET

NCP

4 A59

For our full access information and how to join our access scheme, please visit our website, or contact our box office.

7 EAST STREET, LEICESTER, LE1 6EY BOX OFFICE: 0116 255 7066 YTHEATRE.CO.UK

ET

Our stalls and bar have step-free access from the street, and there is a loading bay in front of the building that is suitable for drop off. For all shows we reserve seats to suit a variety of access needs until the day of the show or until it is sold out, so you can access our shows no matter when you book.

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A VENUE TO REMEMBER...

Find out what we can do for you to make your event a success at Leicesters oldest surviving theatre.

Hospitality and sponsorship packages are also available to help promote your business whilst supporting a local charity.

Get in touch today venuehire@ytheatre.co.uk

MEETINGS CONFERENCES REHEARSALS WEDDINGS FILM LOCATION TRAINING

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OUR STAGE LEICESTER’S FUTURE

Help us preserve Leicester’s oldest surviving theatre...

As a small independant venue without core funding The Y Theatre shares the current challenges of other arts sector organisations. We still need your help to ensure this Victorian treasure survives in the long term.

Donate today! www.ytheatre.co.uk

THANK YOU

Grace Petrie, John Helps, Mercer Building Solutions, Jamie, Sam & Arabella Mollart and Rock Kitchen Harris.

A special thank you to Stocks Taylor Benson for their hard work and generous support in the creation of our new brand.

£25+ Your name added to our digital thank you wall

£200+ Above benefits plus your name or dedication on a theatre seat

£500+ Above benefits plus your name or business in our brochure