‘This show crammed in everything, from political satire to parodies. See Showstopper! See it again and again and again’ ***** British Theatre Guide

‘Astonishing. Showstopper! has everything you could want from a blockbuster musical. It just happens to be made up on the spot’ Metro

A brand new musical is created from scratch at each performance of this award-winning production, which has played sell out seasons in London’s West End and at the Edinburgh festival.

Audience suggestions help to create a show on the spot, as the all singing, all dancing cast improvise with unpredictable and frequently hilarious results.

As heard on their own BBC Radio 4 series.

Suitable for ages 12 and over

Joanna Lumley is one of the UK’s most loved actresses. As formidable as she is beautiful, Joanna has delighted us for years in film, on television and on the stage. She is a passionate activist for causes she believes in, and has scared the life out of those who stand in her way. She alone made sure that the Gurkhas who served in the British army should have the, controversial, right to settle in Britain. In Absolutely Fabulous she kept us in stitches. Her travel documentaries have taken her most recently to Greece. Whatever she does, you cannot take your eyes off her and of course, she has a voice to die for!

The evening is introduced by Sir Jeremy Isaacs. Buy a ticket to join us afterwards for a post-show reception on stage and the opportunity to meet Joanna over a glass or two.

Post-show reception with Joanna Lumley £20 (limited capacity)

Money raised from this fundraising event will help to support the Theatre Royal’s community and education programme. (Registered Charity 242977)

directed and adapted by Emma Rice

performed by Aitor Basauri, Stephan Kreiss, Petra Massey & Toby Park

written by Carl Grose & the Company

Following hot on the heels of their acclaimed Moby Dick, Spymonkey’s hilarious physical comedy combines with the playful storytelling verve of Kneehigh artistic director Emma Rice and writing partner Carl Grose. Oedipussy is an outrageous, no-holds-barred subversion of the quintessential Greek tragedy – a tale of forbidden lust, violent murder and the ultimate dysfunctional family. A jealous father, a messed-up son, and one mother of a brilliant comedy.

‘Gloriously anarchic, constantly entertaining’ The Times on Moby Dick

‘Four of the greatest clowns working in Britain today’ Time Out

Contains incest, violence, mutilation, strobes, nudity and chorus work.

Suitable for audiences 14+

a play in five acts by Elizabeth Inchbald

originally read September 2004

A stirring romantic tale of past wrongs haunting victim and perpetrator. This hugely popular play is best known as the one which causes moral consternation in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.

Continuing the exciting development for our Script in Hand readings, we are turning the Theatre Royal into a radio recording studio for a day and giving you the chance to be a live audience for a performance of three of our favourite Restoring the Repertoire™ plays. Sit onstage with the actors and become part of the live recording and post-show discussion!

by Franz Lehár

English translation by Jeremy Sams

Opera della Luna returns with a new production of Lehár’s classic operetta The Merry Widow. In a sparkling new English translation, with live orchestra, this imaginative staging captures the glamour and decadence of turn of the century Paris while infusing the production with Opera della Luna’s trademark wit.

‘Ensemble playing at its best’ Evening Standard

‘Welcome back, Opera della Luna! – the company synonymous with wit, inventiveness, colour and panache.’ West Briton

Tim BrookeTaylor has been delighting audiences with his gentle, zany humour ever since he rocketed from the Cambridge Footlights into West End stardom trading custard pies with John Cleese and oneliners with Bill Oddie in the hugely successful Cambridge Circus revue. This was only the start of a sparkling career which includes the long running TV series The Goodies and BBC Radio’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue as well as an appearance in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In conversation with writer and broadcaster, Chris Serle.

We are now offering weddings and civil ceremonies in the unique setting of the Theatre Royal and to celebrate this we will be holding a Wedding Fair. The Theatre will be bustling with a variety of stalls to help you create the perfect day! For further details please visit our website or email [email protected]

Proud sponsors Marshall Jaguar Ipswich and Cambridge.

We are over-the-moon to welcome back Lesley Garrett to the Theatre Royal. Her musical artistry and winning personality have combined to make her one of Britain’s most popular entertainers. Accompanied by Ian Farrington, Lesley will sing a few of her favourite numbers – some classical, all popular. She’ll tell us why good music, of all sorts, means so much to her, with a story or two along the way. Laughter is guaranteed.

The evening is introduced by Sir Jeremy Isaacs. Buy a ticket to join us afterwards for a post-show reception on the stage and the opportunity to meet Lesley over a glass or two.

This show will recreate and celebrate the music of The Carpenters, in an evening which will lead fans everywhere through a magical memory of their many hits including Yesterday Once More, Goodbye to Love, Close to You and Only Yesterday. The night will also include some fantastic medleys featuring artists such as The Beatles and Bacharach & David. With superb vocals from Carole Gordon and outstanding talent from the brilliant Blue Jeans Band & Singers, it will certainly be a night to remember.

Inspired by a true story, Shaffer’s unique psychological thriller explores the complex relationships between worship, myth and sexuality. In a Hampshire stable, a youth blinds six horses with a metal spike. Convicted of this appalling crime, seventeen-year-old Alan Strang is sent to a secure psychiatric hospital. Martin Dysart, the child psychiatrist assigned to him, begins to probe Alan’s past in an attempt to understand his motives. Equus won the Tony Award and New York Critics Circle Award for Best New Play in 1977 and was sensationally revived on Broadway and the West End in 2007.

‘…taut, flawless and compelling…’ The Stage (2011)

Please be aware that this show contains strong language, adult themes and full nudity.

Two of Britain’s most notable writers are husband and wife. Claire Tomalin is the famous biographer – Samuel Pepys, Thomas Hardy and most recently, a stunningly successful life of Charles Dickens, 200 years after his birth. Michael Frayn has written award winning plays from hot comedy Noises Off to the two major, thought-provoking National Theatre hits; Copenhagen and Democracy. He has also written a quiet family history, My Father’s Fortune. Michael and Claire have been married 18 years. In conversation with Sir Jeremy Isaacs, they discuss their work, their lives together, and the similarities and differences between fiction and non-fiction. Polar opposites,or rather more complex? This unprecedented evening offers a unique opportunity to put your questions to two of our greatest writers. Seize it, the chance won’t come again. Buy a ticket to join us afterwards for a post-show reception on the stage and the opportunity to meet Claire and Michael over a glass of wine.

based on the book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

adaptation by Clive Francis

directed by Kevin Shaw

A bloodcurdling howl is heard across a cold, moonlit moor; the spectral hound has claimed another victim. Sir Hugo Baskerville was the picture of aristocratic excess, drunkenness and debauchery until he was struck down by a demonic hound sent to punish his wickedness – or so the legend tells. Two hundred years later his descendant Sir Charles apparently meets a similar fate, dying of fright in the grounds of Baskerville Hall. Can Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson solve the mystery of The Hound of the Baskervilles before Sir Charles’ heir comes to an equally gruesome end? The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the greatest stories of the 20th century and its macabre appeal has made it the most popular of the Sherlock Holmes adventures. Oldham Coliseum and imitating the dog collaborate to fuse different theatrical traditions to create a dark and sinister world of the most popular of the Sherlock Holmes adventures.

Music has been an important part of Ipswich School life since the 1470’s. Today there are many opportunities for music-making – including two Symphony Orchestras, a Chamber Orchestra, Big Band, Chapel Choir, and many Chamber Ensembles. An active Music in the Community programme visits primary schools, special schools, nursing homes and hospices. Tonight there will be various ensembles and solos to showcase the music scholars of Ipswich School.

After the success of Desperate to be Doris and Withering Looks, LipService return as Holmes and Watson in Move Over Moriarty. Sherlock Holmes investigates the garibaldi biscuit affair, a case as impenetrable as a London pea-souper. Down at The Strand Theatre fear stalks the backstage corridors as artistes are murdered by an invisible hand. Meet Death Defying Dan and his Whelk Infested Tank of Terror, the Musical Motherless Twins, Molotov the Mind Man of Minsk, to name but a few. LipService move effortlessly from frock to frock coat in this Victorian thriller.

‘ If you’re looking for an out-and-out spoof, LipService’s Sherlockian skit, Move Over Moriarty, can hardly be bettered’ The Guardian

Participating shops in our lovely market town have joined forces to champion the best of independent retailers and eateries offering you whopping discounts in return for a £10 pledge to support our community and schools work. Start the day with us for coffee at The Guildhall at 9am and then indulge your shopping needs all day long! The Theatre Royal is a registered charity and provides a whole range of very valuable projects aimed at supporting more vulnerable members of our community. Come and help us continue to help them by enjoying some shopping, eating, drinking and socialising – and all for charity!

Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black has garnered praise from all quarters, with recent accolades including the Dance Europe Award for Outstanding Dance Company (2009). For their return visit to Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, the Company are delighted to present a mixed bill of premieres from the latest in British choreographic talent: Jonathan Goddard (Rambert Dance Company), Jonathan Watkins (The Royal Ballet) and Martin Lawrance (creator Pendulum for Ballet Black, 2009). They will also debut Storyville, a dark tale of love, corruption and survival set in the nightclubs of 1900’s New Orleans, by renowned choreographer, Christopher Hampson.

by Imogen Stubbs

directed by Lynn Whitehead and Amy Wyllie

by arrangement with Nick Hern Books

The men are off fighting the Nazis and those left behind have been advised to

‘Holiday-at Home’ so a motley assortment of enthusiastic women decides to bring a bit of culture to the people of war-torn Britain. This gung-ho gang of mismatched theatricals embarks on a crazy adventure touring their props and costumes in the back of a 1920’s Rolls Royce. Members of the Theatre Royal’s Community Company have embarked on their own adventure to bring Imogen Stubbs’ heart-warming and hilarious play to the stage.

‘On this impressive debut, they are surely a company to watch in the future’

Glen’s Theatre Blog, Northanger Abbey (2011)

www.theatreroyal.org