Lawrence Batley Theatre has announced its full autumn/winter season featuring a brand new Yorkshire-grown musical, an appearance from an internationally acclaimed circus troupe and top shows straight from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Yorkshire born and bred musician Richard Sykes has written By George: The Chip Shop Musical, a brand-new musical set in Huddersfield which will premiere at the theatre in September.

It’s described as a warm and funny exploration of a modern family battling against outdated traditions over a chippy tea.

Starring some of the best local performers, this Victoria Wood-style comic musical is sure to entertain all the family.

Ockham’s Razor, the UK’s foremost circus theatre company, returns with Tess: a bold new vision of Hardy’s classic novel Tess of the D’urbervilles.

This retelling captures the beauty, heartbreak and yearning of the novel and draws upon the incredible strength of the circus body to create a Tess as heroic as Hardy intended.

Some of the top shows from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe highlight the early part of the autumn season.

Featuring triple fringe first winner Henry Naylor’s show Afghanistan Is Not Funny, this is a gripping true story about a photographer who blundered into a warzone.

In September Pick of the Fringe show Yippee Ki Yay appears. This retelling of the classic film Die Hard is an uplifting action romp (and unauthorised parody) that pays affectionate tribute to the iconic 80s fan favourite.

Edinburgh top hit Sh!t Faced Shakespeare has delighted audiences the world over since 2010 with their high-brow mix of classical Elizabethan drama and no-holds-barred drunken antics, and now they’re coming to Huddersfield for the first time ever.

Featuring a cast of the finest classically trained actors, they’ll be performing Much Ado About Nothing, with one of their number genuinely inebriated. This unique theatrical experience has left audiences roaring in the aisles the world over.

Becky Atkinson, chief executive of the Lawrence Batley Theatre, said: “The autumn 2023 season is jam packed with exceptional shows, combining world class entertainment, brave and exciting productions and locally rooted companies putting West Yorkshire talent front and centre.

“I am incredibly proud that this season has something for everyone and brings world leading performances to the people of Huddersfield who deserve to have access to the best on their doorstep.”

Performance listings:

September

Josie Long – Sat 2 September

By George: The Chip Shop Musical – Wed 13 – Sat 16 September

Better Days – Wed 20 – Thu 21 September

Frankenstein – Thu 21 – Sat 23 September

Dinky Disco – Fri 22 September

Yippee Ki Yay – Wed 27 September

Attic Stories – Wed 27 September

Jason Byrne – Thu 28 September

Comedy Cellar – Thu 28 September

Rachel Fairburn – Fri 29 September

October

Ed Byrne – Sun 1 October

Eating Myself – Sun 1 October

Sh!t Faced Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing – Thu 5 October

Francis Rossi – Fri 6 October

Marti Pellow – Sat 7 October

Ghost The Musical – Tue 10 – Sat 14 October

Fiona Allen – Thu 12 October

Rich Hall – Wed 18 October

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons – Wed 18 – Sat 21 October

TESS – Sat 21 – Sun 22 October

John Robins – Mon 23 October

Dreamcoat Stars – Tue 24 October

Attic Stories – Wed 25 October

Afghanistan is Not Funny – Wed 25 October

I’m Muslamic Don’t Panik – Thu 26 October

Dinky Disco – Fri 27 October

The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland – Sat 29 – Sun 29 October

Stick Man – Tue 31 October – Thu 2 November

November

Comedy Cellar – Thu 2 November

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Tue 7 – Sat 11 November

Bhangra Night – Fri 10 November

PERSONHOOD – Fri 17 November

Dinky Disco – Fri 24 November

Attic Stories – Wed 29 November

Comedy Cellar – Thu 30 November

December

Cinderella – Fri 1 – Sun 31 December

Dinky Disco – Fri 15 December

Panto Backstage Tour – Sat 16 December

Down for the Count: Swing Into Christmas – Mon 18 December

Comedy Cellar – Thu 21 December

Snowmen – Tue 26 – Fri 29 December

January

Cracked Nuts: Camper Than Christmas – Sun 6 January

Red Riding Hood – Sat 13 – Sun 20 January

Red Riding Hood – Adults Only! – Fri 19 January

The Gruffalo’s Child – Tue 30 – Wed 31 January

Tickets for the autumn/winter season are now on sale. More information and tickets can be found at www.thelbt.org