By Richard Watson
Huddersfield Thespians have put tickets on sale for a new season featuring ghostly goings-on, an ABBA-themed comedy and two modern stage favourites.
The amateur theatre company will stage four productions between October 2026 and June 2027 at the Lawrence Batley Theatre and Longwood Mechanics Hall.
The season opens with 2:22 A Ghost Story by Danny Robins at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, from Wednesday October 14 to Saturday October 17.
The supernatural thriller follows Jenny and Sam, who have moved into a new home with their baby daughter.
Jenny becomes convinced something is wrong when she hears footsteps around her daughter’s cot at exactly 2.22am every night.
During a housewarming with friends, the group decides to stay awake until 2.22am to discover what is really happening.
The play won Best New Play at the 2022 WhatsOnStage Awards and was nominated for an Olivier Award.
For Christmas the Thespians move to Longwood Mechanics Hall for The Way Old Friends Do, running from Wednesday December 9 to Saturday December 12.
Ian Hallard’s comedy begins in 1988 when Birmingham school friends Edward and Peter come out to each other, Edward as gay and Peter as an ABBA fan.
Nearly 30 years later they meet again and form an ABBA tribute band with a difference, putting their friendship to the test amid platform boots, dodgy beards and life on the road.
The season continues at Longwood in March with Jim Cartwright’s The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, the play which helped make Jane Horrocks a household name.
It tells the story of the painfully shy Little Voice, or LV, who has an extraordinary talent for impersonating famous singers.
The production runs from Wednesday March 17 to Saturday March 20, 2027.
The Thespians return to the Lawrence Batley Theatre in June with The Girl on the Train, adapted from Paula Hawkins’ bestselling novel.
Rachel Watson becomes fascinated by a couple she watches from her train window. When the woman she has been watching disappears, Rachel finds herself drawn into the investigation as both a witness and a suspect.
The thriller runs from Wednesday June 9 to Saturday June 12, 2027.
Huddersfield Thespians were founded in 1920 and have staged at least one play every year since, including during the Second World War. They have performed at the Lawrence Batley Theatre since it opened in 1994.
Performances of 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Girl on the Train at the Lawrence Batley Theatre start at 7.15pm, with a 2pm Saturday matinee.
Tickets are available from the Lawrence Batley Theatre box office on 01484 430528 and through the theatre’s website.
The Way Old Friends Do and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice at Longwood Mechanics Hall start at 7.30pm from Wednesday to Friday, with a 2.30pm Saturday matinee.
Tickets for the Longwood productions are available through TicketSource and on the door.
A discount is also available for people booking two plays at the same time.
More information about Huddersfield Thespians, including how to join the society, is available at huddersfieldthespians.co.uk.
