A Wise Children, York Theatre Royal, HOME Manchester and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse co-production
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’s
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
Adapted and directed by Emma Rice
York Theatre Royal, 18 March – 5 April 2025
Based on the Turner Entertainment Co. Film North by Northwest
Produced by special arrangement with Warner Bros Theatre Ventures
and Kay & McLean Productions
It would be strange, would it not, if, in a city of seven million people, one man were never mistaken for another…
But that is exactly what happens to Roger Thornhill, reluctant hero of North by Northwest, when a mistimed phone call to his mother lands him smack bang in the middle of a Cold War conspiracy. Now he’s on the run, dodging spies, airplanes and a femme fatale who might not be all she seems.
Emma Rice takes on film legend Alfred Hitchcock in this riotously funny reworking that turns the original thriller on its head. With just six shape-shifting performers, a fabulous ‘50s soundtrack and a LOT of hats, this dazzling production plays with the heart, mind and soul. Expect a night of glamour, romance, jeopardy and a liberal sprinkling of tender truths.
North by Northwest is a 1959 film, produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason.
Previous Emma Rice shows Wise Children, Malory Towers, Wuthering Heights and most recently Bluebeard were seen at York Theatre Royal, one of the producers. Emma Rice’s production of Wuthering Heights, seen in York in 2021, has completed UK and US tours and is now taking the York Theatre Royal name around the world with an international tour to Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China.
Black is the Color of my Voice (main house, Feb 26) is inspired by the life of Nina Simone in a production featuring many of her most iconic songs performed live.
Apphia Campbell’s acclaimed play follows a successful singer and civil rights activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father. She reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church, to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.
The show has toured the UK nationally to standing ovations and played sell-out seasons in Shanghai, New York, Edinburgh and the West End of London.
English Touring Opera returns to York Theatre Royal in 2025 with two productions – The Capulets and The Montagues (main house, March 1) and Shakespeare’s Songs* (working title) in the Studio (28 February to 1 March).
Bellini’s The Capulets and the Montagues is a gritty re-working of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, where loyalty and love are put to the test amidst political violence, set to exquisite bel canto peratic music that brings the story’s tragedy to the fore. Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Throughout the centuries, composers have been influenced and inspired by Shakespeare’s plays and poetry. Mixing puppetry and performance in a new theatrical staging with a collection of songs inspired by Shakespeare performed by singers and a chamber ensemble, ETO’s new production Shakespeare Songs* (*Working title) tells the story of a life and all its trials and triumphs and explores the timeless appeal of Shakespeare’s words and characters to composers and audiences throughout history. Sung in the original language with English surtitles
Children’s TV presenter Andy Day, who starred in the York Theatre Royal pantomime Cinderella in 2021 returns to the main house with a special one-off book launch on 1 November. Andy and bestselling illustrator Steven Lenton will present a fun-filled show to celebrate their new Dino Dad series and the second exciting instalment Dino Dad: Ice Age, published by Puffin Books. With music, quizzes and a live draw-along, the Dino Dad show is a must for any dino-lover.