Book of the Bard: Exploring Shakespeare’s First Folio

Distinguished Shakespeare scholar Professor Emma Smith is coming to Leeds to talk about the very first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays – probably the most influential secular book ever printed. Without it, half of the Bard’s plays would have been lost. The event has been organised by Headingley LitFest, which has marked it as a […]

Albert Herring: Howard Assembly Room – Various Dates From 12 January

Benjamin Britten’s chamber opera, a revival of Giles Havergal’s Opera North production from 2013, appears to be in its optimum performance space in the beautiful Howard Assembly Room attached to Leeds Grand Theatre, which provides just the right level of intimacy. Any attempt to put ‘Albert Herring’ into a grandiose theatre with a proscenium arch […]

Leeds Peace Poetry Competition 2024 – Your submissions are invited!

The biennial Leeds Peace Poetry Competition has become a well-established event. Partnered with the University of Leeds Poetry Centre, which administers the judging and hosts the prize-giving, it has, over the years attracted thousands of entries from people of all ages, not just from the City but also from many parts of the world. The […]

Looking Ahead to: Opera North’s Spring Programme

The three ‘sustainable’ operas at Leeds Grand Theatre during the autumn were produced following the advice provided in the Theatre Green Book, an initiative by the whole of theatre. All sets, props and costumes were sourced from previous productions and current stock, or were acquired second-hand. Donated items included an ancient caravan, which seems to […]