Theatre turns 'extraordinary ideas' into new shows

A theatre that has created original productions for nearly two decades has incubated "extraordinary ideas that will have a future life", its artistic director has said.

Jesse Jones said the Royal and Derngate's Made In Northampton series aimed to highlight the different voices in the town and celebrate its diversity, with some shows going on to the West End and Broadway.

Its latest production, Once Upon a Time in Sokoto, explores the birth of modern Nigeria, which Jones hoped would resonate with the town's west African population.

The theatre has also received praised as an "excellent case in point" for how venues can combine local interest with global success.

"Made in Northampton has a long history of producing work," said Jones, with the shows being created under the brand since 2009.

It has seen The Worst Witch and Touching the Void both performed in the West End.

The Season, which was reworked as Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), and End of the Rainbow were also transferred to London, and then Broadway.

Jones spoke about the need to "create an environment with artists and with our audiences that can incubate extraordinary ideas that then, if we get it right, will have that future life to it".

He said: "We need to make sure that we're supporting the artists to make incredible work, and then finding an audience and speaking to our audience - and getting them to feel proud of the work that we're making here.

"All the time we're asking for theatre to entertain us thoroughly, but also to get people to question and interrogate the world in which they live."

Jones said the theatre, which is run by a charity, was able to create its productions due to "integral" funding from the Arts Council, and by working with "young people in our communities, and importantly, with local artists".

"The heart of it all is that we create work for our audiences that hopefully speak to specific things within our local communities, but also have a national and international appeal that we can then send all around the UK and around the world."

Speaking about the latest production - Inua Ellams's Once Upon a Time in Sokoto, which runs from Monday until 10 October - director Roy Alexander Weise said: "It's big and theatrical, witty and funny, brutal, bold, beautiful, and plays with time in a stunning way.

"It's an unexpected period drama, unveiling the hidden history of a complex pre-colonial African Islamic civilisation."

Mark Hawes, director of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust, said the work regional theatres did were "wellsprings of the country's global success in theatre, TV and film".

"Charitable regional theatres produce high-quality drama with a focus on local audience appeal," he said.

"Royal and Derngate's Made in Northampton programme is an excellent case in point."

Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.