Cumbernauld Theatre announces exciting Autumn/Winter Season at Lanternhouse

Cumbernauld Theatre at Lanternhouse has today announced details of its upcoming Autumn/Winter season, with tickets now on sale for all shows.

                                                                                                                   
The season will bring exciting live performances from some of Scotland’s leading companies to the Cumbernauld stage from July to December with something for everyone to enjoy.

Sonata is a compelling evening of classical music and choreographed dance, bringing together the musicians of Scotland’s leading baroque ensemble Dunedin Consort alongside award-winning choreographer Marc Brew and five disabled and non-disabled dancers.

Tally’s Blood, the seminal Scottish classic by Anne Marie di Mambro, returns to the stage for the first time in twenty years in a major new co-production by Perth Theatre, The Gaiety Theatre, Ayr and Cumbernauld Theatre Company. Told with heart and humour, Tally’s Blood follows an Italian immigrant family in Scotland from the 1930s to the 1950s, in a tale of poverty, passion and prejudice that travels from the west of Scotland to the sun-baked Italian countryside. The production visits Cumbernauld from 10 – 14 October as part of its Scottish tour.

Throughout December the Cumbernauld stages will host festive fun for all the family, with two spellbinding productions. Audiences are invited to Wondernauld’s Christmas Ball for a delightfully daft Main Stage production UGLY! A Cinderella Story. In this new unforgettable spin on the classic Cinderella fairy tale, written by Gary McNair, the Fairy Godmother and Ugly Sister must work together on a makeover journey that’ll have you laughing, singing, and dancing in the aisles.

Meanwhile the Studio Theatre hosts a special production for younger audiences, A Ladder to the Stars, a heartfelt, humorous story of what can happen when the universe hears your dreams, produced by Visible Fictions.

The Autumn season will also feature visiting productions from some of Scotland’s leading theatre companies. Moorcroft, the Tron Theatre’s acclaimed play about football and working-class life from writer/director Eilidh Loan, visits as part of a Scottish tour supported by the National Theatre of Scotland. Other highlights include Sleeping Warrior’s Britpop-inspired Battery Park, Sex Education Xplorers (S.E.X.) from award-winning artist Mamoru Iriguchi, and Solar Bear’s Wake Up, a triple bill of visual theatre by three trailblazing directors.

There will be visiting work to keep wee visitors entertained as well. Families with young children can enjoy shows including Shaper Caper’s memorable interactive adventure show Paper Moon, Four Go Wind in Wellies by Indepen-Dance, immersive audio-theatre Suitcase Stories, and The Amazing Bubble Man.

Cumbernauld Theatre’s live music programme will also liven up the stage, with the return of the Cumbernauld Folk Club featuring visiting guests including the legendary Dougie MacLean, Canada’s Queen of Americana Lynn Hanson, and more. There is also a return from national treasures Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham in August. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra will also grace the Lanternhouse stage for the first time, with an evening of folktale-inspired music from Beethoven, Mendehlsson, and Strauss.

Regular comedy nights also return with the monthly Lanternhouse Laughs in association with Gilded Balloon set to guarantee belly laughter in the studio theatre, each hosted by its very own compère and featuring comedy-circuit favourites. There are also visits from veteran Scottish stand-up Fred MacAulay and award-winning Lynn Ferguson.

Alongside live the live performances, Lanternhouse Cinema continues to offer the latest blockbuster feature films and the best cinema experiences in Cumbernauld. We’ve also got world-class performances streamed from concert arenas to major theatres, including National Theatre Live and The Royal Opera House.

Sarah Price, CEO at Cumbernauld Theatre Trust, said:“Our new season promises to be the perfect opportunity for family get-together’s, nights out with a partner, friend, colleague or simply to indulge and enjoy ‘me’ time. From our own Cumbernauld Theatre productions Sonata and Tally’s Blood, to our, ‘not to be missed’ contemporary panto spin ‘UGLY! A Cinderella Story’ we promise you festive fun for all ages, unforgettable new theatre, live laughs and powerful music performances, there really is something for everyone. We can’t wait to be in the space and experience the magic our audiences and performers make.”

Located in the heart of Cumbernauld, on the Cumbernauld Academy campus, this state-of-the-art venue houses two performance spaces – a 270-seat auditorium and Studio Theatre, a dance studio, an 84-seat cinema and the new North Lanarkshire Council-run café.

Tickets for the full programme of live performance and creative learning activities are on sale now at www.lanternhousearts.org and by Box Office telephone bookings on 01236 732887. You can also download a brochure from the website.