Local voices at the heart of Cumbernauld Theatre’s Spring/Summer 2023 season

Highlights of the season include:

Following a busy festive season of stage work including family shows Treasure Island and Life of the Party, the Spring/Summer season runs from January to July 2023 and is packed with leading theatre, music and comedy to suit all ages and tastes. The programme includes works from Cumbernauld Theatre Trust’s in-house work, visiting companies, new and continuing partnerships and cinema screenings.

The theatre’s main stage production of the season is Operation: Legacy, a bold new work that reflects, represents and celebrates the voice of young people in Cumbernauld today: the voice of a generation whose futures depends on world-leaders sticking to their promises and safeguarding our world for their futures. The work will be shaped by local young people aged 14 to 21 in a series of focus groups by Cumbernauld Theatre’s in-house producers, Fraser Morrison and Amanda Glover and opens on Wednesday 12 April.

The season will also feature visiting productions from several leading companies, including Dear Billy from the National Theatre of Scotland, Who Killed My Father from Surrogate (and developed in residency at Lanternhouse), and Dancing With the Devil from Enigma Productions.

Families with young children can enjoy shows including In Praise of Shadows and The Seven Ravens from Puppet Animation Scotland, Clunk from Visible Fictions, Mr Magnolia from Folksy Theatre and The Enchanted Snake from Dunedin Consort.

This season sees the continuation of a leading classical music programme in partnership with Dunedin Consort, the artists in residence at Lanternhouse. This unique residency programme offers a series of relaxed concerts, open rehearsals, cinema concert screenings and specially devised events for children and families. This includes a bespoke programme of instrumental workshops and classes for local schools to inspire and encourage an interest in classical music.

The music programme also sees the launch of the new Cumbernauld Folk Club, a monthly music night with a traditional music headliner and support from local musicians. Inspired by evenings like these at Cumbernauld Theatre Trust’s previous home at the Cottage Theatre, the headline acts during the season will include The Brothers Gillespie, Savourna Stevenson, Eriska and BrÒg.

The monthly comedy night Lanternhouse Laughs in association with Gilded Balloon returns to Lanternhouse Studio in the spring, each hosted by its very own compère and featuring three hand-picked comedy-circuit favourites. The line-up includes Susie McCabe, Jay Lafftery, Christopher MacArthur Boyd, Gary Little and Stephen Buchanan.

Cumbernauld Theatre Trust’s Take Part programme returns in spring following a winter break (when winter in-house productions Treasure Island and Life of the Party rehearse and perform), with classes in drama, dance, sensory arts, crafting and circus performance for members of the community of all ages and abilities. Coming through this programme, the Cumbernauld People’s Theatre Companywill stage a new devised work, Nights in ‘The Nauld’, based on hidden stories of the town.

Alongside live events and community classes, the new Lanternhouse Cinema is regularly screening the latest blockbusters with a toddler-friendly showing each week. There is a wide array of events screening at the cinema, including live theatre performances from London’s National Theatre and the Royal Opera House, and screenings of classic musical Anything Goes from the Barbican.

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. Read our season brochure below or check our what’s on page.