A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, Wilde’s most beloved work follows a cast of ridiculous characters as they navigate love and well-meant deceit in Victorian society.

Jack Worthing, hoping to fulfil his dreams of marriage to the poised Gwendolen Fairfax, adopts the identity of his imaginary younger brother named Ernest. Algernon Montcrieff, intrigued by Jack’s whimsical ward Cecily, assumes the same identity, hoping to charm her. Chaos ensues when both women reveal they have their hearts set on marrying someone with the name “Ernest”, and to their dismay, neither man is being particularly earnest.

The Importance of Being Earnest’ is hilarious and engaging, offering a satirical snapshot of upper-class Victorian society.  Wilde’s most generationally beloved play, this razor-sharp comedy of manners is studied and celebrated for its secret identities, heightened characters, and legendary lines.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This production will take place in the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The performance will begin at 7.30pm and run for approximately two and a half hours with a short interval.

Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance is due to begin.

A farm’s dream of freedom unravels into tyranny in Orwell’s timeless allegory of power, corruption, and control.

The Collingwood Woodplayers proudly present George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a gripping theatrical adaptation of one of literature’s most powerful allegories. When the animals of Manor Farm rise up against their human master, they dream of freedom, equality, and a better life. But as their vision takes shape, cracks soon appear, and the dream descends into something far darker. Full of passion, tension, and biting satire, this production explores how revolutions can be corrupted from within. Animal Farm remains as urgent and relevant today as ever—a timeless story of power, control, and the human condition.

£8 Standard

£7 Concession

£6.50 Performing Arts Members

This event takes place at the Collingwood Arts Centre, Collingwood College, South Road, DH1 3LT.

The event will begin at 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee) and lasts approximately 2 hours. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the performance.

Full Score Barbershop Choir and Durham University's Gospel Choir present 'Together in Song', a unique celebration of harmony, uniting fun, diverse music styles!

Full Score Barbershop Choir and Durham University's Gospel Choir are so excited to present 'Together in Song', showcasing a variety of music styles with a shared love for harmonies, laughter and hope.

From Disney, musical theatre, jazz and barbershop classics to upbeat and uplifting gospel and secular repertoire, this concert is sure to have something for everyone!

A highlight of this concert will be our two joint songs - 'Almost There' from Princess and the Frog, and 'Go Tell It' by the Spirituals.

You won't want to miss this unique celebration of harmony!

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£8 Performing Arts Members

This event takes place at Elvet Methodist Church, Old Elvet, Durham, DH1 3HL.

The performance starts at 7.30pm and will last until approximately 9.30pm. Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance starts.

Shaw’s sharp comedy of class, identity, and transformation - where a cockney flower girl is taught to pass as a 'proper' lady, with unexpected consequences.

Bailey Theatre Company presents George Bernard Shaw’s witty classic Pygmalion. When Professor Higgins wagers he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower seller, into a woman fit for high society, the experiment sparks comedy, conflict, and unexpected change. A biting satire on class and identity, this timeless play mixes humour with social critique, still resonant today.

£6 Standard

£5.50 Concession

£4.50 Performing Arts Members

This event takes place at Leech Hall, St John's College, 3 South Bailey, Durham, DH1 3RJ

This event begins at 7.30pm and lasts until approximately 10pm with a short interval.

Join the Orchestral Society’s Symphony Orchestra for their first concert of the year, featuring Elgar’s Enigma Variations alongside works by Ruth Gipps, Mussorgsky, and Gershwin.

Durham University Orchestral Society’s Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Kohn, opens one of its most ambitious years yet at Elvet Methodist Church with Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, depicting a night of pagan festival with fire and spirits. The programme continues with former Durham University alumna Ruth Gipps’ Knight in Armour and Gershwin’s vibrant Cuban Overture. The evening will conclude with one of British composer Edward Elgar’s most famous works, the Enigma Variations, with each variation portraying one of Elgar’s closest friends.

£14 Standard

£12 Concession

£10 Performing Arts Members

This event will take place at Elvet Methodist Church, 8 Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HL.

The concert begins at 7.30pm and will last approximately 75 minutes with a short interval.

Adapted from the Bram Stoker’s horror classic, Dracula: The Immersive Experience allows the audience to join the characters as they meet the most unlikely of clients, Count Dracula.

Walkabout Productions presents Dracula: The Immersive Experience. This student-written adaptation of the well-loved horror classic promises gothic intrigue in the most atmospheric and interactive manner.

As you wander through our stage spaces you will uncover mysteries and come face-to-face with the supernatural. In what soon turns into chaos, the audience together with the characters must defeat the vampire plaguing them.

Come to the Collingwood Arts Centre from the 1st to 3rd of December to become part of this classic tale.

£9 Standard

£8 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This event takes place at the Collingwood Arts Centre, Collingwood College, DH1 3LT.

The event will begin at 7.30pm and last for approximately 90 minutes with a short interval.

Foot Notes warmly presents you our annual Christmas concert - Underneath the Tree! 🎄

Step into the Christmas spirit with us for an enchanting evening filled with festive melodies and joyous harmonies. From the stunning beauty of Ola Gjeilo to Christmas classics from the likes of Mariah Carey, our performance will be a unique blend of choral tunes featuring both Christmas and non-Christmas repertoire. There is something for everyone to enjoy, so join us for an unforgettable night that captures the essence of the season, filling your heart with warmth! 🎅❄️

£10 Standard

£8 Concessions

£6 Performing Arts Members

This event is taking place at St Oswald’s Parish Church, Church Street, Durham, DH1 3DQ.

The event will last until approximately 9.30pm with a short interval..

The timeless classic parable of mass hysteria draws a disturbing parallel between the awful high strangeness of 1692 Salem and our own paranoid society.

When a group of girls are caught dancing in the woods, they begin accusing others in the town of witchcraft to avoid punishment. When these accusations spiral out of control, paranoia abounds.

Everyone must choose between integrity and their own survival.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This production will take place in the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The production will run for up to three hours with an interval. Further information on timings will be clarified closer to the time.

Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance is due to begin.

Celebrate this festive season with Durham Dynamics as we blend iconic pop classics and festive tunes into one unforgettable A Cappella evening!

Durham Dynamics are proud to present our annual Christmas concert! Join us on the 3rd December for a festive night of timeless pop hits, harmonious music and choreography all brought to you through the beauty of A Capella. With music ranging from modern pop hits to nostalgic favourites, you are guaranteed for a joyous evening of high-quality sound that will fill you with festive spirit.

£8 Standard

£7 Concession

£6.50 Performing Arts Members

This performance is taking place in the Great Hall, Durham Castle, Palace Green, DH1 3RW.

The performnace will begin at 8.30pm and last approximately 45 minutes without interval. Doors will open 15 minutes before the performance begins.

Colleges from every corner of Durham unite in support of Anxious Minds to explore the theme, WE COULD BE HEROES.

From quiet acts of courage to epic failures, this showcase asks: what does it mean to save—or try to save—someone? What does it mean to save yourself?

The showcase celebrates college theatre and creates an accessible opportunity for performers and crew members to work in the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This production will take place in the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The production will run for up to three hours with an interval. Further information on timings will be clarified closer to the time.

Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance is due to begin.

St Cuthbert's society's Pantomime returns with the Wizard of Duz!

Follow Dorothy, swept away from her home at parson's field with her dog Toto. She finds herself on the bailey where she'll have to enlist the help of a Lion, a Tinman, and a Scarecrow to help her find her way home. Will, she be able to find her way home from the bailey cobbles, or will she be squandered by the wicked witch of the west?

£5 Standard

£4 Concession

£3.50 Performing Arts Members

This event takes place at St Cuthbert's Society Dining Hall, 12 South Bailey, Durham DH1 3EE.

The event will begin at 8.30pm and last approximately 120 minutes with a short interval. Doors will open 30 minutes before the show starts.

Join Durham University Chamber Choir in an evening which explores the expectation and preparation for light and celebrates its glory and power in an array of exciting and reflective choral music, sung by the University's most celebrated choral ensemble.

Durham University Chamber Choir presents a programme which explores the expectation and preparation for light and celebrates its glory and power, entitled "O Radiant Dawn".  Spotlighting James MacMillan's dynamic and rousing Strathclyde Motets, the evening's music weaves these motets together in a sequence which stretches right from the beginnings of light and hope to its powerful arrival, with works of Richard Allain, Joanna Marsh and Owain Park complimenting MacMillan's music throughout this artistic journey.  With music of some of the most celebrated 21st century composers, and a focus on new British choral music, this concert promises to be an exciting and unforgettable experience for all.

£10 Standard

£7 Concession

£5 Performing Arts Members

This event is taking place at St Godric's Church, Castle Chare, Durham, DH1 4RA.

This event will begin at 7.30pm and last for approximately 75 minutes with a short interval. Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance begins.

Join the Palatinate Ensemble for their first concert of the year - a journey through the 20th century featuring works by Gustav Holst, Jean Absil, and more!

Durham University Palatinate Orchestra’s Palatinate Ensemble warmly invites you to their season-opening concert, ‘Voices of the New Era’, for an evening of vibrant and inspiring music making. Led by conductor Timothy Tsang, the 20-piece chamber orchestra will explore the sound world of the 20th century, performing ‘Petite Suite’ by Belgian composer Jean Absil and ‘St Paul’s Suite’ by English composer Gustav Holst. The concert will also feature performances by smaller ensembles.

£10 Standard

£8 Concession

£6 Performing Arts Members

This event takes place at St Oswald's Church, Church St, Durham, DH1 3DQ.

This event will begin at 7.30pm and last for approximately 75 minutes. Doors will open 30 minutes before the concert begins.

In Oswald's Players annual pantomime, Robin Hood does battle with the evil Sheriff to deliver justice for the people of Nottingham. Packed with laughs and original songs.

In the newest installment of Oswald's Player's annual student-written pantomime, Robin Hood roams Sherwood Forest to steal from the rich and redistribute the wealth to the poor. He is hunted every step of his noble quest by the evil sheriff of Nottingham, who will do anything to stop him. With original songs, hilarious new characters, and magical romance, this revisited tale is not one to miss!

£6.50 Standard

£6 Concession

£5.50 Performing Arts Members

£5.50 South College JCR Members

This performance is taking place at the Mount Oswald Hub, The Drive, Durham, DH1 3FP.

The performances begin at 7pm and run for approximately 2 hours with a short interval.

Rewind will see an unsuspecting person transported across the eras, meeting all kinds of characters on their journey back to their own time period - this production features lots of well-loved musical theatre songs wound together into a brand new jukebox musical showcase.

Guided by a charismatic performer who becomes unstuck in time during an audition for Back to the Future: The Musical, each number transports us to a different era with showstopping numbers from the likes of Back to the Future: The Musical, Hercules , Prince of, Six, Hamilton and Les Miserables. Blending together a multitude of different styles. With its mix of genres and creative charm, the show offers something for every generation of theatre lovers.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7Performing Arts Members

This production will take place in the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The production will run for up to 90 minutes with an interval. Further information on timings will be clarified closer to the time.

Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance is due to begin.

Hill Orchestra invites you to join us at Elvet Methodist Church, on Sunday the 7th December, for our Michaelmas concert, 'Tis the Seasons, for an evening of classical  Christmas-themed music.

Join The Hill Orchestra for a heart-warming evening of orchestral music. Featuring Hely-Hutchinson's 'A Carol Symphony' (Movt. 1 and 2), Delius's 'Sleigh Ride', Tchaikovsky's 'The Seasons' (Sep-Feb), Anderson's 'Sleigh Ride', and a collection of small ensembles, this is an evening guaranteed to get you into the Christmas spirit!

£8 Standard

£7 Concession

£6 Performing Arts Members

This concert is taking place at Elvet Methodist Church, 8 Old Elvet, Durham, DH1 3HL.

The concert will last approximately 90 minutes with a short interval.

The Durham University Classical Ensemble performs Mendelssohn’s thrilling Oratorio, Elijah. With a full chorus and both professional and student soloists, DUCE tells the story of Elijah’s life.

This incredible work, premiered in Birmingham in 1846, combines the grandeur of Bach and Handel’s Baroque Oratorios with the emotional and expressive qualities of the early-romantic era. It is an excellent display of Mendelssohn’s idiosyncratic blend of counterpoint and romantic lyricism.

The piece recounts episodes of the Old Testament Prophet’s life, including the resurrection of a dead child, the contest of the Gods, Baal and Jehovah, his persecution by Queen Jezebel and his ascension to heaven. It promises to be a fantastic evening and we look forward to seeing you there.

£8 Standard

£6 Concession

£5 Performing Arts Members

This event is taking place at Elvet Methodist Church, 8 Old Elvet, Durham, DH1 3HL.

This event will begin at 7pm, and last until approximately 9.15pm. Doors will open 30 minutes before the show starts.

A powerful historical drama and literary biopic that  follows the sisters’ lives from their childhood through to their ultimate deaths as they navigate personal struggles and creative ambition amidst the oppressive patriarchal limitations of the 19th century.

Set in their isolated home on the Yorkshire moors, the play begins with the return of their brother Branwell, dismissed from his job and spiralling into addiction. As the sisters are left to care for their father and keep the household together through grief and hardship, they turn to writing as an escape, the result of which would become the infamous novels that came to define them and the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur as their characters begin to come to life and haunt their creators.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This production will take place in the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The performance will begin at 7.30pm and run for approximately two and a half hours with a short interval.

Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance is due to begin.

Two best friends, lyricist Hunter and composer Jeff, try to write a hit musical for the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The problem is that they have just three weeks.

Three weeks away from the deadline for a Musical Theatre festival, struggling writer friends Hunter and Jeff scramble to write a play in time. This one-act musical tells their story in a hilariously self-referential musical telling the story of "a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical".

£9 Standard

£7.50 Concession

£6.50 Performing Arts Members

This event is taking place at The Dowrick Suite, The Dowrick Suite, Trevelyan College, DH1 3LN.

The event will begin at 7.30pm, (or 2.30pm on the 13th) and run for 90 minutes with a short interval.

Durham University Palatinate Orchestra’s Symphony Orchestra presents an evening of brilliant rhapsodies and legends, including Liszt’s ‘Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2’, Sibelius’s ‘Lemminkäinen Suite’ and music by Rossini and Glazunov.

The Palatinate Orchestra will open the concert with Rossini’s famed ‘Barber of Seville Overture’, bursting with sparkling wit and charm, before Glazunov’s richly evocative ‘Ballade for Orchestra’. Liszt’s ‘Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2’, in its fiery orchestral guise, forms the thrilling centrepiece, full of drama and orchestral fireworks.

The evening will culminate with Sibelius’s so-called ‘Symphony No. 0’, the ‘Lemminkäinen Suite’, featuring the haunting ‘Swan of Tuonela’, and a sweeping heroic finale. Conducted by Anthony Sutch, this promises to be a night of passion, orchestral marvel and symphonic storytelling you won’t want to miss!

£12 Standard

£10 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This concert takes place at Elvet Methodist Church, 8 Old Elvet, Durham, DH1 3HL.

The concert will begin at 7.30pm and last approximately 2 hours with a short interval. Doors will open 30 minutes before the concert begins.

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is a two person show about a world where words become limited and their relationship becomes strained.

First Theatre Company presents Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, a dystopian romance about a couple navigating a world where speech is rationed to just 140 words a day. As language becomes limited, they must discover new ways to connect, argue and say the things that matter most.

£7 Standard

£6.50 Concession

£6 Performing Arts Members

This performance is taking place at The City Theatre, Fowlers Yard, 6 Back Silver st, Durham, DH1 3RA.

The performances will begin at 7.30pm and last for approximately 95 minutes without interval.

Dunelm Consort and Players presents Handel’s Messiah, an unmissable Christmas classic conducted by renowned conductor Gianluca Marcianò.

Celebrate the season with Handel’s timeless oratorio exploring Jesus' nativity, passion and resurrection through beloved choruses like 'Hallelujah' and soaring solo arias. Often programmed by larger choral societies, this more intimate performance – faithful to Handel's original scoring for small choir and chamber ensemble – promises to be an unforgettable experience, crowned with the 'unfailingly theatrical and idiomatic conducting' (Sunday Times) of guest conductor Gianluca Marcianò, Principal Conductor of the Orchestra Magna Grecia, Principal Guest Conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of Al Bustan Festival.

Join us for a fantastic and festive night of first-class music.

£16 Standard

£14 Concession

£10 Performing Arts Members

This performace is taking place at St Godric's Church, 2 Castle Chare, Durham, DH1 4RD.

The performance will last for 2 hours with a short interval.

Durham University Concert Band and Durham University Brass Band are having themselves 'A Merry Little Concert!' - full of Christmas tunes, carols and cheer!

Join Durham University Concert Band and Durham University Brass Band in spreading yuletide cheer at their annual Christmas collaboration concert at Elvet Methodist Church.

Conducted by Tomos Haine, Oscar Bovenizer and Timothy Tsang, this concert celebrates everything Christmas; featuring music from Prokofiev's 'Troika', to the overture from 'The Muppets Christmas Carol', and of course plenty of traditional carols and seasonal pop tunes!

£8 Standard

£7 Concession

£6 Performing Arts Members

The performance will take place at Elvet Methodist Church, Old Elvet, Durham, DH1 3HL.

The performance will begin at 7pm and alst for approximately 2 hours with interval. Doors will open 30 minutes before the concert begins.

In a dramatic retelling of this great Romantic novel, young and unsuspecting governess Jane Eyre must fight to secure her freedom and identity in a world that condemns her for it.

Jane Eyre arrives in 1846 to take up the post of governess to Rochester's ward, Adele, at Thornfield Hall. Jane and Rochester fall in love but their happiness is jeopardized by the discovery of the terrible secret from Rochester's past. The action, contained in a single setting with one small inset scene, captures all the tension and drama that fans and newcomers alike could want from this great love story.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This production will take place in the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The performance will begin at 7.30pm and run for approximately two and a half hours with a short interval.

Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance is due to begin.

Chekov's gripping tragicomedy presents the human struggle between ambition and human connection; the desire for innovative creative success versus the comfort of tradition and family ties.

Set in a luxurious, but restrictive country manor, The Seagull follows a family of creatives and the tensions that build over each character's desire to be the best. At the centre of the play, Konstantin faces the ultimate struggle as he conflicts his overwhelming passion for writing with his obsessions with Nina, his love for his mother, and his jealousy of Trigorin.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This event takes place at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 N Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The performance will begin at 7.30pm and last for approximately 150 minutes.

Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the performance.

'I am fine, thank you.' - Documentary Screening and Post-Screening Q&A (moderated by Professor Geetanjali Gangoli)

This documentary originated from the ‘We Are Hongkongers’ research project, funded by the British Academy/Wolfson Fellowship. Eleven Hongkongers, having moved to the UK since December 2019, participated in sharing their experiences and feelings in multiple filmed visits. The documentary features selected stories from these participants.

This documentary presents stories of Hongkonger migrants in the UK, each navigating their own path and defining what it means to live ‘right’ in a new land.

After parting from Hong Kong for some years and settling in a country where the language, culture and climate are vastly different from home, how would Hongkongers remember their home islands? What are the fragments of memory that they still carry?

This documentary originated from the ‘We Are Hongkongers’ research project, funded by the British Academy/Wolfson Fellowship. Eleven Hongkongers, having moved to the UK since December 2019, participated in sharing their experiences and feelings in multiple filmed visits. The documentary features selected stories from these participants.

Content warnings:  Police brutality. Strong language.

This screening is free to enter. Please book your free ticket to ensure your seat.

The screening will last 85 minutes. The doors will open 30 minutes before the show begins.

Julius Caesar, one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, navigates conspiracy, tyranny and morality - and the death and violence that follows it.

DUCT presents Shakespeare's infamous tragedy, 'Julius Caesar.' After Caesar's victorious return from war, his growing ambition begins to invoke fear and suspicion from those around him. Conspiracy grows, and as the shadows grow longer, alliances, betrayals and death flicker in the moonlight.

Presented against the backdrop of 1970's outlaw culture, 'Julius Caesar' questions morality, honour and the cost of violence - raising an important question: Who can you really trust?

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£8 Performing Arts Members

This performance is taking place at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theate, 40 N Bailey, DH1 3ET.

This performance will begin at 7.30pm (2.30pm also on Saturday), and last for approximately 135 mins with interval. Doors open 30 minutes before the show begins.