During the Republic of China, three Peking University professors discuss the existence and meaning of the university after receiving three unexpected examination papers and a letter.

Universitas unfolds in Republican-era Peking University, where three professors embodied distinct intellectual ideals separately, convene to evaluate four unconventional entrance exam papers. As they debate the merits of eccentric, rebellious, or unorthodox candidates, the meeting transforms into a clash over education, freedom, and the role of scholars in a turbulent nation.

The professors’ arguments reveal personal convictions, generational tensions, and differing visions for China’s future. Through sharp dialogue and subtle humor, the play examines who deserves opportunity and what it means to “cultivate talent” during crisis. Ultimately, Universitas portrays education as both moral responsibility and fragile hope.

NB. The show will be performed in Chinese with live English subtitles.

Ticket revenue will be used solely to cover essential production costs.

£8 Standard

£7.50 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

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

The performances start at 7.30pm and last approximately 145 minutes with a short interval. Doors will open 30 minutes before the show begins.

Travelling salesman, Willy Loman, has spent his life in pursuit of the American Dream. Dissatisfied and disillusioned by life, Willy loses his grip on reality – haunted by memories and failed aspirations.

'Death of a Salesman' follows Willy Loman, an aging traveling salesman whose lifelong pursuit of the American Dream collapses under the weight of reality. Haunted by memories past, and failed aspirations, Willy clings to illusions of grandeur - at the expense of his declining career and family, particularly sons Biff and Happy, who struggle with their father's expectations. Biff’s failure to meet Willy’s dreams triggers Willy’s deeper retreat into memories and fantasies. Arthur Miller’s 20th century masterpiece exposes the tragic cost of delusion in a society which advertises false hope in exchange for compliance.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This event is taking place at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The performance will begin at 7.30pm and last for approximately 3 hours with interval. Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance begins.

The Classical acting showcase is an annual tradition where 8-10 actors perform classical monologues in a light competition.

The Classical Acting Showcase is a fantastic opportunity for those interested in developing their classical acting skills or try it for the first time. Actors work 1-on-1 with the directors to develop their pieces and perform in front of judges who are able to give constructive feedback to aid the actors development and give a light competitive nature to the competition.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This event is taking place at Collingwood Arts Centre, Collingwood College, South Rd, DH1 3LT.

The performance begins at 7.30pm and lasts for approximately 70 minutes. Doors open 30 minutes before the show begins.

Join Oswald’s Players as we journey through a thrilling set of song and dance inspired by the cast’s dream roles! From SIX to Hadestown, Wicked to Waitress, and everything in between, there is something for everyone in this show dedicated to the love of musical theatre.

Oswald's Players annual showcase returns, celebrating the incredible talent of South College and Durham University. This year's theme is "What Dreams Are Made Of", featuring performances inspired by our performers' favourite roles and moments from musical theatre.

Expect a wide range of acts, from stunning vocal performances to fantastic dance routines. Come along for a brilliant night celebrating musical theatre!

Please note this performance contains strobe lighting.

£5 Standard

£4.50 Concession

£4 Performing Arts Members

£4 South College JCR Members

This event takes place at the Mount Oswald Hub, The Drive, Mount Oswald, Durham, Dh1 3LD.

The event begins at 7pm and lasts for approximately 2 hours with a short interval. Doors open 30 minutes before the performance begins.

Bailey Theatre Company presents ‘An Evening for the Earth’ - an interdisciplinary showcase with John’s Music Society and special guest performances, celebrating the natural world in support Durham Wildlife Trust.

Bailey Theatre Company presents ‘An Evening for the Earth’, an interdisciplinary charity showcase, with all proceeds in support of Durham Wildlife Trust. Featuring special guest performances and a collaboration with John’s Music Society, an exciting programme brings together music, theatre, poetry, and spoken word to explore climate change, environmental loss, and humanity’s place within the natural world. Balancing urgency with optimism, the evening takes audiences on a carefully curated journey that reflects on ecological responsibility while celebrating creativity, resilience, and collective action. For one night only, we invite audiences to engage thoughtfully with the planet’s past, present, and future.

£9 Standard

£8 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

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

The event will begin at 7.30pm and last for approximately 2 hours with a short interval.

Inspired by the iconic Stephen King novel and its 1976 film adaptation, CARRIE: THE MUSICAL tells the tale of awkward teenager Carrie White navigating the difficulties of high school and her relationship with her religiously fanatic mother. When Carrie is humiliated at prom, she unleashes her telekinetic powers in vengeance that will throw her life into chaos.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£8 Performing Arts Members

This event is taking place at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The performances begin at 7.30pm and last for 2 hours with an interval. Doors open 30 minutes before the performance begins.

Summer 1916. Edward's shoulder injury sends him home to fiancee Eleanor for convalescence, where he becomes unnerved not only by shell-shock, but also his feelings towards the estate's new farmhand.

Summer 1916. Edward returns home from France with a shrapnel injury to his shoulder and is welcomed by his devoted fiancée, Eleanor. Yet the peaceful convalescence he longs for is unsettled not only by shell-shock, but also a new presence on the estate - one that awakens emotions he thought he buried in the trenches. ‘Lavender’ explores themes of trauma, acceptance, and navigating the balance between duty and desire.

£5 Standard

£4.50 Concession

£4 Performing Arts Member

This event is taking place at the Dowrick Suite, Trevelyan College, Elvet Hill Rd, Durham, DH1 3LN.

Performances begin at 7.30pm and last for approximately an hour without interval. Doors open 30 minutes before the performance begins.

Join us for an evening with Durham’s finest acts; with laughter and entertainment abound, come and celebrate the Opening Night of Durham Drama Festival!

With Durham Drama Festival consisting of 9 different student-written shows taking place across the week, DDF Opening Night marks the beginning of Durham Student Theatre’s ode to its student writers and creatives.

Now in its 51st year, our line-up will include performances from The Durham Revue, The Stand Society, Shellshock! Improv, and our Durham University Musical Theatre troupe, as well as our fantastically funny compères. Be sure not to miss out on a night full of vibrant hilarity and music!

May contain strong language.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Durham Student Theatre Members

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

This performance will begin at 7:30pm and will last approximately 150 minutes, with a short interval.

Durham Drama Festival is back for 2026 with a week-long celebration of the best new plays and musicals from across the University scene.

In the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, we are welcoming three new productions:

19 Hour Dog Fight

'19 Hour Dog Fight' covers one day: open to close at an all day, all night pool and snooker bar, bartended by Felicity, and containing four regulars; Jerome, Silas, Harry, and Liam. The story revolves around Harry and Liam's psycho-sexual relationship, and works into themes of masculinity, mortality, purpose, and ego as they explore themselves and each other, leading to confrontations with Jerome and Silas (the older regulars), manic-depressive breakdowns, love, frenzy and tragedy as the sun rises.

The Dangers of Being Earnest

The Ainsely Theatre company is an amateur university theatre company, whose two directors - Frankie and Karly, have elected to put on the importance of being Earnest. Unfortunately, with miscommunications, feuds and a general lack of organization, their production goes from amateur to awful.

To Capture the Wildlife  - MUSICAL  

A boy grieving the loss of his mother meets an unusual girl each week in a graveyard. Navigating the pains of life and death, they find comfort in one another, but can their strange, transient friendship survive this tumultuous time?

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£8 Performing Arts Members

This show is taking place at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 N Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The performances will last approximately 3 hours total (approx 50 minutes per play, with an interval after each performance).

Durham Drama Festival is back for 2026 with a week-long celebration of the best new plays and musicals from across the University scene.

In the Collingwood Arts Centre, we are welcoming three new productions:

Infested

Set in WW1 November 1916, the wife is at home in England when during the Battle of the Somme the husband gets sent home because of an arm lesion and with extreme shell shock. The wife starts to question whether the person who has come home is really her husband that she loves or whether it's a mimic (due to shell shock and the mental effects of the war) that's infesting her home with malicious disease which manifests in the form of a deformed rat.

Part of Me

Jamie is a teenager – young, free, and on top of the world. Surrounded by his family and friends, things should be carefree and easy, but not everything is as it seems. Teenage life is confusing and we never know the full story of what goes on inside someone’s head. ‘Part of Me’ is a play about the teenage experience, mental health, growth, and most importantly, recovery.

Poetry Club  

When Martin’s wife passes away, he’s left at a loose end that he intends to tie up by starting a poetry discussion group. Playing out over the first meeting, 'Poetry Club' (working title) brings together a group of unusual people who readily make assumptions about one another.

You’ve met them all before, and you might even have been one of them. How do our first impressions of people guide the way in which we interact with them? What causes us to change our minds?

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£8 Performing Arts Members

This show is taking place at the Collingwood Arts Centre, Collingwood College Durham

The performances will last approximately 3 hours total (approx 50 minutes per play, with an interval after each performance).

Durham Drama Festival is back for 2026 with a week-long celebration of the best new plays and musicals from across the University scene.

In the Mount Oswald Hub, we are welcoming three new productions:

Oranges and Lemons  

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

“No, but I believe in being haunted.”

A group of people in their mid-20s return to their hometown after their old headmistress has passed away. As the play unfolds, we learn of their personal histories, the threads that sew these particular few together. Things that never were or could have been, times you could never go back to.

Mythweaver  

Desperate to regain the affections of her distant ex-lover Atthis, the poetess Sappho makes a late-night bid for help to the goddess Aphrodite. However, Aphrodite foresees a new love, the wealthy heiress Eirana, entering Sappho’s life, putting her at a crossroads between regret and infatuation. Supported by her mother Kleis and with an ever antagonistic relationship with her goddess guide, Sappho sets on a journey of love, loss, and poetry.

The Hope That Kills You  

Ollie Mackintosh is many things: Arsenal’s trailblazing winger, iconic England goal-scorer and the north-east's golden boy.

Ollie Mackintosh is also gay—But nobody knows that. At least nobody knew that until a photo of Ollie kissing his boyfriend is leaked online. With control wrenched from his grasp, his agent breathing down his neck and his boyfriend away on tour, Ollie is left contending with what his life and his career could look like in the face of such all-encompassing change.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£8 Performing Arts Members

This show is taking place at the Mount Oswald Hub, The Drive, Durham.

The performances will last approximately 3 hours total (approx 50 minutes per play, with an interval after each 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.

Celebrate the pinnacle of student playwriting at the Durham Olivier Awards on Sunday 22nd February. Join us at Hatfield College for an evening of music and accolades, followed by an afterparty at Fabio’s. Tickets include complimentary drinks and nibbles.

Join Durham Student Theatre at Hatfield College on February 22nd for the most prestigious night in the student theatre calendar. The DST Olivier Awards return to celebrate the extraordinary creativity and technical brilliance showcased during the Durham Drama Festival.

This elegant evening honors the best in student writing, acting, and production. Guests will be treated to live musical performances and a curated selection of complimentary drinks and nibbles throughout the ceremony. The celebrations don't end with the final trophy; we invite all attendees to join us for a vibrant afterparty at Fabio’s Bar to toast the winners. Secure your tickets now for a night of glamour, talent and fun!

£12 Standard

£11 Concession

£10 Performing Arts Members

This event is taking place in Hatfield College Dining Hall, Hatfield College, North Bailey, Durham DH1 3RQ.

The event will last approximately three and a half hours with breaks for music and refreshment.

DOE is proud to present Will Todd's musical reimagining of the classic story 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', an opera for new and old fans alike.

11-year-old Alice is jolted out of her mundane daydreams during the school holidays when she encounters a talking rabbit who insists that she follow him to the mysterious Wonderland. In this fantastical place, Alice meets a host of peculiar characters who foster a sense of wonder and curiosity. However, she soon learns that all is not well in Wonderland; a mysterious and very cross Queen of Hearts seems distressingly eager to chop off everyone’s heads.  

£12.50 Standard

£9 Concession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This event is taking place at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The performances begin at 7pm or 2pm and run for approximately 110 minutes with interval. Doors open 30 minutes before the performance begins.

Jamie New is sixteen on the edge of possibility, battling bigotry and inequality in his school and hometown, when he steps into the spotlight to make his dreams come true.

Trevelyan College Musical Society presents the smash hit musical ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’!

Jamie New knows exactly who he is, and what he wants to be. Only, it doesn’t feel like Sheffield is ready for a teenaged drag queen at the high school prom.

With the encouragement of his brilliant, loving mum, a retired drag queen turned shopkeeper, and surrounded by his supportive friends, Jamie embarks on a journey of self discovery. Join Jamie as he overcomes the wall in his head to step into the spotlight, and soon enough, everybody will be talking about Jamie!

£10 Standard

£9 Conession

£7 Performing Arts Members

This performance is taking place in the Dining Room at Trevelyan College, South Road, Durham, DH1 3NJ.

The performances will begin at 7.30pm and last for approximately two and a half hours with interval. Doors will open 30 minutes before the show begins.

A charismatic con artist forges identities and fortunes while evading a relentless FBI agent turning a thrilling chase into a dazzling tale of deception, ambition, and coming of age.

Catch Me If You Can is a high-energy musical inspired by the remarkable true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. and the hit DreamWorks motion picture. Still a teenager, Frank cons his way through glamorous lives as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer, all while staying one step ahead of determined FBI agent Carl Hanratty.

Set against the stylish backdrop of the 1960s, the show blends swinging big band music, dazzling choreography, and heartfelt moments to explore ambition, identity, and the consequences of living a lie.

£10 Standard

£9 Concession

£8 Performing Arts Members

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

Performances begin at 7.30pm (or 2.30pm for the afternoon performance) and last approximately two and a half hours with interval. Doors open 30 minutes before the performance begins.