I really love the Darlington Civic Theatre! It has a very luxurious sort of feel, the decor is so…read moreplush and well luxurious! I've seen some brilliant shows there over the years, and always look forward to going - it makes a really nice evening out. The staff are lovely, too - really friendly. It has a bar for the interval, in fact if I remember rightly it also has a sort of cafe/coffee bar area, so you have plenty of choice. On the downside, I do feel the ice creams and sweets are over-priced, but if you've got children you can't not get them an ice cream in the interval. There is no dedicated parking for the Civic. There are, however, some pay and display car parks just down the road directly opposite the main entrance to the theatre. If you are at an evening show, that's even better, as I think the pay and display car parks are free after 6pm.

Like most people I adore the Civic Theatre, I've heard that it's known as one of the best outside…read morethe West End of London. The performances it attracts are always top line which of course helps. The yearly pantomime is a treat and tends to follow a traditional format suitable for all the family. Easy access the only downside is the parking being a bit of a walk away but people can be dropped off at the side entrance. A good addition was the conservatory which means there is more than one place to arrange to meet people before/during and after a performance. Nice to see that it still has most of the original features including the ghost of an early Manager!

At first I hated this place because it involved the demolition of my two favourite places, the…read moreDovecot arts centre and the Cannon Cinema. But it grew on me. It is big and yellow and was shut down for a year or so because of mis-management. A bit of the wall revolves because of 'art.' The outside is spoilt by metal walkways to save on cleaning costs. There is one big theatre, a smaller auditorium used for stand up gigs, a gym, a cinema and rehearsal rooms, as well as bars and restaurants. It is a little too big for the area but I think the guys have got their act together in terms of publicity so that people in the area who want to go know when stuff's on. It really comes alive during Stockton festival, when all the weird european street performers use it as a base. If you're in the area this is the best place to go for a night out.

I Love this show - its the last friday of every month and they do a couple of special gong shows…read moreeach year - watch out for those in the arc brochure. The setting up stairs is excellent you can either reserve seats for larger groups or just turn up on the night. You have a choice of sitting at a table or sitting in stadium seating up the side. Only complaint I have is that the breaks between acts where you have time to go to the bar are too long - they are supposed to be 15 mins but are always at least 30 mins as the staff try and get people in from the bar area - you can bring your drinks into the show with you. By the end of the night people are getting a little rowdy as a lot of alcohol is consumed. But very good fun.

Beautiful, well-preserved historic concert hall. Acoustics are better than ok, too…read more Went there for a concert by the visiting Manchester Hallé Orchestra in September 2014. The decor in this Victorian age concert hall is stylish indeed, from the peculiar circular corridor around the back to the stunning, plush auditorium. When you're entering it truly is like a step back in time. The venue offers classical as well as pop concerts and many other kinds of performances and shows (A town the size of Harrogate does not have its own professional orchestra - of course). The acoustics are not as colorful as at, say, the Manchester Bridgewater Hall or the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, but they are still very good, with a nice presence. Seats in the auditorium are comfortable, even cozy. Amenities include a bar, located along said circular corridor.

It would be so easy to give this beautiful venue a 5 star ***** review. It's breath-taking inside,…read morejust stunning. The recent restoration that was finished in 2008 has made it one of the most outstanding looking theatres in the north of England. It has one of the oddest features in the form of a circular corridor around the outside of the foyer area - this must have been truly spectacular with all the sides open in good weather. The ceiling of the auditorium is quite amazing. The whole place is a classic old-fashioned theatre. A few things let it down. Brownie points for the large number of ladies toilets which meant that when I was there recently my other half didn't spend the whole interval queuing to use them. On the other hand I actually did spend most of the interval queuing as, for reason, it was decided to make the number of toilets in the gents minimal. This meant a good 60 or 70 caught-short blokes standing around the stair area in confused fashion. It's almost like the place has taken revenge on men who have hardly had to queue to use the loo! In addition the place has a heavy handed approach to anyone trying to take photos. While this might make sense for many theatrical productions when a rock band play there - and quite a few do - it's just weird. People tend to take photos at music shows these days, but try it here and you'll get into trouble There is a team of stealthy black-suited ladies who's sole occupation it seems is to police the venue and creep up on anyone who dares to take out a camera. I sat almost at the back with no one behind me and as soon as I took a picture I hand grabbed my shoulder and a lady stage whispered into my ear: 'no photography'. We then watched in amusement as this team of ladies crept about, shoulders hunched, trying to find more culprits. They didn't bother with people in the middle of rows but anyone sitting in an aisle seat was considered fair game. We saw about 20 people get collared. It became silly. I sneakily took a few shots but I suspect I'd have been ejected if I'd been caught a second time. For such an old-style place to be so strict is a bit off putting. I'm all for stopping vast numbers of video cameras and the like but an occasional snap when bright flashing lights are all around is mad.

The Grand Opera House is a lovely venue in York which shows a wide range of shows. It is called the…read moreopera house yet it does show other things such as comedy stand-up and musicals. I've been a few times-last time was to see Jimmy Carr live which was great. There's a bar when you first go in which is nice for before shoes and the interval break. The seats are comfy enough in the actual theatre and although there is not a lot of leg room this seems to be pretty standard for theatres anyway. There's a carpark nearby although you do have to pay for that.

I used to work here, so I'm a bit bias. It's a wonderfully old building. It does very well…read moreconsidering its location. There's no parking, but the castle car park is just up the road. We enjoy going here.

I love the Theatre Royal in York. They show loads of different things, most famously the yearly…read morepantomime every Christmas which I always go to. The Theatre is a gorgeous building and there is loads of seating inside. There is also a cafe/bar which serves really nice food.

Been to see quite a few shows here. If you haven't seen a "panto" before - this is the place to go…read moreand see it. It's a coffee place during the day

Live music venue Overview…read moreReviews Photos About Reviews from the web 4.2/5Facebook · 236 votes Google review summary Reviews aren't verified 5 4 3 2 1 4.7 (402) Reviews All bar29 night16 atmosphere14 prices10 +6 Sort by Most relevant Newest Highest Lowest Leah Hambleton 1 review Went to the Taylor Swift Swiftogeddon night last night, the event itself was good. But it got to around midnight, I went to the toilet then went to sit on the sofa for a bit to rest my legs, decided to get up about 10 minutes later to go ...More paddy h Local Guide·29 reviews·14 photos 4 months ago Excellent little venue. We saw Urban Voodoo Machine. A great band.Good bar with fair prices. Staff are friendly & helpful. Video 1 in review by paddy h Video 2 in review by paddy h Photo 3 in review by paddy h Ritch Steadman 29 reviews·20 photos a month ago Fantastic little venue. Bit tough to find if you don't know already but lovely inside. Staff were great. Good sound in the gig venue. ...More Gemma Thompson Local Guide·160 reviews·305 photos 2 months ago Went here to watch Mark chadwick absolutely fantastic Video 1 in review by Gemma Thompson Photo 2 in review by Gemma Thompson Photo 3 in review by Gemma Thompson Photo 4 in review by Gemma Thompson+5 Leah Hambleton 1 review Went to the Taylor Swift Swiftogeddon night last night, the event itself was good. But it got to around midnight, I went to the toilet then went to sit on the sofa for a bit to rest my legs, decided to get up about 10 minutes later to go get a drink from the bar then go back into the event room - they refused me an alcoholic drink of my choice, said I could have a half a shot with what I wanted because I'm "drunk" and they're looking out for me and others but also implied heavily that everyone was cut off from double shots. I explained that I'm not drunk and I actually have Cerebral Palsy, scoliosis and issues from a slipped disc a few years ago so I lose balance, need to sit and have to be careful with myself, so although I might seem drunk in a venue like that, it's purely on the basis that I'm disabled and look non disabled, and I can't help it. I was told I have to have a soft drink before I can order any alcohol again, I explained I hadn't had any alcohol since 10:30 (it was midnight at this point) and said I had 2 soft drinks in that time. They continued to say they're looking out for other people at the venue and that I'm a risk. The manager refused to acknowledge that she had said herself that everyone was cut off from doubles, even though it came from her mouth 10 minutes prior, and said that they've cut other people off - again I explained my disabilities and all I got was "I can't make you feel better about this, it's discretion". But I have been limping and looking "drunk" as they said, as I stepped into the place. Completely ruined the rest of my night because this implies that, even if you disclose your disabilities - which you shouldn't feel the need to. I booked two tickets for this as it's not an environment I'm usually in and I wanted to enjoy a night like this as it's unlikely I'll do it again, and was told I couldn't drink as I wished to even after explaining my personal circumstances across a bar where there was 4 or 5 other people there. Sometimes we just want to feel "normal" and shouldn't be put in the position of having to reveal my circumstances just so I can enjo my night, which even then they refused to do and refused to acknowledge it was wrong what they did, when I explained myself to them. I understand they have a job to do but if they were so concerned for my safety and others, security would have escorted me out. And they also said they refused to give me the alcohol I wished fo because I had just come from sitting down, so they said this implies I need a break from alcohol. The "manager" said they are disability trained but clearly it's not good enough considering most disability training is based on disabilities you can see, not hidden ones.

Another performer/patron review from me!…read more I love this place, the stage is great, part of the green dragon yard family, there's often use of the studios next door too. Little, but well stocked bar, which is, as ever with most of the north, pretty cheap. Loos are always clean, which is rare for a gig venue, lets be honest, and with it's little backstage area too. It does move drastically with the seasons, expect cold in the winter (until you're bouncing around) and hot in the summer. I've even been to a wedding reception here, they're always accommodating, see drama, live music and burlesque among others. About to have a refurb in the autumn to expand seating upstairs, and some lovely day time coffee odds and ends in the courtyard.

Formed by the hard work of the Ilkley Players, the Ilkley Playhouse is an intimate theatre based…read morejust a wee way from the Ilkley train station, and near to local parking, for the purpose of presenting excellent quality amateur theatre productions to the people of Ilkley and all the rest of us theatre loving folk who are interested in attending a venue steeped in such history. Owned and run by the Ilkley Players, the Playhouse emerged from humble beginnings, struggled through the war years, and after years of renting the Playhouse space, was eventually bought by the Ilkley Players themselves. Most of the staff are volunteers, and it is a testament to their hard work and determination that a venue like this continues to run. The Playhouse itself is an intimate setting, with two main theatre spaces, the Wharfeside and the Wildman. There are about ten productions on here every year, and some of the productions are written by local talent. Fabulous. Tickets are also very reasonable at on average £8 a ticket. No excuse to indulge in a bit of theatre with prices like that. In addition to theatre, the venue provides opportunity for local dance classes, participation in the Ilkley Literature Festival, tours and workshops, and even costume hire. Lovely.

A horse, a horse. My kingdom for a horse. That sounds like a fair swap to me but there again my…read morekingdom probably consists of empty wine bottles, a few classy furniture pieces and some mouldy socks. I'll take a Cheltenham winner for that any day. Or if I'm not to take it so literally it just means that it's time for the theatre. Harrogate Theatre has got some serious history too. It opened in 1900 and has obviously gone through various closures and refurbishments since then. It still oozes a lavish and deluxe feel to it though. It's a super auditorium and attracts some stellar plays and performances. It's especially good for attracting superb comedy and sean Lock, Rory Bremner and Katy Brand are all visiting in the upcoming months. If that doesn't impress you then check out who have trod the boards in the past; Trevor Howard, Charlie Chaplin, Sarah Bernhardt, Arnold Ridley, Brian Murphy, Kate O'Mara, Martin Shaw, John Noakes and Ben Kingsley. Now if that doesn't impress you much, you must be Shania Twain. You don't always need to look at the obvious attraction of the West Yorkshire Playhouse, go explore a little and get to Harrogate Theatre.

This place brings a bit of culture to Harrogate. While it's small, it's intimate, and the staff are…read moreapproachable and helpful. The interior is suitably baroque, and you almost feel transported back in time when you're here. I have fond memories of seeing shows here as a small child with my parents.