As England is in lockdown, live performances and classes cannot go ahead in the building at this time, and the venue is temporarily closed to the public.
We are offstage, but not offline. All the world wide web's a stage! Youth Theatre and Youth Dance sessions have moved to Zoom; classes have started but there’s still time to join the remainder of the term, email the box office at hippodrome.boxoffice@darlington.gov.uk for further details. Adult classes such as our popular Monday Movers and Dance Fitness sessions are now taking place online, see our What's On page for details on signing up!
In January 2019, four lucky young local dance students took part in company class with the Russian State Ballet of Siberia at Darlington Hippodrome. Read about Rowan's experience in her blog post!
Over the last 18 months our Heritage Learning and Engagement Officer Cait Barratt has been working with the Darlington Culture Volunteers to develop the Hippodrome’s archive. The archive is made up of various theatre-related material; there are programmes, posters, leaflets, brochures, photographs, newspaper articles, buildings plans and lots of information about the 100s of productions staged in the building over the last 111 years. Find out how you can get involved!
Earlier this year Sue Wilson, Sales and Marketing Manager at Darlington Hippodrome, took the decision to retire after 24 years working for the theatre. Sue has seen many changes during this time including the closure of the Arts Centre and the fabulous restoration of the theatre which re-opened last November. Sue will be working at the theatre until mid December. Taking over in the position of Sales and Marketing Manager is Rebecca Howarth who has been an integral member of the Hippodrome’s marketing team for over seven years. Rebecca officially started her new role on Monday 1 October.
On Sunday 5 August 2018, we learnt that Barry Chuckle, of the legendary comedy duo The Chuckle Brothers, had passed away. Our Theatre Director, Lynda Winstanley, pays tribute.
School's out for summer! Did you know that Darlington Hippodrome's doors will remain open throughout August as we host a range of exciting activities and events for both children and adults? There'll be live music, theatre tours, craft and drama workshops, opportunities to view archive materials and an exciting Family Trail.
Everyone at Darlington Hippodrome was so saddened to hear that our dear Sir Ken passed away yesterday following a recent spell in hospital with a severe chest infection.
Kat Brown is part of the cast of Anywhere, an exciting, immersive new production in partnership with one of the town's most exciting and contemporary theatre companies, ODDMANOUT, and performed by the community cast behind last year's A Tale of Two Cities.
On Thursday 4 January 2018, Zoe Birkett - otherwise known as the wicked Queen Sadista in our panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - took over our Twitter and Instagram profiles for the day. If you missed it, don't worry - here's what she got up to!
Marketing Officer Rebecca Howarth recently attended a workshop in Leaded Stained Glass, part of our series of Heritage Skills Workshops. Read all about it here.
Heritage consultant David Wilmore, founder of Theatresearch, will give a talk on the history of Darlington Hippodrome on Friday 1 September at 11am in the Crown Street Art Gallery, Crown Street Library.
Darlington For Culture's Volunteer Co-ordinators Heather Carter and Glenda Lynn celebrate seven years of successful volunteering and look forward to the new partnership between Darlington for Culture and Darlington Hippodrome that will take the service into the future.
The fundraising team is pleased to announce another substantial donation to the restoration fund. The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, a north east based grant making organisation, has awarded the theatre £50,000 as a contribution towards the on-going restoration work.