News

A woman dressed in a red onesie controls a sweet looking baby clown puppet, which looks up at a light up crescent moon being held by another actor.

We’re launching our first pyjama performance for families at the Barnfield Theatre!

We’ll be holding our first ever pyjama performance for the upcoming early years show The Farmer & The Clown on Wednesday 13 March, 6pm, at the Barnfield Theatre.

Exeter Northcott Theatre Spring / Summer 2024 announcement artwork. Pink background. A yellow paint stroke descends diagonally across the pink background from left to right. In the centre of the artwork, a spiral paintbrush strokes, spiralling out from the centre. In the top left-hand side of the artwork, paintbrush strokes in the shape of an arrow pointing towards the bottom right-hand corner of the artwork. Inside the spiral paintbrush stroke, images of people performing and artwork from shows being performed at Exeter Northcott Theatre and the Barnfield Theatre between January and June 2024.

Spring / Summer Shows Revealed

We’ve announced over 100 exciting new events at our Northcott and city centre Barnfield theatres from January until June 2024.

A young girl wearing a blue and white-coloured hoodie leans forward onto a red theatre seat. She is resting he head on her crossed arms, and is looking up and smiling at what is happening off-camera on stage. She is surrounded by other young people, also engaged with what is happening off-camera on stage.

We’ve gifted the first 100 Christmas tickets of our 2023 Pay It Forward campaign 

We’ve given away 100 tickets for our and Le Navet Bete’s Christmas family pantomime Dick Whittington in partnership with Exeter-based bereavement support charity Balloons.

Exeter Northcott Theatre and Le Navet Bete Dick Whittington cast announcement artwork. A red and burgundy gradient background. Around the edge of the image, a golden square outline. Inside the square outline: (left to right, top to bottom) Headshots of the Dick Whittington cast inside gold squares with their names underneath the squares: Nick Bunt, Molly Cheesley, Elliot Coombe, Andrew Dillon, Al Dunn, Matthew Freeman, Poppy Joy, Sophia Lewis, Stephanie Lysé, Jodie Micciché.

Meet the cast for our Christmas panto Dick Whittington!

Our Dick Whittington is a hilarious new take on the classic folk tale, combining stunning costumes, spectacular sets and mesmerising song and dance routines to catapult audiences through a rollercoaster, rags-to-riches ride filled with courage and camaraderie – both human and feline!

(Left to right) Kelly Johnson, a middle aged woman with light brown hair, wearing a black, orange and white floral patterned jacket; Emma Stephenson, a middle aged woman wearing a black shirt; Martin Berry, a middle aged man wearing a light blue shirt. All three people are facing towards the camera and smiling. They are stood on the Barnfield Theatre auditorium stage in front of rows of theatre seats that are lit with orange light.

We’ve Announced Our New Creative Director and Joint Chief Executive Leadership 

We’ve appointed Martin Berry as our Creative Director and Joint Chief Executive. The Chief Executive role will be shared between three people with distinct areas of expertise: Martin Berry (Creative Director), Kelly Johnson (Development & Marketing Director) and Emma Stephenson (Finance & Operations Director).

We’re piloting a new Community Associates Programme with Cafe Theatre Company

We’ve created a Community Associates Programme to learn how we can support artists or companies who work with communities with limited access to arts opportunities and communities whose stories and voices have low visibility.

Autumn / Winter Shows Now On Sale

We’re thrilled to announce our highly anticipated autumn / winter theatre season, showcasing more than 60 captivating performances and stories across Exeter from August 2023 to January 2024.

Blurred production photo from Exeter Northcott Theatre's Robin Hood. Text overlaid on the blurred image reads 'Northcott announces new leadership structure'.

Northcott Announces New Leadership Structure with Search for Creative Director and Joint Chief Executive

Recruitment for a Creative Director & Joint Chief Executive commences today. The Creative Director & Joint Chief Executive will lead the Northcott’s creative strategy with responsibility for programming, producing and creative participation.

Northcott Launches New Pay It Forward Campaign

By purchasing an additional ticket alongside your own, you can make a real difference to someone’s life and this year, we want to share the magic of panto with even more people.

Dick Whittington 2023 artwork. Background: Blurred burgundy-tinted image of stars at night. Foreground: text reads (top to bottom) 'Dick Whittington'. The 'I' letter in 'dick' is shaped as a cat's paw.

Exeter Northcott and Le Navet Bete team up again for Dick Whittington in 2023

Expect plenty of laughs, great music, amazing special effects and full-on-fun for every generation with this fabulous rags-to-riches tale.

Background: Exeter high street. A road and pavement with grey slab tiling stretches to the horizon. Foreground: (Left) a Stagecoach-branded blue and white double decker bus. (Right) A large blue dragon puppet, with horns, a ridged back and light blue winds. The dragon is standing as if about to board the bus.

Dragon catches bus to the Northcott for its starring role in Christmas show Robin Hood

Fluffy the Dragon had been rehearsing with the Robin Hood cast at the city centre Barnfield Theatre, but needed to get to the Northcott Theatre, where the show will be staged this Christmas, for a dress rehearsal…

Background: a blurred collage of square artwork from shows being performed at the Northcott Theatre in spring and summer 2023. Foreground: white text reads: 'New shows announced'

Spring / Summer 2023 Shows Announced

We’ve launched a super-packed programme of cutting-edge dramas, family favourites, outrageous comedies and so much more taking place across Exeter over the next eight months.

The front of the Barnfield Theatre.

Barnfield Theatre Joins National Warm Spaces Initiative

We’re offering people a place to get warm and find community amid the challenging rise in the cost of living this winter. Additionally, anyone who is not able to purchase a drink from the café will be able to ask for a free tea or coffee from our Barnfield staff, no questions asked.

Background: underneath a medieval stone footbridge. Grass. Foreground (Left - Right), Nick Bunt as Merlin, wearing a multi-coloured smock, Al Dunn as the Sheriff of Nottingham, wearing a black cape and a silver helmet with a purple feather top, and Matthew Freeman as Nanny Fanny, wearing a large orange and yellow wig and a checkered blue and white maids dress.

Northcott hits stretch target of gifting 750 theatre tickets

In total, 1234 people donated £12,559 towards our Pay It Forward campaign this year.

Background: A blurred photo of the Northcott Theatre building exterior lit up with multi-colour lights. Foreground: Text reads 'Exeter Northcott will Continue to Receive Funding from Arts Council England'

Exeter Northcott Will Continue To Receive Funding From Arts Council England

This investment, which represents standstill funding from Arts Council England, will allow Exeter’s theatre to continue presenting a diverse programme of quality live performance at both the Northcott Theatre and the Barnfield Theatre in Exeter’s city centre.

Three collages separated by a torn piece of paper. (Left to Right) Left image: A woman looks to the right at a range of flowers. In front of her, a music sheet stand with a piece of paper on it. Centre image: A woman looks to the left at a group of butterflies and dragonflies moving away from a typewriter. Background: woodland on a misty morning. Right image: A woman smiles. Background. A typewriter and some green leaves. Text reads: ‘And root-fingers curled around sapling-bodies.’

Northcott Associates Documental Launch Three New Radio Plays Interrogating Life in Devon

Written from the perspective of three different writers, each of the plays in the Ties That Bind series used the Devon landscape as a starting point to explore what feels important to them today.

Split image: (Left side) a young child sits in a theatre chair with popcorn with a look of wonder on their face. (Right side) Robin Hood Artwork - an arrow flies into an archery board, text on the board reads 'Robin Hood'.

Northcott hits target of gifting 500 Christmas theatre tickets; extends goal to 750 tickets

Our Pay It Forward campaign, now in its third year, asks audience members to donate towards the cost of a theatre ticket for children and young people who would not otherwise be able to go.

Background: pink and purple shapes. (Right) Text reads 'Northcott Artistic Director Daniel Buckroyd to step down'. (Left) A headshot of Daniel Buckroyd.

Northcott Artistic Director Daniel Buckroyd To Step Down

Daniel Buckroyd, CEO & Artistic Director of Exeter Northcott Theatre, has announced his intention to step down from the role in December, after four years at our theatre.

Interview with Noughts & Crosses Author Malorie Blackman and Stage Director Esther Richardson

Natasha Tripney spoke to Noughts & Crosses author Malorie Blackman and stage director Esther Richardson about Pilot Theatre’s stage adaptation of the acclaimed bestseller.

Barnfield to host first BEAM musical theatre pitching day on 22 September

Don’t miss your chance to get support to develop a musical theatre piece for the industry leading showcase event.

Headshots of Robin Hood cast members: (left to right, top to bottom) Victoria Boyce Nick Bunt Molly Cheesley Al Dunn Matthew Freeman Matthew Heywood Jodie Micciche Samara Rawlins Yñaqui Tuason-Inocian.

Robin Hood Christmas Panto Cast Announced!

Showcasing swashbuckling adventure, stunning costumes and sets as well as spectacular song and dance – with Exeter’s very own merry men Le Navet Bete throwing their hilarious hijinks into the fray – Robin Hood builds on our long history of staging large-scale professional pantomimes.

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