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We’re absolutely thrilled to present our Autumn 2021 season – a celebration of The Dukes 50th Anniversary! Kicking off a year of celebration until Summer 2022, our new Autumn season is packed with imaginative storytelling, gripping drama, heart-warming family shows, fantastic film, and cracking comedy. 

Since opening our doors in 1971, The Dukes has been committed to putting arts and culture at the heart of the Lancaster City Region. As Lancashire’s only producing theatre, over the years The Dukes has welcomed the likes of Harriet Walter, Gloria Greame, Andy Serkis and most recently, Ian McKellen. 

In 1987, The Dukes broke new ground with our first-ever Play in the Park, A Midsummer Nights Dream. Since then, every year we have been welcoming audiences to Lancaster’s beautiful Williamson Park for our annual promenade production. In 2016, The Dukes Park Show won Best Show for Children and Young People at UK Theatre Awards. 

In 1995, we opened our second building, now known as Moor Space, further up Moor Lane. The building was completely reimagined, transforming from an empty shell into the home of participatory work with our community and a new performance space welcoming new artists to Lancaster. 

Our 50th celebration Autumn season includes many fantastic pieces of live performance including newly commissioned work focusing on Lancaster stories, Belle & Mary. Belle & Mary is a new retelling of an infamous Lancaster true-crime tale. We have also supported up and coming Lancashire talent to respond to the theme of 50 in our 50th commission programme. 

We will be welcoming companies from across the UK with great family productions such as Tarzanna and Protein Dance’s Little Prince. We will also have some great drama for you with La Navet Theatre’s The Three Musketeers and Dracula: The Untold Story by innovative Lancaster theatre company, imitating the dog. We will also be expanding our Moor Space programme with pioneering work including Too Pretty to Punch and Finding Folk, bringing new voices to our stage. 

And finally, we will be finishing the year with our magical festive family production of Beauty and the Beast – made in Lancaster for Lancaster! Before you take a look at all the great live performance lined up this season, we just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for all your support over the past 50 years. The Dukes is for everyone and we couldn’t have got here without you. Here’s to the next 50 years!