Royal & Derngate is proud of its reputation as a thriving regional theatre. An important entertainment hub for all communities across Northamptonshire and beyond, the three-stage and cinema complex is home to an acclaimed Made In Northampton self-produced programme as well as welcoming some of the most well-known acts and shows touring the UK. In recent years the venue has celebrated Stage, Olivier and Academy Awards nominations, notably including a prestigious win for Best Family Show at the 2020 Oliviers. As important as the work on its stages, its nationally recognised Creative Engagement programme works with schools, families and communities, and the Generate development programme supports hundreds of regional artists each year, at all stages of their careers.
Recent home-grown productions have included the world premiere stage adaptation of Mog The Forgetful Cat, the national and international tour of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Spymonkey’s The Frogs and Simple8’s Moby Dick. A brand-new adaptation of The Jolly Christmas Postman filled the theatre this festive season following an Autumn that saw a partnership with Paines Plough on My Mother’s Funeral: The Show and with the Rose Theatre in Kingston on Kazuo Ishiguro’s adaptation of Never Let Me Go. Highlights for 2025 include co-productions of Dave Harris’s Tambo & Bones, the Bruntwood Prize-shortlisted (the) Woman in association with New Perspectives, and a new Made in Northampton production of Hugh Whitemore’s Breaking the Code. Looking ahead to 2026, highlights include a brand-new comedy commission, Top G’s Like Me, which asks big questions of the online space and its influence on young minds.
Visiting productions on both the Derngate and Royal stages include musicals, dance, comedy and music, and its two-screen cinema presents the best in world, independent, British and mainstream film. Regularly hosting major civic events including graduation ceremonies, conferences and gala celebrations, it also provides a home for amateur theatre companies, school and youth performance groups, and choirs and community groups from across the county. Embedded in this programme is a regular schedule of access-enabled productions.
We are proud that a number of our team here at Royal & Derngate also deliver services for our sister venue, The Core at Corby Cube – from marketing, finance and administration to ticketing and programming. The addition of the Northampton Filmhouse to our venue in 2013 received such brilliant customer feedback and proved so popular that we opened a second screen in 2017, continuing to show the best in world, independent, British and mainstream film in the most luxurious surroundings.
The flexible nature of our Derngate auditorium enables us to host gala dinners, product launches, conferences and flat floor standing music gigs.
We have recently revamped our bars and continue to sell highly regarded local and national brands within our Front of House areas. We have adopted Family Arts Standards and are committed to providing a warm welcome to our family audiences.
Our audiences provide fantastic feedback on all areas of our business. Our commitment to customer care is central to our vision, and we are thrilled to maintain the Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor for both Royal & Derngate and Northampton Filmhouse.
Whether you join us as an audience member, a participant, an artist, a theatre-maker or a conference attendee, for a drink in the bar or for a cinema screening in the Filmhouse, we look forward to welcoming you warmly to Royal & Derngate.
