Royal & Derngate

Coming from the US, the UK offers a comparatively incredible amount of local theater productions of great quality. Accordingly, I’ve spent a fair amount of time at the Royal and Derogate, as my wife is a part of the theater’s amateur Actor’s Company group. I’ve attended multiple shows she’s starred in, as well as other productions we’ve learned about through her weekly sessions at the venue. I’ve even been chased by zombies through the streets of Northampton at 1am. Which is to say, the creativity and opportunity for audience members and performers alice offered by the Royal and Derngate is unmatched by any other local theater I’ve known.
There’s two large theaters as part of the complex, hence the name. The Royal is what you think of when you imagine a classic theater. Beautifully intricate plaster work (though I admit I’m no expert as to the quality of such construction) complements an intimate environment. The chairs are comfortable, if slightly narrow for my frame, and I haven’t sat in a bad seat yet as far as the view.
Then there’s the Derngate, the larger of the two and where most of the headline acts are. It’s not great on style with an outdated 1990s feel to it, but its size helps the venue bring in the larger acts, which is where it excels, but not as you might think…
It’s clear in the Royal and Derngate’s breadth of available work that it seeks to be a center of excellence for all abilities and levels, not simply for road-​show acts. Instead, the money drawn in by big names appears, at least to me, to enable the theater to enable others to pursue their dreams, educate the local youth, or give locals a creative, unique and engaging hobby as performers or audience members. This philosophy and approach is endlessly meritable, and makes it an essential night out in Northampton.

Attend a show in the Royal Theatre, one of three performance arenas on the same combined site. The Derngate and Underground are not reviewed here as I did not visit. A medium sized lovely theatre in traditional style. Comfortable seating. There is a joint area hosting café, bar, box office etc. which is spacious and offers good amenities. Booking online went smoothly. The café sells hot meals as well (not tried). Recommended.