In 2009, Christian Garrick established the refreshingly unconventional and snappily attired Budapest Café Orchestra.

Their aim is to present a broad range of music from all over the world in the most entertaining and fun way possible!

They take their music very seriously but not so much themselves. All the music is performed by memory and delivered with their trademark wit and charm.

With Christian Garrick on violin and darbuka; Eddie Hesson on accordion; Kelly Cantlon on double bass; and Adrian Zolotuhn on gutar, saz, balalaika and dorma, the Budapest Café Orchestra are frequent guests on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and Martin’s Handley’s weekend Breakfast programmes.

“Absolutely acoustically electrifying!”  Time Out

Little Wander presents

In the aftermath of a global pandemic, comedian and scientist Ria Lina has had a Riawakening and sees the world differently.

She tackles the issues of coming out of a global pandemic, the new normal, divorce, dating in a new digital world, motherhood and what it really means to be a woman today.

Fearless, provocative, and very funny, Ria Lina is the only Filipina comedian in British stand-up and a hugely admired talent in the comedy industry.

Her extensive list of credits includes: Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You?, Mock the Week, Lovestruck High, Richard Hammond’s Brain Reaction, Richard Osman’s House of Games, The Last Leg and Celebrity Mastermind.

“I guarantee you will laugh a lot” ★★★★  THE SCOTSMAN

Age guidance: 16+

Duration: approx 40 mins, 20 min interval, 55 minutes

Photo credit: Arabella Itani

An original play written by our very own youth officer, Ed Batchelor, our Saturday Juniors once again embark on another quest, this time to secure a list of ingredients for an animal party in the jungle.

Can they grab all the things they need to bake this cake in time, or will the party be spoiled by the thing that lurks amongst the trees!?

HMS (or USS) Pinafore takes this Gilbert and Sullivan classic far forward in time and Space, whilst maintaining the customary traits of mistaken identity, class warfare, quirky characters and lyrical tongue twisters aplenty in this intergalactic caper.

Aboard the United Space Ship (USS) Pinafore, we find two star-crossed lovers, whose affection is blighted by age-old prejudices surrounding class divide. Ralph is a lowly specialist aboard the ship and Josephine is none other than his Captain's daughter, but she is promised in marriage to the politically appointed head of the Federation star fleet, the flamboyant High Counsel Joseph Porter.

As the lovers lament their predicament and plan their escape, a surprise disclosure from an unlikely quarter show that not all is as it seems.

With an array of re-worked songs to better reflect the setting, this dynamic production aims to have you chuckling in your shuttle crafts from start to finish.

Snake Davis and Gareth Moulton team up for an evening of gorgeous mellow music infused with pop, rock, jazz and soul.

The pair reckon that The Georgian Theatre Royal is the ideal venue for them and enjoy performing in such a beautiful intimate special space.

Snake Davis is one of the most in-demand rock jazz and soul sax players in the world, widely known for his solos on tracks such as Lisa Stansfield’s Change, M-People’s Search For A Hero and Moving On Up and Take That’s A Million Love Songs.  He has played and recorded with artists including James Brown, Tina Turner, Klingand, Paul McCartney, The Eurythmics and Amy Winehouse.

Manchester-born singer-songwriter-guitarist Gareth Moulton is Snake’s long-time friend and collaborator in the Classic Sax Solos project and Heather Small Band, Gareth also sings and plays for Cutting Crew and Wang Chung and is one half of the touring play ‘Fly-half’.  His illustrious CV includes recordings and tours with Go West, Nik Kershaw, Jim Diamond, Paul Young, Chaka Khan and more. Golden tonsils, sleek fingers and tales to tell…

A Swaledale Festival Event.

Following their stunning performance of Enoch Arden last year, we welcome back pianist Gamal Khamis and actor Christopher Kent with an exciting new dramatisation.

An Exquisite Harmony tells the moving story of one of music’s great love triangles through the letters, diaries and music of Robert and Clara Schumann and the young Johannes Brahms. In this special performance Christopher Kent and Gamal Khamis are joined by actress Fenella Norman.

Please note that tickets for this event are only available from the Georgian Theatre Royal box office, and not from Swaledale Festival.

A Swaledale Festival Event.

Beloved comedian and Hollywood film star Dudley Moore was also a dazzling jazz pianist and a composer of wit and depth.

In this intimate celebration, pianist Chris Ingham, double bassist Malcolm Creese and drummer George Double pay homage to Dudley’s compelling 1960s jazz with fascinating anecdotes and gorgeous swinging music.

"Unfailingly tuneful and spiced with gentle harmonic guile...Dudley would have been delighted.” **** The Observer

Please note that tickets for this event are only available from The Georgian Theatre Royal Box Office and not from the Swaledale Festival.

Youth Theatre Double Bill

The Whispering Walls by Aimee Shields

Following the horrors of the second world war, this story performed by the Tuesday Middles Acting Group looks at the ordeals faced by a family taking shelter during an air raid and asks the question: What really happened to them?

The Magic Tower by Tennessee Williams

A classic piece of Tennessee Williams performed by the Saturday Middles Acting Group that explores themes of failed love and the ideals we hold for each other. Asking, what do we need from each other? And, what counts as a successful marriage?

The trials and triumphs of two families entwined in the fabric

of wartime history are played out in this beautifully crafted original drama.

In a world where heroism often focuses on the battlefield, the action goes beyond the front lines, into the homes and hearts of those who waited and prayed. As well as following the lead character Ben Miller into battle, this story offers a profound appreciation for the unsung heroes - the mothers, wives and children.

Full of humour, tenderness and warmth, Remember is a poignant reminder of the universal threads of humanity that bind us together, and resonate long after the final curtain call.

Fleetwood Bac is the world’s first and best Fleetwood Mac tribute band, endorsed by Mick Fleetwood himself, and is the only Mac tribute to authentically replicate the classic 'Rumours' line-up.

Over the last few years, the band has wowed audiences as far afield as Dubai, St. Tropez, the Cayman Islands and Monte Carlo, and twice-sold out the world-famous Minack Theatre in Cornwall.

Fleetwood Bac have also been rated by The Times as one of the UK’s top five tributes, alongside The Bootleg Beatles, Bjorn Again and the Counterfeit Stones.

The show focuses on the ‘Rumours’ era of the band (still the 5th biggest-selling album of all time). It also features several songs from the Peter Green days, plus some of Stevie’s biggest solo hits.

Songs include: Dreams, Don’t Stop, Go Your Own Way, You Make Loving Fun, Tusk, Gypsy, Everywhere, Oh Well, Rhiannon, Little Lies, Black Magic Woman, Seven Wonders, Say You Love Me, Big Love, Oh Diane, Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around, Albatross, Sara, Man Of The World, Hold Me, Green Manalishi, Need Your Love So Bad, and The Chain.

 “Loved the show, really enjoyed playing with you.”

Bob Brunning, original Fleetwood Mac bass player

“Spot on. A thoroughly professional and entertaining evening. Fans of the real thing will certainly not be disappointed.”

The Stage

Youth Theatre Double Bill

No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre

This production by the Tuesday Seniors Acting Group follows the story of three individuals bound to the infernal realm as they struggle to make sense of their fate. Directed by Alex Thompson and Charlotte Nettleton

Animal Farm by George Orwell, Adrian Mitchell and Peter Hall

An Orwellian classic reimagined in this compelling retelling for the stage and performed by the Saturday Senior Acting Group. It starts with a schoolboy sitting down to read the novel in a toy farmyard. As he reads, the farmyard comes to life around him, enacting the animals' rebellion.

A murder. A mystery. A musical? Can Detective Ivy and her partner solve the crime in this classic whodunnit? Complete with songs from all your favourite musicals such as Sweeny Todd, Matilda, and Wizard of Oz.

Performed by the Georgian Theatre Royal Youth Theatre Musical Theatre Group and written by Aidan Macfarlane & Gina O’Reilly

An entertaining, foot-tapping variety show performed by local students from the multi-award-winning The Rhythm and Shoes Dance Academy in Richmond who recently won The Prestige Award Dance School of The Year (Yorkshire) for the second year in succession.

With many popular and familiar chart hits based on a theme of ‘colour’, there is something for everyone in what is promised to be a vibrant and eye-catching show.

Join in the fun and come along wearing your brightest colours, we look forward to seeing you!

London, 1660. King Charles II has exploded onto the scene with a love of all things loud, extravagant and sexy. And at Drury Lane, a young Nell Gwynn is causing stirrings amongst the theatregoers.

Nell Gwynn charts the rise of an unlikely heroine, from her roots in Coal Yard Alley to her success as Britain's most celebrated actress, and her hard-won place in the heart of the King. But at a time when women are second-class citizens, can her charm and spirit protect her from the dangers of the Court?

Jessica Swale's exhilarating take on the heady world of Restoration theatre premiered at Shakespeare's Globe, London, in September 2015, before transferring to the West End in February 2016, starring Gemma Arterton. It won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2016.

Presented by Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society by arrangement with Nick Hern Books. Directed by Max Walker.

Marske Choir takes pleasure in presenting an evening of magic, melodrama, mischief and mellifluous music.

So, stick a feather in your hair, pull on the corset, dig out the coat and tails and join us for a veritable 'pot pourri' of performers assembled for your entertainment and delight.

Master of Ceremonies - Mr Peter Roe and his magnificent gavel.

TRAILER

Little Wander in association with PBJ Management presents

Kiri Pritchard-McLean - Peacock

Star of 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Have I Got News For You and QI Kiri Pritchard-McLean has had a busy few years. As well as hosting Live at the Apollo, fronting the Radio 4 panel show Best Medicine and starting a comedy school, she’s become a foster parent.

Didn’t know that about her? Well, until now she hasn’t been able to talk about it on stage, she hasn’t even told the kids in her care that she’s a comedian. Oh, and she uses a different name - she’s the Bruce Wayne of comedy but without the mansions.

However, this year something changed and after a couple of the eggiest gigs of her career in boardrooms to social workers a show about becoming a foster carer has been signed off! So, come and join “Louise” as she lifts the lid on social workers, first aid training and what not to do when a vicar searches for you on YouTube.

Join the co-creator and co-host of cult hit podcast All Killa No Filla for a joyous and uplifting show from a comedian known for making "powerhouse stand-up from the thorniest of subjects" (The Guardian).

"expect sequins, social commentary, and massive laughs from the renaissance woman of UK comedy" - Rolling Stone

TRAILER

Age guidance: 15+ some strong language

Duration: 95 minutes plus a 20 minute interval

Fresh from supporting Jack Whitehall on his 2023 UK arena tour, comedian Lloyd Griffith is back with a brand new show ‘Baroque and Roll’. It’s a big year for Lloyd, he’s turning 40 and with it, the impending midlife crisis - or ‘renaissance’ as he’s insisting it’s called; complete with body hair removal, head hair additions, teeth whitening and obviously the obligatory half marathon sign up. It’ll be funny and yes, there’ll be the odd song or two from that magnificent voice of his.

As seen on Ted Lasso (Apple), Nolly (ITV), Soccer AM (RIP), 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4), Can You Beat the Bookies (BBC), Live at The Comedy Store (Comedy Central), House of Games (BBC).

"What is evident from the outset is that Griffith is both bursting with talent. He is a funny, charming, self-effacing comic who very obviously gains great joy from making people laugh. It is evident in the way he feeds off the audience"- joe.co.uk

"useful idiot" - the guardian

"Lloyd bounces off the audience and has everyone laughing along with him. This is an hour of uplifting stand-up that’ll have you smiling for days. A warm, relatable and hilarious show" - The Sunday Post

George Lewis:

The Best Thing You’ll Ever Do

Described as ‘the funniest dad on Instagram’, stand-up comedian George has racked up hundreds of millions of views for his hilarious online sketches about the big things in life, like owning an air fryer, watching a David Beckham documentary, and the excruciating experience of trying to do a jigsaw with your kid.

Now he’s bringing his brand new stand up show to the stage. It won’t just be about parenting though, because he has done loads this year. He’s bought a new hoover, watched some more stuff on Netflix… loads.

Between #makingmemories with his kids, George has also appeared on The Stand Up Sketch Show and Comedy Central Live, written a best selling book (Don’t Panic! All the stuff the expectant dad needs to know) and has supported Romesh Ranganathan, Tom Allen, Russell Kane and Josh Widdicombe on their national tours.

So, activate the parents’ whatsapp groups, dump the kids with whoever is willing to have them, and join George for a brilliant night out.

Well, ahoy there me hearties! This year’s pantomime will transport you to a far-off magical island full of swash-buckling escapades, treasure and intrigue.

This sea-faring tale will be jam-packed with all the favourite Richmond panto ingredients plus oodles of laughs, great music and stunning sets. There will also be lashings of Tunnocks teacakes and, of course, the celebrated knitted element.

So, climb aboard for this fun-filled festive adventure and set sail for the voyage of a lifetime!