Registered charity - 1171722
The Theatre Group organises trips to a variety of productions at theatres around the region, mostly to Bradford, Halifax, Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield, but sometimes further afield for something special. We try to offer a variety of genres, including dramas, dance, opera - but musicals are consistently our most popular trips. Current Theatre Group trips on offer are listed below.
All U3A members are welcome to sign-up to the Theatre Group and join our theatre trips, subject to availability. Members come on theatre trips on their own, with friends, and with partners. If you are interested, all our current trips are listed below and you can ask to be added to the Theatre Group e-mailing list to receive our regular trip updates. For more information about the group, how to sign-up and how to join a trip please email the Theatre Team (via link below), or come to see us at our table at one of the U3A monthly meetings. Before joining a trip for the first time we will need you to sign-up to the Theatre Group Terms and Conditions. There are links at the bottom of this page to the 'Theatre Group Information', and the 'Theatre Group Terms and Conditions'.
The Theatre Team: The theatre trips are organised by four volunteer Holme Valley U3A members - Pat Whalley, Andrea Goodall, Roger Lancaster and Linda Hollingworth. One of us takes the lead in organising a specific trip, and at least one of the team is usually at the monthly U3A meeting.
Organising the trips: To get good seats and sometimes a group discount, the Theatre Team has to plan trips well in advance. We usually reserve tickets at a range of prices to allow people a choice. Initially we will ask you to let us know if you are interested in joining a trip, without making a commitment or a payment. When the trip is confirmed we will ask you to pay for your theatre ticket/s and, usually, for the transport at the same time. Occasionally we may ask you to pay for transport nearer the time of the trip. Once we have paid the theatre for the tickets we are unable to offer refunds, but please check the 'Terms and Conditions' and 'Payment' links on the right of the screen for more information about finding replacements and cancellations.
Transport: we always organise transport from Holmfirth for these trips. This will often be by minibus (10-16 people), but when numbers allow we prefer to go by coach (minimum 30). Transport costs average at £10-£15pp return, depending on numbers. Smaller trips are occasionally arranged, with travel by shared car and/or train.
Health, Safety and Risk Management: Please see the information at the bottom of this page
Email us at hvu3atheatre@gmail.com or just click here Theatre trips
CURRENT THEATRE TRIPS ON OFFER - in chronological order (see also the Reserve List information below):
1. Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man (Ballet) Bradford Alhambra , Thursday 22 October 2026, 2.00pm (Pat) Reserve list only
The Show: Loosely based on Bizet’s ever-popular opera Carmen, The Car Man has one of the most thrilling and instantly recognisable scores in New Adventures’ repertoire.
The familiar 19th Century cigarette Factory becomes a greasy 1950’s garage-diner
in the American Mid-West where the dreams and passions of a small town are
shattered by the arrival of an enigmatic stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the
inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.
Bourne’s vivid storytelling combines with one of the most passionately dramatic
scores ever written, with music by Terry Davies featuring Rodion Shchedrin’s
Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen) to create a dance thriller like no other.
Transport: by coach.
2. Man for all Seasons (Play) Lowry Theatre, Salford, Saturday 7 November 2026, 2.00pm (Roger) Reserve list only
The Show: The greatest, most powerful and dangerous figures who shaped English history are brought vividly to life in Robert Bolt’s award-winning play.
Martin Shaw stars as Sir Thomas More – scholar, ambassador, Lord Chancellor and friend to King Henry VIII. Above all, he is a man of integrity, loved by the common people and his own family. When Henry demands a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, clearing the way for him to marry Anne Boleyn, the staunchly Catholic Thomas is forced to choose between his loyalty and his own conscience, committing an incredible act of defiance for which he eventually pays the ultimate price…
Transport: This will be by coach.
3. A Little Night Music ( Musical) Manchester Royal Exchange, 16 December 2026, 2.30pm (Roger) Reserve list only
Sondheim’s breathtaking classic, a life-affirming fairy-tale for adults.
The Show: In Sondheim’s enchanting musical, set in turn-of-the-century Sweden, mismatched couples waltz through a series of self-delusions in search of a happy ending. This lighter-than-air confection of romantic misfires and magical songs features Sondheim’s bittersweet masterpiece, ‘Send in the Clowns’. Old, young and middle-aged are equally determined and witty in this Tony award winning musical comedy.
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Tickets: The Royal Exchange is an in-the-round theatre with two galleries. Seats are at Stage Level and front row of First Gallery with a few Second Gallery
Transport: This will be by coach.
4. The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, (Play with music), Lowry Theatre, Thursday 25 February 2027, 2.00pm (Roger) Last few seats!
A National Theatre production directed by National Theatre Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge).
The Show: The hardest voice to find is your own. Alone in the sanctuary of her small bedroom, Little Voice fills the air with pitch‑perfect renditions of her deceased dad’s prized record collection of the great Divas, from Judy Garland to Billie Holiday.
But when her mother Mari's latest fling, local wheeler dealer Ray, hears her sing he’s certain he’s struck gold. Will Little Voice be pushed into a spotlight she never asked for?
Jill Halfpenny (After the Flood) and Francesca Mills (Silent Witness) play mother and daughter in this major new production of Jim Cartwright’s modern classic. A joyful, tender and bittersweet celebration of music, ambition and the courage it takes to be heard.
Transport: This will be by coach.
5. Romeo and Juliet (Play), Leeds Playhouse, Friday 5 March 7.15pm (Roger)
Shakespeare’s much loved tragedy. A pair of teenagers fall madly in love while their families violently tear each other apart. An explosive, urgent tale of forbidden love, secrets, loyalty and grief, where one wrong decision can change everything. What do you do when your fate is already sealed, but you’re falling in love for the very first time? A love that refuses to stay in the past, enduring, unending and unbroken.
Transport: Probably a minibus.
6. Strangers on a Train (Play - Thriller) Bradford Alhambra, Thursday 6th May 2027 2.00pm (Pat)
Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith and inspired by Hitchcock's iconic film, a thrilling new production directed by Roxanne Silbert
- 2 Strangers meet on a train
- Charles Bruno has an idea; the perfect crime. Two murders. Two strangers. No motive. No connection. No consequences.
- Guy Haines dismisses it as a joke. But Bruno isn't joking
- As Bruno's obsession spirals out of control, Guy finds himself trapped in a nightmare of guilt, manipulation and fear.
- Dark, gripping and full of suspense this a psychological thriller about obsession, and the devastating consequences of a chance encounter
Tickets: Stalls are £37.50 and Dress Circle are £39.50 or £37.50.
Transport: Coach or minibus depending on numbers.
7. Jesus Christ Superstar, Bradford Alhambra on Wednesday 30th June 2027, 7.30pm (Andrea) LAST FEW SEATS!
The record breaking revival of the Andrew Lloyd-Webber/Tim Rice hit musical starring Sam Ryder in the iconic role of Jesus. (Although the show in Bradford is 10 months away the whole tour is proving to be a sell out at every venue and we were lucky to secure seats.)
The Show: The show follows the events of the last days of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas.
Tickets: Stalls £78 & £61, Circle £78 & £61, Upper Circle £26 (includes group discount). Please indicate your preference for Stalls or Dress Circle when booking.
Transport: This will likely be by coach
RESERVE LISTS
Even when places on trips are all taken and the bookings finalised, we often get cancellations nearer the time. So, we take names for a Reserve List for each trip. Then if places do become available, we offer them to people on the Reserve List before we advertise them to the whole group. If there is a cancellation very close to the trip date, we sometimes offer the theatre ticket at a reduced rate.
POSSIBLE FUTURE THEATRE TRIPS: Do let us know if you have any other suggestions. We may be able to offer more trips in 2026/27, although we only run trips where one of the Theatre Team wants to run the trip, and the dates and venue work for us.
Health, Safety and Risk Management: In line with U3A requirements and in the interests of health and safety, the Theatre Group has a Risk Assessment in place. You can request a copy of this document from the Theatre Team, but here is a summary of key points:
- Group Members are required to agree to the Theatre Group Terms and Conditions before joining any Theatre Group trip.
- Group members are expected to assess their own fitness (their health and safety) to join a trip, and while on the trip are expected to take responsibility for their own safety, and not act in a way which puts the safety or well-being of others at risk.
- Theatre Trip leaders are entitled to refuse to allow members to join a trip if they feel there is a health and safety risk.
- If an accident/incident occurs, the Trip Leader will use their own judgement and take appropriate action to manage the situation.
- There will always be a Lead Person on the transport who will have a copy of the ‘Trip List’ (the names, contact numbers, and an emergency contact number for everyone on the trip).
- Everyone on the trip will be given the mobile number of the Lead Person.
- The Lead Person will check names/numbers before outward/return departures.