Royal & Derngate — Attraction in Great Britain

My husband and I attended the Derngate Theatre to see Alice Roberts Domination Tour. Then the fabulous Jools Holland and band. We thoroughly enjoyed both evenings.

I'm a member of the Accessibility Scheme because I have a physical disability and use a wheelchair. I haven't visited for some years and it was before I became disabled.

On our arrival, my husband and I were greeted by the very kind and personable mature blond lady who is one of the accessibility staff members in an orange tie specifically allocated to help disabled customers.

She had a genuine smile and warmly explained the process of where to go and advised us when to go in, which my husband and I appreciated. I was especially grateful to her for addressing me in my wheelchair first and not just talking to my husband. She reassured us to ask for any further help if needed.

We went and bought some refreshments on level 1 and the lady serving us was absolutely lovely, she addressed me in my wheelchair again which I appreciated and then my husband, gave a caring smile and was very kind.

My husband and I got a bit confused because we were suddenly surrounded by a crowd of people and so were very pleased to see the same lady who first greeted us again who appeared like a guardian angel and smiling graciously she asked us if we'd like to be somewhere quiet and less busy and then led us to a nice area where we could wait. On our way she acted as a safety barrier and guided us through the sometimes unyielding able-bodied theatre customers, asking them to let me through in a polite and professional manner.

We waited there and another lovely member of staff who seemed to be a manager, asked if we were okay and kindly reiterated if we needed anything accessibility wise that one of the orange tie staff would help, but she kindly asked anyway if we were sure where we needed to go, my husband realised we didn't and so she pointed out which door and where it was, my husband embarrassingly later realised it said which door on our ticket anyway!

At the time of booking there were no wheelchair gaps available and instead I got a transferable seat at the end of the aisle which wasn't ideal or comfortable. Thankfully, the lady came to our rescue again and kindly informed us that there was a wheelchair space and a seat for my husband now going spare because someone else hadn't turned up. She proved to be a guardian angel again and she settled us into the vacant wheelchair area.

At the end she checked that we were okay and had enjoyed ourselves. My husband and I thanked her for her kindness and help.

I must say she is an absolute credit to the Derngate. I cannot praise her personality, her support, kindness and assistance highly enough!

I'm also very impressed with the efficiency, kindness and help from the box office staff, they were impeccably good in their behaviour and conduct...

Royal & Derngate: Where Big Nights Out and Belly Laughs Are Guaranteed

If you’re looking for top-tier entertainment in Northampton, look no further than Royal & Derngate—the powerhouse of theatre, comedy, music, and everything in between. Whether you’re here for a West End-level production, a laugh-out-loud comedy night, or a tribute band so good you forget they’re not the real thing, this venue delivers every single time.

The Derngate auditorium is big, bold, and packed with atmosphere, hosting everything from major touring shows to big-name comedians who know how to work a crowd. Michael McIntyre, Sarah Millican, and Kevin Bridges have all graced this stage, and if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for the rest of us. The sound is spot on, the seating is comfortable (always a bonus when you’re settling in for a three-hour musical), and there’s not a bad view in the house.

Then there’s the Royal Theatre, a stunningly intimate Victorian gem where you can soak up serious drama, gripping plays, and productions that make you forget you’re in Northampton and not the West End. It’s got that classic theatre magic—the kind where the lights go down, the curtain rises, and suddenly you’re completely immersed in another world.

And let’s not forget the bars and refreshments. Whether you need a pre-show prosecco, a quick gin at the interval, or a tub of ice cream to fuel you through Act 2, they’ve got you covered. Pro tip: order your interval drinks in advance unless you enjoy sprinting to the bar and back before the bell rings.

The staff? Absolutely fantastic. From the box office team who somehow remain cheerful even when there’s a queue out the door, to the ushers who gently herd people to their seats with the patience of saints, the whole place runs like a well-rehearsed production of “Keeping Everyone Happy”.

Whether you’re here for a blockbuster musical, an electrifying live gig, or a comedy night that leaves your cheeks hurting from laughter, Royal & Derngate delivers every time.

Five stars—because it’s a Northampton institution, and quite frankly, where else would we go for our...

I wish I could give the Derngate a higher rating but it has become synonymous with disappointment. Quite how much of this is down to Northampton audiences is open to debate, but going all the way back to the nineties I've had several evenings here ruined by rowdy, disrespectful, drunken and otherwise antisocial audience members, and more recently a touring version of a West End show was completely ruined by members of the audience constantly coughing, fidgeting, unwrapping sweets, twiddling their thumbs, children bawling, whole rows disrupted because someone wants to use the toilet and so on. It seems the town is full of people with a sort of ingrained apathy who treat an expensive night out at the theatre with all the decorum that they'd treat an ordinary evening at home in front of the telly. Even one of the Screaming Blue Murder comedy nights in the Underground venue was ruined by drunken and obnoxious audience members who succeeded in derailing the acts completely at various points during the evening.

I'm not a snob by any stretch of the imagination, but when an expensive evening's entertainment is ruined again and again by idiots who don't know how to behave themselves in public, you have to wonder. For what it's worth I've been going to see West End shows in some of London's finest theatres since 1992 and I've never once seen the kind of disgraceful behaviour that I've seen time and again at the Derngate. In fact, I've never seen it in Milton Keynes either.

Then there are the less-than-impressive events that never seem to change from year to year. Tribute bands, has-been and also-ran bands from the sixties and seventies, comedians that couldn't make a hyena laugh. There was a version of the Buddy Holly Story a couple of years ago that was so amateur it made me want to cry. Northampton is enough of a dead zone for art and culture as it is without the local theatre actively embracing mediocrity. I wish this venue set its sights a...