John Godber's new comedy This Is The Life plays Alnwick Playhouse twice: 7.30pm on 23 February 2027 and 2pm on 24 February. Tickets £22, members £18.70.

John Godber’s new comedy, This Is The Life, is coming to Alnwick Playhouse for two performances only: Tuesday 23 February 2027 at 7.30pm and Wednesday 24 February at 2pm.

It is a new play, and the first time Godber, the writer of Bouncers and Teechers, has written about theatre itself, the John Godber Company says. The company is touring it in association with York Theatre Royal.

A backstage pair who have to save their theatre

The story belongs to Dave and Sapphire, two people who would rather stay in the wings. In the company’s words, the play “follows Dave and Sapphire as they attempt to rescue their beloved theatre from closure. Usually happiest out of sight, the pair must become performers themselves, and discover whether their own stories can save the day.”

The Playhouse’s own listing fills in the plot. The pair have worked backstage at a theatre called the Old Forge for years and “never felt the lure of the spotlight”. When they learn it is closing they are “both shocked and angry”, because “despite dwindling audience numbers, unfunny stand-ups and a chaotic staff, they love this damp, old, crumbling local theatre.”

With little money to go round, they offer to stage their own show, “full of the characters they have met and scenes they have witnessed”. The listing asks whether it might “bring back the punters, or be a further reason to turn the Old Forge into luxury flats?”

Godber has drawn on his own working life for it. The company says he “fills the comedy with characters, stories and anecdotes gathered over years in the industry, celebrating the people and places that make live performance possible.”

The venue describes it as a play in which “Godber interrogates hope, ghosts and the power of performance as seen through the eyes of a cynical backstage duo.”

Tickets and times

The details below are from the Alnwick Playhouse listing, checked on 13 October 2026.

  • When: Tuesday 23 February 2027, 7.30pm, and Wednesday 24 February 2027, 2pm
  • Where: the Bill Hugonin Auditorium, Alnwick Playhouse, Bondgate Without, Alnwick NE66 1PQ
  • Standard ticket: £22
  • Playhouse members: £18.70
  • Schools ticket: £8
  • Age rating: 14+, for strong language

With just the two Alnwick dates, the company is urging people to book early. Tickets are sold through alnwickplayhouse.co.uk, and more on the company is at thejohngodbercompany.co.uk.

What it means for you

There are only two chances to see it in Alnwick, and both are on sale now. The Wednesday matinee is the one to pick if you would rather not drive home late, and the £8 schools price makes it a cheap trip for drama students, though the 14+ rating rules out younger children.

For shows before then, see what’s on in Northumberland this month and our guide to Northumberland pantomimes.