THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES and More to Open at Stephen Joseph Theatre

Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre has announced a major new show for summer 2027, a new piece from its Young Company, and more visiting productions.

The SJT production is The Hound of the Baskervilles (2 to 31 July). It joins the already announced As You Like It (more or less) (19 March to 3 April); further SJT productions, including a new show by Alan Ayckbourn, will be announced soon.

In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most celebrated Sherlock Holmes story gets a gloriously funny makeover.

A terrifying beast. A family curse. And a case that's barking mad! When the Baskerville family finds itself haunted by a legendary supernatural hound, the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his trusty sidekick, Dr Watson, are called upon to solve the mystery. But with suspicious characters, sinister secrets and danger lurking on the foggy moors, things are about to get pretty hairy...

Prepare for a howlingly good time as mystery meets mayhem in Steven Canny and John Nicholson's wonderfully witty adaptation of the classic thriller. Expect twists, turns, laughs and more than a few surprises as Holmes and Watson sniff out the truth.

The theatre's acclaimed Young Company will present The Incident Room (19 to 22 May), by Olivia Hirst and David Byrne, directed by Rob Salmon. Leeds, 1975. The hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper has begun. Inside a packed police incident room, phones ring, statements pile up and detectives race to identify a killer. The pressure is relentless. The public wants answers. The newspapers want a story. And somewhere amongst thousands of pieces of evidence, the truth is waiting to be found. Based on real events, The Incident Room is a gripping true-crime drama exploring one of Britain's most notorious murder investigations — and the people at the centre of it.

And five new shows have been added to the SJT's busy programme of visiting work for 2027. They are:

Everybody Dance (5 & 6 February): The Everybody Dance festival is a vibrant celebration of dance, movement, and community. Bringing together schools, colleges and community groups from across Yorkshire it creates an inclusive space for people of all ages and abilities. With workshops, live performances, and interactive events, the festival inspires joy, creativity, and connection through the power of dance. Everybody Dance engages with over 1,000 young people every year, with the opportunity to dance in the Round at the SJT and watch professional dance performances.

Touch Grass (23 & 24 February): An exhilarating offline adventure, two best friends, and nostalgia for an unplugged life never lived. Steen has switched off his phone, put it in a shoebox and buried it in his mum's back garden. A whole month since BB last logged on, Steen fears the worst. With no phone and only £7.20 in his young savers account, Steen embarks on a coast-to-coast search for the girl he's only known as an online avatar. A Theatre Centre production written by Scarborough-born writer Christopher York (Build a Rocket).

Barrie Rutter's Shakespeare's Principals (25 February): Following the success of Shakespeare's Royals, Barrie Rutter OBE is back with a brand-new show. He's joined by renowned stage and screen actress Kate Anthony: the pair will visit the Bard's meatiest characters and partnerships, through enchanting performance, stories and anecdotes, in Rutter's latest celebration from a life of performing and directing Shakespeare all over the world. A co-production with The Viaduct Theatre.

An Evening with Melvyn Hayes (3 March): The much-loved actor presents an evening of laughter, nostalgia and stories. From starring alongside Cliff Richard in Summer Holiday and The Young Ones to playing Gloria in It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Melvyn's career spans more than seven decades and also includes hit comedy Benidorm.

Motown Gospel Choir (6 March): Filled with hits from the amazing Motown era, from Dancing in the Streetto I Want You Back, this is a show packed with favourites, to keep you dancing All Night Long. Musical Director Rachel Modest founded her first gospel choir in Wakefield over 25 years ago and shot to fame in 2022 as a semi-finalist on The Voice, as part of the legendary Tom Jones's team. Rachel describes the show as 'a reimagining of the biggest Motown hits, blended with beautiful gospel-inspired harmonies'.