Theatre & Concerts

Mars and Beyond: A Brass Voyage - The Liverpool Brass Quintet

Join us for a celestial adventure as the Liverpool Brass Quintet takes you on a musical journey to the red planet and beyond. This inaugural concert, held under the mesmerizing gaze of Luke Jerram's 'Mars' installation at Norton Priory Museum & Gardens, promises a captivating evening of brass music. Experience the power and versatility of the brass quintet as they perform a diverse repertoire, from classical masterpieces to contemporary compositions. Let the music transport you to distant galaxies and ignite your imagination.

This unique concert experience is not to be missed.

Premium seating is available in the front 3 rows with the best views of the stage and 'Mars'. Tickets from £20 for Adults (£18 per person for members of Norton Priory Museum and Gardens.), £16 for Children under 16. Suitable for age 12+ suggested

Running time: Approximately 1 hour 40 minutes with a 20 minute interval. The performance starts at 7:30pm, doors open at 7:00pm to allow patrons to take their unreserved seating.

Car parking is free and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available to purchase before the performance and during the interval.

This event has been selected by Norton Priory's artistic directors as part of the Mars programming. Luke Jerram's stunning 6m 'Mars' installation will form the backdrop for this unique show.

Mars photograph by Luke Jerram

Ignacio Lopez:

Juan Solo’s Excellent Adventures in Space!

(Family-friendly sci-fi stand-up show)

Join Live At The Apollo’s Ignacio Lopez (Juan Solo) on a daring journey through the galaxy, in his rust bucket of a ship, the Millennial Falcon!

Juan's tasked with transporting 100 humans to the Galactic Holiday Empire’s latest resort! The empire has been very clear that No Children Are Allowed. Children discovered onboard will be vaporised and, worst of all, Juan won’t get paid!

Every passenger will receive full training, safety protocol, entertainment from our resident comedians and probably won’t be vaporised. Expect sarcasm, stand-up comedy and silliness in this chaotic, interactive adventure show!

★★★★★ “CHARMING, CHARISMATIC, HILARIOUS. WILL HAVE YOU LEAVING WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE” - Deadline News

★★★★ “SARCASTIC, WITTY, ANIMATED, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HILARIOUS” -Entertainment Now

★★★★ “FINELY CRAFTED SILLINESS. HIGHLY RELATABLE. HILARIOUS. GO TO THIS IF YOU WANT TO GIVE YOUR KIDS A PRETTY FIRST RATE INTRODUCTION TO STAND-UP COMEDY” - ThreeWeeks

Suitable for ages 5+

Tickets are £12 for Adults (£10 per person for members of Norton Priory Museum and Gardens.), £10 for Children under 14, £40 for a Family Ticket (2 Adults + 2 Children or 1 Adult + 3 Children)

Running time: Approximately 1 hour with no interval. The performance starts at 5:30pm, doors open at 5:15pm to allow patrons to take their unreserved seating.

Car parking is free and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available to purchase from the onsite café.

This event has been selected by Norton Priory's artistic directors as part of the Mars programming. Luke Jerram's stunning 6m 'Mars' installation will form the backdrop for this hilarious show.

Spain’s Best Export™ Ignacio Lopez is on a mission to destroy himself, and build a better version; Leaner. Smarter. Funnier. Join the star of Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You, Comedy Central, QI, House of Games and more, for a riotously funny exploration of vices, intrusive thoughts, and self improvement.

Expect an armada of playful, wicked humour from the exotic outsider comedian, as he tries to identify his faults and how to improve; Is it worth going to the gym? Can you be addicted to technology? Do you know what happens if you give spiders drugs? Ignacio uses his razor-sharp wit, and effortless charm to tackle these questions and a bunch of other irrelevant horsesh*t.

★★★★★ “CHARMING, CHARISMATIC, HILARIOUS. WILL HAVE YOU LEAVING WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE” - Deadline News

★★★★½ “A COMEDIC GENIUS AT WORK. IF YOU ENJOY SHARP WIT MIXED WITH A DOSE OF THE RIDICULOUS, ’SEÑOR SELF DESTRUCT’ IS A MUST SEE” - One4Review

★★★★ “SARCASTIC, WITTY, ANIMATED, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HILARIOUS” -Entertainment Now

★★★★ “AFFABLE, SEAMLESSLY DELIVERED, GREAT GAGS” - Mumble Comedy

★★★★ “UNIQUE & HILARIOUS” - BUZZ Magazine

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Suitable for ages 12+

Tickets are £18 for Adults (£16 per person for members of Norton Priory Museum and Gardens.)

Running time: Approximately 1 hour 40 minutes with a 20 minute interval. The performance starts at 8:00pm, doors open at 7:30pm to allow patrons to take their unreserved seating.

Car parking is free and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available to purchase before the show and during the interval.

This event has been selected by Norton Priory's artistic directors as part of the Mars programming. Luke Jerram's stunning 6m 'Mars' installation will form the backdrop for this hilarious show.

The Liverpool String Quartet performs Shostakovich under the gaze of Mars.

We are delighted to welcome back Norton Priory’s Ensemble in Residence – The Liverpool String Quartet. Under the gaze of Luke Jerram’s ‘Mars’ it seems fit that they are performing one of the great String Quartets – Shostakovich’s String Quartet No 3 the ‘War Quartet’. The programme will include other pieces suited to the spectacular setting.

At the premiere, given by the Beethoven Quartet in Moscow in December of 1946, it was presented as a programmatic “war quartet.” Its five movements contained the subtitles, “Calm unawareness of the future cataclysm,” “Rumblings of unrest and anticipation,” “The forces of war unleashed,” “Homage to the dead,” and “The eternal question: Why? And for what?” Immediately after the performance, Shostakovich withdrew the subtitles, without explanation. The programmatic titles imply music appropriate for a propagandistic newsreel. Strangely, they seem designed to conceal the Quartet’s true depth and drama.

Premium seating is available in the front 3 rows with the best views of the stage and 'Mars'. Tickets from £20 for Adults (£18 per person for members of Norton Priory Museum and Gardens.), £16 for Children under 16.

Running time: Approximately 1 hour 40 minutes with a 20 minute interval. The performance starts at 7:30pm, doors open at 7:00pm to allow patrons to take their unreserved seating.

Car parking is free and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available to purchase before the performance and during the interval.

This event has been selected by Norton Priory's artistic directors as part of the Mars programming. Luke Jerram's stunning 6m 'Mars' installation will form the backdrop for this stunning show.

Opera singer Nicola Mills and pianist Maria King bring us some family favourite music in front of the memorable backdrop of Mars. Come and be entertained by a mix of classic and popular songs, alongside the opportunity to view Luke Jerram's stunning artwork.

Join Fladam Theatre (best known for their award nominated show ‘Green Fingers ‘and spooky hit ‘Hallowbean’) for an intergalactic musical adventure for the whole family. Packed with awesome aliens, rib-tickling robots, and interplanetary puns!

Norma’s piano playing is out of this world… and so is she! Norma dreams of going into space, like her hero Mae Jemison. But children can’t go into space, can they? Especially children who have a very important piano recital coming up. But what’s that odd looking gadget Grandpa’s been tinkering with in his inventing shed? The one with wings and rocket boosters. Is it a bird? Or a plane? No… it’s a piano?! But this isn’t any ordinary piano. This is a COSMIC piano! Maybe Norma’s dreams are about to come true? Join ‘Fladam Theatre’ (best known for their award nominated show ‘Green Fingers’ and spooky hit ‘Hallowbean’) for an intergalactic musical adventure for the whole family. Packed with awesome aliens, rib-tickling robots, and interplanetary puns!

Our artistic directors, A Place for Us Theatre, are delighted to host this spaced out show in front of Luke Jerram’s majestic Mars installation in the atrium at Norton Priory.

Recommended for ages 3+.

★★★★★

‘Fladam’ are the most amazing, hilarious musical comedy duo' (BBC Radio).

Life on Mars: In Concert

Blending live performances by established artists and talented performing arts young people from A Place For Us Theatre in a spectacular concert in front of the stunning Mars installation at Norton Priory. Celebrating human creativity, curiosity and the drive to explore the unknown, through music by some of the best known artists and musicians to create an unforgettable tribute to the Red Planet.

Featuring iconic space-themed anthems such as ‘Rocket Man’, ‘Starlight’ and of course, the epic ‘Life on Mars’ by David Bowie.

Standard tickets are £20 for Adults, £16 for Children under 16. Premium tickets (rows 1-3) are available at £25 for adults and £18 for children. Members tickets are available.

Running time: Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes with a 20 minute interval. The performance starts at 7:30pm, doors open at 7:00pm to allow patrons to take their unreserved seating.

Car parking is free and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available to purchase before the performance and during the interval.

This event has been selected by Norton Priory's artistic directors as part of the Mars programming. Luke Jerram's stunning 6m 'Mars' installation will form the backdrop for this spectacular show.

The Band and Drums of Cheshire Constabulary will be hosting an out-of-this-world brass band concert under the Red Planet.

Join us for a delightful evening as we welcome the Band and Drums of Cheshire Constabulary back for a special space themed musical extravaganza. The talented band will be performing a lively selection of space themed music under the red glow of Mars.

The War of the Worlds By H.G. Wells

Read and Performed by Gav Cross with original Soundtrack by Chris Bastock

Don’t miss the World Premiere of this extraordinary reimagining of The War of the Worlds, where past and future collide in a gripping, atmospheric production that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Step into the heart of one of the most iconic science fiction stories ever written, as The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells is brought to life in a thrilling new abridged reading by Gav Cross. This 90-minute performed reading, in the style of a Victorian theatre experience, captures the terror and urgency of a world thrown into chaos by the might of a Martian invasion.

Accompanied by an original soundtrack by Chris Bastock, co-artistic director of A Place for Us, the production is underscored by a richly atmospheric soundscape that heightens the tension and drama at every turn. Bastock’s score, following his celebrated work on Macbeth at Shakespeare North and in the Woodland Theatre, amplifies the energy and suspense as humanity flees from the Martian invaders.

This production offers a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience. Norton Priory, with its historic grounds, becomes an eerie and fitting stage for this science fiction tale, transporting audiences between the timeless elegance of Victorian storytelling and the terrifying unknown of a Martian invasion. The powerful visual and atmospheric drama of this setting promises an unforgettable evening of theatre.

Delivered as a rehearsed Victorian reading, Gav Cross’s performance pays homage to the storytelling traditions of the past, while immersing audiences in the high-stakes terror of Wells’ novel. With its focus on the suffering of innocents in the face of overwhelming technological might, this production captures themes of war, survival, and fear that remain just as relevant today as when the book was first published.

Gav Cross returns to Norton Priory following his sold-out performance of After Supper Ghost Stories. His distinctive Tony storytelling style, paired with Bastock’s dynamic soundtrack, guarantees a performance full of tension, energy, and immersive storytelling.

Premium seating is available in the front 3 rows with the best views of the stage and 'Mars'. Tickets from £20 for Adults (£18 per person for members of Norton Priory Museum and Gardens.), £16 for Children under 16. Suitable for age 12+ suggested

Running time: Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes with a 20 minute interval. The performance starts at 7:30pm, doors open at 7:00pm to allow patrons to take their unreserved seating.

Car parking is free and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available to purchase before the performance and during the interval. The Artistic Directors of A Place for Us Theatre are proud to be hosting this amazing production with Norton Priory Museum & Gardens.

Nicola Mills accompanied by Maria King bring the Mars art installation to a stunning close with some well-known music from Mozart to the Beatles.

From Mozart and Puccini to The Beatles and Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Nicola Mills brings ‘opera for the people’ amongst other well- known favourites. Accompanied by Maria King, Nicola make a welcome return to Norton Priory to give us a spectacular closing event to the Mars art installation.

Car parking is free and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available to purchase before the performance and during the interval.

Luke Jerram's stunning 6m 'Mars' installation will form the backdrop for this wonderful closing show.

Running time: Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes with a 20 minute interval. The performance starts at 8.00pm, doors open at 7:30pm to allow patrons to take their unreserved seating.