OPENING night. The stage is set. Lines learnt, melodies memorised, costumes checked, makeup and hair perfected. Curtain up, and Betty Blue Eyes opens!

At Ilkley Playhouse, we’re always delighted to welcome first night audiences. We welcome them with open doors, open arms, and a complementary glass of something delicious. It’s a special night. The atmosphere on Monday, July 4 will be electric – it’s such a great production we can’t wait to get it in front of audiences.

First night performances are sometimes thought to be for the bold and the brave, viewed as an extra dress rehearsal, another warm-up before the full houses begin. Audiences tend to book for the last couple of nights first, especially if they haven’t been to the Playhouse before and aren’t aware of what standards we can achieve – we don’t do first-night nerves!

People often hear about Playhouse productions via word-of-mouth, then try to book during the second week of the run, when tickets may be hard to find. This has happened recently with My Boy Jack and The Vortex, to name but two.

The first night of Betty Blue Eyes is Monday, July 4. The second week of the run is booking up but there are still seats left for the first week. Beat the crowd and you can tell your friends before they tell you! Don’t be shy, join us so you don’t miss out on a roaring, poignant, funny, beautiful and uplifting musical.

The excitement isn’t just stage and front-of-house. There are also eager faces behind the scenes, itching to show you what they’ve been working on. The costumes for Betty Blue Eyes – over 100 of them – are dazzling and nostalgic in turn. The set is beautifully crafted, clever, and evocative of 1940s Yorkshire. This is the culmination of a lot of work.

Ilkley Playhouse is a registered charity. We rely on volunteers, who give their time and hard work generously. We always welcome new volunteers, in all areas of the theatre. As well as the immense satisfaction at seeing everything come together for the performance, there is a lot else to be gained from volunteering: the chance to develop new skills, or revive forgotten ones; to learn more about how theatres work; and meet a lot of friendly people. Our volunteers are of all ages and backgrounds; their shared love of theatre brings them together. If you would like to know more about volunteering, please contact the Playhouse office on 01943 609539 or email info@ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk.

In other news, tickets are on sale for our next Stagefright Comedy Club Edinburgh Festival preview, on July 23 at 8pm. It’s a Triple Header Special, with big names and big laughs in store: it will feature Ivan Brackenbury, from BBC1’s acclaimed Hospital People – described by Chris Evans as a comedy genius – along with Tom Binns, the writer of the same show. Tom visited Ilkley Playhouse three years ago with his characters and was a very big hit with our audience.

Joining them is Ian D Montfort, a comic spirit medium who will be previewing material from his forthcoming Edinburgh show How To Touch Dead People. The evening will be compered once again by Anthony J Brown.

It’s a laid-back evening – there are intervals, and time for drinks and chat. There’s also a competition for free tickets to future events; in keeping with the informal theme, seating is unreserved, cabaret-style. It’s a great night out and it’s bringing top quality Edinburgh Festival to Ilkley!

To book your ticket for Betty Blue Eyes, Stagefright Comedy Club or any of our events, visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or call 01943 609539. You can follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest news, reviews and pictures.