Raves R Us at Shakespeare North Playhouse

Shakespeare North Playhouse swaps soliloquies for sound systems when Raves R Us takes over the Cockpit Theatre this July.

Created by the multi-award-winning, Liverpool-based company Naughty Corner Productions, Raves R Us is a love letter to the history of rave culture – from sizzling ’70s synths to the Hacienda heyday, ’90s bangers and the trance-soaked 2000s and beyond.

The simple but charged narrative follows Charlie and his mates, who find themselves skint, stuck and disillusioned after the collapse of their workplace – the local Toys R Us. But out of the wreckage comes a vision, when Charlie sees potential in an abandoned warehouse. A new space for a lost generation, and a chance to build something of their own. What follows is a sweaty, defiant dive into escapism, as the gang throw everything they’ve got into creating a rave – part sanctuary, part rebellion.

Beneath the strobes and beats, there’s also a deeper pulse running through the show. Raves R Us touches on themes of mental health, grief, and collective resistance in a fractured society. It’s about more than escapism – it’s about finding moments of connection when everything else feels broken.

Naughty Corner Productions – known for fringe hits like Not The Horse and The Bastard Queen! – make the kind of theatre that doesn’t play by the rules. Expect work that’s wonderfully raw, rough-edged and unfiltered – theatre with the volume turned all the way up.

After sold-out runs at Vault Festival, Glastonbury and the Edinburgh Fringe, Raves R Us arrives with a cult following and a stack of five-star reviews. It’s loud, bold and joyfully unhinged – a night at the theatre that’s anything but traditional.