Stafford Players Present Gasping by Ben Elton

Sir Chiffley Lockheart wants to make money where no money exists; he is looking for the next Pot Noodle.

This comes in the form of Designer Air. The Suck and Blow is a machine that sucks in air, cleans it and stores it, eliminating the need to breathe second-hand air.

A flash advertising campaign soon convinces the public that everyone needs a Suck and Blow, but as the market for oxygen grows, the world’s supply is diminishing.

This sharp-witted satire, written by comedy legend Ben Elton, is a whirl of innuendo and a scintillating parody of corporate greed.

Comedy in The MET – July 2025

If you know, you know.  Don’t miss three laugh-out-loud comics fearlessly taking to the mic in front of what’s sure to be a sell-out audience.

Book early to make sure you don’t miss out…

Comedy in The MET

If you know, you know.  Don’t miss three laugh-out-loud comics fearlessly taking to the mic in front of what’s sure to be a sell-out audience.

Book early to make sure you don’t miss out…

Comedy in The MET – May

If you know, you know.  Don’t miss three laugh-out-loud comics fearlessly taking to the mic in front of what’s sure to be a sell-out audience.

Book early to make sure you don’t miss out…

The Ripper Files

A spine-tingling whodunnit . . . THE RIPPER FILES . . . based on the world’s most famous case.

Inspector Lestrange is up to his neck in evidence . . . but there’s one fact only the Ripper himself will know …

CHARLES WILLIAM LESTRANGE was a newly promoted Detective Inspector in the Metropolitan Police, just transferred to H Division in Whitechapel, when the THE AUTUMN OF TERROR, as it came to be known, reached its grizzly height.

Now, thirteen years later, and ably assisted by SAMUEL EDWARDS, formerly Detective Constable Edwards of H Division, and Samuel Edward’s “close friend” Miss ELSIE FORDHAM, rising star of the music hall stage, Lestrange rehearses again for your delectation and delight the ghoulish events in Victorian Whitechapel which have been a source of universal fascination since the 1880’s …

… anyone wishing to leave the auditorium during the performance as a consequence of excessive fright or terror is respectfully requested not to do so in the middle of a “murder”!

“magnificent … this unusual who-dunnit gripped like steel … I literally jumped out of my seat” (Thanet Gazette)

“fun, but not for the faint-hearted … the first night audience was engrossed” (Derbyshire Times)

“an unexpectedly chilling climax finished off a fine piece of theatre” (TheLatest.co.uk)

“a rumbustious and highly enjoyable production … a darkly comic little masterpiece … highly recommended” (Migrant Press)

Stafford’s Gotta Dance

A showcase of Stafford’s incredible young dancing talent!

Stafford’s Gotta Sing

School and Community choirs from across Stafford Borough join together for four evenings of Music Celebration!

Soul Brothers Syndicate featuring Darrell Smith and Judith Ude

Northern Soul at the BBC Proms rising vocal star Darrell Smith & special guest Judith Ude return to Stafford Gatehouse Theatre  on Monday 22nd September 2025. 

 

Darrell & Judith will perform all the Proms Classics with our brilliant full Northern Soul orchestra.

 

Darrell sings up to 20 Northern Soul classics in this breathtaking show!

Track list include The Drifter, 

The Night, I’m on my way, 

There’s a Ghost in my House, 

Temptation is Calling my Name, The Snake, 

If That’s What You Wanted 

Dance, Dance, Dance, 

Open the Door to your Heart, and many more.

 

This unforgettable Night will be exclusively for 500 capacity only so purchase your ticket sooner to avoid disappointment. 

This’s a seated event only and part of Darrell Smith’s Drifter Tour.  

 

A Complete Unknown

James Mangold / USA 2025 / 141 min / Cert 15

In 1965 at Newport Festival a 19-year-old from Minnesota shakes up the world of folk music by going electric and becoming the voice of his generation.

A sure contender for an Academy Award, Timothee Chalamet stars as Bob Dylan in James Marigold’s A Complete Unknown, supported by Edward Norton and Elle Fanning.

The biopic comes with a seal of approval from the great man himself, who also granted music rights to Mangold for the movie.

“Chalamet delivers the performance of the year…. the film is a true tour de force” Scott Menzel, Variety Magazine

All We Imagine As Light

Payal Kapadia / India 2024 / 118 min / Cert 15 / Subtitles

Three women navigate life in the urban sprawl of modern-day Mumbai.

Stoic and dutiful Prabha is estranged from her husband, who moved to Germany shortly after their arranged marriage. Anu, her impulsive flatmate, is pursuing a secret relationship with a young Muslim man.

Meanwhile, the home of their older, widowed colleague Parvaty is under threat of demolition.

First ever Indian winner of the 2024 Grand Prix at Cannes, this is a portrait of Mumbai crafted with exquisite delicacy. “The best reviewed film of the year” The Criterion Collection