WE ARE ENSEMBLE ‘84

We make Theatre for, with and by the diverse communities of County Durham to share with audiences on a global stage. 

Join us at The Playhouse, Horden for The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet - Shakespeare’s First Quarto

Tickets are on-sale now. (Age restriction advised 12+)

Tickets on sale

BOOK TICKETS

Tickets on-sale now!

The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet - Shakespeare’s First Quarto

Join us for a striking new staging of The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Shakespeare’s First Quarto - a shorter, rarely performed version of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Told with striking differences in structure, dialogue and character names, the story unfolds with compelling theatrical energy, combining powerful storytelling with live music, song and movement.

Directed by Mark Dornford-May and performed by our all-County Durham cast in our immersive venue, The Playhouse in Horden, Shakespeare’s gripping tale is staged once more, providing a fresh perspective on the familiar story.

Venue: The Playhouse, South Terrace, Horden, SR8 4NQ

Dates: May 26th – June 6th, 2026

Time: 7:30 PM (Evenings), 2:30 PM (Matinees) (7:00 PM, 28th May)

Advisory: May contain flashing lights, loud music and strong language.

Tickets: £10-20 (Age restriction advised 12+)

Book tickets online or call our Box Office on 0191 300 4340 (telephone booking from Tuesday 7th April).

BOOK TICKETS
FIND OUT MORE

We have bold ambitions to form new perceptions, build knowledge and transform the creative landscape in County Durham together with the people and partners that live and work there.

Come with us on our journey - find out more as to how you can participate and join in with our work and see first hand the impact we can make together.

We are on a journey to change the way everyone sees, experiences and connects with theatre.

Learn more
OUR LATEST PRODUCTIONS

Follow us on Instagram

This could be you! One week left to apply to join our company as a performer. We're looking for up to 5 individuals from County Durham to join our ensemble, with paid training and performance opportunities from February 2026 until July 2026. By joi
Open Call 📣 We are seeking up to 5 individuals to join our company as performers! Are you interested in theatre? Based in County Durham? Looking to develop your skills and become a professional performer? We would love you to apply. This is a paid
Merry Christmas from all of us at Ensemble '84! It's been an incredible year for us. Thank you for sharing it with us being part of our journey ❤️ We hope you have a lovely holiday season and look forward to seeing what 2026 brings!
The heritage, the history of Horden! Our latest production ‘Pits, People and Players’ was an ode to the place we call home, Horden - a pit-village steeped in history and a wealth of memories, testimonies, articles and songs to mark 125 ye
It wouldn’t be a highlights series without ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’! We welcomed so many of you to Horden Methodist Church in May for our debut production - a ground-breaking, international collaboration between Ensemble &l
From paid training to rehearsals! It was incredible to witness our cast and members of @isangoensemble under the same roof for our debut production, Mother Courage and Her Children. Our home was transformed into a living, breathing, rehearsal space
Before 2025 comes to an end, we thought we’d reflect on some of our highlights this year. This time last year, our paid training programme was in full swing! 14 talented individuals from across County Durham (now our wonderful cast!) were lear
WE WON! We are thrilled to have won all three of our shortlists at this year’s @ne_culture_awards! 🏆 Newcomer of the Year: Ensemble ‘84 🏆 Performance of the Year: Ensemble ‘84 and @isangoensemble - Mother Courage and Her Childr
We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for three categories at this year's North East Culture Awards! THE ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND AWARD - Ensemble '84 NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Ensemble '84 PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR - Ensemble '84 a
The reviews are in for ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ at @livetheatrenewcastle! Thank you for the kind words British Theatre Guide, @thereviewshub, @netheatreguide, @narcmagazine "A play that will resonate with today’s a
That’s a wrap! Thank you for joining us at @livetheatrenewcastle for Mother Courage and Her Children. Congratulations to our incredible cast, creative team and our @isangoensemble family involved in this production, for a triumphant run of per
A brilliant first night at @livetheatrenewcastle! Here are some beautiful photos by Keith Pattison. ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ continues TONIGHT until Saturday 1st November. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary production!

  • “One of Britain’s youngest and most interesting theatre companies.”

    — Mark Fisher, The Guardian

  • “A wondrous feat of theatrical alchemy”

    — Allan Radcliffe, The Times