| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| When: | 8-10 times a year. Dates and times vary. |
The Theatre & Concert Group organises trips to a variety of productions at theatres around the region, mostly to Birmingham, Stafford, Stone, and Stoke-on-Trent, but sometimes further afield for something special. We try to offer a variety of genres, including concerts, comedies, plays, musicals and ballet. Current Theatre Group trips on offer are listed below.
All u3a members are welcome to sign-up to the Theatre & Concert Group and join our theatre trips, subject to availability. Members come on theatre trips on their own, with friends, and with partners. If you are interested, all our current trips are listed below and you can ask to be added to the Theatre & Concert Group to receive our regular trip email updates via the Beacon System.
For more information about the group, how to sign-up and how to join a trip please email the Theatre Team, or come to see us at our table at one of the u3a monthly meetings. Before joining a trip for the first time we will need you to sign-up to the Theatre & Concert Group Terms and Conditions. There are links at the bottom of this page to the 'Theatre Group Information', and the 'Theatre Group Terms and Conditions'.
The Theatre Team: The theatre trips are organised by volunteer Stafford u3a members – John Hill, Judith Carder, Geoff Hawkins and Emma Bull. One of us takes the lead in organising a specific trip, and at least one of the team is usually at the monthly u3a meeting.
Organising the trips: To get good seats and sometimes a group discount, the Theatre Team has to plan trips well in advance. Initially we will ask you to let us know if you are interested in joining a trip, without making a commitment or a payment. When the trip is confirmed we will ask you to pay for your theatre ticket/s and, usually, for the transport at the same time. Occasionally we may ask you to pay for transport nearer the time of the trip. Once we have paid the theatre for the tickets we are unable to offer refunds.
Transport: for most theatre trips we will also organise transport from Stafford. Transport costs average at £25-£35 per person return, depending on numbers. Please check the details of the show to see whether Transport is being arranged or not.
Health, Safety and Risk Management: Please see the information at the bottom of this page
Email Theatre Team
Forthcoming events
14th November 2026
2:30 pm
Outing
A hilarious and heartfelt play by Richard Bean (One Man Two Guvnors) and Oliver Chris. It’s 1940, and the Battle of Britain is raging. Based on Sheridan’s classic play ‘The […]
Cost: £17.50 per head (No transport provided). Final Booking and Payment Date: 21st SEPTEMBER 2026
5th December 2026
7:00 pm
Outing
Step into a world of magic, myth and musical adventure with the BPSO for an unforgettable evening of Fairytales, Folklore and Fantasy. Under the baton of Dr Richard Jenkinson, this […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £28 per head (PLUS TBC transport cost). Final Booking and Payment Date: 30th OCTOBER 2026
14th January 2027
2:30 pm
Outing
Hercule Poirot expected a quiet break in the country; instead he's drawn into one of the most unsettling cases of his career. At The Hollow, an elegant country estate, a […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £56 per head (PLUS TBC transport cost). Final Booking and Payment Date: 1st SEPTEMBER 2026
9th February 2027
2:00 pm
Outing
The Theatre and Concert group is pleased to announce a special event at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre cafe. You can enjoy an assortment of sandwiches and cakes served buffet style […]
Cost: Cost £13 per head (No transport provided) – Final Booking and Payment Date 12th January 2027.
Booking Required
17th February 2027
7:30 pm
Outing
Puccini’s score is filled with music of extraordinary beauty and tenderness. From the soaring aria One Fine Day to the unforgettable Love Duet and the haunting Humming Chorus, Madama Butterfly […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £40 per head (No transport provided). Final Booking and Payment Date: 6th JANUARY 2027
Booking Required
21st February 2027
2:00 pm
Outing
Britain's biggest indoor tattoo featuring military and other marching bands, pipes & drums, field gun racing, dog racing, standard bearers, dance teams and much more including a spectacular Grand Finale […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £46 per head (PLUS TBC transport cost). Final Booking and Payment Date: 21st AUGUST 2026
Booking Required
27th February 2027
7:30 pm
Outing
Argentine Tango King and Strictly Come Dancing legend, Vincent Simone, is accompanied by world-class Argentine Tango and Latin specialists, on a journey to Buenos Aires with a tale of love, […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £47 per head (PLUS TBC transport cost). Final Booking and Payment Date: 1ST DECEMBER 2026
Booking Required
10th March 2027
7:30 pm
Outing
Noel Coward’s witty comedy about a novelist who invites an eccentric medium to his home for research. The seance goes hilariously wrong when she accidentally summons the ghost of his […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £16 per head (No transport provided). Final Booking and Payment Date: 19TH FEBRUARY 202
Booking Required
8th April 2027
2:30 pm
Outing
Christopher, fifteen years old, has an extraordinary brain – exceptional at maths while ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion of killing Mrs Shears' dog Wellington, he […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £45 per head (PLUS TBC transport cost). Final Booking and Payment Date: 15th JANUARY 2027
Booking Required
22nd April 2027
2:00 pm
Outing
Inspired by the life of Paul O’Grady and created with his blessing, “Savage” is a bold and deeply moving new play. It stars RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £56 per head (PLUS TBC transport cost). Final Booking and Payment Date: 6TH JANUARY 2027
Booking Required
5th May 2027
7:30 pm
Outing
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical follows the events of the last days of the life of Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £24 per head (No transport provided). Final Booking and Payment Date: 17TH MARCH 2027
Booking Required
12th May 2027
2:00 pm
Outing
Journey back to the glamour and romance of Hollywood in the roaring 20’s with high-energy choreography and sumptuous set designs (including over 14,000 litres of water on stage). Features the […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £48 per head (PLUS TBC transport cost). Final Booking and Payment Date: 6TH JANUARY 2027
Booking Required
15th May 2027
7:30 pm
Outing
An evening packed with dazzling choreography, show-stopping vocals, and stunning costumes. With musical influences ranging from ballroom standards, South African rhythms, and the biggest pop anthems, “Finally Home” is your […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £71 per head (PLUS TBC transport cost). Final Booking and Payment Date: 11th DECEMBER 2026
Booking Required
22nd July 2027
1:15 pm
Outing
The iconic tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. Though Juliet and Romeo's bond feels indestructible, it proves dangerously fragile. Every defiant […]
Cost: Ticket Cost £42 per head (PLUS TBC transport cost). Final Booking and Payment Date: 16TH NOVEMBER 2026
Booking Required
Stay tuned
The next set of events for June 2027 onwards will be announced in April 2027.
POSSIBLE FUTURE THEATRE TRIPS - do let us know if you have any other suggestions. We only run trips where one of the Theatre Team wants to run the trip, and the dates and venue work for us.
Health, Safety and Risk Management: In line with u3a requirements and in the interests of health and safety, the Theatre & Concert Group has a Risk Assessment in place. You can request a copy of this document from the Theatre Team, but here is a summary of key points:
1. Group Members are required to agree to the Theatre Group Terms and Conditions before joining any Theatre Group trip.
2. Group members are expected to assess their own fitness (their health and safety) to join a trip, and while on the trip are expected to take responsibility for their own safety and not act in a way which puts the safety or well-being of others at risk.
3. Stafford u3a’s insurance has no travel insurance or cancellation insurance. So members are advised to arrange their own if they feel the need.
4. Theatre Trip leaders are entitled to refuse to allow members to join a trip if they feel there is a health and safety risk.
5. If an accident/incident occurs, the Trip Leader will use their own judgement and take appropriate action to manage the situation.
6. There will always be a Lead Person on the transport who will have a copy of the ‘Trip List’ (the names, contact numbers, and an emergency contact number for everyone on the trip).
7. Everyone on the trip will be given the mobile number of the Lead Person.
8. The Lead Person will check names/numbers before outward/return departures.
Links
Theatre & Concert Group Information (v.1 Mar26)
Theatre & Concert Group Terms & Conditions (Mar26)
Theatre & Concert Group Risk Assessment (Mar2026)