Catherine Tyldesley’s debut comedy play to be filmed at City Varieties Music Hall

Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley’s first ever comedy play, The Ceremony, is to be filmed at City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds and broadcast online from Sunday 13 December.

Set on Canal Street, Manchester, The Ceremony tells the story of Donna Dium, life coach and self-taught shamaness, and her first ever attempt to contact the spirit world. Following a string of appearances on daytime chat shows and armed with fifty quid’s worth of Ayahuasca from Bury Market, what could possibly go wrong? The evening soon derails into chaos, tears and laughter, as her oblivious guests purge themselves of their hidden ghosts.

Directed by Lee Salisbury, the play features a host of British TV stars including Paula Lane (Coronation Street), Jodie Prenger (Fat Friends The Musical), Stephen Rahman-Hughes (Emmerdale, Eastenders), Samantha Giles (Emmerdale, Where The Heart Is), and Sue Johnston (The Royle Family, Brookside, Coronation Street).

Tyldesley said: “I’m super excited about my first play going into production! I wrote The Ceremony during lockdown. I’ve managed to assemble my dream cast along with one of my all-time favourite directors, the brilliant Lee Salisbury.

“Writing has always been close to my heart and to finally see my words brought to life by such incredible talent is nothing short of a dream come true.

“I’m hopeful people will love the play as much as we do, and I’m thrilled we can raise money for the arts at the same time.”

Tickets can be purchased via stream.theatre here, with all proceeds going to Acting for Others, Theatre Artists Fund and Leeds Heritage Theatres.