Solo physical-theatre comedy spoof of Tomb Raider, written and directed by Gavin Robertson and performed with Clara Francesca.
Clara Croft: Rune Trader comes to the Harrogate Studio Theatre on Tuesday 9 February 2027, starting at 7:45pm. It's a solo comedy spoof of Tomb Raider, written and directed by Gavin Robertson and performed by Clara Francesca, who's based in New York. The plot follows Croft when her two closest friends are kidnapped, forcing her to steal the ancient Egyptian Amulet of Isis. That quest takes her from Italy to Egypt by helicopter, plane, motorbike and submarine, all the way to the Pyramids.
What makes it work is how it's staged. It's a cartoon physical-theatre style, and the whole thing is built around just five crates and a ladder. It's a small set for a big story, and that's exactly the point. It's part of Robertson's run of genre-busting spoofs, following Bond!, Is That A Whip In Your Hand? and General Medical Emergency Ward 10. The Guardian called him 'a master of staging shows with big intentions', and this one fits right in with that.
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One thing to keep in mind is the venue. The Studio is an intimate 60-seat room on the third floor of Harrogate Theatre, and it's not wheelchair accessible — there are 44 steps over three flights of stairs to get up there. Tickets are £20, and the show starts at 7:45pm on Tuesday 9 February.
