A recurring cabaret club experience at the York Theatre Royal Studio, featuring an eclectic mix of comedy, live music, and burlesque in an intimate setting.
The Old Paint Shop is back at York Theatre Royal, running as a cabaret club within the theatre's Studio. It's a recurring season rather than a single show, with runs appearing throughout the year — January and February, June, and October — so it's something that pops up in the city a few times over the course of a year.
The name comes from the room itself: the Studio used to house the theatre's paint shop, and the club keeps that history in its title. The whole point is to turn the Studio into an intimate cabaret club, and that's exactly how it works. There's a bar where you can grab a drink before you settle in, and the seating is cabaret-style, which means you're sitting at tables rather than in rows of theatre seats. There's no booking for seats, so you just find a spot and stay a while.
What you'll see on stage is an eclectic mix of comedy, live music, and burlesque. The seasons bring together a range of acts — some are returning favourites that have played the Paint Shop before, and others are new faces making their debut. Because it's a club night rather than a single production, the line-up changes from one season to the next, and the mix of comedy, music, and burlesque shifts too.
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It's a casual way to do theatre in York: a drink at the bar, a table to sit at, and a night of cabaret in a room that used to be a workshop. The Studio is tucked inside the main theatre building, and the cabaret setup keeps things close and informal. If you're after a night of live performance that doesn't feel like a formal night out, this is a good place to start.
