Theatre and Dance

Adapted from Pullman's acclaimed trilogy of children's novels by Nicholas Wright, this magical adventure follows heroes Lyra and Will through worlds both familiar and unknown, across icy landscapes ruled by armoured bears and through the skies with armies of Witches and Angels.

It's an adventure story dramatically staged in two parts with some extraordinary puppetry from Blind Summit Theatre (from giant polar bears to tiny flying spies!!) and some spectacular sets. Eight local actors will support the seventeen professional actors to create Pullman's mystical worlds for the stage.

The story starts with Lyra, along with her daemon Pantalaimon, who lives in Oxford. Not the Oxford of this earth but that of a parallel world, where the souls of humans are visible and other worlds are seen in the stars. When she and best friend Rodger eavesdrop on Lord Asriel arguing with religious authorities about the mysterious "dust", little do they know that an adventure as far reaching as the Republic of Heaven is about to unfold.

When Rodger disappears, taken by the child-snatching Gobblers, Lyra promises to find him and her daring quest begins. Chased across worlds by the cruel Mrs Coulter whose determination to preserve the innocent comes with the highest of costs, Lyra's courage and determination lead her into extraordinary danger and her journey stretches much further than rescuing her friend.

With the help of armoured bears, armies of witches, a Texan in a hot-air balloon and eventually her soul-mate Will, she learns the secrets of the truth-telling Alethiometer and the power of the Subtle Knife in a bid to stop a War deciding the fate of Good and Evil.

His Dark Materials runs at the West Yorkshire Playhouse from Thursday 28 May until Saturday 20 June 2009.