Right, lovelies — grab your skateboards and your helmets, because Royal & Derngate in Northampton have only gone and turned their entire theatre into a full-blown skatepark. Yes, really. Radlands, but with better lighting and probably fewer broken elbows.
They’ve just announced casting for Top Gs Like Me, a brand new play by Samson Hawkins (you’ll know him from Village Idiot), directed by Artistic Director Jesse Jones. It’s funny, bold, unfiltered, and dives head-first into the murky waters of online culture and toxic masculinity — the stuff young people are swimming in whether they like it or not. And because Royal & Derngate were recently crowned the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre, they’re aiming to get thousands of students, teachers, and parents through the doors to see it. The show runs 21 Feb – 7 March 2026, with Press Night on the 26th. (I’ll be there, satchel in hand.)
Casting-wise, we’ve got Danny Hatchard (Lee Carter in EastEnders, plus Our Girl and Ridley Road) and David Schaal — yes, Jay’s Dad from The Inbetweeners and Glyn from The Office. Expect swagger. Expect chaos. Expect a man who has definitely told someone to “turn that music down” in real life.
The play follows Aidan, who is… well, lost. His mate’s gone off to uni, his mum’s struggling, his side hustle is dodgy at best, and he’s stuck stacking supermarket shelves while doomscrolling himself into oblivion. His happy places? The skatepark and the algorithm. (Same thing, really.)
Enter Hugo Bang — an online “alpha guru” who promises to turn Aidan into the man he’s supposed to be. But is Hugo a lifesaver… or a flashing warning sign with sunglasses on? The story digs deep into how digital figures get their claws into young people, shaping their identities in ways that feel increasingly dangerous.
David Schaal says the piece grips him because it blends real life with the surreal chaos of the internet — and tackles the instability Gen Z face in a world that won’t stop shifting beneath their feet. Danny Hatchard’s equally chuffed, especially to be diving into the warped, wild influence online culture has on teens today.
And the theatre isn’t just dropping the show and walking off whistling. Oh no. They’re going big on education and support. There’ll be workshops, Q&As, safety sessions, creative discussions, and even a whole two-day conference for teachers, parents, and practitioners. Basically: “Let’s talk about the internet before it eats your children alive.”
The show also comes with a massive street-art installation — 360 pieces created with local community groups, scattered through the theatre and across Northampton like an urban treasure trail of activism.
Creative team roll call: Set & Costume by Rebecca Brower, lighting by Rory Beaton, sound by Benjamin Grant, casting by Kristian Wall, dramaturgy by Lauren Mooney. The play was developed with support from the National Theatre’s Generate programme, plus Royal & Derngate’s own Generate scheme with Andy Routledge.
It’s all part of the theatre’s Made in Northampton season, sponsored locally by Michael Jones Jeweller — sparkle meets skate grime. I love it.
Right, that’s everything in my satchel for now. Try not to fall off your board on the way.
LISTINGS
TOP GS LIKE ME
A Royal & Derngate Northampton production
21 February to 7 March 2026
Press Night: Thursday 26 February 7pm
Written by Samson Hawkins
Directed by Jesse Jones
Box Office 01604 624811
www.royalandderngate.co.uk
Booking details here.
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