IN SPRING, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ANTHONY LAU WILL STAGE A NEW PRODUCTION OF ARTHUR MILLER’S THE CRUCIBLE IN SHEFFIELD’S WORLD FAMOUS CRUCIBLE THEATRE
SHEFFIELD THEATRES REUNITE WITH THEATRE CENTRE FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF WISH YOU WEREN’T HERE, STAGED IN THE INTIMATE AND FLEXIBLE TANYA MOISEIWITSCH PLAYHOUSE AND TOURING SCHOOLS
ROOTS MBILI THEATRE AND THE REMOTE THEATER PROJECT BRING THE WORLD PREMIERE OF LINES TO THE PLAYHOUSE, CO-PRODUCED WITH SHEFFIELD THEATRES
2024
TANYA MOISEIWITSCH PLAYHOUSE
- Wish You Weren’t Here: A new play by Katie Redford directed by Theatre Centre Artistic Director Rob Watt (Human Nurture, Birds and Bees) about growing up, single parenthood and finding your way in the world as women. Co-produced by Sheffield Theatres and Theatre Centre.
Wednesday 24 January – Saturday 10 February 2024 then touring (Press performance: Thursday 25 January 2024 at 7pm). - Lines: Created by Junaid Sarieddeen, John Rwothomack, Fidaa Zidan and Alexandra Aron with additional writing by Asiimwe Deborah Kawe, this new play asks what connects five prisons over five decades in Uganda, Palestine, and the UK? A look through the bars of post-colonial life as told through stories in these diverging yet parallel worlds. Co-produced by Sheffield Theatres, Roots Mbili Theatre and The Remote Theater Project. Tuesday 27 February – Saturday 9 March 2024 (Press performance:Thursday 29 February 2024 at 7pm).
CRUCIBLE THEATRE
- The Crucible: Produced by Sheffield Theatres
and staged in the iconic Crucible Theatre by Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau (Miss Saigon, Anna Karenina). Arthur Miller’s timeless masterpiece based on the true events of the infamous Salem witch trials.
Saturday 2 – Saturday 30 March 2024 (Press performance: Thursday 7 March2024 at 7pm).
Robert Hastie, ArtisticDirectorof Sheffield Theatres, said:
“With this new season of shows, we are delighted to share with audiences bold new work in the Playhouse, and a timeless classic on our Crucible stage.
The Playhouse continues to offer our audiences thrilling new writing and theatrical adventures. Headlining our spring season are a mother and daughter trip to the seaside and a journey into the lives of prisoners around the world.
It’s always a joy to welcome back Theatre Centre who make brilliant work for younger audiences, as we co-produce a third production with them in their 70th anniversary year. Wish You Weren’t Here by Katie Redford tells the story of a teenage girl and her mother on a hilarious holiday in Scarborough, including highs, lows, and uncomfortable truths, and plays in both the Playhouse and in schools around the city.
Lines is an international collaboration developed by Sheffield-based Roots Mbili Theatre and The Remote Theater Project, and we are proud to support this trailblazing company as they build on the success of John Rwothomack’s devastating Far Gone. Lines interweaves stories post-colonial life through the bars of five prisons across the globe.
Then, Anthony Lau, our Associate Artistic Director, directs Arthur Miller’s classic The Crucible. Miller’s greatest play and the Crucible theatre are made for each other, and not just for the obvious reason that they share a name.
Miller’s epic story of the Salem witch trials gathers us together in the public forum of the theatre to bear witness to the consequences of allowing fear and dishonesty to govern our society. Staged by the team that made Sheffield Theatres fizz with their dazzlingly creative takes on Anna Karenina and The Good Person of Szechwan, this promises to be unmissable.”
Tom Bird, Chief Executive of Sheffield Theatres, said:
“Sheffield Theatres continues to thrive -we’re delighted that our summer production of Miss Saigon was attended by over 35,000 people, and that over 30% of audience members were new to our theatres. Our autumn productions, The Hypochondriac and We Could All Be Perfect, are opening this month and will delight and inspire in equal measure. Elsewhere, Life of Pi has begun its national tour; Accidental Death of an Anarchist enjoyed a barnstorming end to its limited run in the West End; and we can’t wait for Standing at the Sky’s Edge to kick off its own West End run in February. Meanwhile, our extraordinary Learning and Participation work continues in schools and community settings right across the city, and our Talent Development programme nurtures Sheffield’s creatives of the future.
We’re looking forward to a bumper family Christmas, with our pantomime Beauty and the Beast in the Lyceum, and White Christmas in the Crucible - followed by the spring season of brand-new shows announced today.”
In addition to new shows in 2024, Sheffield Theatres have a broad range of productions across their three venues. In the PlayhouseWe Could All Be Perfect is commissioned, developed and produced by Sheffield Theatres. This new play by Doncaster writer Hannah Morley and directed by Ruby Clarke is a furious and funny exploration of whether teenage girls will save the world and asks if they should have to. Until Saturday 14 October 2023
In the Crucible, Roger McGough’s celebrated adaptation of Molière’s The Hypochondriac is produced by Sheffield Theatres and staged by director Sarah Tipple. This witty satire proves that laughter really is the best form of medicine. Saturday 30 September - Saturday 21 October 2023
This festive season Sheffield Theatres will present a new production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas staged on the iconic Crucible stage and directed by Paul Foster (Talent, Kiss Me, Kate and Annie Get Your Gun). This classic feel-good musical for all the family features the songs Blue Skies, Sisters and the festive favourite White Christmas. Saturday 9 December 2023 – Saturday 13 January 2024.
In the Lyceum theatre in December,Sheffield Theatresand Evolution Pantomimes will stage the family pantomime Beauty and the Beast. Panto legend Damian Williamsreturns for his 16th year and stars alongside Duncan James (Blue) as Danton and Jennie Dale (CBeebies' Swashbuckle) as Fairy. Friday 8 December 2023 - Sunday 7 January 2024.
Beyond Sheffield, the Olivier Award-winning new musical which started life at the Crucible Theatre and wowed audiences at the National Theatre, Standing at the Sky’s Edge, transfers to the West End’s Gillian Lynne Theatre from Thursday 8 February 2024. Written by Chris Bush with the music of Richard Hawley and directed by Robert Hastie,skysedgemusical.com.
Two hit shows which also started life in the Crucible Theatre are entertaining audiences around the UK with the Olivier and Tony Award-winning stage adaptation of Life of Pi, continuing its UK and Ireland tour throughout 2023 and into 2024, lifeofpionstage.com, and the West End hit musical, which was originally developed by Sheffield Theatres, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie continues to delight audiences around the UK into 2024 everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk.
Sheffield Theatres continues to host some of the UK’s best touring plays, musicals and dance.
Visiting the Crucible this year:
Theatre Re presents The Nature of Forgetting on Wednesday 31 January – Thursday 1 February. Tom is living with young onset dementia. We meet him as he prepares for his 55th birthday party and past memories come flooding back. Following sold-out performances across the globe, Theatre Re brings its explosive, powerful and joyous piece about what is left when memory is gone, back to the UK.
Join David Suchet for Poirot and More: A Retrospective on Friday 2 February. For over 25 years David Suchet captivated millions worldwide as Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Meet the actor behind the detective and the many characters he’s portrayed over a career spanning five decades. This retrospective will have you witness some of his most beloved performances in a new and intimate light.
The Lyceum will also host a number of touring productions, both new and returning:
The winner of the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, The Boy at the Back of the Class is brought to life on stage from Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9 March. Ahmet’s classmates hatch a plan to reunite him with his family. An unexpected and often hilarious adventure follows, with a terrific twist.
English Touring Opera bring a season full of big city temptations with new productions of two landmark operas. The dramatic and moving Manon Lescaut by Puccini, directed by Jude Christian, plays on Monday 11 March, then Stravinsky’s brilliantly inventive The Rake’s Progress, directed by Polly Graham, plays on Tuesday 12 March.
Croft House Theatre Company presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical, Sunset Boulevard from Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 March, featuring the unmistakeable classic songs, With One Look, As If We Never Said Goodbye and The Perfect Year. An amateur production by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd.
Join Bluey, Bingo and Mum and Dad Bandit and Chilli withBluey’s Big Play from Wednesday 27 - Saturday 30 March. A brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award-winning children’s television series, join the Heelers in their first live theatre show in the UK. Featuring brilliantly created puppets, this is Bluey as you’ve never seen it before, brought to real life.
From Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 April, Northern Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet tells the ultimate tale of forbidden love; of two young people who risk everything to be together. Adapted by Christopher Gable and Massimo Moricone from Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet is one of Northern Ballet’s most beloved and critically acclaimed productions – and it’s making a long-awaited return to UK stages next spring.
Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller The 39 Steps ishilariously recreated for the stage in this smash-hit Olivier and Tony Award-winning comedy. Follow the incredible adventures of our handsome hero Richard Hannay, complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, and, of course, devastatingly beautiful women. Four fearless actors. 139 roles. 100 minutes of fast-paced fun. From Tuesday 30 April – Saturday 4 May.
On Tuesday 7 May, Miles Jupp presents On I Bang. Since Miles’ last tour finished at The London Palladium in 2017, he’s been in The Full Monty on Disney Plus, The Durrells and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? as well as many episodes of Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and Have I Got News For You. His new show is a tale about surprise, fear, luck, love and qualified medical practitioners.
Cluedo, the hilarious whodunit is back on stage with a new mystery, new house, new suspects, and lot of new bodies withCluedo 2: The Next Chapter! If you're a fan of the game or enjoyed the hysterical first play - you’re gonna love this! If you missed the first Cluedo, it doesn’t matter – this is a brand new story - for all age groups – so come and have some fun - you’ll love it too! From Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 May.
Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound out onto stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime: Madagascar the Musical! Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture and filled with outlandish characters, adventure galore and an upbeat score, you’ll have no choice but to ‘Move It, Move It!’ From Wednesday 22 – Saturday 25 May.
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international bestselling novel, The Kite Runner returns to Sheffield from Tuesday 4 – Saturday 8 June. This haunting tale of friendship spans cultures and continents and follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. The unforgettable theatrical tour-de-force returns to the UK direct from Broadway.
Written by Kay Mellor and directed by Gaynor Faye, The Syndicate runs from Tuesday 11 – Saturday 15 June. Five supermarket employees’ lottery syndicate numbers come in, just as their jobs and livelihoods are under threat. Will a share of the £18million jackpot make their dreams come true or their nightmares a reality? A moving comedy drama based on the first series of the hit BBC TV show, The Syndicate.
Based on the award-winning 80s film which starred Richard Gere, An Officer and a Gentleman runs from Monday 17 – Saturday 22 June. A timeless story of love, courage, and redemption, be part of the emotional journey of Zack Mayo, a fearless young officer candidate, and the captivating Paula Pokrifki, whose fiery spirit matches his own. Their encounters ignite a spark that transcends boundaries, awakening a passionate love that defies all odds. Featuring the songs of Madonna, Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, and many more.
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar runs from Monday 24 - Saturday 29 June. A global phenomenon that has wowed audiences for decades is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’, ‘Gethsemane’ and ‘Superstar’.
Winner of four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical in London and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical on Broadway, Come From Away makes its Sheffield debut from Tuesday 9 – Saturday 20 July. This smash hit show shares the incredible real-life story of the 7,000 air passengers from all over the world who were grounded in Canada during the wake of 9/11, and the small Newfoundland community that invited these ‘come from aways’ into their lives with open hearts.
The crowning glory of Broadway, the West End and beyond,the international smash hit SIX the Musical makes its royal return to Sheffield from Tuesday 23 July – Sat 10 August following its previous sell-out success! From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power.
Pretty Woman: The Musical comes to Sheffield from Monday 23 – Saturday 28 September. Hollywood’s ultimate rom-com is “a dazzling stage show” (Daily Express), starring Amber Davies and Ore Oduba. Direct from the West End, this smash-hit musical is the perfect show for dates and mates, this feel-good love story for the ages guarantees a big night out. Big. HUGE!
Ready to raise a little hell? Winner of Best New Musical (WhatsOnStage Awards 2023), the West End smash-hit Bonnie and Clyde comes to Sheffield from Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 October. Two small-town kids from the middle of nowhere became the biggest folk heroes in all America. They craved adventure—and each other. Their names were Bonnie and Clyde. Starring Catherine Tyldesley (Coronation Street), Danny Hatchard (EastEnders), Katie Tonkinson (Bat Out of Hell) and Sam Ferriday (The Cher Show).
The international musical phenomenon Hairspray swings back into Sheffield from Monday 14 – Saturday 19 October. Vivacious heroine Tracy Turnblad has big hair, a big heart, and big dreams to dance her way onto Baltimore TV and into the heart of teen idol Link Larkin. This fun-filled, feel good show is bursting with show-stopping numbers, dazzling costumes, and dizzying dance-routines that you can’t help but shimmy too!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show runs from Thursday 31 October – Saturday 2 November, having dazzled audiences around the globe for over seven years by faithfully bringing to the stage Eric Carle’s timeless classics. Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, leap onto the page and join an unforgettable journey full of whimsy, nostalgia, and one very hungry caterpillar.
It’s electrifyin’! Grease is back from Tuesday 12 – Saturday 16 November. After a whirlwind summer romance, leather-clad greaser Danny and girl-next-door Sandy are unexpectedly reunited when she transfers to Rydell High for senior year. But can they survive the trials and tribulations of teenage life and find true love once more?
Over in the Playhouse, touring productions include:
Howerd’s End on Tuesday 6 February. Frankie Howerd was one of Britain’s most loved comedians. But he had a secret, and his name was Dennis. This play by Sheffield-born Mark Farrelly explores their relationship.
Join Little Bear and Dad Bear forCan Bears Ski? on Wednesday 7 February, as they learn how there are many ways to find your place in the world. Based on the book by poet Raymond Antrobus.
Luna Loves Library Day The Musical plays on Saturday 17 February. Go on an adventure among the library shelves in this exciting new musical for families. Based on the book by Joseph Coelho and Fiona Lumbers.
China Plate and Staatstheater Mainz present A Family Business. How do ordinary people communicate about urgent issues? A show that explores the hidden threat of nuclear weapons. Created and performed by Chris Thorpe. Running Monday 19 – Tuesday 20 February.
James Rowland’s Piece of Work on Saturday 30 March is a remarkable road trip mixing music, comedy and storytelling to paint a picture of our country in all of its beauty, grime, pain and kindness.
Tickets for all newly-announced shows go on sale to Centre Stage Members at 10am on Saturday 7 October 2023 and on general sale at 10am on Saturday 14 October 2023. Tickets for all 2023 productions are on sale now.
Accessible performances are available on the majority of productions. Tickets can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
