ROGER MCGOUGH’S ACCLAIMED ADAPTATION OF MOLIÈRE’STHE HYPOCHONDRIAC TO BE STAGED IN THE CRUCIBLE THEATRE
CRUCIBLE FESTIVE MUSICAL THIS YEAR WILL BE A NEW PRODUCTION OF IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS
THE INTIMATE AND FLEXIBLE TANYA MOISEIWITSCH PLAYHOUSE TO STAGE TWO WORLD PREMIERES: ANNA HIBISCUS’ SONG AND WE COULD ALL BE PERFECT
2023
TANYA MOISEIWITSCH PLAYHOUSE
- Anna Hibiscus’ Song: Produced by resident company Utopia Theatre and Sheffield Theatres and staged in the intimate and flexible Playhouse. This new play is adapted from the book by Atinuke and is directed and adapted by Utopia Theatre Founder, CEO and Artistic Director Mojisola Kareem-Elufowoju. Suitable for children aged 3+ and their families, this theatrical adaptation of the much-loved children's book is told through music, dance, puppetry and traditional African storytelling. Friday 7 – Saturday 15 July 2023.
- We Could All Be Perfect: Commissioned, developed and produced by Sheffield Theatres, this debut play by Doncaster writer Hannah Morley is directed by Ruby Clarke. This new play is a furious and funny exploration of whether teenage girls will save the world and asks if they should have to. Saturday 23 September – Saturday 14 October 2023 (Press performance: Wednesday 27 September 2023 at 7pm).
CRUCIBLE THEATRE
- The Hypochondriac: Produced by Sheffield Theatres and staged in the Crucible by director Sarah Tipple. Roger McGough’s celebrated adaptation of Molière’s witty satire proves that laughter really is the best form of medicine. Saturday 30 September - Saturday 21 October 2023 (Press performance: Thursday 5 October 2023 at 7pm).
- Irving Berlin’s White Christmas: A new production by Sheffield Theatres, staged on the iconic Crucible stage and directed by Paul Foster (Talent, Kiss Me Kate, 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 (Press performance: Thursday 14 December 2023 at 7pm).
Robert Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, said:
“We look forward to a new season of shows that showcase what our theatres do best: offer audiences thrilling experiences with new and reimagined work on all our stages.
We begin with a co-production with our long-standing partners Utopia Theatre, in their new play Anna Hibiscus’ Song. Directed by Mojisola Kareem-Elofuwoju, this magical tale based on Atinuke’s book combines music, dance, puppetry and traditional African storytelling to delight young audiences.
Later in the year, we present Molière’s hilarious satire The Hypochondriac in the Crucible, with Sarah Tipple directing Roger McGough’s playful adaptation. Over in the Playhouse, Hannah Morley’s debut play We Could All Be Perfect, directed by Ruby Clarke, celebrates the power, experiences and potential of teenage girls throughout history.
To round off the year we bring the festive classic White Christmas to the Crucible stage this December. Directed by Paul Foster, it’s a musical that will delight all ages.”
Tom Bird, Chief Executive of Sheffield Theatres, said:
“It is an exciting time at Sheffield Theatres, having just transferred Standing at the Sky’s Edge to the National Theatre in London to great acclaim (including a phenomenal eight Olivier Award nominations), and we look forward to the opening of our production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist, which started life in our intimate Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, at the Lyric Hammersmith later this month. Here in Sheffield, we are producing hot new writing with Wildfire Road running now in the Playhouse, before the new season in the Crucible begins with The Good Person of Szechwan: our co-production with ETT and the Lyric Hammersmith. We also welcome an old friend back to the city with Life of Pi opening its UK and Ireland tour at the Lyceum Theatre this August, following its Broadway debut this spring.
All this, plus an exciting summer ahead with our newly reimagined production of Miss Saigon, which we are delighted to be extending by a week due to extraordinary demand, followed by the autumn and winter season of brand-new shows announced today. I’m thrilled to join these daring and beautiful theatres as we look ahead to an exceptional year!”
These new shows join other productions previously announced for 2023. In the PlayhouseWildfire Road is produced by Sheffield Theatres. This new play by Eve Leigh and directed byLaura Keefe is an environmental thriller about a highjacked plane and a disparate group of passengers who try to make sense of their situation as the world burns below. Until Saturday 18 March 2023.
In the Crucible, a new production marking the 80th anniversary of Bertolt Brecht’s popular play The Good Person of Szechwan, is commissioned by ETT and co-produced by Sheffield Theatres, ETT and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. This new version by writer Nina Segal is directed by Sheffield Theatres Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau (Anna Karenina). Saturday 11 March – Saturday 1 April 2023.
Also in the Crucible Theatre this summer is a new production of Miss Saigon which will mark the first regional non-replica production of Boublil and Schönberg’s hit musical retelling of Madame Butterfly set during the Vietnam war. Miss Saigon will be reimagined by Sheffield Theatres’ Artistic Director Robert Hastie and Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau as co-directors, with design by Ben Stones and lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun. Joanna Ampil, who has previously played Kim in the London, Sydney, UK touring and 10th anniversary productions of Miss Saigon, is cast as The Engineer. Further casting and creative team to be announced. An extra week has been added to the run, now playing from Saturday 8 July 2023 – Saturday 19 August 2023.
Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre continues to host some of the UK’s best touring plays, musicals and dance.InDecember, Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimeswill stage the family pantomime Beauty and the Beast. Panto legend Damian Williamsreturns for his 16th year. Friday 8 December 2023 - Sunday 7 January 2024.
Beyond Sheffield, the Olivier Award nominated new musical which started life at the Crucible Theatre, Standing at the Sky’s Edge, continues at the National Theatre until Saturday 25 March 2023, written by Chris Bush with the music of Richard Hawley and directed by Robert Hastie, nationaltheatre.org.uk.Also in London, the Playhouse Theatre’s acclaimed comedy Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo in a new version by comedian and writer Tom Basden runs at the Lyric Hammersmith from Monday 13 March – Saturday 8 April 2023, lyric.co.uk.
In addition to these Sheffield Theatres productions, a number of touring shows will visit the Crucible this year:
James Seabright presents Buffy Revamped on Thursday 1 June. Seventy minutes. Seven seasons. One Spike. All 144 episodes of cult 90s TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer retold by the one person who knows it inside out: Spike. Funny, satirical and bursting with 90s pop-culture references, it’s the perfect parody for Buffy aficionados and those who never enrolled at Sunnydale High alike.
Bridget Christie is hot, but not in a good way. The 51-year-old critically-acclaimed stand-up leaks blood, sweats, and wonders why there are so many films, made by men, about young women discovering their sexuality, but none about middle-aged women forgetting theirs. It’s a menopause laugh-a-minute, Bridget Christie: Who Am I? plays on Thursday 2 November.
Join Danny Robins for the biggest ever investigation into the paranormal with Uncanny: I Know What I Saw on Friday 3 November. Is the impossible, possible? Become immersed in the sights, sounds and scares of brand new, real-life stories of the supernatural and share your own stories – if you dare.
The Lyceum will also host a number of touring productions, both new and returning:
Direct from London’s West End, Showstopper! The Musical returns from Friday 9 - Saturday 10 June. A brand new musical comedy is created from scratch at each performance of this award-winning show, as audience suggestions are transformed on the spot into all-singing, all dancing productions with hilarious results. So whether you fancy Hamilton in a hospital or Sondheim in the Sahara, you suggest it and The Showstoppers will sing it!
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet gives Shakespeare’s timeless story of forbidden love a scintillating injection of raw passion and youthful vitality. Confined against their will by a society that seeks to divide, two young lovers must follow their hearts as they risk everything to be together. A masterful re-telling of an ageless tale, running from Tuesday 3 - Saturday 7 October.
The award-winning, smash-hit musical The Bodyguard is back from Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 October! Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge – what they don't expect is to fall in love.
The smash-hit production of Annie returns to Sheffield from Tuesday 17 - Saturday 21 October, direct from London’s West End. This ‘glorious revival’ (The Times) stars Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood* as the tyrannical Miss Hannigan! Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes but spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas…
On Saturday 28 October, meet Andy and the Odd Socks. “We jam, we write, we rock… we’re the Odd Socks!” Andy Day, one of the most recognisable faces of CBeebies, leads his sock’n’roll band with fantastic, catchy songs and a true celebration of individuality. Appealing to kids and adults alike, join in with singalong songs that kids adore, with a dash of Mighty Boosh or Flight of the Conchords oddball humour that parents love.
Treason the Musical is the exciting new musical drama about the gunpowder plot, running from Tuesday 31 October - Saturday 4 November. Set to completely blow you away with a stunning new score and lyrics, the production features a fusion of original folk and pop songs that tell a crucial tale in England's history.
Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None comes to the Lyceum from Tuesday 7 - Saturday 11 November. Ten strangers are lured to a solitary mansion off the coast of Devon. When a storm cuts them off from the mainland, the true reason for their presence on the island becomes horribly clear. Directed by Lucy Bailey (Witness for the Prosecution, Love from a Stranger), this brand-new production of the bestselling crime novel of all time will keep you on the edge of your seat…
STOS theatre company present Barnum from Tuesday 14 - Saturday 18 November. This joyful and moving musical portrait of the 19th century’s greatest show-biz legend – Barnum. With music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Michael Stewart and book by Mark Bramble, this amateur production is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.
Celebrating 40 years on the road in 2023, Dillie, Liza and Adèle, Britain’s raciest and sassiest musical cabaret trio, are bringing their brand-new Fascinating Aïda show to Sheffield on Wednesday 22 November. Uniquely charming, with diamond-sharp satire, filthy, hilarious, belligerent, political, poignant and outrageous, this indomitable trio are still the mistresses of their craft.
Freckle Productions present the touching, funny and utterly original adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s delightful Stick Man, from Thursday 23 - Saturday 25 November. What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure for Stick Man. How will he ever get back to the family tree? This award-winning production, from the team behind Zog and Zog and the Flying Doctors, features a trio of top actors and is packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves.
Noises Off, one of the greatest British comedies ever written, visits the Lyceum from Tuesday 28 November - Saturday 2 December, direct from a triumphant West End season. Michael Frayn’s celebrated play serves up a riotous double bill, a play within a play. Hurtling along at breakneck speed, Noises Off follows the on and off stage antics of a touring theatre company as they stumble their way through the fictional farce, Nothing On.
He’s back and as fabulous as ever – Jamie’s in the spotlight in Sheffield with the return of the much-loved hit musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie, running from Tuesday 9 - Saturday 20 April 2024. Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie is going to be a sensation. Funny, fabulous and feel good, this is the musical for all the family and not to be missed!
Over in the Playhouse, touring productions include:
Actors Touring Company and Belgrade Theatre Coventry, in association with Brixton House present Family Tree, playing on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 May. A beautifully poetic drama about race, health, the environment, and the incredible legacy of one of the most influential Black women of modern times, this award-winning play by Mojisola Adebayo is both a remembrance and a celebration.
Co-produced by Sheffield Theatres and Cambridge Junction, Sheffield’s Forced Entertainment presents If All Else Fails from Thursday 25 - Friday 26 May. A comical and complex two -hander featuring Cathy Naden and guest artist Seke Chimutengwende, two powerful forces in the contemporary theatre scene.
Beth is confident, clever and wants to become the world’s best leader. But people keep calling her bossy… Multi-award winning Zoo Co presents brand new show: Bossy, on Saturday 27 May. Celebrating Black culture and featuring a kick-ass Caribbean soundtrack, the show is performed in BSL and English and will leave you feeling pumped up and powerful!
The Fossil Kids, written by Simon Marshall with Sheffield People’s Theatre Young Company plays on Saturday 3 June. Four siblings raised by their Grandfather suddenly find themselves in charge of his legacy. No family’s perfect, but The Fossil Kids have history. A play about growing up, showing up and learning to be there for those who need you.
We Need New Names, a Fifth Word and New Perspectives co-production, runs from Monday 5 - Tuesday 6 June. Based on the novel by the first Black African woman and first Zimbabwean to be Booker Prize-shortlisted, this defiant coming-of-age story is full of exuberance, humour and humanity.
Middle Child present Modest from Friday 9 – Saturday 10 June. Rooted in music hall and inspired by drag king cabaret, Modest is a farcical play about Elizabeth Thompson, the artist who almost became the first woman elected to the Royal Academy in 1879. Written by Ellen Brammar with music by Rachel Barnes.
Godot Is A Woman plays on Tuesday 13 June. A whip-smart interrogation of gender, authorial copyright and the cultural significance of Madonna's 1989 album, Like a Prayer. Silent Faces return with their trademark style of playful, political, physical theatre.
When her new community is rocked by tragedy, Liz rediscovers outdoor swimming and how it can keep both her and her new friends afloat. Filled with humour and heart, live music and projection, Swim is a tender tale based on a true story, playing on Saturday 24 June.
Celebrated poet and musician John Hegley brings his latest show Biscuit of Destiny to Sheffield on Thursday 20 July. Star of radio, T.V. and school assemblies, John returns with his Lustrum Award-winning show, which delves into the eccentric side of Romantic poet John Keats.
Watson: The Final Problem plays on Saturday 22 July. The year is 1894. Watson is alone. Sherlock Holmes and his beloved Mary are both gone. London seethes with false reports and rumour. It is time to set the record straight, so Watson tells his tale. Written by Bert Coules and Tim Marriott, and based on the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Alongside Sheffield Theatres’ own productions, dazzling tours and up-and-coming shows, you can develop creativity and learn more with a dynamic range of activities and events:
Teachers can take part in a wealth of education engagement opportunities. From young people working with industry professionals, to teachers joining the Sheffield Theatres Educators Party (STEP), Sheffield Theatres aims to support teachers in delivering the curriculum while developing creative opportunities for young people.
Sheffield Theatres’ SummerSchool takes place in August and offers expertise from theatre professionals for participants to try their hand at a number of creative skills.
For those looking to be involved in performance, Sheffield People’s Theatre (SPT) is Sheffield Theatres’ intergenerational company for anyone aged 12+ with a shared passion for being involved in great theatre, Launchpad is a group for adults aged 18 plus with learning disabilities and/or Autism, and the Young Company is for anyone aged 18–25 who is looking to develop a career in the creative industries.
Following the success of 2021’s celebratory event Together in the City Festival, Together Too will take place from Friday 28 – Saturday 29 July, showcasing the incredible creativity of Sheffield’s community, within the theatres and across the city.
Tickets for new Sheffield Theatres productions: Anna Hibiscus’ Song, We Could All Be Perfect, The Hypochondriac and White Christmas, plus all new touring productionsare on sale to Centre Stage Members at 10am on Saturday 18 March 2023 and on general sale at 10am on Saturday 25 March 2023. Tickets for all other 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.
*Craig Revel Horwood will not be performing on Saturday’s performances.
