Brand new productions will be touring to the Lyceum, Crucible and Playhouse later this year and into 2026, bringing the best of musical theatre, new playwriting, murder mysteries and classic comedies to Sheffield.
Touring to the Lyceum
Sheffield's own all-star ukulele ensemble the Everly Pregnant Brothers present their new show Reyt Proper Sit Down Gig on Saturday 4 October. Join the Brothers for a reyt posh sit-down gig: a night full of laughs and music, supported by the wonderful Northern comic talents of Barbara Nice. Expect surprise guests, a night full of laughs, Yorkshire quips, and of course a good old sing-a-long.
Into 2026, enjoy a festive favourite with a Cuban twist with Carlos Acosta'sbrand-new production Nutcracker in Havana from Wednesday 7 - Saturday 10 January, featuring new choreography by Carlos Acosta CBE and performed by more than 20 dancers from his Cuban company, Acosta Danza. Set to an exuberant Cuban version of the magnificent Tchaikovsky score, Nutcracker in Havana is enriched with Acosta Danza’s unique balletic style and with Cuban dance traditions, fusing this festive treat with a little Havana heat.
Ready to thrill you with fun and naughty moments, Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical The Rocky Horror Show returns for another party in Sheffield from Monday 12 – Saturday 17 January. Seen by over 35 million theatregoers, follow the story of two squeaky-clean college kids, Brad and his fiancée Janet on an adventure they’ll never forget. When by a twist of fate, their car breaks down outside a creepy mansion whilst on their way to visit their former college professor, they meet the charismatic Dr Frank’n’Furter. Filled with fun, frolics, frocks, and frivolity.
You’re invited to the musical equivalent of the finest vintage champagne. Effervescent, elegant and exhilarating, Irving Berlin’s Top Hat comes to Sheffield from Tuesday 20 – Saturday 24 January. Based on the classic 1935 film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Top Hat is a heady romantic cocktail laced with sparklingly witty dialogue, stunning choreography, lavish sets and gorgeous costumes. Irving Berlin’s irresistible score includes some of Hollywood’s greatest songs including Cheek to Cheek, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, Top Hat White Tie and Tails and Puttin’ on the Ritz.
The iconic international West End and Broadway smash hit musical comedy Legally Blonde The Musical is back in fashion with a huge new production, touring to Sheffield from Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 March. This ultimate feel-good rom-com, based on the award-winning film starring Reese Witherspoon, comes from the creative team behind director Nikolai Foster’s phenomenally successful Kinky Boots. Follow Elle Woods on her transformation from It girl fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School, all in the name of love.
Bitter rivals. Buried secrets. A love to die for. On board a luxurious cruise under the heat of the Egyptian sun, a couple’s idyllic honeymoon is cut short by a brutal murder - Agatha's Christie's Death On The Nile docks in Sheffield from Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14 March. As secrets that have been buried in the sands of time finally resurface, can the world-famous detective Hercule Poirot untangle the web of lies and solve another crime? Following the sell-out tours of And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express, discover the mysteries in this brand-new adaptation of the globally celebrated Agatha Christie story.
English Touring Opera returns from Friday 20 - Saturday 21 March with two operas. Gilbert and Sullivan’s last great success, The Gondoliers, is a fizzing comedy of mistaken identity that marries joy and chaos with a sharp satire of monarchy and class. Then, art imitates life in Pagliacci - ripped from the headlines about a real-life crime case from composer Ruggero Leoncavallo’s own childhood, Pagliacci packs passion, melodrama and revenge into an intense 90 minutes of drama.
The “greatest British sitcom of all time” (Radio Times) is back – this time on stage! Nearly 50 years since it first graced our TV screens, Fawlty Towers: The Play is now a brand-new stage production adapted by comedy legend John Cleese and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger. Fresh from a sold out West End season, join Basil (Danny Bayne), Polly (Joanne Clifton), the delightfully bumbling Major (Paul Nicholas) plus an 18-strong cast as they bring to life all the show’s unforgettable moments. With sharp wit, chaos and calamity at every turn, it’s a staycation you’ll never forget! From Tuesday 7 - Saturday 11 April.
The year is 1943 and we're losing the war. Luckily, we're about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. Operation Mincemeat is the 2024 Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical and a 2025 Tony-nominated Best Musical on Broadway. It’s London's biggest hit with 77 Five-Star reviews making it the best-reviewed show in West End history. Singin' in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. Directed by Robert Hastie, former Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, the show storms the Lyceum from Monday 13 – Saturday 25 April.
In the Crucible
Sheffield Community Gospel Choir is one of the best known and most well-loved Gospel Choirs in Yorkshire, founded in 2013 by Janine Dyer, who continues to lead and direct. Returning to the Crucible on Saturday 25 October, their mesmerizing vocals and soul-stirring melodies captivate audiences like no other. Prepare to be moved by their inspiring messages and unforgettable performances.
JoelDommett returns to his stand-up roots with a brand-new show on Thursday 30 October: Happy Idiot. With glamorous tales from behind the camera and less glamorous anecdotes of first-time fatherhood, Joel remains a charming, exhausted, happy idiot. As one of the nation’s most familiar faces on television, Joel has established himself as one of the UK’s most trusted and beloved presenters and a firm favourite in UK households.
Visiting the Playhouse
Two sheep think they know everything about sleep - they’re experts in the field, but tonight they’re wide awake. Counting Sheeps plays on Wednesday 3 September. Snuggle up and join two sheep on a journey through the joys and frustrations of everything bedtime. A touching, musical adventure filled with sensory play for 0-3 year olds and their (very tired) grown-ups.
Struggling at the beginning of his medical transition, a young trans man has dropped out of university and returned to his quiet hometown. His friends are away, the locals are becoming increasingly hostile, his body is transforming before his very eyes and it’s all becoming too much... Until he catches a midnight screening of Frankenstein. At last, he feels seen. Dear Young Monster, running Friday 5 – Saturday 6 September, is Pete MacHale’s debut solo show pulling apart fear, otherness, and what it means to embrace being the monster that the world keeps telling you that you are. Produced with support from Bristol Old Vic.
As part of their 30th anniversary season, New Earth Theatre collaborated with seven venues across the country to explore and embrace ESEA and British performance culture in the here-and-now. Twisted Roots Festival celebrates British East and Southeast Asian arts heritage in the modern theatre landscape. On Tuesday 9 - Wednesday 10 September, enjoy a night of work-in-progress pieces, fusing western theatre styles with Filipino dance, Chinese paper cutting and Rakugo comedy.
On Friday 13 September is Julia Masli ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Nominated Best Show: Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2023, Best Show: Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2023 and Nominated Most Innovative Show: The Offies 2025. The blurb is: hahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahaha hihihi hahahahahahahaha hoho hahahhahahaha hehe hahahahahahahahahaha. “Ha.” Guardian
A Roots Mbili Theatre production, originally co-produced with Sheffield Theatres, Far Gone returns to the Playhouse from Wednesday 17 – Saturday 20 September. When Okumu’s village in Northern Uganda is attacked by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), he and his brother’s lives are changed forever. Inspired by John Rwothomack’s own real-life experience of nearly being kidnapped by the LRA, Far Gone is a profoundly moving story of a young boy’s journey from childhood innocence to child soldier. Told with humour, poetry, and startling physical theatre, Okumu’s experience strikes straight at the heart through a powerful one-man performance.
It’s 1993, Belfast is burning and Mum won’t let Alice go to Funderland. Fast forward to the present day, where Alice meets Tim, finally falling in love, but can she escape the legacy of a childhood shaped by conflict or will everything blow up in her face? Troubled is an explosive tale of love, loss and human connection – told with tea and biscuits. This 60-minute solo performance blends storytelling, projection, and audience interaction to reckon with the past and offer us hope for the future. Playing on Tuesday 4 November.
Look After Your Knees is a new solo show by theatre maker, performer and physical comedian Natalie Bellingham, playing on Wednesday 12 November. A story about the pain and beauty of growing older, of connecting and unravelling, of taking hold and letting go. Through comedy, storytelling, and movement, it’s a celebration of being human in all its banality, sprinkled with joy and ridiculousness.
When Matt was little, their dad bought a 1950s classic car, with ideas that he and Matt would do it up, repair, rebuild together. They never did, and the car festered in a garage. Now in their 30s, Matt would like to learn how to fix a car engine. They’d like to learn a bit more about Dad, and that time when Dad and Mum split up - when Matt and Dad were closest. But Matt can’t do this alone, which is where Matt’s drag alter-ego, Natalie Spanner, comes in. She knows all about maintenance, care and repair. Together, Matt and Natalie ask, in an increasingly broken world, how might we repair ourselves, together? Fixing runs on Wednesday 19 November.
From Friday 21 – Saturday 22 November, The Egg and Toby Thompson present The Little Prince. Embark on a whimsical journey with the Little Prince as he travels the universe, searching for the true meaning of friendship in this poetic solo adaptation. Exploring friendship, wonder, and human connection, this spellbinding performance captures the heart of Saint-Exupéry’s classic, reminding us to see with our hearts and rediscover the magic of imagination.
Roshni (from the Persian word meaning light or brilliance) is an intimate crafting of dance and live music, inspired by the stories and experiences of everyday people. On Thursday 27 November, be taken on a deeply moving and gloriously entertaining, journey through wordless storytelling, beatboxing, eclectic music and percussive dance with upbeat audience interaction. With improvised and spoken word/beatboxing sections like no other, and a world class live musical ensemble, not one performance of Roshni is the same as the last!
After a critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024 at Paines Plough’s Roundabout, and a sold-out run at Soho Theatre in Spring 2025, Temi Wilkey's cult phenomenon Main Character Energy takes Sheffield by storm from Friday 28 – Saturday 29 November. A beautiful and supremely talented black actress is putting on an outrageously hilarious, autobiographical one-woman show to finally take up the space she’s been so routinely denied, in a high camp cocktail of comedy and cabaret.
Then to delight the youngest theatre-goers this December, Christmas Lights shimmers in the Playhouse from Tuesday 16 – Wednesday 31 December. Join friends, Alvie and Kit as they embark on a playful mission to light up their house in time for Christmas. But what happens when your Christmas Lights seem to have a mind of their own? Award-winning company, Filskit Theatre, show how the power of friendship can light up the dark with beautiful lights, original music, playful performance and integrated BSL. Perfect for children aged 1-4 and their families, who are invited to stay and play with the performers after the show.
Tickets for new shows going on sale are available to book by Centre Stage Members from 10am Saturday 7 June, with general booking opening on Saturday 14 June.
