13 new shows on sale at Theatre Royal Plymouth

Theatre Royal Plymouth are thrilled to announce that thirteen new shows for 2023/24 have gone on general sale today.

The Drum and The Lyric have plenty of new offerings, including a Christmas season stay in the Drum for Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas, a brand-new theatrical adaptation of a children’s favourite TV show in Bluey’s Big Play, and a big, HUGE night out with Pretty Woman: The Musical.

Take a look at the new productions today to be among the first to book for the best prices and availability!

Tickets are on sale now on the TRP website.

Zoe's Peculiar Journey Through Time, The Drum, 7th – 9th September 2023

Zoe loves meeting up with her friends, but one day as she’s getting ready, something very peculiar happens…

Catapulted one hundred years into the future, Zoe finds herself on a mysterious island made entirely of plastic waste. She doesn’t have time to think before her real adventures begin and she sets off to explore, solving riddles, meeting wonderful creatures, and helping new friends out of trouble.

Will she find her way home? Join us in this magical tale exploring themes of friendship and the environment, featuring Theatre-Rites’ award-winning puppetry.

Speakeasy, The Drum, 13th – 14th October 2023

Welcome to Speakeasy. All is not as it seems and if you happen upon it, best walk the other way. Southpaw Dance Company presents Speakeasy: a reinterpretation of the classic tale of Faust, where Faust enters a seemingly normal prohibition era bar, unaware that the bar is owned by the devil and populated by his demons, including the charismatic barman, Mephistopheles.

Speakeasy features a spectacular 1920’s themed set, world-class projection visuals, a cinematic soundtrack comprising big band classics and contemporary hits, alongside the distinctive Southpaw movement vocabulary that has been called, “atmospheric, vigorous, and breathtaking” (Sarah Crompton, Daily Telegraph).

Cracking, The Drum, 25th – 28th October 2023 

When the world goes mad, do we inevitably go mad too?

When Shôn playfully cracks an egg on his mother’s head, he has no idea real-life internet trolls will appear on his doorstep. CRACKING takes on the battle between love and hate, asking what’s funny and where we draw the line. Part stand-up, part theatre CRACKING is a funny, touching and thought-provoking solo performance that sews together fact and fiction into one seamless whole making us wonder what’s real, what’s not and what’s gone wrong.

CRACKING is a dark and comic story that blends fiction and reality into one seamless whole.

Shôn’s 83-year old mother is waiting for some test results from the hospital. Shôn goes back home to the Isle of Anglesey to visit her. To relieve some pressure, she asks him to crack an egg on her head. All hell is let loose. Internet trolls appear in real life demanding Shôn stops abusing his mother and gets off the island…

This story about love and hatred celebrates how searching for connection beats disconnecting. CRACKING is a heart-warming and uplifting comic story about loving in the face of hatred.

Opal Fruits, The Drum, 30th October – 1st November 2023

Mixing UK Garage with unpretentious class politics, Opal Fruits is a wry solo show with a difference from award-winning performance-maker Holly Beasley-Garrigan.

Recipient of the Pleasance and Bristol Old Vic Ferment National Partnerships Award, Opal Fruits is about class, nostalgia and five generations of women from one council estate in South London. The show explores what it means to be an artist who grew up in poverty… to have a stake in two worlds but to feel as though you don’t really fit into either.

Battle Cry, The Drum, 2nd – 4th November 2023 

Battle Cry is a solo play by Matt Fox, based on the true story of a former soldier, Adam, struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The play follows Adam as he recounts his experiences in war, the horrors he witnessed, and the heavy toll this took on him. Battle Cry is a powerful and moving exploration of the human cost of war, and a reminder of the devastating impact PTSD can have on those who experience it.

Battle Cry is a challenging and thought-provoking play which has been received to universal acclaim by both veteran and non-veteran audiences.

The Chosen Haram, The Drum, 7th – 8th November 2023 

Expect a heady mix of love, drugs and Islam. This unique and complex take on circus, performed on two Chinese poles, is emotionally candid with moments of humour and joy set to a banging soundtrack.

The Chosen Haram deals with themes of sexuality, faith, addiction and connection. The story of two gay men and their chance meeting through a dating app, portraying the highs and lows of their relationship and the barriers they face, social, cultural and personally in seeking happiness and personal fulfilment.

The Chosen Haram is based on a combination of lead artist Sadiq Ali’s personal experience, as well as interviews with members of the LGBTQ+ community who identify as (ex) Muslim. The show is an exploration into the personal struggles faced by many people whose upbringing contradicts their personal truths, and how this can lead to self-destructive behaviour.

Something that is “Haram” is forbidden by Islam.

LORE, The Drum, 16th – 18th November 2023

LORE is the new production from award-winning dance company James Wilton Dance. It’s a folklore-inspired journey into a pagan world of gods, demons and humans, all embodied through otherworldly athleticism. LORE is about connection to nature, making you feel the energy that flows from the ground, through our bodies and back into the earth.

The specially composed soundtrack by Michal Wojtas, who draws influence from Viking, Celtic and Slavic folk music, is like listening to the tales our ancestors told while sat in a clearing in the woods, and hearing the ancient stories that bind humanity together.

James Wilton Dance was founded in 2010. The company has won awards at the Bern, Hannover and MASDANZA International Choreography competitions and the Sadler’s Wells Global Dance Contest. The company’s first full evening work Last Man Standing (2014) was performed 78 times and won an award at the Bern Tanzprize in Switzerland. Subsequent productions LEVIATHAN (2016) and The Storm (2018) toured even more extensively, achieving close to 200 performances between them, including sold out runs at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, performances in Germany, Gibraltar, Austria, Peru, Spain, Poland and Sweden. LEVIATHAN was nominated for best dance production at the Manchester Theatre Awards. James Wilton has created works for Scottish Dance Theatre, Konzert Theater Bern, Theater Münster, Opera Graz, Ballet Hagen, Staddtstheater Braunschweig and dance company Giessen and has choreographed a work for 50 professional dancers for performances at Millennium and Wembley Stadiums (reaching over 110,000 people in the process).

Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas, The Drum, 23rd November – 31 December 2023

Join Santa as he awakes from a dream of sun, sea and sand only to find it is the busiest day of the year: Christmas Eve.

Watch as he prepares for his Christmas deliveries, feeds his reindeer and finally takes flight into the snowy night.

Theatre Royal Plymouth presents the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Pins and Needles production of Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas. Adapted by Pins and Needles.

Stewart Lee, The Lyric, Sunday 3rd March 2024

Returning to Theatre Royal Plymouth by popular demand after a phenomenal 2023!

After a decade of ground-breaking high concept shows involving overarched interlinked narratives, massive sets and enormous comedy props, Lee enters the post-pandemic era in streamlined solo stand-up mode.

One man, one microphone, and one microphone in the wings in case the one on stage breaks. Pure. Simple. Classic. Basic Lee. “The world’s greatest living stand-up” (The Times)

And Then There Were None, The Lyric, 12th – 16th March 2024 

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.

“None of us will ever leave this island”

Directed by Lucy Bailey (Witness for the Prosecution, now in its 6th year in London) this brand-new production of the bestselling crime novel of all time will keep you on the edge of your seat… Genuinely terrifying….

Don’t miss Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, coming to a Theatre Royal Plymouth.

Come From Away, The Lyric, 9th – 13th April 2024 

7,000 Stranded Passengers.  One Small Town.  A Remarkable True Story.

Winner of four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical in London and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical on Broadway, 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.

Experience this joyous story and soaring music as spirited locals and global passengers come together to forge friendships that will stay with them forever. The first female American Airlines captain, the quick-thinking town mayor, the mother of a New York firefighter and the eager local news reporter are among the many real characters caught at the start of the moment that changed the course of history and whose stories became a true celebration of hope, humanity and unity.

Tony Award-winning director Christopher Ashley alongside Olivier Award-winning writers Irene Sankoff and David Hein bring this uplifting true story to the stage in a life-affirming production that has audiences on their feet night after night.

Pretty Woman: The Musical, The Lyric, 15th – 20th April 2024 

Big night out. Big. HUGE. Pretty Woman: The Musical is finally embarking on a UK and Ireland tour – so make a date to see Hollywood’s ultimate rom-com, live on stage, when this smash-hit musical visits Plymouth in April 2024!

Once upon a time in the late ’80s, Vivian met Edward and her life changed forever. Be swept up in their romance in this dazzlingly theatrical take on a love story for the ages – and get to know these iconic characters in a whole new way – in a sensational show that took London’s West End by storm, guaranteed to lift your spirits and light up your heart.

With a blazing rock score from Grammy® winners Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (‘Summer of ’69’, ‘Heaven’), direction and choreography by Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Hairspray) and a book by the original movie’s director Garry Marshall & screenwriter J.F. Lawton, a powerhouse creative team representing the best of music, Hollywood and Broadway ensures you’ll have a pretty magical time at Pretty Woman: The Musical.

Bluey’s Big Play, The Lyric, 29th May – 2nd June 2024 

When Dad feels like a little bit of Sunday afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans! Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag.

Bluey’s Big Play is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award-winning children’s television series, with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush.

Join the Heelers in their first live theatre show made just for you, featuring brilliantly created puppets, this is Bluey as you’ve never seen it before, brought to real life in this UK premiere.