to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
20 news shows on sale at Theatre Royal Plymouth
25th February 2025
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Theatre Royal Plymouth has announced that 20 new shows are on sale this month across 2025 and 2026, including the return of Black Sabbath – The Ballet, the highly anticipated tour of Dear England, which is kicking off at TRP, plus the legendary musical, Miss Saigon, alongside The Drum offerings which includes a TRP co-production, In Search of Goldoni, and the National Theatre’s Connections Festival.
Take a look at the fantastic range of shows going on sale, and get your tickets booked early to guarantee the best seats:
The Lyric:
Dear England , The Lyric, 15 - 20 September 2025
The National Theatre’s Olivier Award-winning smash hit comes to Plymouth in a highly anticipated tour.
It’s time to change the game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. The England men’s team has the worst track record for penalties in the world, and manager Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land.
From multi award-winning writer James Graham (Sherwood, BBC) and director Rupert Goold (Patriots, Cold War), this five-star ‘new stage epic’ (Telegraph) tells the uplifting, at times heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring story of Gareth Southgate’s revolutionary tenure as England manager, in a ‘gripping’ (The Times) examination of nation and game.
Black Sabbath – The Ballet, The Lyric, 16 – 18 October 2025
Carlos Acosta is turning up the volume on Birmingham’s musical legacy. Original heavy metal heroes, Black Sabbath, provide the soundtrack for Black Sabbath – The Ballet. After its successful world premiere and UK tour in 2023, Black Sabbath – The Ballet returns for an international tour in 2024 and 2025.
Black Sabbath forged their unique sound in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s home city. In Black Sabbath – The Ballet, expect a spectacular theatrical evening featuring thrilling dance alongside full orchestrations of legendary Black Sabbath tracks such as Paranoid and Iron Man, as well as new orchestral works inspired by their music.
In the second of three Birmingham-focussed commissions, Carlos Acosta was drawn to both the band’s work and its musical legacy as the originators of heavy metal. This full-evening ballet promises to be a unique undertaking with three composers and three choreographers, led by renowned Choreographer Pontus Lidberg (whose work has been performed by the Swedish Royal Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet) and Composer Chris Austin (whose work includes orchestrating the White Stripes music for Wayne McGregor’s Chroma) working alongside award-winning writer Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer, The Opera) to create an extraordinary metal symphony over three acts.
Black Sabbath themselves have been closely involved in developing this unique collaboration. Sparks fly in this intriguing new response to Black Sabbath’s music and legacy – the first true heavy metal ballet experience.
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: The Best of Williams & Zimmer, The Lyric, 25 October 2025
The works of two film music titans compete head to head!
In a cncert featuring some of the best scores of John Williams and Hans Zimmer, the cream of recent movie music is brought together in one place. Award winning soundtracks of some of the most iconic films of all time include Star Wars, Gladiator, The Da Vinci Code, Schindler’s List, Harry Potter, Interstellar, ET, Batman Begins, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Last Samurai, Driving Miss Daisy, Superman and many more.
Escape into fantastical worlds as you never have before – with the full force of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra!
Uncanny: Fear of the Dark, The Lyric, 26 October 2025
The first Uncanny live stage show I Know What I Saw was one of the best-selling paranormal shows in theatre history.
Now, Danny Robins and his team of experts are back with a brand-new show for 2025, with thrilling new and terrifying real-life stories and witness accounts that will have you utterly gripped.
This is NOT an ordinary podcast show. This is story-telling and paranormal investigation at its peak. Using a unique backdrop of sound, video projection and theatrical magic, Danny will bring to life accounts of hauntings, apparitions, poltergeists, UFOs and events that seem to defy logical explanation, examining them with the help of experts Ciarán O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow and input from you, the audience, as you get the chance to share your theories and your own experiences.
As always, whether you are Team Sceptic, Team Believer or somewhere in between, everyone is welcome. So… do you have a fear of the dark?
Or are you brave enough to try to solve these chilling, intriguing mysteries?
VIP Meet & Greet Add On
There are a limited number of VIP Meet & Greet spots which can be purchased at checkout alongside your show ticket. With this add on you get a pre-show opportunity to meet Danny, Ciarán and Evelyn, have merchandise signed and briefly share your own experiences and thoughts. The VIP Meet & Greet will take place at 5pm – all VIP Meet & Greet ticket holders must arrive 30 minutes before the start of the meet and greet as latecomers may not be permitted.
A Night at the Opera, The Lyric, 31 October 2025
Step into a world of passion, drama, and unforgettable melodies with WNO Chorus and Orchestra for A Night at the Opera.
This charming concert brings together a stunning collection of opera’s most loved and famous works from the world’s greatest composers, including the stirring Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana, the heartbreakingly beautiful Un bel di (One Fine Day) from Madam Butterfly, and the spellbinding Witches’ Chorus from Macbeth. From soaring arias to dramatic ensembles, each piece will transport you into the heart of opera’s rich, emotional world.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering opera for the first time, A Night at the Opera promises a spectacular evening of music that will leave you breathless. Don’t miss your chance to experience these beloved pieces live.
The Woman in Black, The Lyric, 04 – 08 November 2025
The legendary production of Susan Hill’s chilling ghost story The Woman in Black comes to Theatre Royal Plymouth.
One of the most successful and longest running theatre shows in the history of London’s West End, this gripping production is a brilliantly successful study in atmosphere, illusion and controlled horror. Now seen by over 7 million people worldwide, The Woman in Black continues to delight and terrify audiences of all generations.
Obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over him and his family by the spectre of a Woman in Black, Arthur Kipps engages a sceptical young actor to help him tell his terrifying story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul.
Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes, The Lyric, 17 – 22 November 2025
A timeless fairytale and Academy Award-winning movie, The Red Shoes has captivated audiences and inspired generations of dancers with its powerful tale of obsession, possession and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Victoria Page lives to dance but her ambitions become a fierce struggle between the two men who inspire her passion.
Matthew Bourne’s magical double Olivier Award-winning production of the legendary Powell and Pressburger film is set to a score orchestrated by Terry Davies, featuring the mesmerizing music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann, with sumptuous designs by Lez Brotherston (set and costumes), Paule Constable (lighting) and Paul Groothuis (sound).
An intoxicating drama where life imitates art with fateful consequences, The Red Shoes will dazzle your senses and break your heart.
That’ll Be Christmas, The Lyric, 30 November 2025
That’ll Be The Day’s Rock & Roll Christmas show has been running for over thirty years and has grown into the most popular touring production in the U.K.
Refreshed every year, the show combines the best pop Christmas classics and traditional Christmas songs with hilarious comedy routines. For many, the That’ll Be Christmas is the essential start to their festive season.
The audience is taken on a rollercoaster sleigh ride through the ‘golden’ age of Rock & Roll and Pop and is guaranteed to leave with that ‘feel good’ factor.
The super talented cast ensure a high quality variety show which, to date, has delighted over a million customers.
Come and join them this year, you won’t be disappointed.
Miss Saigon, The Lyric, 17 – 28 February 2026
Michael Harrison in association with Cameron Mackintosh presents the spectacular new production of Miss Saigon as Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical is reborn. The soaring score features hit songs including; The Heat is On in Saigon, The Movie in My Mind, Last Night of the World and The American Dream.
Embarking on a major UK Tour, this epic production arrives at Theatre Royal Plymouth in February 2026.
In the last days of the Vietnam War, 17 year-old Kim is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as The Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American GI named Chris but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he’s fathered a son.
The Kill a Mockingbird, The Lyric, 10 – 14 March 2026
Aaron Sorkin’s riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of the seminal American novel about racial injustice and childhood innocence became a Broadway and West End sensation with star-studded sell-out seasons on both sides of the Atlantic. Now this thrilling courtroom drama embarks on a UK & Ireland tour for the very first time.
Successful lawyer, Atticus Finch, encourages kindness and empathy in his children, but is pushed to the limits of these qualities himself when he resolves to uncover the truth in a town that seems determined to hide it.
Set in 1934 Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by novelist Harper Lee’s own childhood and has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and was long at the top of the banned book lists.
Don Quixote, The Lyric, 18 – 21 March 2026
Carlos Acosta’s explosion of spectacular dance and vivacious comedy.
Birmingham Royal Ballet returns to the Theatre Royal Plymouth in March 2026 with the first revival of Director Carlos Acosta’s joyful production of Don Quixote, inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel.
Meet the famous knight himself, lovers Kitri and Basilio, and a host of supporting characters, all paired with spectacular dance and vivacious comedy.
If you like Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty, you shouldn’t miss this stunning 19th-century masterpiece, full of thrilling pas de deux and so much more!
Treat yourself and all your family to some Spanish sunshine.
Here & Now: The Steps Musical, The Lyric, 24 – 29 March 2026
Happiness is only a heartbeat away with HERE & NOW, the hilarious and heart-warming new musical based on the songs of the multi-million-selling pop phenomenon, Steps. Don’t miss this sparkling celebration of love and friendship when it comes to Plymouth after its recent record-breaking world premiere.
Welcome to seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it’s Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone’s dancing in the aisles. But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a ‘happy ever after’? Or does love have other plans in store…?
Directed by the award-winning Rachel Kavanaugh (Half a Sixpence, The Great British Bake Off Musical) and written by Shaun Kitchener (Hollyoaks), HERE & NOW features many of Steps’ iconic hits, including 5, 6, 7, 8, Stomp, Better Best Forgotten, and Last Thing On My Mind.
This brand new musical is produced by Steps themselves, ROYO and pop legend Pete Waterman.
Blaze of Glory!, The Lyric, 23 April 2026
Cymru, coal and choral singing
Get ready for a toe-tapping, heart-warming adventure in Blaze of Glory! – an uplifting tale set in a 1950s Welsh Valleys community. After a devastating mining disaster a small group of Welsh miners decide to reform their Male Voice Choir to lift spirits and raise the roof! Led by their heroic Chorus Master and supported by the strong-willed women who stand by them, the men embark on a musical escapade which finds them kidnapping a yodeller, taking part in the historic trans-Atlantic link-up with Paul Robeson and blazing a trail to the Eisteddfodau and beyond.
Blaze of Glory! Is a jubilant celebration of the Land of Song and a tribute to how community spirit can triumph over adversity. Traditional Welsh harmonies blend with the a cappella sounds of the 1950s, operetta, gospel and big band as our intrepid band of gleemen Lindy Hop their way to glory. Join our men in blazers, for a feel-good performance which will make your heart sing.
The Flying Dutchman, The Lyric, 24 April 2026
Lost souls bound by the sea
A ghostly ship roams the endless sea, vast, lonely and unrelenting. Its captain cursed to sail for eternity until redeemed by true love.
Senta, captivated by the story of the mysterious Flying Dutchman condemned to sail forever, becomes the only hope for his salvation. Her longing for escape entwines her fate with his in ways neither could foresee.
This gripping reimagining of The Flying Dutchman explores the deep ache of loneliness and the fragile hope of human connection. Inspired by the sublime beauty of the Welsh coast, the sea is the opera’s canvas, and both a compulsion and prison for its characters. Wagner’s orchestrations from the thunderous overture to its haunting arias, become the heartbeat of the story, evoking the power of the ocean and leaving you adrift in its spell.
Play Opera LIVE – Shipwrecked!, The Lyric, 25 April 2026
Sail the high seas with our interactive family show
Ahoy, ye hearties! The sails are set and Play Opera LIVE is back – but this time we’ve been shipwrecked!
Our fearless captain, Tom Redmond may be stranded on a desert island but we’re not that worried, as he’s in great company with his trusty crew of the WNO Orchestra and singers. Together, we will introduce you to the orchestra’s many instruments with melodies that take you on a journey accompanying our talented singers through story, song, and of course, the swashbuckling music, from stage and screen which are our absolute favourites to perform.
This interactive and educational show, for all the family, is the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of opera and classical music. The relaxed vibe will allow you to fully lose yourself in the music, story and drama as we charter the waves and bring Tom and our crew back to dry land.
And the adventure doesn’t stop there! Before you board HMS WNO, join us in the foyer to experience the backstage magic of opera during our free pre-show foyer activities, available from 1pm. Explore our costumes, make your own props and test your skills on lighting and sound stations. If that’s not enough, there’s even a treasure hunt – but make sure you find it before those pesky pirates!
The Drum:
Connections Festival, The Drum, 29 April – 03 May 2025
Each year the National Theatre commissions ten new plays for young people to perform, bringing together some of the UK’s most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow.
Every year, 300 youth theatre companies and over 6,000 young people from every corner of the UK are producing a Connections play.
TRP are proud to host this year’s NT Connections in The Drum.
List of performances:
Tues 29 Apr - Atlantic Coast Theatre Co. Performing: No Regrets The Mullion Collective Performing: Brain Play
Wed 30 Apr - Callywith College Performing: Ravers Plympton Academy Company Performing: Saba’s Swim
Thu 01 May - Lipson Cooperative Academy Performing: Saba’s swim Coombe Dean School Performing: Fresh Air
Fri 02 May - Fowey River Academy Performing: Brain Play Bodmin College Performing: Fresh Air
Sat 02 May - Acorn Young People’s Theatre Performing: You 2.0 TRP Young Company Performing: No Regrets
In Search of Goldoni, The Drum, 07 - 10 May 2025
A holiday to beautiful Venice.
Saikat is busy dragging his family around the winding cobbled streets, eating every flavour of gelato, serenading gondoliers and obsessively thinking about a bloke called Carlo Goldoni, some Venetian twins and the death of his dad.
Come with Saikat as he takes us through the streets of Venice to the hospital wards of Romford and into the inner workings of his brain as he desperately searches for shade from the storm in his mind.
In Search of Goldoni is a new comedic solo show that askes the big questions: what is life really about, what happens when we leave this earth and what the hell is granita menthe?
UOP Stage 3 Acting Showcase: Machinal, The Drum, 14 – 17 May 2025
‘I’ll not submit anymore… When I did what I did i was free! Free and not afraid… How can that be?’
The woman is restless, she is suffocating, she is silenced. This woman revolts…
Praised as a visceral, expressionistic masterpiece, Treadwell’s 1928 classic is given a new life by this dynamic young ensemble cast to tell the story of Helen Jones and her fight for freedom.
‘There is so much I want to say…’
Playhouse, The Drum, 08 – 11 July 2025
Playhouse offers school children an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform on the iconic Drum stage at Theatre Royal Plymouth. Delivered across the UK, Playhouse connects young minds with professional theatres, talented scriptwriters, and visionary theatre makers—unlocking a world of creativity and empowering students to experience the magic of professional theatre-making.
This year, seven primary schools from Devon & Cornwall will take over TRP’s Drum Theatre for an unforgettable week of performances, reimagining the traditional school play into something truly remarkable. These performances promise to delight and inspire audiences, as students bring vibrant characters to life, tackle important issues facing the world today, and embarking on heartfelt conversations. These young actors and technicians gain the confidence to express themselves freely as they experience the joy of theatre.
“I can be who I really am,” - Former Playhouse performer
We’d like to give a huge thank you to Princess Yachts, who kindly sponsor this project.
External:
Young Company: No Regrets, The House, University of Plymouth, 12 April 2025
Over the course of five years, playwright Gary McNair spoke to people at all stages and in all walks of life on the subject of regret.
This play marks the results of those conversations.
A collection of scenes from the silly to the profound, that charts our relationship with the things we should have done but didn’t and the things we shouldn’t have done, but did.
