Theatre Royal Bath Reveals Packed Season of Entertainment for the Rest of 2021 and Early 2022

Theatre Royal Bath has announced a host of additional shows in a packed programme of performances set to appear on stage this summer, autumn and winter, as well as dates now confirmed for early 2022. The season showcases drama, comedies, thrillers, musicals, dance and pantomime, presented by a wealth of acclaimed theatre companies and featuring some of the UK’s best-loved actors.

Drama highlights in the season include one of the most acclaimed plays of modern times, The Dresser, Ronald Harwood's evocative, affectionate and hilarious portrait of backstage life starring Julian Clary and Matthew Kelly (9 – 18 September); Robert Icke’s dynamic, contemporary take on perhaps the 20^th century’s most important work of political satire, George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1 – 5 March); and David Eldridge’s tender and funny new drama Beginning, which charts the journey of a relationship in real time, now touring to Bath after success at the National Theatre and in the West End (22 September – 2 October).

A wealth of comedy includes Told by an Idiot's acclaimed story of the most famous comedy double act that nearly was, Charlie and Stan (17 – 24 July); a newly announced production of the comedy drama An Hour and A Half Late starring Griff Rhys Jones and Janie Dee (16 – 26 February); Noël Coward's classic gem Private Lives starring Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge (28 October – 6 November); a new stage version of the much-loved sitcom The Good Life starring Rufus Hound as Tom Good (7 – 16 October); three equally hilarious productions from Mischief, the UK's favourite farceurs - The Play That Goes Wrong (3 - 7 August), Groan Ups (12 – 21 August) and Magic Goes Wrong (9 – 21 November); locally-based, award-winning New Old Friends perform their latest comedy thriller, Crimes, Camera, Action (25 – 28 August); London Classic Theatre present Alan Ayckbourn’s Absurd Person Singular, a comic tour-de-force which fuses a potent mix of farce and black comedy (31 August – 4 September); and bringing sunshine to Bath in January, The Play What I Wrote sees the return of one of the biggest comedy hits ever (11 – 22 January).

Thrillers in the upcoming season include a new adaptation of Peter James' Looking Good Dead starring Adam Woodyatt and Gaynor Faye (18 – 23 October); a brand new production of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None directed by Lucy Bailey and guaranteed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats (25 -29 January); the world premiere stage adaptation of Dan Brown's exhilarating thriller, The Da Vinci Code, the international phenomenon that captivated readers across the world (31 January – 5 February); and James Dearden’s intoxicating new staging of Fatal Attraction, a tale of seduction and suspense made famous by the 1987 film, which became one of the biggest cinematic hits of the Eighties and one of the most talked about movies of all time (7 – 12 February).     

Two blockbuster musicals which enjoyed huge success in the West End are bound for Bath. Based on the Oscar winning movie, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert brings glitz and glamour with spectacular dance routines, eye-popping costumes and a sing-a-long soundtrack of disco anthems (26 – 31 July); 

and Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s phenomenal smash hit musical about Henry VIII’s wives, SIX, returns after enjoying huge success on its first visit to the Theatre Royal in Spring 2020. A sold out hit in the West End, on UK tour, at Sydney Opera House and on Broadway, where it will return this autumn - tickets are already selling fast for its two-week run in Bath (29 November – 11 December).

Following two successful online events in the past ten months, Rambert dance company’s Summer Livestream will be beamed into audience members’ homes as Rambert’s dancers perform live at their London studio. Their summer programme features Eye Candy by siblings Marne van Opstal and Imre Van Opstal, who are among the hottest up-and-coming new choreographers on the scene, and Rouge by pop’s coolest choreographer Marion Motin, who has previously worked with Dua Lipa and Christine and the Queens (15 – 17 July). In the autumn, Matthew Bourne’s world premiere, The Midnight Bell, is a dance theatre event not to be missed. Featuring twelve of the finest performers from his company, New Adventures, Bourne’s new work, inspired by the great English novelist Patrick Hamilton, sees the “undisputed king of dance” (Observer) venture into the underbelly of 1930s London life and explore the passions, hopes and dreams poured out in the pubs and bars of Soho (23 – 27 November).

Sundays in the new season see the return of two of the UK’s most popular comedians. Comedy legend Frank Skinner brings his critically acclaimed stand-up show, Showbiz, to Bath following a sold-out five-week run at the West End’s Garrick Theatre (17 October), and multi award-winning Al Murray, The Pub Landlord is back and promising to provide all the answers we need in Landlord of Hope and Glory (7 November).

A wonderful range of entertainment during the festive season sees traditional family pantomime return to the Theatre Royal, two children’s shows at The Egg and a fast-paced festive comedy at the Ustinov Studio. Dani Harmer, one of the biggest stars of children's television in BBC history, known to millions of youngsters as Tracy Beaker, is set to play Fairy Godmother in the best loved pantomime of them all, Cinderella. Comedian and award-winning writer Jon Monie, will play Buttons and has also written UK Productions’ glittering 2021 show which appears in the Main House (16 December – 9 January). At The Egg this Christmas, family audiences can enjoy a sparkling new take on E. Nesbit’s classic story, Five Children and It presented by award-winning theatre company Bucket Club. Never out of print since it was first published in 1902, this classic fantasy story sees five children discover a secret that’s been hidden away for centuries before setting off on a series of fantastic adventures (10 December – 16 January). Also at The Egg in the lead up to Christmas, Squirrel returns to delight the youngest theatregoers, aged 6 months to 4 years (27 November – 24 December). Meanwhile, the Ustinov Studio welcomes New Old Friends with A Christmas Getaway, a brand-new story inspired by P.G. Wodehouse, Noel Coward and classic British comedy. This frantic farce features four actors playing multiple roles with lightning quick changes in a fast talking, fast-paced, light-hearted festive show (13 December – 8 January).

The Ustinov Studio’s vibrant Visiting Company Season of comedy, dance and drama continues with Ben Duke’s acclaimed show, Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me), a retelling of the story of the beginning of everything inspired by Milton’s Paradise Lost (8 & 9 July); and the four-time OFFIE nominated drama, Sunnymead Court, a heart-warming queer romance, stars Gemma Lawrence, who is also the writer, and Sasha Frost, recently seen in His Dark Materials (10 July). A series of unmissable one night shows include regular host of The Guilty Feminist, Jessica Fostekew (Motherland, Cuckoo, Three Girls) exploring her big strong strength in Hench (9 August); ‘The Siren from South Yorkshire’ and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Myra DuBois casting an irreverently 

sardonic side-eye at death, dying and the theatrics of grief in Dead Funny (4 September); and Lizzie Wort presenting a radical interpretation of a Hollywood legend in The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe, revealing Monroe as we’ve never seen her before, without the glitz and glamour (17 September).  An Evening Without Kate Bush sees performer Sarah-Louise Young join forces with theatremaker Russell Lucas to explore the fans and music of one of the most influential voices in British Pop culture (23 September); The Natural Theatre Company invites audiences to join them in their 50^th anniversary year as they present The Truth About Harry Beck, an entertaining story which uncovers the inner anorak in all of us (28 September – 2 October); and First Time, written and performed by award-winning HIV+ theatre-maker Nathaniel Hall (Channel 4’s It’s A Sin), is a ‘hilarious’ and ‘heart-breaking’ autobiographical show about growing up positive in a negative world (29 October).

Following a series of theatrical Summer Schools in August, The Egg presents a feast of live shows for young audiences starting in September with The Living Tree, in partnership with Forest Imagination, offering arts activities for all ages with weekend Family Days, After School Sessions, opportunities for Schools and an Early Years Day (11 – 18 September).

For ages 3 and over, Bath Children’s Literature Festival presents Kristina Stephenson and The Museum of Marvellous Things with puppets, songs, movement, live music and craft in an interactive fun-filled family event followed by a book signing after both performances (25 September); The Gingerbread Man sees Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company apply their usual brilliance to a classic tale with a mix of puppetry, live action, great music and humour (23 & 24 October); and Meet Me A Tree, is an interactive opera for 0-2 year olds and their carers, taking young audiences on a multisensory journey featuring music by Schumann, Delibes and Handel, as well as words and music created by the company (14 – 16 October).

Children aged 4 and over can look forward to meeting key worker extraordinaire, Mavis Sparkle with a cleaning trolley full of secrets and surprises, in a life-affirming production that inspires bravery as it dusts away doubts and reaches for the stars (28 – 30 October); and Patrick Lynch from CBeebies makes a welcome return to perform Puss in Boots, with a host of puppets and a working windmill featured in the classic fury tale (13 November).        

Shows for children aged 7 and over include The Dong with a Luminous Nose, which offers a thoroughly entertaining and suitably absurd take on Edward Lear’s nonsense classic (1 & 2 October); a playful and daring exploration of the place we choose to call home, This Island’s Mine, set in the extraordinary world of Shakespeare’s The Tempest (9 October); and Josephine, a brand new stage play about Josephine Baker, which follows one woman’s incredible journey from the slums of St. Louis, via the bright lights of Paris, and into the hearts of the world (5 – 8 November). For teenagers, aged 14 and over, Box Clever presents Jekyll and Hyde, a thrilling stage adaptation of the chilling vision provided by Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella in all its horror (3 November).

The Special Events programme includes The Secret Life of the Savoy with Olivia Williams revealing tales from behind-the-scenes of Britain’s first luxury hotel (3 September); Draw Back the Curtain with Theatre Royal’s Special Events Organiser, Jane Tapley, who gives an illustrated talk on the theatre in Georgian Times, as part of this year’s Jane Austen Festival (10 & 17 September); Thirteen Lives: The Thai Cave Rescue with John Volanthen, the man behind the 2018 Thai cave rescue, who recounts the nail-biting mission to save 12 boys and their football coach from a flooded cave complex in Northern Thailand (17 September); Peter Davenport who gives an illustrated talk on Roman Bath (22 October); and From Turkey to Trifle at Lansdown Grove Hotel, a two-course festive lunch and a light-hearted look at many of the Christmas customs that we take for granted (14 December).

Theatre Royal Bath’s Fundraisers are staging four events including an illustrated talk from Felix Emery about The Completed Restoration of Bath Abbey (31 August); A Guide to Skincare for Everyone with leading Guerlain beauty consultant Istvan Schuller (19 November); Carols By Candlelight at St. Michael’s Without Church (11 December); and a two course lunch at the Michelin starred Hywel Jones Restaurant at Lucknam Park Hotel with a special guest speaker (15 March).       

Thanks to sponsors: Moore, sponsoring the pantomime Cinderella and King Edward’s School Bath, sponsoring Five Children and It at The Egg.

Tickets for all shows and events at the Theatre Royal Bath can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk