Theatre Royal Bath unveils new 2022-23 Brochure

Theatre Royal Bath has released full details of its thrilling autumn and winter season and a host of new shows for 2023. Drama, comedies, opera, musicals, ballet, new writing, concerts and pantomime feature in the upcoming programme which runs from September 2022 to April 2023.

In early September, there’s still time to catch a spectacular new staging of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods, co-directed by original Monty Python member Terry Gilliam and Leah Hausman. After opening exclusively at the Theatre Royal this August, the production runs until 10th September. The autumn season opens with The Doctor, starring Olivier Award winner Juliet Stevenson (Mary Stuart, Truly, Madly, Deeply, White Heat), who reprises her leading role in Robert Icke’s five-star London production. Originally seen at the Almeida Theatre in 2019, this fascinating new drama visits the Theatre Royal from 13th to 17th September immediately prior to a West End transfer. The fortieth anniversary production of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off opens in Bath with a stellar cast featuring Felicity Kendal (The Good Life, Rosemary & Thyme), Jonathan Coy (Downton Abbey), Matthew Kelly (The Dresser, Cold Blood, Bleak House) and Tracy Ann-Oberman (EastEnders, Stepping Out, Edmond) appearing from 22nd September to 1st October. One of the greatest British comedies ever written, this riotous play-within-a-play follows the backstage antics of a touring theatre company as they stumble their way through the fictional farce, Nothing On, with hilarious consequences.

Double Olivier and Tony Award-winning, West End and Broadway smash-hit, Girl From The North Country is bound for Bath on its first UK tour, appearing at the Theatre Royal from 4-8 October. The acclaimed musical sees celebrated playwright Conor McPherson (The Weir, The Seafarer) and BAFTA and Tony Award-winning music arranger and composer, Simon Hale, boldly reimagine the legendary songs of Bob Dylan in a heart-breaking and uplifting story brought vividly to life by an extraordinary company of actors and musicians. Currently enjoying a residency at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Friendsical, an original and unique new parody musical inspired by the iconic TV show Friends, visits Bath from 11-15 October. This thoroughly entertaining feel-good show features a special guest star at every performance. Bath Light Operatic Group make a welcome return to the Theatre Royal from 18th to 22nd October to present Jerry Herman’s famous Broadway musical Mack & Mabel. Set in 1920s Hollywood and filled with magnificent showstoppers and tap dancing, Mack & Mabel’s gorgeously melodic score includes the songs I Won’t Send Roses and Tap Your Troubles Away. Drama takes centre stage from 25th to 29th October, when The Two Popes tours to Bath starring Anton Lesser (Games of Thrones, The Crown, Endeavour) and Nicholas Woodeson (recently seen as Prospero in The Tempest at the Ustinov Studio). Directed by James Dacre and written by Anthony McCarten - best known for the biopics Bohemian Rhapsody, Darkest Hour and The Theory of Everything - this gripping play shines a light on one of the world’s most secretive institutions.

The success story of Cornwall’s most unlikely ‘buoy band’ is celebrated from 1st to 5th November in Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical, based on the true story of the Cornish singing sensations and the hit 2019 film. The world premiere stage production visits Bath prior to its North American premiere in Canada, starring James Gaddas (Coronation Street, Hollyoaks), Robert Duncan (Drop The Dead Donkey, Casualty), Susan Penhaligon (Bouquet of Barbed Wire) and Parisa Shamir (Mamma Mia!). A brand-new production of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren's Profession opens at the Theatre Royal appearing from 9 - 19 November with real-life mother and daughter Caroline Quentin (Dancing On The Edge, Jonathan Creek, Men Behaving Badly) and Rose Quentin (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) starring as Mrs Warren and Vivie. One of the wittiest and most provocative plays written, this new staging directed by Anthony Banks will also feature Simon Shepherd (Peak Practice, Art, Hay Fever) and Matthew Cottle (Game On, The Windsors). Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has become the longest running show of any kind in theatre history. Making a welcome return to the Theatre Royal from 21 - 26 November - seventy years to the week since its first ever performance - the 2022 tour of the genre-defining murder mystery stars Todd Carty (EastEnders, The Bill), John Altman (EastEnders) and Gwyneth Strong (Only Fools and Horses, EastEnders). The stage version of the hit UK movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a joyous comedy about taking risks, finding love and embracing second chances, visits Bath from 28 November - 3 December. The cast for this world premiere stage production is led by celebrated stars of stage and screen Hayley Mills (Pollyanna, The Parent Trap, Whistle Down the Wind), Paul Nicholas (Jesus Christ Superstar, Just Good Friends, EastEnders) and Rula Lenska (Coronation Street, Rock Follies).

During the festive season at the Theatre Royal, West End and Emmerdale star Tom Lister will play Abanazar in the enchanting family pantomime Aladdin, alongside Bath favourite Jon Monie as Wishee Washee and EastEnders’ Nick Wilton as Dame Widow Twankey. Staged by UK Productions, this truly traditional family show runs from 8 December - 8 January. Guaranteed to entertain both the young and the young at heart, Aladdin will feature a brand-new joke-filled script penned by Bath’s own all-round pantomime legend Jon Monie.

At The Egg, Five Children and It returns by popular demand appearing from 9 December - 15 January. This sparkling new take on the classic story by E. Nesbit (The Railway Children) is revived by award-winning theatre company Bucket Club after receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike when it premiered in Bath last year. Meanwhile in the Roper Room at The Egg, Midnight Mole promises a heart-warming, moon-dancing adventure full of puppetry and music from the creative team behind Snow Mouse. With a nod to Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, this brand-new show for ages 6 months to 4 years, appearing from 9 - 31 December, sees Mole set out on an adventure of rediscovery, above and below ground.  Winter entertainment continues at The Egg in January when Bath favourite Snow Mouse returns for an incredible eighth year appearing from 7 January - 5 February with an enchanting tale for the very young. 

Meanwhile at the Ustinov Studio, Olivier Award winner Guy Masterston presents Charles Dickens’ mystical fable A Christmas Carol from 20 - 31 December. An actor famed for bringing multiple roles to vivid life, Guy Masterson recreates some of the famous author’s most iconic characters in this acclaimed performance as he plays Scrooge, Marley, the Fezziwigs, Tiny Tim and the ghosts in an enchanting performance that will linger long in the memory. 

Deborah Warner’s inaugural season at the Ustinov Studio has got off to a thrilling start with opening productions of Shakespeare’s The Tempest followed by Phaedra/Minotaur. From 14 October - 5 November, Artistic Director Deborah Warner and Music Director Richard Hetherington will introduce opera to the intimate Ustinov for the first time with a new production of Dido and Aeneas. A creative team coming to Bath directly from the Royal Opera House and a company of fourteen - including a musical ensemble of five players led by the harpsichord - will present Henry Purcell’s beautiful opera which contains arias of astonishing beauty.

Deborah Warner’s 2022 season is completed by iShowmanism!, a celebration of performance itself, devised and performed by Dickie Beau, whose mercurial Ariel recently thrilled audiences in Deborah Warner’s staging of The Tempest. Appearing at the Ustinov Studio from 11 November - 10 December and directed by Jan Willem Van Den Bosch, iShowmanism! sees Dickie Beau shape shift across a haunted landscape of performance stretching back for thousands of years, tracing its roots and branching across unexpected realms.

Sunday performances at the Theatre Royal Bath this autumn include Monty Python legend and intrepid globetrotter Michael Palin who makes a welcome return to the Theatre Royal on 9 October, this time with his new tour From North Korea Into Iraq, sharing tales of two of the most extraordinary journeys he’s ever made. On 20 November, Gareth Malone brings a feel-good matinee concert Sing-Along-A-Gareth, when together with his band and a group of stellar singers, Gareth guides the audience through an afternoon of tunes he’s performed over the last fifteen years on TV. Independent rock stars of the “bonsai guitar,” George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain are back by popular demand on 27 November, when the world’s very first Ukulele Orchestra return to present a matinee and evening concert.

This autumn, the Egg Theatre’s renowned programme of children and family shows starts with Woodland Tales With Grandad, Pickled Image’s enchanting story for over 3s about a quest to save the wood, appearing on 17 and 18 September, and Destiny on 22 September, a play which follows the story of a teenage girl growing up on a rural Wiltshire council estate, in a performance for ages 14 and over. Bath’s Children’s Literature Festival brings four events to The Egg including A Better Day with Dr. Alex George talking to Katie Thistleton about positive ways to enhance mental health on 24 September at 11am, for ages 10 and over; followed at 2pm by What Makes You Happy? as two brilliant children’s book illustrators Steven Lenton and Rikin Parekh present a big draw off event for all ages with host Steve Butler. On 25 September at 11am, The Art of Happiness sees author and illustrator Tessa Yates explore what happiness is in an event for ages 6 and over. Solve Your Own Mystery at 3pm welcomes Blue Peter’s award-winning author Gareth P. Jones who invites audiences aged 7 and over to create their own mystery in a show featuring live music, fast-rapping, anarchic humour and interactive storytelling. Both days young people of all ages are invited to drop in at The Happiness Hub between 10am – 4pm to discover tips and tricks on how to keep your head healthy with free, fun creative activities.

October at The Egg features Atom and Luna, a family show packed full of poetry, puppetry, fun and imagination, for ages 7 and over, on 8 and 9 October; Is This A Dance? on 15 and 16 October brings a performance for anyone aged 4 to 11 years with a love of dance and movement, and Hot in Here, presented by Pigfoot Theatre, on 17 and 18 October for ages 12 and over, celebrates action taking place around the world for climate justice. On 22 and 23 October, Bird In The Window brings a new physical theatre show for ages 5 and over, about the fun times we share and how memories stay with us, and Babble presented by Flibbertigibbet Theatre on 29 and 30 October, for ages 3 to 5 years, explores the world around us with sound collectors Mik and Kin. 

On 1 November, Unknown, a play about homelessness by Dougie Blaxland, tours to The Egg for ages 14 and over; very young children will enjoy toooB from 3 - 6 November, an enchanting sensory show with an original soundtrack and captivating movement and games, for ages 6 months to 2 years; from 9 to 12 November, Jina And The Stem Sisters celebrates some of history’s most inspiring super-STEM women in a multi-media, musical, puppet show for ages 7 and over, telling stories of women who fought against the odds to succeed in science; Innocentville brings an incident room-style workshop for ages 13 and over to The Egg on 19 November, delivered by award-winning theatre maker James Baldwin. From 24 - 26 November, the Theatre Royal Bath’s Theatre School returns to stage I Am England by David Lane. Recommended for ages 12 and over, this play was originally developed for TRB’s Theatre School ten years ago, inspired by Shakespeare’s Coriolanus and a rapidly shifting political landscape. Throughout the year, The Egg continues to present a host of workshops for young people both in person and online, details are available via theeggassembly.com and the Theatre Royal’s website.

Lunchtime Special Events include two programmed as part of the Jane Austen Festival, with Draw Back The Curtain hosted by Jane Tapley, on 9 and 16 September at 4pm, providing an illustrated talk on theatre in Georgian times and its influence on Jane Austen’s novels, and Murder at Mansfield Park on 15 September at Lansdown Grove Hotel welcomes back Moonstone Theatre Company with a specially commissioned murder mystery lunch. On 23 November at 12 noon, Agatha Christie: Queen of Crime is a talk celebrating the 70th anniversary production of The Mousetrap, taking place prior to a matinee performance of the famous thriller at the Theatre Royal. All The Queen's Jewels with Nicola Tallis takes place on 25 November at 12 noon, uncovering the exciting history of jewels and jewellery worn by Queens in Tudor times. On 7 December at 12 noon the popular Christmas Lunch event returns to Lansdown Grove Hotel preceded by a light-hearted talk on the history of pantomime. 1 February at 12 noon will see Austen's Arcadia, a pre-matinee talk which follows the career of one of the earliest and greatest female writers, Jane Austen - to coincide with the visit of Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of). The Flame of Resistance on 3 February at 12 noon welcomes back Damien Lewis, this time to talk about the untold story of Josephine Baker’s secret war. On 10 December Theatre Royal Bath’s Fundraisers have organised Carols By Candlelight, as they celebrate nearly 40 years of fundraising with their final event, taking place at St. Michael’s Church Without, featuring an inspiring evening of carols, seasonal music and a delicious supper.

New shows announced for 2023 include Alan Ayckbourn’s uproariously funny comedy Relatively Speaking, starring Liza Goddard (Bergerac, Roll Over Beethoven, The Brothers) and Antony Eden (The Woman in Black, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in West End) from 12 - 21 January. The International Classic Ballet Theatre present Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, two of the world’s most popular classical ballets, accompanied by a live orchestra from 24 - 28 January. Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of), a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story, tours to the Theatre Royal from 30 January to 4 February, direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play and garnered five-star reviews. Miles Jupp (A Very British Scandal, Mock The Week, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?) and Justin Edwards (The Thick of It, 1917, The Ferryman) are set to star in the 24-carat comedy caper The Lavender Hill Mob from 7 - 11 February, when a brand new staging of the classic Ealing comedy is brought to life by Olivier Award-nominated playwright Phil Porter, directed by Tony and Olivier Award nominated Jeremy Sams. Jacqueline Jossa (EastEnders) and Laura Main (Call The Midwife) star in Steel Magnolias from 14 - 18 February when the hilarious and heart-warming true story that inspired the hit film tours to Bath, in a new production of the original play by Robert Harling, who also wrote the screenplay.

New play Noughts and Crosses tours to the Theatre Royal from 28 February - 4 March presented by Pilot Theatre. Adapted from the story which inspired the hit BBC TV drama series, this gripping Romeo and Juliet tale by acclaimed writer Malorie Blackman and adapted by Sabrina Mahfouz is a captivating snapshot of love, revolution and what it means to grow up in a divided world. From 7 -18 March, the five-star spectacular National Theatre production of The Ocean at the End of The Lane tours to Bath. Adapted by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd, the first major stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed work is a thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship. Blending magic with memory, this tour-de-force of storytelling takes audiences on an epic journey to a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it.

From 4 - 8 April, the multi award-winning West End smash hit musical Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story returns to Bath for the first time in twenty years, telling the Buddy Holly story and featuring two terrific hours of the greatest songs ever written including Oh Boy, Everyday, Peggy Sue, Rave On and many, many more. Young theatregoers can enjoy the purrfect Easter treat when The Tiger Who Came To Tea, the musical play based on the much-loved book by Judith Kerr, appears at the Theatre Royal on 9 and 10 April, adapted and directed by David Wood. Direct from London’s acclaimed Jermyn Street Theatre, Farm Hall, a new play written by Katherine Moar and directed by Stephen Unwin, tours to Bath from 12 - 15 April, based on a remarkable true story surrounding events at Farm Hall in the Cambridgeshire countryside during the aftermath of the Second World War. Looking ahead to May, the multi award-winning An Inspector Calls returns to the Theatre Royal from 16 - 20 May. Hailed as the theatrical event of its generation and winner of nineteen major awards, Stephen Daldry’s must-see production of JB Priestley’s classic thriller has delighted more than five million theatregoers worldwide and remains more relevant than ever. 

Two shows have also been announced for 2023 at the Ustinov Studio, both presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions. From 13 January - 11 February, a new production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will star Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey, Ragtime, Once Upon A Time In America), directed by Lindsay Posner. Winner of both the Tony Award and the Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Play, Edward Albee’s scintillating masterpiece - which takes place over the course of one brutal and hilarious night - is one of the most influential and highly regarded plays in post-war American drama. From 16 February - 18 March, the world premiere production of Charlotte & Theodore by Ryan Craig, will star Kris Marshall (Death in Paradise, My Family, Love Actually), directed by Terry Johnson. This new play follows two idealistic academics picking their way through the political and social minefield of modern life as they embark on a decade long romance.

Tickets for all shows and events at the Theatre Royal Bath can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on +44 (0)1225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.