Peppa Pig photo by Barry Rivett
Theatre Royal Winchester has another packed programme this autumn and winter – featuring incredible drama, popular National Theatre Live screenings, music, comedy, family shows, dance and community performances, plus, Christmas treats and the annual traditional family pantomime that mustn’t be missed.
Drama audiences will be thrilled to hear that Black is the Color of My Voice (Monday 16 September) returns – inspired by the life of Nina Simone and featuring her most iconic songs performed live on stage. The National Production Company are back too with Macbeth (Tuesday 17 – Wednesday 18 September) – Shakespeare’s classic tale of a war worn Macbeth fated to become King of Scotland, with sorcery, ghostly apparitions and sword fights.
Actors Brian Capron (Coronation Street) and Frazer Hines (Emmerdale) star in Crime and Comedy Theatre Company’s radio play live on stage, The Lion and the Unicorn (Wednesday 2 October) – telling the story of a private dinner between Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain six weeks after war has been declared on Nazi Germany. Plus, Sasha Regan presents her internationally acclaimed, award-winning production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance (Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 October).
Maybe You Like It – a company who were a huge success at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe – bring Pleading Stupidity (Tuesday 15 October) to Winchester – telling of two men who plead stupidity after robbing a bank. The story of creation is presented through words, music and dance, in Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) (Wednesday 16 October).
Oddsocks Productions also return, this time with R.O.G.E.R Radio Attempt Frankenstein (Tuesday 29 October) – a radio play live on stage with misbehaving props and actors’ rivalry included. Chipping Norton Theatre’s Murder for Two (Thursday 31 October – Sat 2 November) is a musical murder mystery where one actor investigates while the other plays all suspects, plus non-stop shared piano playing!
Lastly, Rumpus Theatre Company’s Arms and the Man (Tuesday 12 – Wednesday 13 November) is a light comedy about love, war and chocolate creams.
If that wasn’t enough, there is also a host of family theatre shows, starting with an adaption of the children’s classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 September) – featuring 75 loveable puppets and performed alongside four other stories by the best-selling author Eric Carle. CBeebies star and award-winning musician, YolanDa Brown, encourages children to discover the joy of music with YolanDa’s Band Jam (Sunday 22 September) – as part of Winchester Jazz Festival, and Nick Cope’s Family Show (Sunday 29 September) sees the Popcast star return with more charming songs and animation.
Peppa Pig returns with a brand-new live show, Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out (Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 October) – featuring a trip to the zoo and the beach for a party, plus, music, singing and dancing too. The Chronicles of Atom & Luna (Sunday 13 – Monday 14 October) tells the story of a pair of extraordinary twins who can talk to the birds and control the moon.
Fans of Julia Donaldson’s stories will be thrilled to learn that The Gruffalo (Saturday 19 – Monday 21 October) is back, as is an adaptation of the author’s The Smartest Giant in Town (Saturday 26 – Sun day27 October). Finally, ‘favourite’ pianist, Will Pickvance’s Do Not Play This Piano (Wednesday 30 October) tells of a boy whose impressive musical tricks on his piano gets him picked to play for Mozart’s birthday celebrations – but, without his tricks, can he play?
Singer Camille O’Sullivan (Wednesday 11 September) performs songs and stories of love and loss, while Steampunk Orchestra (Friday 13 September) journey through five decades of iconic rock, indie and pop hits. As part of Winchester Jazz Festival, one of the country’s leading vocalists, Jacqui Dankworth (Saturday 21 September) will perform, as will YolanDa Brown (Sunday 22 September) – following on from her children’s show, with an evening of reggae, jazz and soul.
Gigspanner Big Band (Tuesday 22 October) are back with a new folk album, Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers (Wednesday 23 October) celebrate 30 years of heart-pounding rhythms, and Beatles Complete (Friday 15 November) present an evening of Beatlemania.
Once more the season is also packed with a wealth of comedy acts – from online sensation Vittorio Angelone (Tuesday 10 September) to national treasure, Su Pollard (Friday 20 September), as part of Winchester Comedy Festival – University of Winchester alumni turned Edinburgh Festival stars in Biscuit Barrel: The 69 Sketch Show (Wednesday 25 September), Scotland’s queen of comedy, Fern Brady (Thursday 26 September),a host of well-known faces in the festival’s Autumn gala (Friday 27 September), plus Henning Wehn (Saturday 28 September) exploring climate change; and clairvoyant medium, Clinton Baptiste (Sunday 29 September).
Stand-up also comes from TV’s Ivo Graham (Friday 18 October), Kiri Pritchard-McLean (Saturday 19 October), Ruby Wax (Thursday 24 October); Milton Jones (Saturday 26 October), and the chair of BBC Radio 4’s topical comedy show, The News Quiz – Andy Zaltzman (Saturday 16 November).
Leading medical expert Dr Louise Newson – who will be joined by comedian Anne Gildea for Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate (Sunday 20 October), and former RAF navigator John Nichol tells the emotional story of The Unknown Warrior (Friday 25 October) – whose body was brought over from France during the First World War to be buried in Westminster Abbey and became a symbol of the nation’s missing soldiers.
There will be a number of screenings too – including National Theatre Live’s presentation of the Empire Street production, Prima Facie (Thursday 12 September) – starring actress Jodie Comer (Killing Eve).
There’s incredible dance from the award-winning Ballet Cymru with an adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic – Romeo a Juliet (Thursday 17 October), while Mi Flamenco combine music, film and emotive flamenco dancing in Echoes (Thursday 14 November).
Playmakers present an evening of performance from refugee artists with their Sanctuary Local Talent Night (Thursday 3 October), and the award-winning Winchester Musicals and Opera Society return to the stage, this time with Cole Porter’s sizzling Kiss Me Kate (Wednesday 6 – Saturday 9 November).
Finally, this Christmas the theatre will come alive with festive decorations and a programme to match, including An Audience with Dame Lily Trott-Twankey (Sunday 10 November) – with the theatre’s very own panto dame, Julian Eardley, The Scummy Mummies Christmas Show (Tuesday 10 – Wednesday 11 December) featuring scummy carols and Santa tales.
Santa’s Christmas Cracker (Monday 16 December) is a festive family musical adventure where the audience get to meet Father Christmas after each performance, while the Celebrate Voice at Christmas (Friday 20 December) is a dazzling variety of opera, show songs, cabaret and more. Plus, the theatre’s annual traditional family pantomime is a must-see – this year it’s Mother Goose (Saturday 30 Nov – Sunday 5 January), packed with original songs, corny jokes and plenty of audience participation.
For more information or to book tickets, visit: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk or call 01962 840 440.
- In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton