66th SEASON
We are proud to present our programme for the coming year. We hope you will enjoy the season, where you will find a play for every taste, from laughs to thrills.
The Lion in Winter by James Goldman
26 September—5 October 2024
Historical dramatic comedy centred around a family
Christmas from hell. It is 1183 at Henry II’s Chinon
castle in France. The topic of the hour is the decision
of who will inherit Henry’s crown, and the alliances,
deals and betrayals that ensue.
Expect medieval manoeuvring, plotting and politics,
and the sharp, witty banter of a deeply dysfunctional
dynasty.
Youth Extravaganza
TBA by TBA
31 October—2 November 2024
It's a Wonderful Life
based on The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern
adapted by Mary Elliott Nelson
5—14 December 2024
Christmas Eve, 1946, Bedford Falls. George Bailey
feels life has passed him by, and he's at the end of his
rope. But George's guardian angel comes to visit, and
he's amazed to discover what life would be like without
him. Maybe it's a wonderful life, after all.
Based on the Frank Capra film, It's a Wonderful Life,
audiences can look forward to a creative, heartfelt,
and entertaining retelling of a beloved holiday classic,
brought to life as a December treat.
Improbable Fiction by Alan Ayckbourn
29 January—1 February & 5—8 February 2025
A play set in and around the imaginations of the seven
members of a writers’ group as a seemingly mundane
meeting quickly transforms into a series of fantastical
and improbable scenarios.
Exploring themes of creativity and the collaborative
nature of storytelling, Improbable Fiction
invites audiences to reflect on the nature of fiction
and the act of creation.
Youth Group Production
TBA by TBA
20—22 February 2025
Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo and Franca Rame
adapted by Tom Basden
20—29 March 2025
A fraudster known only as the Maniac is brought into
police HQ as the officers are preparing for a judicial
review of the recent ‘accidental’ death of a suspect in
custody, only for him to dupe them into performing a
farcical recreation of the incident, exposing the
absurd corruption and terrifying idiocy at the heart of
the system.
This riotous satire has been widely performed around
the world since its premiere in 1970. Tom Basden’s
acclaimed adaptation was first performed in 2022
starring Daniel Rigby as the Maniac, transferring to
the Lyric Hammersmith in 2023, before moving to the
Theatre Royal Haymarket.
Children's Workshop Production
TBA by TBA
3—5 April 2025
When The Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs
15—24 May 2025
Tragicomic play about love and nuclear war, based on
the film by the writer of The Snowman. Set in the 80s
under the shadow of the bomb, Jim and Hilda Bloggs
do their best to follow official government advice to
protect themselves and survive the coming tribulation.
This two-hander is set entirely in the Bloggs'
country cottage over the bucolic days before and in
the aftermath of the nuclear apocalypse.
Duncan Rand One—Act Play Festival
6—19 July 2025
52nd edition of our annual one-act play festival,
bringing together theatre groups from far and wide in
the spirit of friendly competition.
The licensed amateur productions advertised are presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Ltd. a Concord Theatricals Company , and Nick Hern Books.