The season will feature the launch of a new touring play with live magic, a comedy twist on Greek mythology and the theatre’s flagship annual pantomime.
The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has announced its autumn 2026 season, offering plenty of variety.
This newly announced season include local Essex playwright Kenny Emson’s The Disappearing Man (15th to the 31st October). Featuring live magic, the show new drama about legacy and second chances following a washed-up magician.Returning to the once-glittering Clacton-on-Sea, Bazza Cadabra is ready for a final comeback, determined to reclaim the spotlight and prove he’s still got what it takes 20 years since his prime, but at the heart of his ambition is something far more fragile, his re-kindled relationship with his son. As Bazza faces a flashy new young magician, a no-nonsense new manager and the family he left behind, their reunion sparks hope, rivalry, and the possibility of something extraordinary.
Meanwhile, ThickSkin will present It Walks Around the House at Night (24 – 27 Sept), a chilling new play by former Bruntwood Prize-winner Tim Foley at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch before embarking on a UK tour. The story follows an out-of-work actor who takes a job playing a ghost at an old countryside manor. As night after night unfolds, the role begins to blur with reality, and something far more sinister starts to emerge.
Le Navet Bete’s Oh Zeus! will take to the stage from the 7th to the 10th October to offer audiences a journey through Greek mythology. Featuring three actors playing 40 characters, the story focuses on keeping Olympus stable in the wake of Zeus’s daughter Hebe getting married to a mortal king, leading to zeus to come up with a plot to derail it.
Forming part of the theatre’s family programme will be The Tiger Who Came to Tea (25th to the 27th August), based on Judith Kerr’s beloved children’s book.
For the 2026 festive season, the theatre will be presenting its flagship pantomime Robin Hood, from the 18th November until the 2nd January.
Co-Creative Director Alex Thorpe said, “Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and our autumn season is a celebration of that. We are delighted to welcome Kenny Emson back to Essex, staging his play about magic, ambition, hope and rivalry on our main stage before touring nationally. Bringing this production to life alongside our partners at HighTide and an exceptional team of creatives is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when we work together.
“We are passionate about sharing the most exciting touring theatre from across the UK with audiences throughout the borough. Having been captivated by La Navet Bete nearly 20 years ago and long-time admirers of ThickSkin since their inception, we are thrilled to present Oh Zeus! and It Walks Around the House at Night, two bold and imaginative stories that are sure to inspire our adventurous audiences.”
To find out more about each of the productions and book tickets visit: https://queens-theatre.co.uk/