The announcement covers from Autumn 2026 to Summer 2027.
Leeds Playhouse today announces Tom Wright’s inaugural season of shows as Artistic Director, which will run in the Quarry theatre and Courtyard theatre.
This newly announced season will begin with a revival of August Wilson’s Fences, with Daniel Wilson directing the co-production between Leeds Playhouse, Headlong, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and HOME Manchester, which plays in the Courtyard theatre from 11 to 26 September 2026 ahead of its UK tour.
Meanwhile, following on from its 2024 run at London’s Kiln Theatre, Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan’s Peanut Butter and Blueberries will play from 22 October to 7 November 2026. It is set to be directed by Sameena Hussain.
The theatre’s Christmas show will be How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, which will be directed by Artistic Director Tom Wright and run from the 9 November 2026 to 16 January 2027.
Heading into 2027, Leeds Playhouse will present a new production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the Quarry theatre. The revival will run from 3 to 20 March 2027.
Tom Wright’s new piece Sirens will take to the stage from 15 March to 3 April 2027. Presented in association with Belgrade Theatre, with further details yet to be announced.
This will then be followed by a new adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic The Secret Garden, reimagined by Linda Marshall Griffiths. Amy Leach will co-direct the piece after the success of her Olivier Award-nominated Animal Farm. This co-production with Theatr Clwyd will play in the Courtyard from 23 April to 15 May 2027.
A new version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein presented in a co-production with the Rose Theatre in Kingston will take to the Quarry stage from 12 to 29 May 2027. It has been adapted and directed by Leeds-raised Jeff James.
Jamie Sophia Fletcher will direct a revival of Little Shop of Horrors, a co-production with Oxford Playhouse it will play from 23 June to 17 July.
Speaking of the news, Tom Wright, Artistic Director of Leeds Playhouse, said:”My first season begins with a simple idea – that theatre should entertain and challenge in equal measure, and speak directly to the world we’re living in. Across the programme are four new works – including two original stories and two bold adaptations – alongside landmark plays, reimagined classics and large-scale theatrical spectacle.
“This season brings together artists with deep connections to Leeds and the Playhouse, alongside acclaimed voices joining us for the first time – reflecting our ambition to celebrate the extraordinary talent rooted in this city while welcoming some of the most exciting theatre-makers working across the country. I’m proud that it will also see four directors making their first Playhouse-produced work in the Quarry, introducing audiences to artists helping to shape the future of British theatre.”
To find out more visit: https://www.leedsplayhouse.org.uk/