Sheffield Theatres reveals ambitious 2026/27 season with McDiarmid and Horne in Shakespeare double bill
Sheffield Theatres has unveiled its 2026/27 season, featuring two Shakespeare productions starring Ian McDiarmid and Mathew Horne in the Crucible this autumn, alongside five world premieres and festive musical Singin’ in the Rain.
The 2026/27 season at Sheffield Theatres will open with a double bill of Shakespeare’s King Lear and Twelfth Night in the Crucible. Ian McDiarmid will take on the title role in King Lear, directed by Titas Halder, with the production staged in association with Michael Grandage Company. Twelfth Night will be directed by Jamie Glover and will feature Mathew Horne as Malvolio.
In addition to the Shakespearean offerings, the season will also include five world premieres. These include The Ballroom, created and staged by Jonathan Butterell, Kevin Clifton and Anna Hope, based on Hope’s novel and set in Yorkshire. Butterell returns to Sheffield following his direction of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Other new works include Never Look Back by John Rwothomack, produced in partnership with the associate company Roots Mbili Theatre; and 12 Letters to My Name, written by Sheffield playwright Lettie Precious and co-produced with English Touring Theatre and Graeae.
Sheffield Theatres will also premiere an adaptation of Sunjeev Sahota’s novel The Year of the Runaways, adapted by Stephanie Street and directed by the company’s artistic director Elizabeth Newman. Another highlight is The Trip, a production created and performed by members of Sheffield Theatres’ Youth Theatre.
The festive season will feature Jonathan Church’s return to direct Singin’ in the Rain at the Crucible. The season further includes Sapling by Georgina Duncan, winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2025, produced in collaboration with Paines Plough and the Women’s Prize for Playwriting.
An interview with artistic director Elizabeth Newman is expected to provide further insights into the forthcoming season. The programme underlines Sheffield Theatres’ commitment to a blend of classic drama, new writing, and community engagement.
