Autumn and Winter will soon be here, and Theatre Royal Winchester’s new season programme is packed with shows that will keep audiences entertained during the darkest of months.
Including classic stories, insightful talks, engaging family theatre, music, dance and comedy, movie and theatre screenings, pantomime, Christmas shows and backstage tours!
The season begins with drama and returning company, Blackeyed Theatre, bringing to the stage the classic, Sherlock Holmes and the Hunt for Moriarty (4 – 6 September), while later in the month, Crime and Comedy Theatre Company present another Sherlock story – with a difference – with Sherlock Holmes & The Sign of Four: A radio play live on stage (30 September – 1 October).
Guy Masterson returns with a breathtaking solo adaptation of Orwell’s Animal Farm (8 October), four actors take their cues from audience suggestions in Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit (10 October), Making A Killing (14 – 15 October) tells the story of 16th century executioner – and avid diarist – Frantz Schmidt, the role of food in the letters and novels of Jane Austen is explored in Pies and Prejudice (19 October), while The Ripper Files (20 – 22 October) presents the case of the world-famous serial killer.
Eddie Izzard Performs Shakespeare’s Hamlet (28 – 29 October) comes to town after critically acclaimed performances in New York and London, Dear Loll: A Wartime Marriage in Letters (9 Nov) is the intimate correspondence of a young couple torn apart in summer 1940, and Crime and Comedy Theatre Company return with A Christmas Carol: A radio play live on stage (16 November).
Next, talks – including BAFTA-winning writer who is back with more hilarious and horrifying anecdotes in A Particularly Nasty Case: A Murderously Funny Evening with Adam Kay (8 September), serial killer catcher, Senior Investigating Officer, Colin Sutton, takes to the stage with The Makings Of A Murderer 2: The Real Manhunter (9 September) – on how he caught some of the UK’s most evil murderers, while 5 Mistakes that Changed History (24 September) is a comical deep-dive about five people whose errors changed everything!
Doctor Richard Shepherd: Time of Death – More Unnatural Causes (3 October) explores why understanding the passing of time helps to investigate why a life was cut short, finally, Emma Kenny’s Killer Couples (13 November) looks at the psychology of the couples who commit the unthinkable.
Family audiences are in for a treat with the mind-blowing magic in Kevin Quantum: Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers (11 September), the beloved book by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort is adapted for the stage in Pirates Love Underpants (20 – 21 September), while the popular Tall Stories theatre company – who are well-known for their live stage shows of Julia Donaldson favourites – returns to the city with The Smeds and The Smoos (3 – 5 October).
Children are taught how to make amazing music with their mouth and a mic, thanks to Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids (18 October), Tall Stories presents The Gruffalo’s Child (25 – 26 October) next, and the illustrations in Liz Pichon’s bestselling books come to life in Tom Gates EPIC Stage Show (27 October).
Magic & Marvels (1 November) is packed with awe-inspiring feats of juggling, daring stunts and illusions, a Cbeebies star returns with a musical hour for young ones – in Nick Cope: I’ve Lost My Bobble Hat! (2 November), and during Christmas week, ages 2-8 get to meet Father Christmas and take home a gift after Santa’s Christmas Party (22 December).
Finally, audiences are already booking for this year’s Panto – Puss in Boots (29 November 2025 – 4 January 2026) – about Colin, the poor Miller’s son, who has no money, no job and no chance of impressing the beautiful princess until his faithful cat, Puss, turns Colin from zero to hero! Packed with jokes, original songs and plenty of audience participation, this magical production is suitable for all ages – with accessible performances and the option to watch from home also available so that audiences can enjoy the panto their way!
Autumn/Winter 2025 is also packed with music, opening with A Beautiful Thread: Thomas Hardy in Words and Music (7 September), which weaves the author’s life with his poetry and novels, through a musical programme. Next MANIA: The ABBA Tribute (12 – 13 September)is back, while Rat Pack Live (14 September) – features the songs and swagger of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr. The Dusty Show (18 September) celebrates the British pop icon; Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, The Ronnie Scott’s Story (19 September) blends world class jazz with narration and archive images and forms part of Winchester Jazz Festival, while The Demon Barbers: 25th Anniversary Tour (23 September) marks 25 years of the award-winning band blending British folk with high-energy dance.
The Phantoms starring Lee Mead (2 October) is a night of musical favourites, Play On Words: A musical celebration of P. G. Wodehouse on Broadway (7 October) celebrates the great comic writer who once had a record-breaking five musicals on Broadway concurrently, while there’s razor-sharp musical satire in Fascinating Aida (11 October).
A West End voice and live band present The Roy Orbison Experience (12 October), while ‘masters of G&S’, Charles Court Opera, perform their critically acclaimed The Mikado (16 – 17 October).
There’s folk rock with Fairport Convention (23 October), An Evening with John Illsley about the Life and Times of Dire Straits (24 October) is a night of rock band classics and a Q&A, and The Ultimate Eagles (31 October) – the most authentic tribute to The Eagles – are with us.
The award-winning Winchester Musicals and Opera Society return with their brand new production, The Addams Family (5 – 8 November), The Wassail with Eliza Carthy & Jon Boden (12 November) is a night of seasonal song and good cheer; and A Night to Remember Motown Show (14 November) features The Voice UK finalist, Bizzi Dixon. Lastly, The Spitfire Sisters Present: It’s Snowtime! (9 December) is packed with Christmas classics, and Midwinter Revels (17 December) closes the festive period with a celebration of Yuletide Pasts.
There are captivating dance performances, including a triple bill of Bharatanatyam and Kathak dance from one of the UK’s leading choreographers with Sevens (16 September), the innovative and renowned Ballet Cymru are back, this time with Giselle (9 October) about a young Welsh girl who falls in love but dies of heartback, while the award-winning IMPERMENENCE presents a high-octane dance experience exploring the scandalous true story of a Suffragette-turned-Fascist in Venus 2.0 (11 November).
Famous faces in comedy return to the stage, starting with Nina Conti: Whose Face Is It Anyway? (25 September), Ardal O’Hanlon: Not Himself (26 September); and a line-up including Rhys James, Micky Overman, Steve Bugeja and Paul McCaffrey in Winchester Comedy Festival: Autumn Gala 2025 (27 September) – as part of Winchester Comedy Festival. Also part of the comic festival, Babatunde Aleshe: High Expectations (28 September).
After announcing additional tour dates, Winchester welcomes returner, Jenny Éclair: Jokes Jokes Jokes Live! (4 October), there’s cutting-edge comedy in Paul Merton and Suki Webster’s Improv Show (18 – 19 October), daftness with Milton Jones: Ha! Milton (26 October), and humanity’s uncertain future is touched upon – plus, the UK’s sausage industry – in Mark Watson: Before It Overtakes Us (30 October).
Alfie Moore: Acopalypse Now (1 November) explores rising crime, global warming and AI, and there are tangents galore in Ross Noble: Cranium of Curiosities (15 November). There is also a comedy showcase of homegrown talent in the Locally Grown Laughs Talent Night (10 September), while solo performer, Rich Lansley presents A Hundred Small Things (21 September) in the theatre bar – a comedy/theatre/spoken-word show celebrating the ordinary!
The theatre plays host to a number of theatre production and film screenings too – including the sci-fi favourite, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (17 September) – with Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher,
National Theatre Live: Inter Alia (20 September) – starring Oscar-nominated Rosamun Pike (Gone Girl) – tells of a smart Crown Court Judge and karaoke fiend, wife and parent whose life is thrown off balance; and composer and Shakespeare’s Globe performer, Chris Green, has created a brand-new live score for the 1922 silent masterpiece, Nosferatu (6 October).
Based on the Roald Dahl classic, Matilda (30 October) shares the story of a super-smart girl who takes on her evil school principal and parents for a happy ending – with Danny Devito, Mara Wilson and Pam Ferris, while National Theatre Live: Mrs Warren’s Profession (10 November) stars real-life mother daughter pairing, Imela Staunton (The Crown) and Bessie Carter (Bridgerton) – in Bernard Shaw’s incendiary moral classic.
Finally, Hollywood legends, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, star in Roman Holiday (13 November) about a globe-trotting princess who rebels against her regimented schedule.
There are also backstage tours as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days – Backstage Tour: Heritage (12 September) and Backstage Tour: Family (13 September) – which explore behind the scenes of the theatre and share the history of the building and it’s infamous ghosts; and include a climb of the fly tower as part of the heritage tour or the chance to check out costumes and props and role-play being an usher during the family tour.
Plus, two final opportunities for teams to show off their knowledge with the final quiz nights – The BIG ROYAL Disney Quiz (29 September) and The BIG ROYAL Harry Potter Quiz (24 November).
For more info or to book tickets, please visit: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk, or call the Box Office on 01962 840 440.
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