When the sun finally sets on summer this year, Theatre Royal Winchester will welcome in another autumn winter programme packed with drama, music, comedy, dance, family shows, screenings, talks, seasonal entertainment, and more!
The autumn winter season will run from Tuesday 1 September 2026 through to the festive period, with this year’s traditional family pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, on from Friday 4 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. The season’s What’s On guide is available now!
The new season opens with drama, including:
- Conn Artists Theatre Company’s Jane Eyre (Wednesday 2 – Thursday 3 September) – a new staging of Charlotte Brontë’s gothic romance about a woman’s fight for freedom, happiness and a sense of belonging
- The National Production Company return with their full-scale production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Wednesday 16 – Thursday 17 September) – with sorcery, ghostly apparitions and spectacular sword fights!
- War Horse author Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful (Monday 28 – Wednesday 30 September) tells of a solder on the eve of battle, looking back on his life, the warmth of family, the innocence of first love, and the deep bond with his brother
- Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (Friday 16 – Saturday 17 October), set during the Great Depression, follows two friends with a simple dream: to own a farm – but they face troubles and events that threaten their friendship
- Finally, Rumpus Theatre present The Haunted Bride (Tuesday 20 – Wednesday 21 October) – based on Dickens’ eerie tale, To Be Read At Dusk
There’s plenty of music and song for all tastes:
- A Night to Remember Motown Show (Friday 4 September) takes audiences back to 1960’s Detroit
- The Legend of Springsteen (Saturday 5 September) celebrates the music of rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Bruce Springsteen – aka The Boss!
- There are 70s and 80s anthems from the likes of Queen, Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC, Metallica and more in The History of Rock (Thursday 10 September)
- Sound-a-like Owen Jones and his band The Rozzers perform with authenticity and vocal accuracy in A Tribute to Sting and The Police (Saturday 12 September)
- The Carpenters: Voice of The Heart (Tuesday 15 September) pays homage to the group’s incredible back catalogue
- There are fresh takes on jazz classics, plus audience favourites and original material in Marvin Muoneké’s Big Band (part of Winchester Jazz Festival) (Saturday 19 September)
- Charles Court Opera perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta, Iolanthe (Monday 21 – Tuesday 22 September) – a sharp satire about a forbidden love that fuses two worlds – the magical Fairyland and the House of Peers
- Southampton Musical Society present We Will Rock You (Friday 2 – Sunday 4 October) – the jukebox musical featuring over 20 Queen anthems
- DS:UK… in Tribute to Dire Straits I ON anoTHEr NIGHT (Thursday 8 October) celebrates the rock band’s final album, On Every Street
- New Arts opera company perform Rossini’s comic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville (Friday 9 October), about a man who helps a lovestruck count win at love!
- The Ultimate Eagles (Sunday 18 October)– universally recognised as the most authentic tribute to the country rock band – is back!
- Man in The Mirror: A Tribute to Michael Jackson (Thursday 22 October) features all the hits, choreography, costumes, and CJ – one of the world’s greatest MJ tribute artists
- Direct from London’s West End, A Beautiful Noise: The definitive tribute to Neil Diamond (Friday 23 October) celebrates the musical icon
- New Sussex Opera perform an English translation of the rare opera, Charpentier’s David and Jonathan (Sunday 25 October) – a biblical tragedy of desire, politics, and paranoia
- Winchester Musicals and Opera Society present the fairy tale romance, Disney’s Beauty & The Beast (Wednesday 4 – Saturday 7 November)
- Finally, there are country music classics and iconic tracks from the Blues Brothers movie in the live concert experience, The Chicago Blues Brothers (Friday 13 November)
There’s comedy from TV, festival and circuit favourites, including:
- Ivo Graham with the orange-themed Orange Crush (Tuesday 8 September)
- Master ventriloquist Paul Zerdin– and his unruly puppet sidekicks – present Shut Your Mouth (Wednesday 9 September)
- Andy Hamilton reminisces in Night To Remember (Sunday 20 September)
- Scott Bennett wants to cleanse his life in Stuff (part of Winchester Comedy Festival) (Wednesday 23 September)
- The state of the nation is discussed by Michael Spicer in Hope all’s well (part of Winchester Comedy Festival) (Thursday 24 September)
- There’s witty song from comic duo Flo and Joan in With Feeling (part of Winchester Comedy Festival) (Friday 25 September)
- Theatre Royal Winchester also sees the return of the Winchester Comedy Festival: Autumn Gala (Saturday 26 September)
- The 92-year-old Barry from Watford delivers more fierce one-liners in Shooting from the New Hip (part of Winchester Comedy Festival) (Sunday 27 September)
- Romesh Ranganathan performs new material ahead of his brand-new tour in Work In Progress (Saturday 10 October)
- Puppeteer Max Fulham explores family, charity, financial advice and more in Memory Foam (Sunday 11 October)
- The award-winning Sh!t-faced Shakespeare® cast present a tipsy, no-holds-barred interpretation of Romeo and Juliet (Thursday 15 October)
- Another line-up of comedy faces take to the stage for the fundraising Naomi House & Jacksplace Comedy Night (Sunday 8 November)
- There are comedy sketch renditions aplenty in An Evening of Eric & Ern (Wednesday 11 – Thu 12 November)
- Andy Parsons laughs at life in Please #@!$ off to Mars (Saturday 14 November)
- Lastly, Hambledon Productions’ Jack the Ripper parody, The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town (Monday 16 November), is packed with surreal absurdism
There’s dance from:
- Strictly Theatre Co.’s Breaking Ballroom (Friday 11 September), which blends ballroom dance with daring athletic lifts and raw movement, exploring passion, connection and rebellion against expectation
- Jasmin Vardimon Dance present Lullaby (Tuesday 6 October), set against a backdrop of a cold, clinical hospital landscape, about the highs and lows of human life
- TWAWSI: The World As We See It… (Wednesday 14 October) by ACE dance and music is a double bill featuring Echoes of Dust about seven individuals stranded in a war-torn world; and LETLALO or ‘skin’, drawing on African, Indigenous and contemporary dance languages to explore the connection between humanity and the earth
- RPM (Tuesday 27 October) by Gorilla Circus combines acrobatics, street dance, and roller-skating, set on a giant moving treadmill, and explores the links between the UK’s current problems and troubled past
- Let’s All Dance Ballet Company present the family favourite, Alice in Wonderland (Thursday 29 October) featuring stunning dance and beloved characters
- Finally, Lost Dog Dance reimagine Juliet & Romeo (Tuesday 10 November) – this time the couple grow up together, with the show exploring love, loss, our culture’s obsession with youth and inevitable issues with longevity
As a smaller venue, the theatre is ideal for younger audience members and there’s loads of family-friendly entertainment:
- Direct from London’s West End, Ministry of Science Live: Science Saved the World (Sunday 13 September)features explosive educational fun including liquid nitrogen clouds and fire tornados!
- Groove Onto The Moon (Sunday 20 September) is a musical sci-fi adventure featuring live funk, jazz and rock music, alien creatures and daring missions!
- Puppeteer Max Fulham also presents a comical children’s show, Monkey Business (Sunday 11 October) – with his sidekick, Gorden the Monkey
- Children’s writer and illustrator Nick Sharratt teaches how to draw exciting characters in Once Upon A Drawalong (Saturday 24 October)
- Magician-scientist adventurer, Kevin Quantum, presents impossible illusions and levitations in Anti-Gravity – Thrilling & Beautiful Magic (Friday 30 October)
- Rod Campbell’s bestselling lift-the-flap classic is brought to life when Dear Zoo (Saturday 31 October – Sunday 1 November) returns to the city
- Also, for teenage audiences and their parents, there are astonishing close-up card tricks from Matt Homer in the theatre’s Atrium in The Gentleman Deals (Tuesday 1 September)
The season also heralds a host of Christmas shows, including:
- The return of a favourite adaptation of Dickens’ festive tale –A Christmas Carol (including a livestream option) (Sunday 15 November) – presented by Crime and Comedy Theatre Company as a radio-play live on stage
- This year’s traditional family pantomime is Sleeping Beauty (Friday 4 December 2026 – Sunday 3 January 2027) – packed with corny jokes, original songs, and plenty of audience participation
- This year’s festive classic as part of the Naomi House & Jacksplace Christmas Movie Night (Thursday 10 December) is The Holiday – with live music in the bar prior
- Christmas Greetings LIVE! (Monday 14 December) features beautiful music and enchanting ballet performances
- There’s a screening of The Royal Ballet’s adaptation of The Nutcracker (Tuesday 15 December) about a magician who must save his nephew by defeating the Mouse King and finding a girl to care for him, featuring Tchaikovsky’s familiar melodies
- Santa’s Best Ever Christmas (Monday 21 December)is an interactive, festive musical adventure packed with seasonal and children’s favourite songs. Plus, every child gets a present from Santa!
There are a number of screenings too:
- Vox Lumiere Metropolis (Friday 18 September) features the iconic 1927 silent masterpiece, transformed into a live experience featuring powerhouse vocals and new music
- Killing Eve actress Sandra Oh stars in the National Theatre Live’s The Misanthrope (Tuesday 13 October) – the razor-sharp dark comedy about a novelist who must confront the price of speaking her truth
- Movie stars Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon feature in the 1975 cult musical comedy horror, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Thursday 29 October)
- Finally, The Royal Opera’s Carmen (Saturday 14 November) explores lust and violence, with an electrifying score and sung in French with English surtitles
There are talks from:
- Simon Yates with Touching The Void: My Mountain Life (Saturday 24 October) – the adventurer shares breath-taking stories and spectacular photography and film
- Antique expert Mark Smith presents Antique Expert on the Road (Wednesday 28 October) about the Victoria Cross and the bravery of the men awarded it
- Emma Kenny’s Murderous Minds (Saturday 31 October) takes an unflinching deep dive into the psyche of killers!
- An Evening with Jimmy Tarbuck (Sunday 1 November) sees the English comedian and entertainer share anecdotes and jokes
- Finally, An Afternoon with Colin Baker (including a livestream option) (Sunday 15 November) sees the former Dr Who star chat about his impressive career
Several events and workshops also take place outside the auditorium, in the theatre’s Atrium and throughout the building, including:
- Ukes for All’s Ukulele Beginners and Improvers courses (sessions start Friday 4 September)
- The BIG Royal General Knowledge Quiz (Monday 7 September, Monday 12 October, Monday 23 November)
- As part of Heritage Open Days, there’s a Backstage Tour (Saturday 12 September, two tours!)
- There’s the return of the Unwritten: Creative Speed Dating Night (Monday 14 September) where local writers and directors meet to pitch ideas towards a creative project
- Play to the Crowd – the charity that runs Theatre Royal Winchester – welcomes its Members to another In Crowd Coffee Morning (Tuesday 15 September)
- Acting and Musical Theatre alumni come together to celebrate their work as part of the University of Winchester Graduate Platform (Wednesday 7 October)
- There’s another chance for local creatives to meet, share ideas, and showcase their work at the next Local Creative Social (Monday 19 October)
- Following that, clown and comedian Darryl J Carrington presents his Masterclass: Physical Theatre Comedy & Improv Workshop (Monday 19 October)
- Finally, the Unwritten: Scratch Night (Monday 2 November) sees the culmination of weeks of work towards brand-new pieces of theatre by writer director performer collaborations
For more information, or to book tickets, visit: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk or call 01962 840 440.
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