Jacob Dunne, a teenager from The Meadows, Nottingham, spends his Saturday nights seeking thrills with his friends. One fateful evening in Old Market Square, an impulsive punch leads to fatal consequences. After serving prison time, Jacob finds himself lost and directionless. Searching for answers, Joan and David – the parents of his victim James – ask to meet, sparking a profound transformation in Jacob’s life.

A powerful story of hope, humanity, and the possibility of change.

Whilst Punch is inspired by a true story, some characters and events have been fictionalised for the purposes of the play.

In 2004, in the SuperBowl halftime show finale, 23 year old Justin Timberlake ripped off 37 year old Janet Jackson’s top. Her breast was exposed on screen for nine sixteenths of a second. A pop icon and role model for many black women, and an outspoken ally
for the LGBTQ community, the moment derailed Jackson’s career for many years, while Timberlake’s thrived.

But who was invested in the backlash? What does all this have to say about the demographics of who controls the media, and the ways in which black women are scrutinised in the public eye?

Approximately 1 Hour 20 mins

Because We Said We Would is set in a white board world where the scenes and additional characters are drawn throughout.
Follow Jeanie and Tam from the age of seven as they bond over Queen and cassette tapes, making a pact to meet every 5 years, same time, same place. They grow up through changing music scenes, schoolyard taunts and dreams of rock stardom, where their bond deepens into something that defies easy definition and a childhood promise leads to a lifelong connection. But not everyone’s song plays out the same…

This is a dynamic, working-class story of friendship and music, tracing decades of love, loss, and loyalty that unfolds with humour and heart.

Approximately 1 Hour 35 mins

All Chinese do kung fu, right?
As she prepares for the audition of a lifetime—playing Anna May Wong in a biopic about Hollywood’s first East Asian starlet—China Doll must confront and untangle the ingénue’s legacy as she discovers astonishing parallels between them. Disdainful of Anna for perpetuating the stereotypes she still fights to overcome, China Doll wakes up to find herself magically transported to the 1930s in the body of the revered and reviled starlet. Over the course of several nights, she discovers profound similarities in the ways they navigate love, life, and identity as East Asian actors in the west.

Don’t Call Me China Doll is a one-woman show that explores the intricacies of internalised racism and self-worth. A compelling exploration of identity, discrimination , and progress, it prompts audiences to reflect on how and why East Asian artists still face the same barriers as they did a century ago.

Approximately 1 Hour 15 mins

Based on the bestselling books by Liz Pichon, Tom Gates’ Epic Stage Show comes to Nottingham Playhouse, bringing alive the illustrations and music that makes Tom Gates hugely popular around the world!

With catchy tunes and hilarious performances, this fantastic new stage show brings the best of the Brilliant World of Tom Gates into one live show!

It’s pure fun for the whole family whether you’re a lover of the books or new to Tom and his friends!

Approximately 1 Hour

Where is Ivo Graham from? And where exactly is he going? And will he please just slow down?
The Taskmaster promise-squanderer, published author and gig pig welcomes you to the latest chaotic chapter of his career. A show about hats, haters and hometown heroes. You’ve seen him on panels and podcasts and pegging it through train stations: now come and see his new orange threads in the flesh.

Approximately 1 Hour 50 mins

ELO Again return with their stunning Back to the Blue Tour, celebrating the timeless and universal music of Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra.

This exceptional tribute act brings you a thrilling taste of what a classic ELO concert was like at the height of their fame. With pitch-perfect sound reproduction, dazzling lights, and spectacular visual effects, the full experience is lovingly recreated. Expect all the biggest hits – Mr. Blue Sky, Livin’ Thing, Don’t Bring Me Down, Last Train to London and many more.

Approximately 2 Hours 5 mins

After the main event’s highs and lows, Michelle wonders what to do after the party. She’s heading to the afters for some brutally honest oversharing about life before social media, trying to scrape the barrel of youth, how to know when too much filler is too much, breaking down the cost difference of “party powder” to powdered greens, whether tarot card readers replace actual therapy and when is a good time to pregame perimenopause. Michelle is here to share all the fu@k ups, so you don’t have to.

Approximately 1 Hour 45 mins

Ever since they were first identified in the 1800s, dinosaurs have sparked the imagination of kids and adults alike and for the first time ever, the world- renowned Natural History Museum has teamed up with Mark Thompson Productions to take you on a dinosaur adventure like no other.

We’ll go on a pre-historic journey together to the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and watch the life-like dinosaurs come alive right on stage!

Not only that, but we’ll also find out more about fossils, time scales and how our planet has changed over hundreds of millions of years.

So get ready for a roaring experience like no other as Dinosaurs Live comes to Nottingham.

Approximately 1 Hour

Journey from the sun-drenched shores of Jamaica to the cold, grey streets of 1940s London in Small Island, a powerful and intimate portrayal of Andrea Levy’s multi award-winning novel, adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson.
Directed by Matthew Xia, this bold staging offers a fresh perspective on a world shaped by empire and entitlement, caught between belonging and unbelonging, disappointment and hope.

Four unforgettable characters bring this Windrush story to life: Hortense and Gilbert, determined Jamaican migrants in search of belonging and respect; Queenie, an Englishwoman who defies convention; and Bernard, her husband, struggling with change. Together, they discover love across culture, colour and class – and the fragile hope of a shared future.

Spanning decades and continents, this brand-new production draws on the joyful rhythms of calypso and the harsh realities of postwar Britain to explore the emotional truth of our collective history, brought vividly to life through music, striking visuals and a compelling story you will never forget.

First Year Juniors, Long Eaton, 1987. Kylie’s about to hit number one, and Jess meets Billy for the first time.

There’s conflict, competition and mutual intrigue, but they quickly become inseparable: Proper soulmates – the kind who finish each other’s sentences and overshare about first kisses.

As they pursue different paths, him in the big city, her in their fading hometown, they can’t escape the pull of their friendship – or the arguments and jealousy that come with it. Following them across the decades – from making mixtapes and endless summers, to the chaos of parenthood, Scenes from a Friendship is a warm, funny, and deeply felt look at the bond you share with the person who’s shaped your life, who knows all your flaws but loves you regardless.

Beloved Great Pottery Throw Down judge and ceramic designer Keith Brymer Jones returns to the stage with a brand-new show.
Join Keith alongside his partner in life and crime, actor and designer Marj Hogarth, as they share stories of clay, craft, and their most ambitious project yet… bringing a building back to life.

Fresh from filming the third series of Channel 4’s Our Welsh Chapel Dream, Keith and Marj invite you behind the scenes of their creative partnership based on the restoration of Capel Salem, a Grade II listed 19th-century chapel in North Wales.

Together, they’ll reveal the highs, lows, and surprises they’ve uncovered whilst breathing new life into historic stone—from navigating Welsh planning regulations to discovering what resilience really means when the roof leaks and the budget doesn’t stretch. But this isn’t just about saving a building. It’s about restoring a community hub, creating a space where local potters can train as apprentices, and weaving Capel Salem back into the fabric of village life.

Watch Keith work his magic at the pottery wheel with live demonstrations. Hear Marj share her passion for making something beautiful from nothing, and why she’s spent decades quietly championing sustainable craft long before it became fashionable.

Craig Revel Horwood is a national treasure. The longest-serving judge on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing is the master of the Glitter Ball.
After starting as a dancer, he worked on the nation’s biggest musicals and became a choreographer, director, and best-selling author. Craig’s also a remarkable singer, and to celebrate the release of his debut solo album, Revelations, he’ll reveal his own, hidden talent during a Fab-U-Lous night of big songs, tall tales, and glamour.

Approximately 1 Hour 30 mins

Step right up and enter the dazzling world of P.T. Barnum, where imagination and ambition know no bounds. Hand in hand with wife Charity, Barnum’s life and career twists and turns as he schemes and dreams his way to headier heights.

West End favourite and TV star Lee Mead will take centre stage as the legendary 19th century showman P.T. Barnum. Lee shot to stardom with his breakout win on Any Dream Will Do and acclaimed performances in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Wicked, and Legally Blonde.

This spectacular production directed by Jonathan O’Boyle and choreographed by Oti Mabuse will feature an extraordinary ensemble cast of over 20 actor-musicians, acrobats and amazing circus acts. Audiences are certain to delight at every sight, wonder and miracle that the name Barnum stands for!

Celebrating a quarter of a century on stage. This is the best of BalletBoyz.

With their signature irreverence and discerning eye for beautiful dance, BalletBoyz return in 2026 with their brand-new production Still Pointless, marking the 25th Anniversary of the Company’s critically acclaimed debut, Pointless (yes, it’s really been that long!).

10 world-class dancers will take audiences through a journey of some of BalletBoyz’ best moments. The show opens with an excerpt from Russell Maliphant’s seminal work Critical Mass, performed as part of the original show at the Roundhouse back in 2001. At once looking back to celebrate all the Company has achieved whilst looking to the future with enthusiasm and ambition, the show will also showcase the world-premiere of a brand-new commission by Seirian Griffith

Danny Bhoy brings his sellout London, Edinburgh & Montreal Comedy Festival 2025 show, Dear World, to venues across the UK.
This is the sequel to my 2014 show ‘Dear Epson…’ My favourite ever show. It’s a hybrid of stand up and theatre, but really that just means I get to sit down for bits of it.

Approximately 1 Hour 20 mins

Shoot From The Hip bring their award-winning, TikTok-viral improvised comedy to Nottingham Playhouse!
Featuring chaotic games, epic scenes, and ever-so-slightly unhinged performances, their Metro, Evening Standard, and Time Out-recommended shows are completely unscripted, unpredictable – and unforgettable.

Approximately 2 Hours 30 mins

Few shows have experienced the phenomenal global success of The Simon & Garfunkel Story, with multiple sold-out shows in over 50-countries worldwide and over 20 headline performances in London’s West End, including multiple appearances at the world-famous London Palladium.

Using huge projection photos and original film footage, the international hit show tells the story of the origins and meteoric rise of Simon & Garfunkel blended together seamlessly with a full live band performing all the hits including Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound and many more.

A musical journey through the glittering career of pop’s most famous brother and sister duo.
This highly acclaimed production continues to captivate audiences across the UK with its spectacular celebration of the classic songbook that made The Carpenters a legend in the world of popular music, selling over 100 million albums and singles.

This brand new show for 2025 once again features the outstanding vocal talents of Claire Furley, with Musical Director Phil Aldridge leading The Carpenters Story band as they re-create Richard Carpenter’s original orchestral arrangements.

The award-winning West End smash-hit comedy Austentatious comes to you on a strictly limited tour.

For a delightful evening, the all-star Austentatious cast will improvise a hilarious new Jane Austen novel, inspired entirely by a title from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, it’s a riotous, razor-sharp show where swooning is guaranteed.

Following a hugely acclaimed London run, legendary performance artist Bryony Kimmings brings her hit show Bog Witch to Nottingham Playhouse for one night only.

Drawing on Kimmings’ own life, Bog Witch follows her decision to uproot her and her son’s lives and move to a tumbledown cottage in the wilderness, attempting to reconnect with nature as a last-ditch effort to feel happy, grounded and sane. What unfolds is a raw, funny and unexpectedly magical journey, blending songs, stand-up comedy and performance art.

Both deeply personal and politically resonant, Bog Witch explores motherhood, mental health, climate anxiety and survival in the modern world. By weaving together humour, honesty and moments of primeval magic, Kimmings creates a haunting and hilarious piece of theatre that speaks directly to how we live now.

Approximately 1 Hour 20 mins

The Market Deeping Model Railway Club’s chances of victory at the Annual Show have been ripped apart by vandals, and the group must rally to piece their miniature world back together.

When their story goes global, help floods in from unexpected sources – including fellow enthusiast Sir Rod Stewart. But what lies ahead for the club? Chairman Graham, his long-suffering wife Linda and the eclectic bunch of enthusiasts must face the question: what exactly is it about their everyday lives, that makes recreating the England of the past in miniature so appealing?

Based on a true story, Nottingham playwright William Ivory (The Great Escaper, Made in Dagenham, Common As Muck) brings warmth and wit to this comedy of highstakes drama in a small-town setting – celebrating community, friendship, and British eccentricity.

Whilst this play is inspired by real events, characters, names and events have been fictionalised for the purposes of the play.

You’re invited to the wedding of the year!

It’s Sylvia and Marek’s big day and the Stone family have gathered in Mansfield. The bride, her sisters and aunties are getting their glam on and everyone’s on their best behaviour. For now. But once the vows have been made and the drinks start flowing, deep-seated family resentments begin to bubble up. When secrets start spilling out, alliances shift, and by the end of the night, nothing will ever be quite the same again. Funny, relatable and deeply moving, this brilliant night out explores what happens when we’re forced to choose between family, and love.

Beth Steel’s Olivier-nominated, uproariously funny family drama comes to Nottingham for the first time in this regional premiere. Beth Steel is an award-winning playwright. Wonderland, her critically acclaimed play, won her the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright, was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and had its regional premiere at Nottingham Playhouse. Till the Stars Come Down was nominated for 2 Olivier Awards and transferred from the National to the West End in 2025.

An outrageous – and true – tale of medical misogyny, telling the story of patients performing ‘hysteria’ onstage in 19th century Paris.

Ladies and Gentlemen — feeling a little upset? Tried hypnosis, psychoanalysis or smelling salts, and it still doesn’t work? Welcome to The City for Incurable Women.

Paris, 1880s. Inside a grand psychiatric hospital, women diagnosed with “hysteria” are made to perform their symptoms for an eager public. Their bodies become evidence. Their suffering becomes spectacle.

Today, in the 21st century, storyteller Kae begins to uncover this disturbing medical history. As they dig deeper, the past refuses to stay contained. The voices of the women echo into the present, settling in Kae’s own body and blurring the line between observer and subject.

What begins as research becomes something more dangerous. The story tightens its grip, asking who gets believed, who gets watched, and who is left untreated?

Approximately 0 Hour 55 mins

Michael Spicer, the online sensation behind the award-winning viral hit The Room Next Door, returns with another hilarious and brilliantly entertaining satirical stage show.

It’s packed with sharp sketches, short films and stories exploring why we’re living through such a gigantic political and global shitshow. The show features characters from his BBC Radio 4 series No Room, along with a few old favourites making a welcome return.

Approximately 1 Hour 50 mins

Gaza. Ukraine. Syria. Sudan. Yemen. The world is facing more armed conflicts than at any point in decades, and Jeremy Bowen has reported from the centre of nearly all of them.
As the BBC‘s International Editor, Jeremy has spent over 40 years covering more than 90 countries and 20 wars. From El Salvador in 1989 to the frontlines today, he has interviewed world leaders, documented war crimes, been shot at, and survived to tell the stories.

But something has changed. Israel imposes restrictions on foreign journalists from entering Gaza. Russia controls the narrative in occupied Ukraine. Governments from Syria to Sudan restrict access, manipulate information, and discredit reporters who contradict official accounts. In the age of social media, competing claims flood our screens, but who is telling the truth? And how do we know?

Michael Mania™ is the sensational stage show that celebrates the King of Pop and his extraordinary musical legacy. More than just a tribute, it’s a spectacular concert experience that captures the energy, creativity, and brilliance of Michael Jackson.

Featuring a world-class cast, breathtaking choreography, and stunning visuals, every detail is designed to immerse audiences in the unforgettable spirit of the King of Pop.

From Billie Jean to Thriller, Smooth Criminal to Black or White, this electrifying production brings his iconic music and dance to life like never before, delivering a performance so authentic, it’s the closest you’ll ever come to experiencing Michael Jackson, live.

Get ready to relive the hits that shaped musical history. This is Michael Mania™.

Approximately 3 Hours 25 mins

After three decades investigating the strange edges of human behaviour—from public shamings, psychopaths, to modern moral panics—Jon Ronson’s latest true story turns unexpectedly close to home.
When his son is lured to a mysterious castle deep in the forests of New England, Jon finds himself on a darkly comic, perilous quest to uncover what was really happening inside its walls. The Castle, Jon’s first book in 11 years, is his most personal, revealing and gripping journey yet—a twisting tale of unmoored men, lost purpose and the absurd, frightening ways it can all go wrong. Does a world of disinhibition, where seemingly anything goes, lie ahead of us?

In this brand-new live show, Jon brings the book’s extraordinary stories to life on stage with astonishing footage and online clips, including jaw-dropping material that has long since vanished from the internet. You’ll also get a first look at what’s coming in the next season of Things Fell Apart, and of course the chance to put your questions directly to Jon. Funny, unsettling, and unforgettable.

Kiell Smith-Bynoe (star of Ghosts, Taskmaster and Stath Lets Flats) is bringing his smash hit improv comedy show to Nottingham.
Featuring:

A surprise celebrity guest every night!

A cast of some of the UK’s best improvisers around!

Stories from you, the audience, to inspire the comedy!

Following a huge debut national tour, sold out runs across London and the Edinburgh Fringe, Kool Story Bro is coming back for another round of crazy audience stories from all over the UK.

It’s improvised comedy. But it’s Kool.

Approximately 2 Hours

Musical meteor Jazz Emu was born to please you.

Total and Utter Audience Satisfaction is his middle name – finally, after a long and financially ruinous Deed Poll process.

But he’s feeling uneasy. A review described his last show as ‘a bit much’. What? Was his seventeenth stage-dive too tastefully executed? Not this time. This time, he’s living up to his middle-namesake.

Approximately 1 Hour 40 mins

BAFTA nominee and star of Taskmaster Lucy Beaumont is going to let loose and let slip on her roller coaster world.



With off-beat stories, unusual anecdotes, and surreal glimpses into modern womanhood, Lucy Beaumont turns everyday life into something extraordinary. In Bad at Quiz Shows, Good with Weirdos, she returns after a year of spectacular quiz-show mishaps, half-formed thoughts, and public disasters.

From accidentally costing a gameshow contestant £79,000 to flopping on Mastermind, from going into hiding after Celebrity Traitors to creating cow-udder couture on The Great British Sewing Bee, Lucy transforms the ordinary into chaotic, laugh-out-loud brilliance. Normal is overrated, weirdos are welcome, and nothing is off-limits in this hilariously unpredictable evening of stand-up.

Approximately 2 Hours 35 mins

Two queens. One crown. A decision that would change the monarchy forever.

Join acclaimed historians Suzannah Lipscomb and Kate Williams for an unmissable live event exploring Mary, Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth I — two women caught in one of the greatest political and personal crises of the 16th century.

Working back from the fall of the axe at Fotheringhay Castle, the discussion traces the chain of events and decisions that led Elizabeth to sign her cousin’s death warrant. What went wrong between these two women? Why was Elizabeth so threatened — and could this tragedy have been avoided?

Through vivid storytelling, drawing on the latest research, Kate and Suzannah examine espionage, treason, and gender politics in the Tudor world, from William Cecil’s spy networks and Mary’s defiant embroideries to the Babington Plot. Challenging the way male historians have traditionally pitted these women against each other, they reframe their choices as acts of courage and consequence.

A gripping evening of queenship, legacy and power, this event brings to life the story of two remarkable women at the greatest crisis point of their lives.

Approximately 1 Hour 50 mins

After two sell out tours, Josh Pugh is back performing stand up comedy to the best of his ability for an hour and a bit.

Josh is known for his appearances on small screen (TV) Live at the Apollo, Big Fat Quiz of Everything, Mock the Week, Would I lie to you, The Last Leg as well as his appearances on even smaller screens (your phone) with his weekly viral videos.

Approximately 1 Hour 50 mins

Paul Merton and Suki Webster host a fast-paced night of improvised comedy with Mike McShane and special guests – Improv Show

Join two of the UK’s masters of improvisation, Paul Merton and Suki Webster, for an evening of fast, fearless and gloriously unpredictable comedy. Joined by their longtime friend and improv virtuoso Mike McShane, along with a host of very special guests, no two nights are ever the same.

Packed with brilliantly devised improvised games, scenes and stories, the show moves at breakneck speed from laugh-out-loud surrealism to razor-sharp comic invention. With nothing scripted and everything created in the moment, the audience becomes part of the fun as suggestions spark spontaneous comedy at its most exhilarating.

Smart, silly and sensationally funny, this is improv comedy at its very best — delivered by performers who are among the best in the business.

Approximately 1 Hour 50 mins

The five star comedy sensation from the West End!

After its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy and the Evening Standard Award, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is a unique
and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Men, money and microphones will be fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance. This multi-award-winning production features a string of pop classics including Young Hearts Run Free, Will You Love Me Tomorrow and You’re So Vain.

IT’S THE 1800S.

IT’S PARTY TIME.

LET THE RUTHLESS MATCHMAKING BEGIN.

Approximately 2 Hours 15 mins

‘Some people build fences to keep people out, and other people build fences to keep people in.’

Troy Maxson has cheated death once, but the past keeps closing in. On Pittsburgh’s streets, he cracks jokes and spins stories, yet at home, the pressure is building.

His wife, Rose, holds the family together. She sees a changing world and hopes their son Cory might step into it with more freedom than Troy ever had. But when dreams collide, and tempers flare, the Maxsons edge towards a reckoning that could reshape everything they know.

August Wilson’s landmark play, set in the 1950s, returns in a vital new production directed by the award-winning Daniel Bailey (Red Pitch, West End). From one of America’s most influential 20th-century writers, this is a story of ambition for our time.

You’ve seen her in the Masterchef kitchen… You’ve seen her on the Drag Race runway… Now it's time to see her in her element: outrageous, untamed and completely off the reins.
Following the explosive success of her smash hit 2024 tour Ginger Johnson Blows Off!, the nation’s silliest sausage is back on the road with her brand new live spectacular: Show Pony!

Promising high camp, low morals, and double helpings of her trademark ridiculousness, Show Pony is a barnstorming night of whip-smart comedy and top-tier talent that proves why Ginger is one of Britain’s most beloved queens.

Join us on a wild ride to a magical far-off land, for the astounding adventure of Aladdin! Can the plucky Aladdin prove himself to The Princess? And will the wicked sorcerer get his hands on the legendary lamp? With the help of a hilarious genie and some panto magic, anything is possible!

With Nottingham’s favourite Dame John Elkington leading our fantastic cast, Aladdin promises to be a rip-roaring adventure bursting with spectacular costumes, amazing special effects, and comedy chaos at every turn. It’s a treasure trove of family fun in this festive spectacular that will make all your wishes come true!