Outraged at not being invited to the Princess’s party, the evil Maleficent casts a spell that sends the Princess and her whole kingdom into a deep sleep, when she pricks her finger on an enchanted spinning wheel. As they snooze, a tangled forest springs up around them. Only one thing can break the curse – the magic of true love! Enter our Prince, who must battle through the thorns, and work with the Princess to defeat the wicked fairy.

It’s going to be panto pandemonium in a show bursting with jaw-dropping costumes, dazzling effects, and sprinkled with magical mayhem. Comedy chaos will be provided by Nottingham’s favourite panto dame John Elkington in this festive spectacular beyond your wildest dreams!

Dive into a world of magic and music with our adventurous mermaid and her sea creature friends.

The little mermaid dreams of a life on the land but finds herself out of her depth when her dreams finally come true.

Specially created for children ages 3-8, this brand-new version of a family favourite is the perfect introduction to live theatre and a fin-tastic festive treat.

When Danny and Dino’s favourite rock band are playing their last ever concert, they go on a quest to get the last two tickets. But with a villainous band manager lurking, nothing goes to plan. Will the band perform? Will Danny rock out? Or will Dino’s rumbling tummy save the day?

Adapted from the number 1 best-selling books by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter, the whole family will have a poopy good time enjoying a brand, new story for the stage. Featuring new songs by Tom and Dougie, a lot of laughs and a whole lot of poo!

Approximately 1 Hour

Following its world premiere here in 2023, and a sell-out tour, The Beekeeper of Aleppo makes a welcome return to Nottingham Playhouse.

Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo – until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. On their terrifying journey, they must face the pain of their own unbearable loss alongside incredible danger. Above all, they must journey to find each other again. This compassionate and beautiful play is a story of connection – between friends, families and strangers.

As Seen on Mock The Week, BT Sport and ITV, ‘Master of one-liners’ Mark Simmons had a ground-breaking 200+ date sell out debut tour lasting two years, spanning the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Mark is back on tour in 2026 with Jest To Impress, a brand new show packed with even more expertly crafted one-liners, alongside his trademark off-the-cuff jokes based on random audience suggestions.

Approximately 1 Hour 40 mins

As a society we love stuff, it’s a statement about who we are and who we want to be. But apparently, this message is at odds with the looming environmental crisis. We’re now struggling to balance these worlds, to focus on the things that bring us real connections and nourish the soul. Award-winning Comedian and Award-winning Product Designer, Scott Bennett is desperately trying to cleanse his life of stuff, but is this even possible anymore?

Oh, it’s all there! All the trademarks are in evidence in Ardal’s latest show.
Beautifully crafted stand-up comedy? Yes. Celebrated use of language? Tick. Lateral thinking, surreal flourishes, sharp observations? Of course. As for the occasional profundity? Maybe.

Despite his best attempts over many decades to put the world to rights, it is still a colossal mess. And so, Ardal has no choice but to go out on the road again. Like the good comedy doctor he is, he fearlessly diagnoses the various pathologies and neuroses that are currently ravaging humanity. Disclaimer: No solutions provided.

After an alarming experience at the supermarket, Ardal reflects on who he is as a man and a comedian. He examines his own ethnic and religious background. And thinks twice about the very core of his identity as a voice of reason. Is everything a big lie? With no major trauma of his own to draw on for material, apart from the drag of getting older, he also turns his gaze outwards at the joys and follies of contemporary life. Towel Animals? A.I.? Chair Yoga? Cauliflower as a main course? Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes. No current idiocy is left unexamined. With a highly developed sense of the ridiculous, and proper comedy bones, Not Himself, is a testament to the healing power of humour. And the joy of jokes.

Approximately 1 Hour 55 mins

From the producers of Sing-a-long-a Sound of Music and Sing-a-long-a GREASE comes the smash-hit film musical that everyone can’t stop singing!

Cheer on Hugh Jackman and swoon over Zac Efron as you experience The Greatest Showman in the most spectacular way possible — with on-screen lyrics so you can sing your heart out!

And it’s marching on to the beat we drum!

Your live host will guide you through a unique set of dance moves that’ll truly make you come alive — and show you how to use your interactive prop bags for maximum fun.

YOU, the audience, will rewrite the stars!

It couldn’t be easier — or more fun! The first rule of Sing-a-long-a is: there are no rules! Fancy dress is highly encouraged, and full audience participation is absolutely essential.

Please note this is a screening of the movie not a live stage show

Approximately 2 Hours 40 mins

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

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.

The revolving Austentatious cast include numerous, award-winning TV and Radio starring performers, including Cariad Lloyd (QI, Inside No.9, Griefcast, The Witchfinder), Joseph Morpurgo (Radio 4, Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee), Rachel Parris (The Mash Report, Live at the Apollo), Graham Dickson (After Life, The Witchfinder) and more.

Approximately 1 Hour 50 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.

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!

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.

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

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.