LISTINGS FOR THE DOOR AND THE STUDIO, BIRMINGHAM REP
September 2026 – January 2027
Box Office: 0121 236 4455, birmingham-rep.co.uk
This autumn and winter there’s something for everyone at The Door and The Studio – Birmingham Rep’s two smaller performance spaces – including drama, drag revue, poetry, sci-fi horror, a ghost story, comedy, and a festive show for younger audiences.
In The Door:
Bull, Sat 12 – Sat 19 September
A new production of Mike Bartlett’s play presented entirely in British Sign Language and creative captions.
Send in the Clowns: Queeny Todd, Thur 24 – Sat 26 SeptemberThe return of the ever-popular drag revue show, Send in the Clowns, this time setting their sights on Sondheim with Queeny Todd
REWIND: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mon 19 October
A sensitive tribute to the victims of the Bosnian and Herzegovina Genocide
Made You Look, Wed 21 and Thurs 22 October
A visceral one-man poetry show presented by writer and performer Ty’rone Haughton
The Void, Tues 27 and Wed 28 October
A chilling sci-fi horror promising a truly cinematic theatrical experience
Darkling, Fri 30 and Sat 31October
An epic story of a life ravaged by ecological disaster featuring Stranger Things star, Linnea Berthelsen
Bangla Month Presents: Comedy Special with SMASHBengali
Sat 21 NovemberAn unforgettable night of laughter with SMASHBengali and friends
LGBTQTeeHee! Comedy Festival,Fri 27 and Sat 28 November
Featuring Birmingham’s newest stand-up comics from the Rep’s ground-breaking comedy workshop for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Ugly Duckling,Thurs 3 December – Sun 10 January 2027
An adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale for 3-6 year olds and their family.
In The Studio:
NT Live: The Misanthrope, Sat 26 September
Award-winner Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) plays the title role in Molière’s classic dark comedy.
The Turn of the Screw, Thurs 29 – Sat 31 October
A new stage adaptation of Henry James’ seminal ghost story
IN THE DOOR
Bull by Mike Bartlett
Directed by Paula Garfield
Saturday 12 – Saturday 19 September 2026
Evenings at 7pm, and 2pm matinees on Thursday 17 and Saturday 19 September
No performance on Sunday 13 September
Ages: 14+
The production will be presented entirely in British Sign Language and creative captions.
Four colleagues sit in a meeting room. Jobs are on the line. The rules are unspoken, but everyone knows them.
Bullis a strained and unsettling examination of workplace bullying, power and survival. As pressure builds, alliances shift and cruelty surfaces, exposing a system where fear thrives and empathy disappears.
Sharp, darkly funny and deeply uncomfortable, Bull lays bare the human cost of a working culture shaped by competition, hierarchy and silence. How far will people go to protect themselves?
Presented by Deafinitely Theatre – the first deaf launched and deaf led professional theatre company in the UK – in a co-production with Birmingham Rep and Park Theatre, Bull is Deafinitely Theatre’s second adaptation of a play by Mike Bartlett. It follows the success of the Off West End Award-winning, critically acclaimed and sold-out production of Bartlett’s Contractions in 2017. Bull is presented in the entirely in British Sign Language with creative captions, and is directed by Deafinitely’s award-winning Artistic Director Paula Garfield.
The cast comprises: Danny Lee (Tony), Ciaran O’Breen (Thomas), David Sands (Carter) and Jasmine Whipps (Isobel). The creative team is completed by Paul Burgess (Set, Costume and Video Designer), Jessie Addinall (Lighting Designer), Eleanor Isherwood (Sound Designer and Composer), Ben Glover (AV Designer) and Raffie Julien (Associate Director).
Deafinitely Theatre’s Artistic Director, Paula Garfield said:
“I’m incredibly excited to bring Bull to the stage with a brilliant cast of deaf actors who bring real talent and creative input to this production. Performed entirely in British Sign Language, with no spoken dialogue, it offers a fresh perspective on Mike Bartlett’s powerful play, with creative captions for all.
“Too often, people assume deaf people are always supportive and kind to one another, but we’re human like everyone else. Bull explores ambition, power and bullying in a deaf workplace, showing how far people will go to succeed. I hope audiences leave challenged, moved, and with a deeper appreciation of the power, beauty and humanity of British Sign Language on stage.”
Presented by Deafinitely Theatre, Birmingham Rep and Park Theatre
Send in the Clowns: Queeny Todd
Thursday 24 – Saturday 26 September 2026
Evenings at 7.45pm, and 2.45pm matinee on Saturday 26 September
Ages: 18+
Send In The Clowns is a filthy, outrageous and joyful drag revue show celebrating the magic and madness of musical theatre.
Isn’t it rich? Isn’t it queer? This time the Clowns are taking on their biggest challenge yet… ART! Yes that’s right, it’s finally time for the Clowns to meet their namesake and take on the ‘Shakespeare of Musical Theatre’, the man, the myth, the legend – Stephen Sondheim! Expect a celebration-cum-assassination of musical theatre’s greatest composer (sorry, Andrew), as the clowns get high…brow with a musical journey reimagining Sondheim’s life, legacy, and back catalogue.
Join your host cabaret superstar and “incredible vocal powerhouse” (West End Best Friend) Fatt Butcher alongside a stellar line-up of the Midlands’ finest drag and cabaret talents including Dahliah Rivers, Blü Romantic, and Alanna Boden. Expect unique takes on favourites from Company, Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods, A Little Night Music, Gypsy, West Side Story, and whatever obscure stuff we dig out the back of the musical sofa bastardised beyond belief (not for the easily offended).
Returning to The Rep with their 10th original(ish) show, Send In The Clowns: Queeny Todd promises an unforgettably raucous show packed with outrageous comedy, spine-tingling live vocals, camp cabaret and sing-a-longs. Each show ends with the unmissable ‘twenty minute musical’, a drag recreation of a legendary musical rehearsed in two days and performed in 20(ish) minutes – chaos is guaranteed!
Presented by Fatts Projects
REWIND: Bosnia and HerzegovinaMonday 19 October, 7.15pm
Ages: 14+
One of The Guardian’s Best 10 Theatre Shows of 2024, the multi-award-winning and critically acclaimed REWIND returns for one night only in a special adaptation as REWIND: Bosnia and Herzegovina.
REWIND: Bosnia and Herzegovina pieces together a scientific examination of a crime secretly buried. In a whirlwind of powerful live music, energetic movement, puppetry, projection and innovative lighting, the show reveals an intimate backward journey in to the life of Hasan a young man who faces authoritarianism.
The show is inspired by memories of survivors and draws from the humanitarian work of forensic anthropology, the first science in history to investigate human rights violations.
The show is a respectful and sensitive tribute to the victims of the Bosnian and Herzegovina Genocide.
This is a collaboration between Ephemeral Ensemble, Remembering Srebrenica, Multidisciplinary artist Katie Taylor and Professor Alison Ribeiro de Menezes.
Made You LookWednesday 21 and Thursday 22 October, 7pm
Ages: 14+
Writer and performer Ty’rone Haughton delivers a fiercely honest and lyrically rich piece that dives deep into masculinity, identity, vulnerability and survival. The show fuses poetry, physical theatre, visual art and sound to create a deeply emotional, at times unbearable, but profoundly necessary experience.
Made You Look is a visceral and explosive one-man poetry show interrogating masculinity and what it means to be an immigrant in a Britain growing increasingly hostile towards minorities and women.
Ty’rone Haughton will also lead two workshops (21 October, The Door; and 29 October, Creative Learning Hub) inspired by the making of Made You Look. Participants will take away both writing and performance techniques, as well as individual workshopping and mentoring from Ty’rone. The workshopsupports poets and theatre makers in understanding their individual voice and rhythms, and how those elements can translate onto stage and into something theatrical.
Presented by Ty’rone Haughton
The Void
Written and directed by Ryan Simons
Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 October
Evenings at 7.45pm, and 2.45pm matinee on Wednesday 28 October
Ages 13+
The Void is a chilling sci-fi horror created for the stage – a decaying future of desperate humans, all-seeing AI, and memories of a distant, dangerous past. Combining powerful illusions, atmospheric projections and a creeping sense of dread, this story asks, what are you afraid of?
Following their spine-tingling production of Shock Horror: A Ghost Story, Thunder Road are back. From the multi-award-winning Yorkshire company known for fusing multimedia, storytelling, and illusion, The Void promises a truly cinematic theatrical experience. Thunder Road began their journey by reimagining cult novels in 2011, working in association with Harrogate Theatre, and now tour nationally with original genre-bending shows.
Ryan Simons, Writer and Director said: “The Void is about fear in its many forms – the fear of the unknown, of being alone, of losing control. We’re using all the tools of theatre and cinema to take audiences on a journey they won’t forget.”
Presented by Thunder Road and Watford Palace
Darkling
By Titas Halder
Directed by Matthew Xia
Friday 30 – Saturday 31 October
Evenings at 7.45pm, and 2.45pm matinee on Saturday 31 October
Ages: 14+
A deeply poetic solo play, Darkling exposes the human impact of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak disaster. The production weaves memory and trauma into a visceral narrative that serves as a powerful indictment of corporate malpractice. This human story confronts the systemic impact of industrialisation on poorer nations, raising urgent questions about environmental exploitation and the fight for justice in the global South.
The production will feature international screen star Linnea Berthelsen – best known globally for her breakout role as Kali Prasad (008) in Netflix’s worldwide phenomenon Stranger Things – in her UK stage debut.
Ferocious, brutal and damning, this epic story of a life ravaged by ecological disaster is written by Titas Halder (Foal, Finborough) and directed by Olivier award-winning director, Matthew Xia (Tambo & Bones, Stratford East / ATC).
Linnea Berthelsen says: “Matthew is someone I’ve admired and have hoped to collaborate with for many years. And after seeing and falling in love with Titas’ work on Foal, I knew that joining Darkling would be a special opportunity. Titas’ script is incredibly nuanced, human and very alive. I’m thrilled to be working with this exceptional creative team.”
An Actors Touring Company and Bush Theatre co-production
Bangla Month Presents: Comedy Special with SMASHBengali
Saturday 21 November, 7.30pm
Ages: 16+
After the success of his first sold-out stand-up special last year, SMASHBengali returns to the stage with his friends for another unforgettable night of laughter.
Expect more roast battles, stand-up comedy from rising comedians, and, of course, SMASHBengali himself, bringing even more iconic stories that everyone can relate to.
Presented by BADA
LGBTQTeeHee! Comedy Festival 2026
Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November, 7.30pm
Ages: 15+
LGBTQTeeHee! is The Rep’s ground-breaking project for budding comedians from the LGBTQ+ community. A ten-week programme of comedy workshops, supported by professional comedians and wellbeing practitioners, LGBTQTeeHee! gives participants the chance to develop their experiences into an empowering and hilarious comedy set, which they will share at this year’s LGBTQTeeHee! Comedy Festival.
Back for an incredible third year,the LGBTQTeeHee! Comedy Festival isa two-night culmination of the work developed over the ten weeks. A celebration of comedy, you’ll laugh your socks off as each comedian entertains you with 5-minutes of brand-new material, performing alongside some of Birmingham’s comedy royalty. Prepare for an evening of joy, laughter, and lots of jokes!
Those interested in taking part in the ten-week LGBTQTeeHee! workshop programme and performing in the Comedy Festival, can come along to a taster session at the Rep on Saturday 22 August. More information on The Rep’s website.
Presented by Birmingham Rep, and funded by Birmingham City Council (Creative Public Health)
The Ugly Duckling
based on the book by Hans Christian Andersen
Adapted by Katherine Chandler
Directed by Caroline Wilkes
Thursday 3 December – Sunday 10 January 2027
Various performance times. Check website for details.
Ages: 3-6 and their families
Never judge a bird by its feathers…
This festive season, one brave little duckling embarks on an extraordinary mission to find a place where they truly belong.
Farm life has a very strict pecking order, and one duckling is too big, too dull, and too ugly to be accepted by the other animals. When the name-calling reaches the final straw, The Ugly Duckling marches out into the big wide world to see if the grass really is greener on the other side.
Battling through the seasons and facing their biggest adventure yet, our determined hero learns that being different is something to celebrate, and that the greatest journeys are the ones that lead us to ourselves.
This delightful adaptation by Katherine Chandler reimagines Hans Christian Anderson’s charming fairy tale offering the perfect introduction to theatre for our younger audiences. Rep Associate Artist, Caroline Wilkes,returns to direct The Door Christmas show following the huge success of Jack And The Magic Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood.
Presented by Birmingham Rep
IN THE STUDIO
NT Live: The Misanthrope
Saturday 26 September, 1pm and 7pm
Ages: 15+
Award-winner Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) plays the title role in this razor-sharp reimagining of Molière’s classic dark comedy.
Telling the truth isn’t always that simple. Alice, a brilliant novelist, despises the carefully constructed lies of modern society. But the more she challenges those around her, the fiercer the backlash becomes. Soon, she must confront the price of speaking her truth in a world that would rather silence her.
Filmed live on stage at the National Theatre, Indhu Rubasingham directs Martin Crimp’s (Cyrano de Bergerac) highly anticipated play.
The Turn of the Screw
A world premiere by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Based on the seminal ghost story by Henry James
Directed by Nicky Allpress
Thursday 29 – Saturday 31 October
Evenings at 7.30pm and 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 31 October
Ages: 12+
England. A remote country house. A young governess, hired to care for two seemingly angelic children, begins what appears to be an idyllic new life. Yet there is something about the children that hints at a darker presence.
Desperate to protect them from what she believes to be malevolent spirits, she finds herself descending into a world of ambiguity, leading to one far-reaching question; are the ghosts real… or a projection of something far more terrifying?
A masterwork of psychological suspense and the inspiration for Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, The Turn of the Screw is brought to life in this brand-new stage adaptation by Olivier Award-winning playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, combining powerful performances, illusion and stylish theatricality.
The cast comprises: Toby Benyon (Miles/Quint), Jim Fish (Man/Master), Kathleen McAuley Irvine (Flora/Jessel), Janita Mikkola (Ensemble), Katy Slater (Mrs Grose) and Amy Tara (Governess).
Joining Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Writer) and Nicky Allpress (Director) on the creative team are: Oliver McNally (Lighting Designer), Matthew Cassar (Set and Costume Designer), Hattie North (Sound Designer), Wayne Fox (Illusionist), Mandy Gordon (Intimacy and Movement Director) and Emma Wilkinson (Assistant Director).
Presented by Blackeyed Theatre and Arcola Theatre
To book visit birmingham-rep.co.uk or call the Box Office on 0121 236 4455 (Monday to Friday from 12pm to 6pm. Saturdays 12pm to 6pm, or 4pm if there is no evening performance scheduled).
Birmingham Rep has been at the forefront of UK theatre for over 100 years. The Rep has an unparalleled pioneering history and is the only producing theatre in the UK’s Second City. It is the oldest building-based theatre company in the country, and the forerunner of both the RSC and the National Theatre.
Under the Artistic Direction of Joe Murphy, The Rep creates artistically ambitious, world-class theatre for everyone. It commissions and produces new work that is proudly made in Birmingham, and which lies at the core of the theatre’s programme. Over the last 15 years the company has produced more than 130 new plays.
The Rep’s acclaimed Creative Learning and Talent Development programme is one of the largest and most diverse of any arts organisation in the country. The Rep has nurtured new talent throughout its history – from Laurence Olivier and Peter Brook to its modern-day youth theatre, and the ground-breaking Rep Foundry theatre-makers programme, offering opportunity and training for thousands of early career writers, directors, and artists.
2025 Rep highlights include a sold-out production and following community tour, of Community written by proud Brummie and Rep Foundry Alumni, Farrah Chaudhry; a sold-out new production of Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns co-producedwith Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse.
Highlights from Joe Murphy’s inaugural season includes: Jodie Comer’s reprisal of her Olivier winning performance in a sold-out one-week only production of Prima Facie; following the success of A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Rep’s stage adaptation of Andrea Levy’s Small Island with Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse, in association with Actors Touring Company; a gripping new staging of this century’s most popular murder mystery, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; and three Rep-made productions directed by Joe himself – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Peter Pan.
Many of The Rep’s productions and co-productions go on to have lives beyond Birmingham. The theatre’s long-running production of The Snowman celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024, alongside its forthcoming 27th consecutive season at London’s Peacock Theatre. Since 2021, other Rep tours and transfers have included The Battle, Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Of Mice and Men, Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image the Musical, The Way Old Friends Do, The Play What I Wrote, Animal Farm and East is East.
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