Apphia Campbell’s acclaimed play follows a successful singer and civil rights activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father.
She reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church, to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.
The show has toured the UK and Australia to standing ovations and played sell-out seasons in Shanghai, New York, Edinburgh and the West End of London.
Winner: Best Theatre Award, Adelaide Fringe 2024
“Moving portrayal of determination and survival.”★★★★ Times “Nothing short of sensational… will make you cheer for her, smile with her and then sting your eyes with tears”★★★★★ Broadway Baby “A compelling and heartbreaking story, punctuated with bursts of song.” ★★★★ Edinburgh Festival Magazine
String your bows and join us for some festive fun in the Forest of Havering, as Robin Hood hits the bullseye in a brand-new, laugh-out-loud panto adventure!
With his Merry Band beside him and the brilliant, brave Maid Marian leading the charge, our cheeky outlaw is ready to outwit the greedy Sheriff, with daring tricks, silly mishaps and plenty of audience mischief along the way!
Perfect for the whole family, this action-packed adventure is bursting with catchy songs, dazzling sets and costumes, and side-splitting panto fun. You’ll find heroes to cheer, villains to boo, and more surprises than you can shake an arrow at!
There’s only one way to find out… Oh yes there is!
So, gather your Merry Band of family and friends and book your tickets today!
A free pre-show Touch Tour. Book tickets for Caroline here. A touch tour is a hands-on pre-show experience where visually impaired audience members can feel the set, props, and costumes to get a sense of the show before it starts.
Caroline dreams of something more than stacking shelves at the local greengrocers. Her days are routine, but her nights come alive, walking the pier, sharing laughs with her best friend Mary, and spinning records with Robbie, her music-mad boyfriend who’s big on charm yet short on direction.
But a music revolution is coming, and Robbie lands a shock gig with Radio Caroline – the pirate radio station blasting pop, soul and rock ’n’ roll from a ship off the Essex coast and suddenly everything changes. Caroline is swept into a tidal wave of music, mayhem and a movement that would shake up British culture forever.
Attend our FREE pre-show Director’s Talk on Thu 7 May at 6.30pm. Book your space here.
Caroline: A New Musicalis produced by the East Anglian Touring Consortium. It is penned by the award-winning writer Vikki Stone and Directed by Douglas Rintoul (Chief Executive/Artistic Director at the New Wolsey Theatre) and Alex Thorpe (Co-Creative Director at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch).
Essex local Vikki Stone says “It has been a delight to develop Caroline, a bold, loud, and joyfully defiant show which celebrates the rich cultural history of the East Anglia”
Douglas Rintoul adds “As someone who also grew up in the area, I’m thrilled that we’re bringing this extraordinary story home. We are committed to creating high-quality, original theatre made by and for the people of East Anglia and what better story to tell than one that’s so deeply rooted in our region’s rebellious, creative spirit? Caroline celebrates the mavericks who changed the airwaves forever, blending wit, heart, and a glorious soundtrack that defined a generation. Audiences can expect an uplifting, joyful, and distinctly East Anglian story told with all the energy, humour, and humanity that defines our actor-musician work.”
The East Anglian Touring Consortium unites eight leading regional arts organisations from across East Anglia: Eastern Angles, HighTide, Landmark Theatres (New Theatre Peterborough), Mercury Theatre Colchester, New Wolsey Theatre, Norwich Theatre, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds. Their mission is to create a sustainable, inclusive model for midscale touring, producing original theatre that champions local talent and reaches under-served communities. Supported by Arts Council England, it aims to strengthen East Anglia’s creative economy, expand access to the arts, and set a national example for collaborative, environmentally responsible theatre-making.
After a smash-hit UK tour, Frankie Goes to Bollywoodreturns—bigger, bolder, and bursting with Bollywood glamour.
This dazzling musical comedy-drama dives deep into the glitzy, high-pressure world of Indian cinema, where dreams are mass-produced, identities are reshaped, and women are expected to smile and play by the script written for them.
At the centre of it all is Frankie, a young British woman with little interest in fame. But her quiet suburban life is turned upside down as she is thrust into a world of dazzling lights, choreographed perfection and media obsession. Frankie must decide: Can she become a star without losing who she really is?
What must she give up to succeed in a man’s world—and what is she willing to fight for?
With show-stopping choreography, lavish costumes, and a cast of unforgettable characters, Frankie Goes to Bollywood is a bold, uplifting story of ambition, transformation, and the power of telling your own story.
Featuring original Bollywood songs by hit composer Harry Anand, this is Rifco Theatre Company’s most ambitious production yet—a celebration of love, identity and courage, packed with joy, drama, and spectacular entertainment.
Whether you’re a fan of musicals, Bollywood films, or powerful British stories, this is one night at the theatre you won’t want to miss.
★★★★★ “Why can’t more theatre be like this? Open, relaxed, fun and full of love” – The Guardian
Rachel is a theatre-loving, enigmatic, learning-disabled 35 year-old who loves Kylie, heckling her sister, and seeing people falling over. At the touch of a button she commands the action, each scene brought to life by a skilled cast ready for whatever she asks of them. From bar room brawls to a bourbon biscuit cabaret. Perfect Show For Rachel is a “joyous celebration of theatre without the rules” (★★★★ The Stage) combining physical theatre, live music, family memories, massive fights and fart jokes in an electric, moving and triumphant tapestry. Step into Rachel’s unique, often hilarious world in this critically acclaimed show.
The show explores what happens when we put Rachel up front as our leader and empower her to live direct a show that is perfect for her. She has an accessible Tech desk with a menu of up to 50 different buttons that she can press and it controls everything, light, sound, video projection, captions, the cast, everything comes from that desk. The whole entire play really depends on Rachel which button or number she decides to pick.
“Audiences can expect to see something genuinely really different to kind of any shows that they’ve seen before.” Flo O’Mahony
★★★★ “A disarming labour of love”– The Times
A short series of excerpts from a blog piece on a rehearsal of the show by Meg Fozzard:
“The tech desk, where Rachel sits when she arrives, has been custom made for her. There’s almost 50 buttons with pictures on them. It links to a computer. “It’s all very Wizard of Oz” says Rachel Sampley, the Lead Technical Designer. Flo has discussed with me before the importance of this desk. They were going to have someone else controlling the tech desk under Rachel’s direction, but then that wouldn’t be Perfect Show for Rachel… Then a piece is choreographed along to ‘Who’s Got the Bag (21st June)’ by The Streets. If you’re wondering how this fits in with the themes of Perfect Show for Rachel, apparently Rachel finds it really funny when things go missing. One of the performers, Folarin, is at the front of the stage and pretends to be a news broadcaster- “We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news…”. Bags are flying through the air as the garage track blares, then everyone moves in slow mo as the track slows down…
Here’s what I was able to jot down about the first 10 minutes before I gave up and just watched and enjoyed it: ‘The game’- only rachel knows the rules, Flo gets sent out/off stage, ‘Human bowling’- the cast are pins, Flo sings Soul Sister, one of their favourite songs to sing with Rachel, ‘Rachel goes on holiday’- on the screen and narrated by Flo we hear about how, during lockdown, the family weren’t able to see Rachel for a long time because of the restrictions and when they were lifted they went on their first family holiday together in Devon” Read the full article here
Perfect Show for Rachel was developed with Rachel, to create a show on her own terms. It explores who defines artistic taste, and questions who that currently excludes. Created by Zoo Co Theatre, a multi award-winning company creating theatre that loudly champions access. Zoo Co won the Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award in 2022. Created in collaboration with Improbable, a pioneering company of improvisers and theatre-makers who have been making ground-breaking work for the past 25 years. Proud winners of Producer of the Year at The Stage Awards 2023.
When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town’s youth. When the reverend’s rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren’s reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid.
Join Shrek, the grumpy yet lovable ogre, on an epic journey full of laughter, magic, and catchy tunes. When his swamp is overrun by fairy-tale characters, Shrek sets off to rescue Princess Fiona from a dragon-guarded tower. Along the way, he faces challenges with the fast-talking Donkey and the villainous Lord Farquaad.
With spectacular sets, dazzling costumes, and show-stopping numbers, this heartwarming, smash hit musical celebrates friendship, love, and embracing what makes us unique. Packed with humour and adventure, Shrek The Musical is a fun-filled experience for all ages!
Havering Music Makers is a community-based Musical Theatre and Drama group based in the London Borough of Havering. They are presenting their summer show.
Beyond the Barricade, the UK’s longest running Musical Theatre Concert Tour, is back for 2025. Join the cast for two hours of the best of Broadway and the West End, featuring the songs that have made audiences return over and over again for more than 25 years. Enjoy numbers from The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, The Lion King, Blood Brothers, Miss Saigon, Hamilton and many others, climaxing with a spectacular finale from, of course, Les Misérables! The concert tour will feature Andy Reiss, David Fawcett, Katie Leeming and Sarah Ryan who have all played principal roles in both the West End and UK Tours of Les Misérables, together with a live band who capture the feel of the original orchestrations of the chosen musicals. To this day every musical note is still played and sung live – very rare indeed. Beyond the Barricade gives musical theatre songs a bold concert format treatment – but with the conviction and intention to deliver the material as if the audience are watching the original performance.
All children aged under 14 must be seated with an accompanying adult (18+) when watching a performance.
