Birmingham Rep, the city’s only producing-house theatre, today announce their bold and exciting new programme that will entertain audiences during 2026 and into 2027 in the debut season from newly appointed Artistic Director, Joe Murphy.

This stellar and ambitious season includes new takes on classics, adaptations of best-sellers, and a host of new commissions, all made in Birmingham.

Opening the season is a powerful new adaptation of Small Island, a story of hope and belonging set during the Windrush generation, in a co-production with Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse, in association with Actors Touring Company coming to The Rep from 1 – 18 April.

Journey from the sun-drenched shores of Jamaica to the cold, grey streets of 1940s London in this powerful and intimate portrayal of Andrea Levy’s multi-award-winning novel which has been adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson and directed by Matthew Xia.

Next up, in his main stage directorial debut since taking the helm at The Rep, Joe Murphy, alongside Deputy Artistic Director Madeleine Kludje, co-directs a vibrant new adaptation of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with set and costume design by Carl Davies and sound design by Claire Windsor.

Get ready to enter a neon rave in an enchanted forest where boundaries blur, music pulsates, and love is celebrated in all its glorious forms in this colourful new adaptation of Shakespeare’s most romantic comedy, playing at The Rep from 25 April – 24 May.

Moving into the summer, from 4 July – 9 August, the season continues with a must-see new production of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning masterpiece, Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, directed by The Rep’s Artistic Director Joe Murphy and designed by Elin Steele.

This dark and razor-sharp musical thriller follows Benjamin Barker, aka the mysterious barber Sweeney Todd, hell-bent on revenge after being wrongfully imprisoned for 15 years and so begins a chilling tale of murder, macabre and Mrs Lovett’s pies, in what is considered one of the greatest musicals ever written.

Contemporary classic fans will be excited to hear the season includes a new version of Mark Haddon’s best-seller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in a co-production with Melting Pot. Coming to The Rep in September 2026 before embarking on a UK tour, it is the first major production since the National Theatre’s Olivier and Tony Award-winning show.

Before all that, an electrifying musical comes to The Studio, when The Rep presents Seiriol Davies’ hilarious and heart-rending new musical Sweet Henry V on 23 & 24 January.

Joe Murphy directs this script-in-hand concert performance which unravels an epic romance saga between Henry V and Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndŵr. Featuring a live band and over thirty original numbers, this “bangin’” medieval musical shines a spotlight on the most human of struggles; the quest to find out who we are and where we belong, in this radical reinvention of history that’s pounding with camp Celtic vibes.

The Rep’s world premiere production The Battle will delve in to the biggest chart battle in history in this cut throat comedy written by John Niven, directed by Matthew Dunster and starring Gavin & Stacey’s Mathew Horne - playing at The Rep from 11 February – 7 March. London. 1995. Two of the country’s biggest bands release singles on the same day, commencing the battle of Britpop. Rivalries flare, friendships fracture and at the centre of it all a mania that would define an era – were you Blur or Oasis?

Christmas 2026 promises to be a festive holiday extravaganza at The Rep with a double dose of family fun, with entertainment for all ages.

J.M Barrie’s classic Peter Pan plays in The House. Directed by The Rep’s Artistic Director Joe Murphy, adapted by internationally renowned writer and former director of The Rep Youth Theatre Phil Porter, with music by West Midlands composer Ruth Chan, it comes to The Rep from 18 November 2026 – 17 January 2027. For younger audiences, Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale The Ugly Duckling comes to The Door from 3 December 2026 – 10 January 2027 by Katherine Chandler and directed by Caroline Wilkes.

Looking further ahead, 2027 will offer a jam-packed year with even more impressive productions on the horizon for Birmingham audiences. Highlights for 2027 include the return of The Rep’s hugely acclaimed adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, adapted for the stage by Ursula Rani Sarma, following its 2025 sell-out run; plus, the re-staging of former Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey’s unmissable show GrimeBoy which premiered at The Rep in 2022 and will be directed by The Rep’s Deputy Artistic Director, Madeleine Kludje.

With thanks to funding from Sir Barry Jackson Trust, The Rep will present a new production of Chains, by Birmingham writer Rem Conway, which sees a father and son relationship examined when two men are chained together, in a co-production with Legacy Centre of Excellence, Europe’s largest Black Arts, Business and Heritage Centre, based in Birmingham and originally commissioned by Senti.

The Rep has also commissioned a series of new work for the upcoming season, celebrating and championing local writers, Birmingham stories, and that resonate with Birmingham communities and voices.

This includes a brand-new stage adaptation of Vikas Swarup’s novel Q & A, which inspired the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire, being written by East is East author Ayub Khan Din and directed by The Rep’s Associate Director Iqbal Khan.

Whilst writer Rachel De-lahay will be adapting Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel Jane Eyre in a brand-new production; and finally, Birmingham author Kit de Waal, together with her brother Dean O’Loughlin, are adapting her best-selling book My Name is Leon, which is set in 1980s Birmingham and was previously adapted for a BBC film produced by Sir Lenny Henry.

The Rep’s new season will also include some of the best touring theatre, with its extensive visiting programme spanning dance, drama, comedy, variety and family entertainment.

The Rep champion disabled-led theatre in its programme, including upcoming shows Barrier(s) from Deafinitely Theatre who make a welcome return to The Rep, coming to The Door from 18 – 25 October and Perfect Show For Rachel presented by Zoo Co and Improbable in The Studio from 10 – 12 April.

Dance fans won’t want to miss the award-winning Jaivant Patel Company who present their powerful and evocative new show Astitva in The Studio on 21 & 22 November, then redefining dance from the African Diaspora, ACE Dance and Music presents a double-bill in Twawsi: The World As We See It, two powerful contrasting visions of our world today coming to The House on Saturday 24 January.

Hilarity is guaranteed with the selection of live comedy on the bill, with highlights including side-splitting ‘Binglish’ banter in Comedy with SMASHBengali in The Door on 14 November and Cally Beaton promises a quick-witted, unexpected and unapologetic insight into life in midlife in her show Namaste Motherf*ckers, coming to The Studio on Friday 13 February.

There is plenty on the line-up for families of all ages including Tall Stories’ enchanting adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much loved picture book The Gruffalo’s Child in The Studio on 20 - 22 February, then enjoy a globe-trotting adventure in Last Unicorn Airways, a playful show perfect for families and children with complex needs and disabilities, including a post-show immersive, hands-on sensory experience on 18 April in The Door.

The season is set to dazzle with a vibrant mix of variety entertainment including the filthy, funny and shocking show The Sex Lives of Puppets on 7 & 8 November. Enjoy a wild evening of raucous and tantalizing drag cabaret with Send in the Clowns: Unpopular, hosted by cabaret superstar Fatt Butcher from 29 – 31 January.

Commemorating 10 years since the death of beloved comedian Victoria Wood, enjoy a celebration of her life with an evening of pure joy and her best-loved songs in Looking For Me Friend: The Music of Victoria Wood on 20 & 21 March. Then audiences can dive into the dazzling, high-pressure world of Indian cinema when Frankie Goes to Bollywood promises feel-good celebration of love, courage, and self-discovery, bursting with Bollywood glamour from Wed 10 – Sat 13 June. National Theatre Live will also be returning to The Rep’s Studio this season, with four screenings including Inter Alia on 30 Oct; Mrs Warren’s Profession on 17 November; The Fifth Step on 14 February; and Hamlet on 27 March.

The Rep is renowned for providing creative opportunities for local artists, creatives and young people with a wealth of upcoming activities on offer.

The Rep’s acclaimed artist development programme, Foundry, returns for 2026 with a reimagined new focus to provide deeper support for writers in the region.

Successful applicants will work closely with The Rep’s artistic team, and receive one- to-one dramaturgical support, practical writing workshops and masterclasses, plus dedicated time to explore, develop and write. Applications for Foundry open next month in October 2025.

For anyone interested in writing for theatre, The Rep will be launching a 10-week introduction to playwriting course, On The Write Track. Led by an experienced Playwright and Director, participants explore script  structure, writing characters, crafting dialogue and more. Applications open in January 2026.

There are plenty of opportunities to take part at The Rep with the venue’s extensive Creative Learning calendar. From Young Rep, the celebrated weekly youth theatre sessions for ages 3-18; the newly launched Rep Pathways programmme for work with young adults age 18-30; and Young Rep Collective a brand-new weekly musical theatre devising group as well as a number of creative workshops throughout the year.

The Rep will also provide a fantastic opportunity for actors from Birmingham and West Midlands to get involved in a production coming to The House stage, with an open audition call for their exciting upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which comes to the venue in April 2026. Full details of the open auditions will be announced very soon.

*Priority booking for the new season opens from today (Tuesday 23 September) with public booking opening on Friday 26 September.

To book simply visit Birmingham Rep at 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).