Wolverhampton Grand Theatre announces a new in-house production for 2027, and launches a 10-year strategy which centres the people of the city through Creativity, Community and Collaboration.

• The Grand Theatre announces that it has been granted the rights to produce a new production of Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey - a coming-of-age comedy drama.

• The production will premiere in Wolverhampton from Thursday 9 - Saturday 18 September 2027.

• Tickets for Beautiful Thing will be on sale from Monday 2 November.

• Chief Executive Officer Karen Smallwood announced a new plan for the theatre, based on the cornerstones of Creativity, Community and Collaboration.

The Grand Theatre has been central to the creative sector in Wolverhampton for over 130 years. At a 10-year Strategy Launch on Tuesday 22 September, The Grand’s Chief Executive Officer Karen Smallwood announced a new plan for the Theatre, based on the cornerstones of Creativity, Community and Collaboration.

Representatives from The Grand reflected on the theatre's success over the last year, since Karen was appointed as the organization’s first female CEO in 2025. 

In that time, the theatre has celebrated the launch of the UK’s first major South Asian pantomime, Surinderella, which was co-produced by The Grand alongside Rifco Theatre, and saw another Grand production, The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth, find success at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Another major success for the theatre was its 2025-26 pantomime, which was crowned Best Large Scale Pantomime in the UK at this year’s UK Pantomime Awards.

The Grand’s ambitious 10-year strategy includes five transformational goals: to ensure every child with a WV postcode has a meaningful connection with the theatre, to expand their production network, to see a Grand Theatre production transfer to London’s West End, to transform and improve the theatre and develop a dedicated experimental studio theatre space. 

To find out more about the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, check for updates and buy tickets, visit the website.