Written by James Barry and Robin Belfield, Music by Simon Slater,Directed by Robin Belfield

We're EGGcited to announce that our next pantomime will be Mother Goose, the first time this famous, traditional pantomime has ever been produced at our theatre!

So come and have a GANDER at what promises to be an EGGtraordinary show, full of hilarious gags, original songs and loads of audience participation.

People will be FLOCKing to see it, so book early!

www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/mother-goose

Profound and eloquent, epic, haunting and dramatic, masters of improvisation, The Ciderhouse Rebellion sees virtuoso musicians Adam Summerhayes and Murray Grainger combine to produce incredible spontaneous tapestries of sound.

The pair create music in the moment, based on traditional tunes or their own compositions – often springing from a single note, key, time signature or emotion. It's this unusually improvisatory focus that is uniquely magical. Their quest is to create music with no conscious thought between conception and playing – always searching for the unexpected and the possibility to create a deep sonic narrative that transports the audience.

Adam (violin) and Murray (accordion) are recognised musicians in their own right, touring the world as professional artists. Although the pair only started working together in 2020, they have already released 4 celebrated albums, won Arts Council support, been featured on Folk on Foot, scored a BBC Radio 4 play and played significant festivals across the UK and Europe.

Fire & Dust Preview Show

Award-winning Reg Meuross was introduced onto the stage of the Albert Hall by Mike Harding as "one of this country's finest" and is a true modern troubadour, representing contemporary English folk writing at its best.

Captivating audiences with his beautiful tenor voice, and with breadth and depth of material that is unparalleled, Reg has toured extensively for decades across the UK, Europe, North America and the Antipodes.

Masterfully accompanying himself on his '44 Martin six-string guitar, harmonica, tenor guitar, banjo and dulcimer, witnessing a Reg Meuross performance is to experience a journey into the heart, soul and songs of one of England's most celebrated writers.

Middle Ground Theatre Company present a world stage premiere - a brand new charming farcical comedy drama from the author and director of the hugely successful courtroom drama, The Verdict.

A rollicking comical and poignant yarn set in 1991 of a group of travelling actors from south of the Scottish border as they conquer the beautiful unforgiving landscape of the Highlands and Islands village hall circuit to bring those remote tranquil communities Frederick Knott's classic 1950’s thriller Dial M For Murder.

Set against a backdrop of the unpredictable Scottish weather complete with internal company squabbling, the antics of a shepherd and his TV watching sheep dog, a flatulent ageing soap star and a long lost caber tossing love. Add to the mix a twinkle-eyed AA man and a missing child’s pet black rat called Norman, and the scene is set for back stage chaos and laugh-out loud hilarity of the play within the play!

www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/dial-m-mayhem

Conn Artists Theatre Company in association with Play to the Crowd present Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd adapted by Nick Young & Ross Muir

Capricious, independent and beautiful Bathsheba Everdene inherits and manages her uncle's farm. She is courted by three infatuated suitors: an honest, loyal and capable shepherd; a womanising and charming Sergeant; and a lonely, wealthy farmer. Who will she choose? If any of them? She plays with all their hearts to devastating and dramatic effect.

Hardy's masterpiece about love, class and gender roles is set against the rural landscape of Victorian England and is thrillingly brought to life in a new adaptation by the acclaimed Conn Artists Theatre Company, performed by an ensemble cast accompanied by music and songs of the period.

Iggety ziggety zaggety zoom! Jump on board the broom with the witch and her cat in Tall Stories' fun-filled adaptation of Room on the Broom, the best-selling picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

The witch and her cat are travelling on their broomstick when they pick up some hitch-hikers – a friendly dog, a beautiful green bird and a frantic frog. But this broomstick's not meant for five and – CRACK – it snaps in two… just as the hungry dragon appears! Will there ever be room on the broom for everyone?

Find out in the magical Olivier Award-nominated show for everyone aged 3 and up.

NOW celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Jasmin Vardimon Company.

The latest creation by award-winning choreographer Jasmin Vardimon MBE will revisit favourite moments from the company's repertoire while reflecting the current moment, the present and the continuous movement of time.

Renowned for her uniquely theatrical choreography, an interest in contemporary lives, and the ever-changing socio-political dynamics, Jasmin uses her distinctive creative approach to celebrate imagination in a griping new production.

The time is 1897. Mankind is on the cusp of vast technological change, scientific mastery and media innovation. But poised between traditional beliefs, the threat of the unknown and the shock of the new world, an altogether darker fear is emerging. As a new shadow looms large over England, a small group of young men and women, led by Professor Van Helsing, are plunged into an epic struggle for survival.

Stretching from London, through provincial England, to the mountainous wastes of Transylvania, Bram Stoker's timeless gothic thriller embodies the struggle to break taboos, resist temptation and stop the unknown outside becoming the enemy within.

Adapted by Nick Lane, this brilliant, theatrical treatment of Bram Stoker's adventure blends Victorian Gothic with the contemporary, showcasing Blackeyed Theatre’s trademark ensemble performance style and featuring a haunting soundscape, powerful performances and innovative design for an exhilarating theatrical experience.

Tess is a groundbreaking circus adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

An ensemble of performers weave together Hardy's words and the extreme physicality of circus to tell this tale of power, loss and endurance. Against a backdrop of projections, the cast wield wooden planks, climb shifting walls and move through ropes and swathes of linen to evoke the vast landscapes and interior worlds of Hardy's Wessex.

It is a story which still has extraordinary relevance for our times in its incredibly nuanced evocation of female relationships, sexual desire, consent, privilege and poverty.

Three brave little Viking girls save the day in this bold and funny adventure story for little rebels, by the creator of the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Little Red and I Can Catch a Monster, Bethan Woollvin.

Once upon a time in a Viking village, everything seems to be going wrong. Chickens are disappearing, trees are falling down, and there's lots and lots of crashing and bashing. The silly Chieftain won't listen to the three littlest Vikings, but can they work together to figure out what's going on and save the day?

Three Little Vikings is all about cooperation, bravery, and getting your voice heard!

THEY’RE FUNNY…THEY’RE SILLY… AND THEY’RE REALLY, REALLY BAD!

Meet the very worst Baddies in the world! Don't you dare to come too close to a witch, a troll and an ancient ghost! The Baddies love being bad. They roar, spook and cast wicked spells to try and scare a girl out of her wits…who will succeed? Or perhaps the girl is braver than they think…

With songs by Joe Stilgoe (Zog and Zog and The Flying Doctors), The Baddies is a wickedly hilarious adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s smash-hit story.

Acclaimed performance company Platform 4 take you on a sonic journey through the Wonderland of Alice, weaving together original music, Lewis Carroll's text and voices from interviews exploring transformation, identity and growing older.

This is a riff, a homage and fascinating audio adventure down the rabbit hole, with a five-piece band of multi-instrumentalist performers.

Expect twisted melodies, layers of sonic colour, smiling cats, tearful mock turtles, and percussive teacups… For the curious. And the curiouser.

Following more than 200 performances in sold-out venues across the globe, Theatre Re brings its explosive, powerful and joyous piece about what is left when memory is gone, back to the UK - Tom is living with young onset dementia. We meet him as he prepares for his 55th birthday party and past memories come flooding back.

Developed with UCL Neuroscience Professor Kate Jeffery and the Alzheimer's Society, The Nature of Forgetting is a life-affirming journey into a weakening mind, where broken does not have to mean defeated.

As one of the UK's leading visual theatre companies, Theatre Re combines original live music with striking visual theatre to create world class, deeply moving, non-verbal productions about universal human challenges and the fragility of life.

Calling all lovers of powerful movement and timeless music - BACH Reimagined breathes new life into the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, a legendary composer known for his intricate and beautiful pieces.

This innovative performance features James Wilton Dance, a European company renowned for its athleticism and grace. Imagine dancers with the fluidity of ballet combined with the dynamism of contemporary dance. Their movements will be set against the backdrop of Canadian cellist Raphael Weinroth Browne's electrifying performance. Prepare to be surprised! Browne's cello will transcend the classical realm, creating a powerful and driving soundscape with a heavy metal twist.

The performance also explores the scientific revolution happening alongside Bach's work, with references to the groundbreaking discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton.

It sometimes felt as though time had stood still down on the farm - the old Fordson tractor quietly rusting away at the back of the barn, Grandpa tending his chickens - that is, until the summer his grandson came to stay, and the old man started telling stories of what it had been like when he was a boy.

Following successful UK tours and a critically acclaimed run in New York, Michael Morpurgo's compelling sequel to War Horse returns to the stage in this delightful, family-friendly show combining drama, storytelling, and original music - a moving account of the changing face of the English countryside and a beautifully crafted reminder that stories really can reach out across the generations.

Join three friends on a joyful jungle adventure in Tall Stories' magical, musical adaptation of the much-loved Elmer books by David McKee.

Everyone loves the stories about Elmer the patchwork elephant – whether he's pretending to be an ordinary grey elephant or playing a practical joke. But has anyone ever actually seen him? Can you help find him? Is that a patchwork trunk hidden among the trees and bushes of the jungle?

The enchanting and colourful world of Elmer is brought to life through songs, storytelling and puppetry by Tall Stories, the company who brought you The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom live on stage – for everyone aged 3 and up. Celebrate Elmer's unique patchwork colours and wear all your colourful clothes when you see the show.

Britain’s Got Talent 2024 finalist, Alex Mitchell is an autistic comic with functional neurological disorder (FND). He uses self-deprecating humour - laughing at himself, his neurodivergence, disability and sexuality - to reflect on some of the most difficult subjects within his own life and wider society.

His debut show, Tics Towards Puffection, tackles his desperate obsession for perfection and being "the best version" of himself. He explores how and if he'll ever achieve this, and how this has and continues to impact his life. Reflecting on society's perception of queer, disabled, and neurodiverse communities, as well as his own perception of himself, Mitchell creates a heartwarming, emotional but always hilarious show.

Alex was also won You Can Laugh You Know: Disabled Comedian of the Year 2023 and Beat The Frog Winner February 2024

www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/alex-mitchell-tics-towards-puffection