Barn Theatre in Cirencester announce details of the full 2025 Built By Barn season of work, including three world premieres, a new Simon Reade adaptation of a Michael Morpurgo classic, two musicals, a British timeless classic, a fresh new production of the Barn’s much loved 2019 festive show, and a series of co-productions with commercial producers, taking the Barn’s work around the UK. This work has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the whole season from Howden Insurance.
A cornerstone of the 2025 Built by Barn season will be the world premiere of Tim Stimpson’s play Haywire – A Not-So-Everyday Story Of How The Archers Was Born (Monday 1 September – Saturday 11 October, with a national press night on Thursday 4 September).
This new play uses the magic of radio drama to whisk the audience back to the halcyon days when public gathered around their wirelesses to listen and lose themselves in the lives, trials and tribulations of a fictional farming family. Licensed by the BBC, it will be performed ahead of the 75th anniversary of The Archers which takes place in January 2026.
In a cold British December in 1950, producer Godfrey Baseley assembled a group of actors in a studio above a used car showroom in Birmingham, to record the first ever episode of The Archers. Now, 75 years later, the ‘everyday story of country folk’ remains a proud staple of British pop culture and a fixture at the top of the BBC’s download charts.
Haywire is a fond and funny celebration of one of British media’s most enduring creations, paired with a deep affection for the craft of radio.
It is a love letter to The Archers and the minds that created it – an exclusive invitation to experience the tears and laughter, the triumphs and calamities, that can happen both in front of and behind the mic.
The 2025 Built By Barn season will kick off in January with the world premiere of Jordan Waller’s comedy A Role To Die For (Thursday 30 January – Saturday 15 March, with a national press night on Tuesday 4 February).
Deborah has a problem. She’s responsible for casting the most famous role in Hollywood but the actor she chooses suddenly withdraws the day before the announcement. As the film starts shooting straight away, time is short to find a replacement. Her cousin wants to sell out, her son insists on going woke, and all she yearns for is the warm glow of Sean Connery’s unbeatable charm.
A Role to Die For is a wickedly funny tale of casting the next actor to play the world’s most famous spy.
A Role to Die For is a rip-roaring, wickedly funny comedy full of secret agents, secret agreements and secret family feuds. Directed by 2024 Olivier Award winning Derek Bond, and produced in association with Simon Friend and Bob & Co.
Continuing the Barn’s association with Michael Morpurgo and his stage adaptor Simon Reade, following Private Peaceful (2021) and The Mozart Question (2022), will be the world premiere of In The Mouth Of The Wolf (Friday 28 March – Saturday 10 May, with a national press night on Tuesday 1 April).
World War II brought about an avalanche of tragedy, heartbreak and division, but what happens when that division is within your own family?
Brothers, Francis and Pieter are in disagreement. Living in turbulent times as one bloody war has ended and another stirs in the near future, tensions are high and they can both feel it. Francis is a dedicated pacifist, committed to peace and determined not to go backwards to a violent world. Pieter believes that peace can only be achieved by signing up to fight.
The event that occurs after this is one that will change Francis’ life forever.
Steadfast in their beliefs and determined to make change, these brothers find themselves at war not only with the enemy but also with themselves.
Simon Reade’s stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s poignant true story brings to life the experiences of the author’s uncle during World War II. This powerful and moving production invites the audience to witness an emotional journey of love, loss, war, and hope.
In early summer, Barn audiences can enjoy a new production of Willy Russell’s classic play, Educating Rita, directed by Stephen Unwin (Friday 16 May – Saturday 28 June, with a national press night on Monday 19 May). Casting will be by Ginny Schiller.
Rita, a working-class hairdresser, wants more from her life. When she signs up to an Open University course, she meets Frank a middle aged disillusioned academic. Her zest for life re invigorates him and a journey of rediscovery begins. Willy Russell’s timeless classic is a story of class, power, freedom and self-discovery.
The 1980’s stage play by Willy Russell was made into a movie in 1983 starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters. It won multiple major awards for best actor and best actress and was nominated for three Academy Awards. Caine and Walters both won BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for best actor and actress. A timeless British classic that has won the hearts of audiences for decades.
The Barn is proud to partner with producers Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale and Oskar Eiriksson to create the brand-new production of Friends! The Musical Parody, (14 July – 23 August), opening in Cirencester before a major UK and Ireland tour.
With all your favourite moments, plus a runaway bride, and some questionable sandwich habits, this Friends, The Musical Parody serves up nostalgia with a side of sarcasm and lots of OH. MY. GAWD energy!
Directed by The Full Monty’s Michael Gyngell, with book and lyrics by Bob and Tobly McSmith, music by Assaf Gleizner and set and lighting design by Andrew Exeter, Friends: The Musical Parody is a side-splitting musical comedy packed with all of the iconic moments from all 10 seasons of the beloved television series. Originally produced NY by Theatre Mogul and Lynn Shore, this uncensored, fast-paced romp features an entirely original musical score and showcases the escapades of the world’s most famous group of twenty-somethings as they tackle the challenges of work, life and love in 1990s Manhattan.
The penultimate show of the season will be musical classic The Last Five Years, written by Tony Award winning Jason Robert Brown (Friday 17 October – Saturday 15 November, with a national press night on Monday 20 October).
Journey with Cathy and Jamie as they navigate their marriage, their creative careers and the trials that come with intertwined lives.
The Last Five Years is a musical that cleverly explores the rollercoaster journey of two New Yorkers as they navigate their five-year marriage. Filled with iconic songs, the play first Premiered at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001 and was then produced Off-Broadway in March 2002. In 2014 a film adaptation starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan was released.
The Barn Theatre’s 2025 Christmas show will be a new production of Alan Pollock’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (Monday 1 December 25 – Sunday 4 January 26, with a national press night on Wednesday 3 December). Premiered at the Barn in 2019, this is a fresh take on this magical story, but bolder and bigger than ever.
Be enchanted by the moving tale of Ebenezeer Scrooge who on Christmas Eve is forced to confront his legacy and experience the magic and mystery of the ghosts from his past, present and future.
A Barn twist on the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol is sure to leave you feeling warm and fuzzy this winter.
CEO & Artistic Director Iwan Lewis said, “Our 2025 season is all about welcoming new audiences to GET HOOKED ON THEATRE and feel the unique thrill of live entertainment. With three world premieres, our new, highly affordable season subscription, and a lineup that spans modern classics to contemporary musicals, we’re opening our doors to everyone. This season isn’t just about showcasing incredible stories; it’s about making theatre as accessible and inviting as a cozy night at home with Netflix.
I also couldn’t be more thrilled to work alongside the brilliant Tim Stimpson, whose deep connection with The Archers brings an authenticity to Haywire. Having the invaluable support of Jeremy Howe, the editor of The Archers, and the BBC, is a true privilege, and I’m deeply grateful for their trust in the Barn Theatre in telling this story. This production is a labour of love, a celebration of one of the world’s most enduring and cherished dramas. It’s an honour to bring this story to life for audiences and pay tribute to 75 years of laughter, heartache, and community woven into the fabric of British culture”
The Barn Theatre is an award-winning producing-house in the heart of the Cotswolds, on a mission to inspire communities and champion the power of storytelling.
Further details for all shows to be announced.
