The National Theatre has announced National Theatre Nationwide, a landmark partnership with 12 leading theatres across all nine regions of England aimed at expanding access to theatre and strengthening touring.
The initiative represents a major new commitment to reaching audiences beyond London, with productions transferring directly from the National Theatre’s stages to regional venues with their original casts.
Supported by Arts Council England, the scheme responds to a sharp decline in touring, with recent research showing the number of plays touring England has fallen by 64% since 2019.
The partnership brings together venues including Birmingham Hippodrome, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Sheffield Theatres, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Lowry in Salford, forming a national network designed to deliver high-quality theatre across the country.
As part of the programme, one major National Theatre production will tour annually, alongside subsidised tickets and new schools touring projects aimed at young people.
The first production to tour under the scheme will be The Rise and Fall of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright, directed by Robert Hastie.
Following its National Theatre run from 2 December 2026 to 23 January 2027, the production will tour venues including Newcastle Theatre Royal, Sheffield Theatres, Belgrade Theatre Coventry and the Lowry in Salford.
The cast will be led by Francesca Mills in the title role, joined by Jill Halfpenny and Paul Chuckle, with further casting to be announced.
Kate Varah, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre, said: “Today’s announcement is rooted in the National Theatre’s overarching commitment to ensure people across the nation can experience and benefit from our work and impact. Fresh analysis, supported by McKinsey, highlights that the National Theatre puts £241m back into the UK economy each year, £87m of which already flows into regional economies.”
She added: “What better way to launch this partnership with 12 outstanding partners than with a strong commitment to touring between all of our venues, seeing modern classic The Rise and Fall of Little Voice shared with audiences across England, alongside our schools productions of Bacchae and The Last Wild.”
Hannah Lake, Director of Touring Transformation at Arts Council England, said: “Touring plays a crucial role in our cultural landscape, ensuring people can access the very best art and culture close to where they live. This innovative new partnership bringing work directly from the renowned National Theatre stages to major theatres across every English region, alongside an extensive programme engaging young people in theatre through schools productions does just that, which is why we are so pleased to be supporting it.”
Alongside main stage touring, the Nationwide initiative will include annual schools productions, offering young people across England opportunities to experience theatre in schools and local venues.
The first schools project, launching in autumn 2026, will be a new adaptation of Bacchae, followed by The Last Wild, adapted from Piers Torday’s novel for younger audiences.
Tickets for The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will go on sale from 21 May 2026, with further details available via the National Theatre website.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
