Elizabeth Newman, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, has unveiled her inaugural season, promising a year-long programme filled with both new and familiar works. “It has been a great privilege to conceive my first season as Sheffield Theatres’ Artistic Director. It’s been an exciting journey to create this year-long programme packed with a mix of new and familiar work, and I really hope there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” said Newman.
The season kicks off with Dancing at Lughnasa, a classic drama by Brian Friel, in collaboration with the Royal Exchange Theatre. This will be followed by Consumed by Karis Kelly, in partnership with Paines Plough and Belgrade Theatre, marking Sheffield Theatres as the home of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting. The year continues with My Brother’s a Genius by Debris Stevenson, a co-production with Theatre Centre and National Youth Theatre, and Living by Sheffield’s own Leo Butler, a moving family drama spanning five decades.
In the Crucible, a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol by Aisha Khan will debut, highlighting Sheffield’s unique Christmas carols. After the festive period, two new works will be presented: Crown of Blood, a new version of Macbeth by Oladipo Agboluaje in collaboration with Utopia Theatre, and The Ladies Football Club by Tim Firth, celebrating the founding of women’s football in Sheffield.
The season wraps up with a fresh adaptation of the 1960s musical Summer Holiday, directed by Elizabeth Newman and Ben Occhipinti. This production will spill out from the auditorium into the Square, where audiences can enjoy the Sheffield Theatres Beach.
Throughout the season, Sheffield Theatres will host a variety of free special events, including the Lughnasa Dance Festival, the Montgomery Theatre Summer Party, the Sheffield Theatres Candlelit Carol Concert, and a theatre football tournament.
Looking ahead to 2027, Sheffield Theatres will produce a new adaptation of Sunjeev Sahota’s The Year of the Runaways by Stephanie Street, in collaboration with an international partner.
Elizabeth Newman joined Chief Executive Tom Bird and Deputy Chief Executive Bookey Oshin to form Sheffield Theatres’ Executive Team in December 2024, succeeding Artistic Director Robert Hastie. Newman, a multi-award-winning theatre director, previously served as Artistic Director at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
Dancing at Lughnasa begins Elizabeth’s season in the Crucible, running from Saturday 13 September to Saturday 4 October 2025. A Christmas Carol runs from Saturday 29 November 2025 to Saturday 10 January 2026. Crown of Blood will be presented from Monday 2 to Saturday 7 February 2026. The Ladies Football Club debuts on Saturday 28 February and runs until Saturday 28 March 2026. Summer Holiday runs from Saturday 20 June to Saturday 18 July 2026.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
