Big Spirit Youth Theatre Season 2026-2027

This year we are going bigger and more ambitious than ever with a grand total of eight shows performed at the theatre over the next 12 months! We’ve got something for everyone, whether you’re a fan of thriller, comedy, tragedy or just plain good theatre you won’t want to miss this season!

Auditorium Season

In the main auditorium this year, we will be beginning in November with Mike Bartlett’s political thriller, 13, centred around 13 individuals who are having the same nightmare again and again as civil unrest dominates the streets and the threat of war ensues.

We end our year in July with one of the bard’s most loved comedies, Much Ado About Nothing. This witty and fast-paced comedy tests love, ambition and trust whilst bringing larger than life comedy throughout. The perfect end to our perfect year.

Studio Season

We are very fortunate to be having an entire set of shows set up in our beautiful studio space and we begin in October with an absolute classic that is Dennis Kelly’s DNA. A group of young people find themselves at the heart of a terrible crime, but how do they stop the police having the right things to go on?

We move forward to March, where we bring you tragedy so large that you cannot help but laugh. The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary is an outrageous comedy depicting Gustave Flaubert’s story of Madame Bovary. Taking the melodrama to the extreme, Emma Bovary wishes to escape the ennui of provincial life and she definitely pushes the boundaries.

We end our Studio season in May with the brilliant Punk Rock by Simon Stephens. Following teenagers through the pressure of their mock exams, we see how they struggle under the pressure and explore the dynamics of a sixth form common room, which can sometimes become too much to deal with.

Youth Wing Season

After a long while away, we are very pleased to be re-opening our Youth wing for performances and we are taking full advantage. We will be using this space to perform National Theatre connections plays. Written by young people, for young people.

We start in December with Bassett by James Graham (Writer of Dear England) showing children locked in a classroom, desperate to get out. Then we move to February with Flesh by Rob Drummond. A group of children wake up in a strange place, split into teams with no memory of how they got there. And finally in April, with Salt by Dawn King, as a random selection of young adults sign up to a government training scheme to receive high level training, but all is not as it seems.

Production Dates in Order

‘DNA’ in the Studio 16-17 Oct

‘13’ in the Auditorium 12-14 November

‘Bassett’ in the Youth Wing 5-6 December

‘Flesh’ in the Youth Wing 26-27 February

‘The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary’ in the Studio 17-20 March

‘Salt’ in the Youth Wing 3 April (Matinee & Evening)

‘Punk Rock’ in the Studio 28-29 May

‘Much Ado About Nothing’ in the Auditorium 7-10 July

We look forward to you joining us in what promises to be a season to remember!

Lewis Clarke
Big Spirit Youth Theatre Director