New Season 2026/27
The Bancroft Players are very excited to announce our new season of productions for the 2026/27 season. Full details including auditions will be posted very soon.
2:22 A GHOST STORY
by Danny Robins
Directed by Keith Swainston
MAIN HOUSE
Production dates: 5 – 10 October
Audition dates: 6 & 7 July
2:22 – A Ghost Story is a psychological thriller about Jenny, who believes her new home is haunted, and her skeptical husband, Sam. While hosting dinner at 2:22 AM, the couple confronts their differing beliefs about a haunting. The play is a tense drama focusing on relationships and the unknown, ending with a shocking twist.
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
by Mary Elliott Nelson
Directed by Yvonne Patterson
MAIN HOUSE
Production dates: 7 – 13 December
Audition dates: 7 & 9 September
It’s a Wonderful Life follows George Bailey, a man who sacrifices his dreams to help his community, only to face despair on Christmas Eve after his uncle loses $8,000, threatening him with ruin. Guardian angel Clarence saves him by showing an alternate reality where he was never born, proving George’s life profoundly impacted others.
THAT FACE
by Polly Stenham
Directed by Evie O’Connell
THE RICHARD WHITMORE STUDIO
Production dates: 26 – 30 January 2027
Audition dates: 17 & 19 November
That Face by Polly Stenham is a raw, intense drama about a dysfunctional, wealthy family imploding due to a drug-addicted, alcoholic mother, Martha, and an absent father. Martha’s children, Mia and Henry, become caregivers to their parent until a prank at boarding school brings their chaotic, abusive lives to a crisis.
THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA
by Jez Butterworth
Directed by Rory Reynolds
MAIN HOUSE
Production dates: 8 – 14 March 2027
Audition dates: 30 November & 2 December
The Hills of California is a drama set in 1976 Blackpool, where the Webb sisters reunite at their childhood guest house while their mother, Veronica, dies of cancer. The plot jumps to the 1950s, showing Veronica grooming her daughters for fame, leading to a crucial, traumatizing decision that splits the family apart for 20 years.
I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE
by Joe Pietro
Directed by Claire Adams
THE RICHARD WHITMORE STUDIO
Production dates: 19 – 24 April 2027
Audition dates: TBC
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a musical comedy revue exploring the complexities of modern dating, marriage, and relationships through a series of vignettes and songs. It follows the journey from first dates and “macho” posturing to the realities of marriage and child-rearing. Typically featuring a small cast playing multiple roles, the show offers a humorous and heartfelt look at love’s consequences, from early awkwardness to long-term companionship
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
adapted from Jane Austen by Janet Munsil
Directed by Brian Seal
MAIN HOUSE
Production dates: 14 – 19 June 2027
Audition dates: 15 & 17 March 2027
Janet Munsil’s stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is a fast-paced, witty, and romantic two-hour adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel. Premiering in 2012, this version is recognized for compressing the complex plot while maintaining the sharp repartee, focusing on the courtship between the headstrong Elizabeth Bennet and the enigmatic Mr. Darcy.
MACHINAL
by Sophie Treadwell
Directed by Steve Thompson
MAIN HOUSE
Production dates: 29 June – 3 July 2027
Audition dates: 27 & 29 April 2027
Written in 1928, Sophie Treadwell’s Machinal is a landmark of American Expressionist theatre. The play follows a “Young Woman” (later named Helen Jones) who feels suffocated by the rigid, mechanical expectations of a patriarchal society. Inspired by the real-life 1927 murder trial of Ruth Snyder, it is structured into nine episodes that represent the “machinery” of a woman’s life.
