New shows have been announced for the Crucible and Playhouse theatres in Sheffield as part of their 2023 season.
Sheffield Theatres is on a roll at the moment, following their triumphant production of new musical Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which got great reviews for its current National Theatre run, and scored an impressive eight Olivier Award nominations for the 2023 awards.
In the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield’s resident company Utopia Theatre present new play Anna Hibiscus’ Song (7 to 15 July 2023). Directed by Mojisola Kareem-Elofuwoju, this magical tale based on Atinuke’s book combines music, dance, puppetry and traditional African storytelling to delight young audiences.
Also coming to the Playhouse is We Could All Be Perfect (23 September to 14 October 2023), the debut play by Doncaster writer Hannah Morley, and directed by Ruby Clarke. This new play promises to be a furious and funny exploration of whether teenage girls will save the world and asks if they should have to.
Over in the Crucible Theatre, director Sarah Tipple is bringing Roger McGough’s celebrated adaptation of Molière’s witty satire The Hypochondriac (30 September to 21 October 2023) to the stage.
At Christmas, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (9 December 2023 to 13 January 2024) gets a new production by Sheffield Theatres, directed by Paul Foster (Talent, Kiss Me Kate, Annie Get Your Gun). This classic feel-good musical for all the family features the songs Blue Skies, Sisters and the festive favourite White Christmas.
These new shows join other productions previously announced for 2023. In the Playhouse Wildfire Road (until 18 March 2023) is produced by Sheffield Theatres. This new play by Eve Leigh and directed by Laura Keefe is an environmental thriller about a highjacked plane and a disparate group of passengers who try to make sense of their situation as the world burns below.
In the Crucible, a new production marking the 80th anniversary of Bertolt Brecht’s popular play The Good Person of Szechwan (11 March to 1 April 2023, main picture), is commissioned by ETT and co-produced by Sheffield Theatres, ETT and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. This new version by writer Nina Segal is directed by Sheffield Theatres Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau (Anna Karenina), and also plays the Lyric Hammersmith from 21 April to 13 May 2023.
Also in the Crucible Theatre this summer is a new production of Miss Saigon (8 July to 19 August 2023), which will mark the first regional non-replica production of Boublil and Schönberg’s hit musical retelling of Madame Butterfly set during the Vietnam war.
Miss Saigon will be reimagined by Sheffield Theatres’ Artistic Director Robert Hastie and Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau as co-directors, with design by Ben Stones and lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun. Joanna Ampil, who has previously played Kim in the London, Sydney, UK touring and 10th anniversary productions of Miss Saigon, is cast as The Engineer. Further casting and creative team to be announced.
Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre continues to host some of the UK’s best touring plays, musicals and dance. In December, Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes will stage the family pantomime Beauty and the Beast (8 December 2023t to 7 January 2024). Panto legend Damian Williams returns for his 16th year.
Beyond Sheffield, the Olivier Award nominated new musical which started life at the Crucible Theatre, Standing at the Sky’s Edge, continues at the National Theatre until 25 March 2023, written by Chris Bush with the music of Richard Hawley and directed by Robert Hastie.
Also in London, the Playhouse Theatre’s acclaimed comedy Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo in a new version by comedian and writer Tom Basden will run at the Lyric Hammersmith from 13 March to 8 April 2023.
More about Standing at the Sky’s Edge tickets in London
Book The Good Person of Szechwan tickets at the Lyric Hammersmith
Book Accidental Death of an Anarchist tickets at the Lyric Hammersmith
The Quotes
Robert Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, said in a a press statement: “We look forward to a new season of shows that showcase what our theatres do best: offer audiences thrilling experiences with new and reimagined work on all our stages. We begin with a co-production with our long-standing partners Utopia Theatre, in their new play Anna Hibiscus’ Song. Directed by Mojisola Kareem-Elofuwoju, this magical tale based on Atinuke’s book combines music, dance, puppetry and traditional African storytelling to delight young audiences. Later in the year, we present Molière’s hilarious satire The Hypochondriac in the Crucible, with Sarah Tipple directing Roger McGough’s playful adaptation. Over in the Playhouse, Hannah Morley’s debut play We Could All Be Perfect, directed by Ruby Clarke, celebrates the power, experiences and potential of teenage girls throughout history. To round off the year we bring the festive classic White Christmas to the Crucible stage this December. Directed by Paul Foster, it’s a musical that will delight all ages.”
Tom Bird, Chief Executive of Sheffield Theatres, said: “It is an exciting time at Sheffield Theatres, having just transferred Standing at the Sky’s Edge to the National Theatre in London to great acclaim (including a phenomenal eight Olivier Award nominations), and we look forward to the opening of our production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist, which started life in our intimate Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, at the Lyric Hammersmith later this month. Here in Sheffield, we are producing hot new writing with Wildfire Road running now in the Playhouse, before the new season in the Crucible begins with The Good Person of Szechwan: our co-production with ETT and the Lyric Hammersmith. We also welcome an old friend back to the city with Life of Pi opening its UK and Ireland tour at the Lyceum Theatre this August, following its Broadway debut this spring. All this, plus an exciting summer ahead with our newly reimagined production of Miss Saigon, which we are delighted to be extending by a week due to extraordinary demand, followed by the autumn and winter season of brand-new shows announced today. I’m thrilled to join these daring and beautiful theatres as we look ahead to an exceptional year!”
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