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The Nottingham Playhouse has announced its new winter 2025 – 2026 season.

Highlights include The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse, a new comedy by Caroline Bird, starring Maxine Peake.

Playing from 5 to 27 September 2025, Caroline Bird (Red Ellen) delves into the divisive real-life figure of Mary Whitehouse, and her most explosive battle – the infamous 1976 blasphemy trial against Gay News.

Directed by Sarah Frankcom, the play challenges beliefs about freedom, censorship, and explores one woman’s formidable resolve to push back the tide, exploring the enigma of Mary Whitehouse: pearl-clutching prude or ‘the most dangerous woman in Britain’?

Maxine Peake (Dinnerladies, Shameless, Silk, The Village, Inside No. 9, See No Evil, Black Mirror) stars as Mary. Peake recently starred in Doubt: A Parable at the Theatre Royal Bath.

Maxine Peake said in a statement: “I’m extremely excited to be taking on the role of Mary Whitehouse in Caroline Bird’s extraordinary new piece, The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse. I’m delighted to be working with Sarah Frankcom yet again, and to be invited by Adam and the team to the fabulous Nottingham Playhouse.”

Other shows in the new Nottingham Playhouse season include the UK Regional premiere of Jonathan Spector’s comedy Eureka Day (25 October to 15 November 2025), directed by James Grieve (Fisherman’s Friends The Musical).

Also the return of the highly successful The Beekeeper of Aleppo (7 to 28 February 2026), directed by Miranda Cromwell, based on the best-selling novel by Christy Lefteri.

Adam Penford, Artistic Director of Nottingham Playhouse, said: “Nottingham Playhouse has had an amazing year. From being named joint Theatre of the Year 2025 in The Stage Awards, to the 5* reviewed Girls & Boys by Dennis Kelly starring local actor, Aisling Loftus, and the Olivier-nominated Animal Farm co-production with Leeds Playhouse and Stratford East. The news of Punch transferring simultaneously to the West End and Broadway in the autumn is a testament to the skill of the whole Nottingham Playhouse team. Maxine Peake is one of my favourite actors and I’m excited to see her tackle the complex Mary Whitehouse, with the wonderful Sarah Frankcom directing and Caroline’s superb script. Eureka Day is one of the funniest plays I’ve seen in recent years, a biting satire and we’re delighted to have secured its UK regional premiere with a cracking team, led by Director James Grieve.”

Recent Nottingham Playhouse successes include James Graham’s new drama Punch, which transferred to London’s The Young Vic, and is moving into the West End this September, playing the Apollo Theatre in London.

Nottingham Playhouse – Winter Season 2025-2026

THE LAST STAND OF MRS. MARY WHITEHOUSE
Director – Sarah Frankcom
Designer – Peter Butler
Sound Designer – Annie May Fletcher
Fri 5 – Sat 27 Sep 2025

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Writer – Harper Lee
Adapted by Aaron Sorkin
Director – Bartlett Sher
Tue 7 – Sat 18 Oct 2025

EUREKA DAY
Writer – Jonathan Spector
Director – James Grieve
Sat 25 Oct – Sat 15 Nov 2025

SLEEPING BEAUTY
Written and directed by Adam Penford
With John Elkington as the Dame
Fri 28 Nov 2025 – Sat 17 Jan 2026

THE LITTLE MERMAID
Written by Joe Venable and Rob Gathercole
Director – Alessandra Davison
Thu 4 Dec 2025 – Sat 3 Jan 2026

Nottingham Playhouse and UK Productions present
THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO
Writer – Christy Lefteri
Adapted by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler
Director – Miranda Cromwell
Sat 7 Feb – Sat 28 Feb 2026

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Main photo: The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse at Nottingham Playhouse starring Maxine Peake

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