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New productions of As You Like It, Middlemarch & The Three Musketeers

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon has announced further productions for 2026 and 2027.

The RSC’s newly announced Stratford-upon-Avon season for 2026–27 feels like a statement of intent, with three major new productions that feel designed to pull the company in bold new directions.

As with star names already announced, including Helen Hunt, Kenneth Branagh, Mark Gatiss and Alfred Enoch, the season is not afraid to go big on casting. That goes double for their new, all-male production of As You Like It, featuring Broadway star Jonathan Groff, making his RSC debut under Daniel Evans’ direction.

Dame Harriet Walter also makes a welcome return to Stratford-upon-Avon, and to a part she won numerous plaudits for 10 years ago – Brutus in Julius Caesar. This time she reunites with Phyllida Lloyd on a child-friendly version that will also tour to schools.

Alongside these productions comes a major literary swing: a two-part Middlemarch, adapting George Eliot’s novel for the Swan Theatre, promising a marathon of tangled hearts, social pressure and moral compromise. The production is helmed by Wolf Hall directed Jeremy Herrin. Read more about this new production of Middlemarch.

And for those craving spectacle, the season also brings a high-energy revival of The Three Musketeers, in a riotous co-production with Told by an Idiot, to play in the RSC’s main theatre over Christmas.

As You Like It - Starring Jonathan Groff (Photo RSC)

As You Like It – Starring Jonathan Groff (Photo RSC)

Highlights of new shows announced today for the RSC’s 2026-2027 season include:

  • Broadway star Jonathan Groff making his RSC debut in an all-male production of As You Like It, directed by Daniel Evans (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 26 September – 7 November 2026)
  • Harriet Walter returning to her landmark performance as Brutus in Phyllida Lloyd’s acclaimed production of First Encounters: Julius Caesar (The Other Place 5 – 28 November 2026, and touring schools from 21 September – 23 October 2026)
  • A new two-part adaptation of George Eliot’s Middlemarch, adapted by Nina Raine and directed by Jeremy Herrin (Swan Theatre, Part 1: 1 October 2026 – 16 January 2027 | Part 2: 10 October – 16 January 2027)
  • The Three Musketeers revived in a riotous new co-production with Told by an Idiot (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 28 November 2026 – 9 January 2027)
The Cherry Orchard - Helen Hunt & Kenneth Branagh. Photo provided by RSC.

The Cherry Orchard – Helen Hunt & Kenneth Branagh. Photo provided by RSC

Already announced RSC shows for its 2026 season include:

  • Henry V directed by Tamara Harvey and starring Alfred Enoch (Royal Shakespeare Theatre – 14 March to 25 April 2026)
  • The Tempest starring Kenneth Branagh as Prospero, directed by Richard Eyre (Royal Shakespeare Theatre – 13 May to 20 June 2026)
  • The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui starring Olivier Award-winner Mark Gatiss (Swan Theatre, 11 April – 30 May 2026)
  • Driftwood, a new play by Martina Laird directed by Justin Audibert (The Other Place, 17 April – 30 May 2026, and then the Kiln Theatre in London)
  • The world premiere of Game of Thrones: The Mad King, the first-ever stage play based on George R. R. Martin’s epic Game of Thrones fantasy series (Royal Shakespeare Theatre – Summer 2026 dates to be announced)
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a co-production with the Unicorn theatre, directed by Rachel Bagshaw (The Other Place, 19 June – 30 August 2026)
  • The Cherry Orchard starring Helen Hunt and Kenneth Branagh, in a new production of Chekhov’s classic directed by Tamara Harvey and adapted by Laura Wade (Swan Theatre, 10 July – 29 August 2026)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Photo by Tyler Fayose

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Photo by Tyler Fayose

RSC shows that are currently playing in Stratford-upon-Avon include:

  • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the new musical based on the true story of William Kamkwamba from his memoir and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s film, directed by Lynette Linton (Swan Theatre, until 28 March 2026 and then the West End’s @SohoPlace Theatre)

Cyrano de Bergerac starring Adrian Lester (West End 2026)

Cyrano de Bergerac starring Adrian Lester (West End 2026)

Finally, RSC productions that are transferring to London, or are already playing in the West End, include:

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Main photo: RSC new season 2026-2027 - As You Like it, Middlemarch, The Three Musketeers, Juliius Caesar (Photos provided by the RSC)

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