Birmingham theatre announces Autumn 2026 programme

Birmingham Repertory Theatre has unveiled its Autumn 2026 season – featuring world premieres, revivals and festive family favourites.

The announcement follows the ambitious Spring 2026 season, marking artistic director Joe Murphy’s first year.

Leading up to the newly announced Autumn season, Spring will see a major new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, marking the directorial stage debut of The Rep’s artistic director Joe Murphy and deputy artistic director Madeleine Kludje.

In this vibrant new adaptation, The Rep’s artistic team promises a distinctively Birmingham interpretation of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy perfect for ‘Bard veterans and newbies alike’, as the magical tale of love, mischief and transformation takes to The Rep stage through the lens of the Birmingham’s energy, diversity and creativity.

Half of the cast, including Adam Carver (aka cabaret sensation Fatt Butcher), are local Birmingham and West Midlands actors, with three of the cast members having been selected from the open casting call the venue launched last year.

The new adaptation of Shakespeare’s most romantic comedy is playing from Saturday 25 April to Sunday 24 May.

To celebrate the venues’, return to modern-dress Shakespeare (first devised by The Rep in the 1930’s), The Rep is offering 5,000 tickets at just £5 for young people and schools across the city aged under 25.

The Spring/Summer season will also feature a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s gothic musical thriller Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Directed by artistic director Joe Murphy and designed by Elin Steele, The Rep will bring the legendary composer’s thrilling score and darkly comic story of vengeance and obsession to The House from Saturday 4 July to Sunday 9 August.

The autumn season will feature the third Rep co-production with award-winning deaf-launched and led theatre company, Deafinitely Theatre alongside Park Theatre.

They will be bringing Mike Bartlett’s Bull to the intimate The Door performance space from Saturday 12 to Saturday 19 September.

Bull is a strained and unsettling examination of workplace bullying, power and survival. As pressure builds, alliances shift and cruelty surfaces, exposing a system where fear thrives and empathy disappears.

The play explores how people will do anything to survive when the stakes are high; directed by Paula Garfield, this production will be presented in Deafinitely Theatre’s renowned bilingual style, combining British Sign Language, spoken English and creative captions.

September will also see a major new revival of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time return to the stage (Saturday 5 September to Saturday 19 September).

Christopher Boone is gifted with a brilliant mind for numbers but unsettled by the unpredictability of people and everyday life. When a neighbour’s dog is discovered killed, he finds himself under suspicion.

Determined to prove his innocence, Christopher becomes both detective and suspect, drawn into a mystery that grows darker and more complex with every clue he uncovers.

September in The House concludes with the return of Bill Kenwright’s production of Twelve Angry Men - 13 years after making its stage debut at The Rep in 2013.

The adaptation of the 1957 three-time Academy Award nominated film comes to The Rep for a limited run from Monday 21 to Saturday 26 September.

Continuing The Rep’s commitment to developing new work, two major world premiere co-productions will arrive in Birmingham just in time to usher audiences into the autumn season.

Planet Omar, based on the much-loved children’s book series by Zanib Mian, hits the stage for the very first time from Wednesday 17 June to Sunday 21 June.

Meanwhile, seasonal classic The Snowman flies home to Birmingham with a makeover from Tuesday 20 October to Sunday 1 November.

Based on Raymond Briggs’ cherished book, The Rep’s sparkling new production features Howard Blake’s iconic score including the Christmas classic Walking In The Air, beautifully crafted puppets and a gravity-defying friendship.

To book simply visit the Birmingham Rep website or call the box office on 0121 236 4455 (Monday to Friday from 12pm to 6pm. Saturdays 12pm to 6pm, or 4pm if there is no evening performance scheduled). 

Pictured: Mike Bartlett’s ‘Bull’ is heading to The Door stage