Further details also announced for forthcoming 2022 50th anniversary season productions.
2023
CRUCIBLE THEATRE
The Good Person of Szechwan: A new production marking the 80th anniversary of Bertolt Brecht’s popular play 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 RTYDS Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau (Anna Karenina).
Saturday 11 March – Saturday 1 April 2023 (Press Performance Wednesday 15 March 2023 at 7pm).
STUDIO THEATRE
Birds and Bees: Produced by Sheffield Theatres and Theatre Centre, this brand-new play by Charlie Josephine, about the real-world consequences of virtual life and going viral, will be directed by Rob Watt (Human Nurture).
Wednesday 25 January – Saturday 11 February 2023 (Press Performance Thursday 26 January at 7pm).
2022
CRUCIBLE THEATRE
The Contingency Plan: On the Beach and Resilience, the extraordinary climate change double bill by Steve Waters will now be staged at Sheffield’s Crucible theatre this Autumn. The plays, directed by Caroline Steinbeis and Chelsea Walker, were originally scheduled for March and postponed due to the effect of the rise in Omicron at the beginning of the year.
Friday 14 October and Saturday 5 November 2022 (Press Day Friday 21 October 2022).
STUDIO THEATRE
How a City Can Save the World: Celebrating 10 years of Sheffield People’s Theatre with a new play developed with Stockroom, Sheffield Theatres’ intergenerational theatre company for anyone aged 12+ will be directed by Tess Seddon. Five strangers get into a lift in Sheffield, and when the doors open, they find themselves in 2116 in the very different city of Sheffuld.
Wednesday 3 – Saturday 6 August 2022 at 7.00pm
Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo and Franco Rame, adapted by comedy writer Tom Basden will be directed by Daniel Raggett and stars Daniel Rigby (Black Mirror) as The Maniac.
Friday 23 September – Saturday 15 October 2022, Press Performance Thursday 29 September 2022, 7pm.
They join other productions announced in the 2022 50th Anniversary season including ROCK / PAPER / SCISSORS by Chris Bush (Thursday 16 June – Saturday 2 July 2022, Crucible, Lyceum and Studio Theatres), Much Ado About Nothing (Friday 9 – Saturday 24 September 2022, Crucible Theatre and touring) and Standing at the Sky’s Edge by Richard Hawley and Chris Bush (Saturday 10 December 2022 – Saturday 21 January 2023, Crucible Theatre).
Robert Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, said:
“Our 50th year is all about putting bold work on our stages, telling important stories from Sheffield and beyond, and sharing in the unique opportunities and atmosphere that only live theatre can give us. And we’re only just halfway through this birthday year. We are about to open our centrepiece productions: ROCK / PAPER / SCISSORS, written by the inimitable Chris Bush. The three plays are alternate visions of the future and a witty and heartfelt exploration of how the past can help or hinder our fates.
Today we’re adding more shows to our anniversary season. The first is Birds and Bees, in co-production with Theatre Centre - the team behind the brilliant Human Nurture, which had a huge impact in the Studio and in local schools at the beginning of the year. Birds and Bees is a new play by Charlie Josephine, directed by Rob Watt, and explores the real-life consequences of the virtual world.
Then into spring, we’re staging The Good Person of Szechwan, adapted by Nina Segal. Marking the 80th anniversary of Bertolt Brecht’s popular play, we are very excited to be co-producing this story of moral compass with ETT and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, also commissioned by ETT. Following his epic retelling of Anna Karenina, Sheffield Theatres RTYDS Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau directs this play performed by a company of actors predominantly of East Asian heritage.
We also celebrate 10 years of Sheffield People’s Theatre this year. Our intergenerational theatre company has teamed up with writing powerhouse Stockroom, who together will find out: How A City Can Save the World.
These shows join our previously announced autumn season. I’ll be directing Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, which we co-produce with the ground-breaking Ramps On The Moon, before the production heads out on tour to bring joy and inclusivity to stages across the UK.
Steve Waters’ The Contingency Plan, made up of On the Beach and Resilience, will run in the Crucible from October when Caroline Steinbeis and Chelsea Walker bring these fearless, funny, frightening plays to the stage.
The autumn continues with Dario Fo’s 20th century classic Accidental Death of An Anarchist in the Studio, which is adapted by award-winning stage and screen comedy writer Tom Basden. Playing The Maniac is Daniel Rigby, who we are delighted to welcome back to Sheffield Theatres after his razor sharp performances in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Frost/Nixon.
And we end 2022 with the triumphant return of Standing at the Sky’s Edge. This home-grown musical by Chris Bush and Richard Hawley is co-produced with Various Productions and the National Theatre, and we’re thrilled that following its run in the Crucible for Christmas, it will play at the National’s Olivier Theatre in 2023.”
Dan Bates, Chief Executive of Sheffield Theatres, said:
“At this halfway point of our 50th birthday year we are approaching twelve months since reopening the Crucible after the pandemic, and it is truly fabulous to be working across all three theatres once again. I am hugely excited about the next set of shows we have in store. We’re so grateful to all the people who supported us over the past few years and, with the variety of top shows we have on offer, it’s our way of celebrating and saying thank you. We can’t wait to welcome even more people through our doors to experience more magical nights out.
As we look back at the amazing work of our 50th season so far, we’re looking forward to the bold and brilliant work our future holds.”
Tickets for 2022 productions are on sale now.
Tickets for Birds and Bees and The Good Person of Szechwan are on sale to Centre Stage Members at 10am on Saturday 25 June 2022 and on general sale at 10am on Saturday 2 July 2022.
Accessible performances are available on the majority of productions. Tickets can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
