This upcoming season at York Theatre Royal promises an extraordinary lineup of performances and events that cater to diverse tastes and interests. From immersive dance experiences to gripping theatrical retellings, the programs have something for everyone. Highlights include the creative dance workshop 'Leaps and Bounds,' Dickens-inspired 'Ghost Stories For Christmas,' and Simon Armitage's lyrical evening with LYR. Additionally, audiences will enjoy the comedy of Stewart Lee, the enchanting tale of 'Aladdin,' and the powerful story of 'Black Is The Color Of My Voice.' Join us for a season that celebrates the arts with vibrancy and creativity.

Enriching York Theatre Royal: A Season of Dance, Drama, and Delight

York Theatre Royal is set to dazzle audiences with an array of captivating performances this season. From the return of Robin Simpson in 'Aladdin' to Simon Armitage's poetic journey with LYR, the theatre promises a rich tapestry of storytelling. This season also features the bold comedy of Stewart Lee, the poignant narrative of 'Black Is The Color Of My Voice,' and a fresh take on classical tales with Bellini's 'The Capulets & The Montagues.' Dive into an unforgettable theatrical experience that celebrates creativity, culture, and the performing arts.

York Theatre Royal's Upcoming Season: A Blend of Comedy, Drama, and Cultural Exploration

York Theatre Royal is set to be the epicenter of theatrical brilliance this February and March, hosting an exciting lineup of performances that promise to captivate audiences. From the innovative choreography of Jasmin Vardimon's 'NOW' to the musical hilarity of 'Legally Blonde,' there's something for everyone. Delight in Shakespearean reinterpretations with 'RSC First Encounters – The Tempest,' and 'Shakespeare Songs,' while exploring powerful narratives like 'Black Is The Color Of My Voice.' The season rounds off with Bellini's operatic take on 'Romeo & Juliet' and an insightful pre-show talk.

Theatrical Extravaganza at York Theatre Royal: A Celebration of Storytelling and Performance

York Theatre Royal

A fun and friendly introduction to dancing led by York Dance Space! Explore moving together using a variety of dance styles, stories, creative play and imagination. You will need to wear comfy clothes to move in, bring a water bottle, we encourage people to dance in bare feet although socks are fine too but may be slippy.

Leaps and Bounds

Margaret Atwood, author of the modern feminist classic The Handmaid’s Tale, revisits Homer’s The Odyssey in a powerful, irreverent and darkly humorous retelling that unpicks one of the oldest of myths.

Immortalised as the devoted and faithful wife to the glorious Odysseus, Penelope waits 20 years for her husband to return from the Trojan War, silently weaving and unpicking and weaving again. Now it’s time to hear the story of those left behind…

Reimagining this ancient tale, Atwood gives voice to the silenced Penelope and her chorus of maids. Wandering the underworld Penelope spins a different kind of thread: her side of the story – a tale of injustice, betrayal and revenge.

The Penelopiad

A mother and her daughter keep a homeless woman as a slave in their London home. Power starts to shift when the daughter gets distracted by business and the mother becomes ill. A tale of freedom and control. The Strongbox is written by Stephanie Jacob.

The Strongbox

Dickens’s sinister explorations of the spirit world

A red light. A black tunnel. A waving figure. A warning beyond understanding. And the fear that someone – that something – is drawing closer…

The Signal-Man is one of the most powerful ghost stories of all time and certainly the most frightening ever written by Charles Dickens. It is paired here with The Trial for Murder, in which Dickens treats the supernatural with just as much terrifying gravity.

The Signal-Man

York Medical Society

The silent masterpiece with a brand-new live score

The Film

Nosferatu (1922) is arguably the film that gave birth to the horror genre. Notable as the first cinematic interpretation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, its combination of expressionistic acting and unforgettable images render it just as powerful and unsettling today as when it first thrilled cinema goers 100 years ago.

Nosferatu with Live Score

Discover the artists shaping the future of music at the New Music Stage with live performances from 10 breakthrough artists. Start with an industry panel featuring representatives from Universal, Fontana, EMI, Rough Trade and Matador Records, offering insights into today’s music landscape, followed by networking sessions. Hear from last year’s winner, Dilettante, and see the 2026 winner announced.

Aesthetica New Music Stage

The late Queen Elizabeth II was famous for her discretion. She never said anything in public that could ruffle the lightest of feathers. But she had one way of expressing what she really thought – through her wardrobe.

By Royal Appointment is a funny, poignant and celebratory new play about the kind of power that only a Queen can wield – she charms the world through coats and admonishes her family through a carefully chosen hat.

But the Queen herself is uninterested in fashion, her look is managed by her Designer, her Milliner and most powerful of all, her Dresser who was a working-class girl who goes from advising the Queen on the colour of her lipsticks to the real power behind the throne. But the Dresser, like all royal favourites is living on borrowed time.

By Royal Appointment

The Everybody Dance Festival is a vibrant celebration of dance, movement, and community.

Bringing together schools, colleges and community groups from across Yorkshire it creates an inclusive space for people of all ages and abilities. With workshops, live performances, and interactive events, the festival inspires joy, creativity, and connection through the power of dance.

Everybody Dance Festival

With Lost Dog’s blend of dance, theatre and comedy this duet reveals the real story of Romeo and Juliet.  It turns out they didn’t die in a tragic misunderstanding, they grew up and lived happily ever after. Well they lived at least.

Now they’re 40ish, at least one of them is in the grips of a mid-life crisis, they feel constantly mocked by their teenage selves and haunted by the pressures of being the poster couple for romantic love. They have decided to confront their current struggles by putting on a performance – about themselves. Their therapist told them it was a terrible idea.

Juliet & Romeo

Shutter up the windows, dim the candles and settle by the fire for a Christmas ghost story, told by no less than Charles Dickens.

Choose from two of his seasonal classics: A Christmas Carol, the famous saga of Scrooge, and The Haunted Man, a neglected Gothic gem. Their words unlock a world teeming with chain-rattling spectres – with dark and shadowy doubles – with Ghosts of Christmases Past and Present and Yet To Come. These tales chill the marrow and tickle the funny bone, but always they enchant, as only the works of a master storyteller can.

Both shows are acted by James Swanton, who has played the title roles in two BBC chillers: ‘The Curse of the Ninth’ in Inside No. 9 and Lot No. 249, Mark Gatiss’s annual ghost story, for which The Telegraph called James ‘the scariest man on TV this Christmas’. His work with Dickens includes his one-man play Sikes & Nancy at the West End’s Trafalgar Studios (‘fantastical … remarkable … startling and enthralling’ – Simon Callow) and sell-out seasons of the Christmas Books at London’s Charles Dickens Museum (‘extraordinary … superb … it couldn’t have been more vivid!’ –Miriam Margolyes).

Charles Dickens’ Ghost Stories

“Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, York Theatre Royal's 2026 pantomime will be the most magical of all...”

Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs is set to be a festive fairytale extravaganza. With lavish costumes, stunning sets, hilarious jokes, and dazzling special effects, this will be an unmissable treat for the whole family.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

York Light Opera Company excitedly returns to YTR with a hilarious and empowering story.

Based on the seminal 1980 hit movie featuring music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 The Musical is a high energy, outrageous, and thought-provoking show where three unlikely friends learn there is nothing they can’t do, even in a man’s world.

Music and Lyrics by Dolly Parton. Book by Patricia Resnick. Based on the 20th Century Fox Picture.

9 to 5 The Musical

NOW, a new creation by choreographer Jasmin Vardimon MBE, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jasmin Vardimon Company. It will reflect the current moment, the present, and the continuous movement of time.



Jasmin Vardimon Company: NOW

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