Alim Beisembayev

Adam Hickox

The Marlowe Theatre

Philharmonia Orchestra

A moving celebration of the music, life, and the band that changed it all.

Following a phenomenal two years in the West End and a sensational first UK and Ireland tour, the “indisputably terrific” (The Times) Olivier Award-winning best new musical, charting the euphoric highs and agonizing lows of THE KINKS, is back!

Sunny Afternoon

Marlowe Theatre

Divorced. Beheaded. Live!

The international smash-hit musical SIX makes its royal return to Canterbury following its previous sell out success!

From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves but their lipstick is rebellious red.

Winner of over 35 international awards including Tony Awards for ‘Best Original Score’ and ‘Best Costume Design’. Boasting a Gold-Disk winning album, this sell-out Tudor take-off has wowed audiences from the West End to Broadway, with ‘an incredibly strong and powerful message’ (The Australian) and is ‘pure entertainment’ (New York Times).

A sharp-nosed return to stand-up.

Arctic Monkeys’ album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not hit the shelves in January 2006. Tracks like I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor and When the Sun Goes Down became anthems, showcasing Alex Turner’s sharp lyrics and observational storytelling.

Now, in 2026, Tom Rosenthal takes to the stage with his brand-new show, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am. Jokes like Wimbledon, Daniel Radcliffe and Some Weather We’re Having have the potential to become classics, showcasing Rosenthal’s sharp nose and observational squawking.

Tom Rosenthal: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am

Bringing together modern dance and the ancient heartbeat of Ireland.

Described as “90 minutes of ritualised ecstasy” by The Irish Times, this visionary piece playfully and provocatively takes you on an otherworldly journey steeped in the landscape and culture of West Kerry in Ireland.

MÁM sees 12 fearless dancers summon a whirlwind of myth and magic, moved by the collaborative music making of virtuoso Irish traditional concertina player Cormac Begley and European classical contemporary collective s t a r g a z e, performed live on stage.

MÁM

A guaranteed Christmas catastrophe from multi-award-winning company Mischief.

The Cornley Amateur Drama Society are back with tidings of chaos and joy, ready to tackle the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol.

A new production of Christmas Carol Goes Wrong smashes into the Marlowe Theatre, direct from a strictly limited 8-week West End run. Don’t miss this guaranteed Christmas catastrophe from Mischief, the multi award-winning company behind The Play that goes Wrong, Peter Pan goes Wrong and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery.

As the Cornley crew hilariously battle miscommunication, delays to their set, actors missing in action and a growing feud over who will play the lead, it’s sure to be a disastrous take on the much-loved classic Christmas story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Will Cornley finally change their ways, or will their misfortunes wreak havoc with hysterical consequences.

Christmas Carol Goes Wrong

Renad, a young Gazan girl, embarks on a dangerous journey. Carrying only the echoes of her grandmother’s tales and the spark of her own imagination, she searches for her family and the ‘Anqaa’ – the mythical Palestinian Phoenix.

A Grain of Sand is a one-woman show that takes an intimate look at war through the eyes of a child, blending Palestinian folklore with real-life testimonies from children in contemporary Gaza.

A Grain of Sand

Aaron Sorkin’s riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of the seminal American novel about racial injustice and childhood innocence became a Broadway and West End sensation with star-studded sell-out seasons on both sides of the Atlantic. Now the iconic play comes to Canterbury.

Successful lawyer, Atticus Finch, encourages kindness and empathy in his children, but is pushed to the limits of these qualities himself when he resolves to uncover the truth in a town that seems determined to hide it.Set in 1934 Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by novelist Harper Lee’s own childhood and has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and was long at the top of the banned book lists.

Oscar winning writer Aaron Sorkin’s stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird is paired with Bartlett Sher’s visionary direction. Aaron Sorkin has had many years of great success on stage and screen. He is perhaps best known as the creator and screenwriter of hit TV series The West Wing, and as the screenwriter for The Social Network, for which he received an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Writer’s Guild Award. He is also the writer-creator of The Newsroom and Academy Award-winning film A Few Good Men.

Bartlett Sher spent over ten years as Director of New York’s Lincoln Centre Theater, and has also headed acclaimed productions such as My Fair Lady, The King and I and South Pacific.

To Kill a Mockingbird

The iconic international West End and Broadway smash-hit musical comedy is back in fashion with a huge new production.

Starring Amber Davies (Pretty Woman, 9 to 5 the Musical) as Elle! The iconic international West End and Broadway smash-hit musical comedy is back in fashion with a huge new production.

This ultimate feel-good rom-com, based on the award-winning film starring Reese Witherspoon, follows Elle Woods on her transformation from it-girl fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School, all in the name of love.

Elle must prove she is more than blonde ambition, swap the changing rooms for the courtroom and learn that “being true to yourself never goes out of style”.

Legally Blonde the Musical

A timeless fairytale and Academy Award-winning movie, The Red Shoes has captivated audiences and inspired generations of dancers with its powerful tale of obsession, possession and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Victoria Page lives to dance but her ambitions become a fierce struggle between the two men who inspire her passion.

Matthew Bourne’s magical double Olivier Award-winning production of the legendary Powell and Pressburger film is set to a score orchestrated by Terry Davies, featuring the mesmerizing music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann, with sumptuous designs by Lez Brotherston (set and costumes), Paule Constable (lighting) and Paul Groothuis (sound).

The Red Shoes

Back by popular demand: Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli are returning to the Marlowe Theatre for their Olivier Award-nominated live stage show!

Featuring brilliantly created puppets, this theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® Award-winning children’s television series is packed with music, laughter, and fun for the whole family.

When Dad feels like a little bit of afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans. Join them as they pull out all the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag! With an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush.

This is Bluey, for real life!

Bluey's Big Play

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of high-energy, feel-good rock and soul.

After a fantastic sell out debut tour across the UK, What’s Love Got To Do With It? is back and bigger than ever for 2026! This electrifying tribute show celebrates the music and unparalleled career of the one and only Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner.

Packed with all the classic hits you know and love, the show delivers showstopping performances of Proud Mary, River Deep – Mountain High, Simply the Best, Private Dancer, and many more, all brought to life by a phenomenal live band.

Stepping into Tina’s iconic heels is Kent’s own Holly Bannis, the daughter of Greg Bannis, former lead singer of Hot Chocolate.

What's Love Got To Do With It? - The Ultimate Tribute to Tina Turner

Hamlet’s mother has married his uncle, and at a less than decent interval too. As he pulls at the threads of his not-so-happy new family, Hamlet unravels a web of deceit and immorality that leads to the ultimate crisis of conscience.

Fresh from its run in Stratford-upon-Avon, this gripping production of Shakespeare’s famous revenge drama visits Canterbury as part of a major national tour.

Ralph Davis (RSC’s Tamburlaine, Timon of Athens, Richard III and King John) will play the role of Hamlet.

The stellar creative team is led by multi-award-winning director Rupert Goold whose recent work includes Dear England (National Theatre) and King Charles III (Almeida). Rupert has directed multiple celebrated productions at the RSC and in 2026, he will take up the post of Artistic Director at London’s Old Vic in 2026.

Hamlet

Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto is a masterpiece. Opening with the solo piano with no orchestral introduction, it’s a deeply intimate work that remains one of the composer’s best loved. Tonight, we hear it in the hands of Alim Beisembayev, winner of the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2021.

Brahms’s magnificent First Symphony was many years in the making. And it may never have seen the light of day without the support and friendship of Robert Schumann and his wife Clara – an article by Robert Schumann launched Brahms’s composing career when the three first met, and they soon became devoted friends. The symphony is a 45-minute journey through all the poetry and power an orchestra can conjure.

Philharmonia Orchestra: Alim Beisembayev plays Beethoven