Press Contact: Ella Wholey
December 2025
After a spectacular year filled with iconic musicals such as Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and the deeply moving Dear Evan Hansen, Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP) is ready to jump into 2026 to host the next season of sensational productions.
Throughout the first half of 2026, the Lyric stage at TRP will welcome another exciting selection of musicals, including the multi-award winning, Matilda, the UK tour of Miss Saigon, Legally Blonde, and the brand-new jukebox musical Here & Now featuring music from pop legends, Steps.
Take a closer look at what’s on offer!
Matilda, The Lyric, 13 Jan – 07 Feb 2026
Following the sellout success of its first tour in 2018/19, Matilda The Musical, the multi-award winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company, inspired by the beloved book by Roald Dahl, is heading back out on tour.
In celebration of 15 years on stage since opening at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, and following performances in 100 cities across 17 countries worldwide, Matilda now returns to Plymouth!
With book by Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and directed by Matthew Warchus, Matilda is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
Winner of over 100 international awards, including 24 for Best Musical, the ‘unique and unforgettable’ (Rolling Stone) global phenomenon, Matilda has now delighted over 12 million audiences worldwide.
Miss Saigon, The Lyric, 17 – 28 Feb 2026
Michael Harrison in association with Cameron Mackintosh presents the spectacular new production of Miss Saigon as Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical is reborn. The soaring score features hit songs including; The Heat is On, The Movie in My Mind, Last Night of the World and The American Dream.
Embarking on a major UK and Ireland Tour, this epic production arrives at Theatre Royal Plymouth in February 2026.
In the last days of the Vietnam War, 17 year-old Kim is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as The Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American GI named Chris but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he’s fathered a son.
Here & Now, The Lyric, 24 – 29 Mar 2026
Come and stomp the night away!
Get your party on with HERE AND NOW, the hilarious, brand-new musical based on the songs of multi-million-selling pop phenomenon, Steps. Hailed as the “biggest jukebox hit since MAMMA MIA!” (The Sun), don’t miss this feel-good celebration of love and friendship as it tours the UK & Ireland following a record-breaking world premiere.
It’s Friday night and the vibe is right as Caz and her fabulous friends dream of the perfect summer of love. But when Caz discovers her ‘happy ever after’ is a lie, and the gang’s attempts at romance are a total tragedy, they wonder – will love ever get a hold on their hearts? Or should they all just take a chance on a happy ending…
Move your feet and feel the beat to the iconic pop anthems of a generation in a night of “musical heaven” (The Star on Sunday). Produced by Steps, ROYO, and Pete Waterman, HERE AND NOW includes the hits One for Sorrow, Better The Devil You Know, Deeper Shade of Blue, 5, 6, 7, 8 and more.
Now’s the time for feeling alright, so experience the joy of this brand-new, original British musical, directed by the award-winning Rachel Kavanaugh (Half a Sixpence, The Great British Bake Off Musical).
Buddy, The Lyric, 07 – 11 Apr 2026
Seen by over 22 million people worldwide!
This sensational multi award-winning West End show first opened in 1989 and has been thrilling audiences around the world ever since. Now it triumphantly returns to Plymouth as part of its 2025/26 UK Tour.
Forget feel good, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is FEEL GREAT! Experience the drama, passion and excitement as a multi-talented cast of actor-musicians tell Buddy Holly’s story, from his Texas rockabilly beginnings to international stardom and his legendary final performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, before his tragic death at the age of just 22.
Featuring two terrific hours of the greatest songs ever written, including That’ll Be The Day, Oh Boy, Rave On, La Bamba, Chantilly Lace, Johnny B. Goode, Raining In My Heart, Everyday, Shout and many many more, this show is just Peggy Sue–perb!
Legally Blonde, The Lyric, 02 – 06 Jun 2026
The iconic international West End and Broadway smash hit musical comedy Legally Blonde The Musical is back in fashion with a huge new production starring Amber Davies (Pretty Woman, 9 to 5 The Musical) as Elle!
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.’
This must-see show is from the creative team behind Director Nikolai Foster’s phenomenally successful Kinky Boots. Bend and snap up your tickets today.
The Ballard of Johnny & June, 16 – 20 Jun 2026
Love is a burning thing, and no one burned brighter than Johnny Cash and June Carter.
He was a small-town musician and storyteller with a voice that stirred the soul. She was the comedienne of the first family of country music.
The Ballad of Johnny & June takes you inside the soaring highs and shattering lows of a love story that defined an era. From the stage to the road, through triumphs, heartbreak, and redemption this brand-new musical, created with the support of their family and told through the eyes of their son, John Carter Cash, shows why Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash remain one of the most influential couples of the 20th Century.
American musical theatre star Christopher Ryan Grant, who originated the role of Johnny Cash in New York and Canada premiere, now brings his acclaimed portrayal to the UK stage for the first time, joined by award-nominated actress Christina Bianco (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, The Wizard of Oz).
Packed with legendary hits from I Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, Hey Porter, Jackson, I’ve Been Everywhere and directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, The Who’s Tommy, and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical) don’t miss your chance to join music royalty for The Ballad of Johnny & June.
Take a look at the full line up of what’s on here: https://theatreroyal.com/whats-on/