Looking for shows to keep the whole family entertained throughout the year? Look no further!
Theatre Royal Plymouth has a huge range of family shows on offer this year.
Escape to a world of pure imagination with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this June or enter a magical world of myths and legends with Dragons & Mythical Beasts. Take a trip to Bikini Bottom with SpongeBob The Musical or follow all of your favourite crack-a-lackin’ friends in Madagascar The Musical.
Here is a list of some of the shows everyone will be sure to enjoy.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Lyric, 07 – 18 June (7+)
Escape to a world of pure imagination.
Based on the iconic story, this spectacular stage show follows the hit West End and Broadway productions to combine the memorable songs from the original 1970s motion picture ( ‘The Candy Man’ and ‘Pure Imagination’) with all new numbers from the multi-award-winning songwriters of Hairspray.
When Charlie Bucket finds one of the five golden tickets to the Wonka Chocolate Factory, they, and the other winners, can’t wait to feast on the sweets of their dreams. But beyond the gates, they discover more than just remarkable edible delights. As they embark on an extraordinary journey through Willy Wonka’s marvellous mind, they soon learn that nobody leaves the same way that they arrived…
The weird and wonderful world of ROALD DAHL’S Charlie and The Chocolate Factory – The Musical will dazzle your senses when it plays Theatre Royal Plymouth as part of its first-ever UK & Ireland Tour.
Every ticket is GOLDEN, book yours today!
Demon Dentist, The Lyric, 05 – 08 July (5+)
BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH FUN!
Join Alfie and Gabz on this fabulous adventure, as they investigate the strange events happening in their home town! Children are leaving their teeth for the tooth fairy and waking up to find odd things under their pillows! Alfie and Gabz are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery – but no-one could have dreamt what they’ll discover, when they come face to face with the demon dentist herself in this hilarious and thrilling story!
Don’t miss this terrific tale from the West End producers of David Walliams’ Gangsta
Granny and Billionaire Boy, which were both nominated for an Olivier Award! It’s the funniest and most exciting show yet!
Dragons & Mythical Beasts, The Lyric, 14 – 15 July (3+)
Calling all brave heroes! Enter into a magical world of myths and legends in this fantastical new show for all the family.
Unveil a myriad of dark secrets and come face to face with some of the most magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts ever to walk the earth. Discover the colossal Stone Troll, the mysterious Indrik and Japanese Baku; the Tooth Fairy (not as sweet as you’d think), an adorable Unicorn and majestic Griffin. Take your place among legendary heroes, just don’t wake the Dragon…
This award-winning show is back on tour direct from the West End, from the creators of the international smash hit Dinosaur World Live, who bring spectacular puppets to life.
Don’t miss this brand-new spell-binding adventure, live on stage!
Shrek the Musical (21–29 July 2023), The Lyric
Join our unlikely hero Shrek and his noble steed Donkey as they embark on a big, bright, musical adventure.
Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film, the Broadway and West End hit Shrek the Musical is a fun-filled and hilarious musical comedy with a cast of vibrant characters and a ‘shrek-tackular’ score.
Featuring the beloved Princess Fiona, the evil Lord Farquaad, a host of magical fairy-tale characters and fabulous songs including the smash hit ‘I’m a believer, Shrek the Musical is a ‘musical extravaganza for big kids and little kids alike’.
Come join the adventure as Shrek and Donkey endeavour to complete their quest, finding unexpected friendships and surprising romance along the way.
A perfect night out for the young, and the young at heart, the award-winning Shrek the Musical is guaranteed fun for all ages and will have you dancing in the aisles and laughing all the way home.
Alice in Wonderland, The Lyric, 01 – 05 August (7+)
Join us at Theatre Royal Plymouth this Summer for a funked-up remix of Lewis Carroll’s classic, where musical streams and digital dreams collide in a riotous adventure for all the family!
When tech-savvy teen Alice tries to repair her dear Dad’s much-loved old stereo, a slip of the screwdriver hurtles her into a strange new world. As the tape unravels, she meets a host of unlikely new friends and meets her musical match against the infamous Queen of Charts.
Spinning together a familiar story with a company of awesomely talented actor-musicians, this new remix, lovingly created with our friends at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and Stockroom Productions, is bursting with brilliant original music inspired by the best of British pop.
Come with us down the rabbit hole, through the looking glass and into a Wonderland like you’ve never seen before!
42nd Street, The Lyric, 07 – 12 August (5+)
It’s big… it’s bright… it’s a brand-spanking new production of ‘the original showbiz musical,’ 42nd Street, starring Samantha Womack as Dorothy Brock, alongside Michael Praed as Julian Marsh, Faye Tozer as Maggie Jones, Les Dennis as Bert Barry and Nicole-Lily Baisden as Peggy Sawyer.
Jonathan Church (Singin’ In The Rain, The Drifters Girl) directs the iconic song-and-dance spectacular featuring a hit parade of toe-tapping songs including “42nd Street,” “We’re In The Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Shuffle Off To Buffalo” and “I Only Have Eyes For You.”
Choreographed and designed by Olivier Award winners Bill Deamer and Rob Jones, 42nd Street is a timeless and inspiring showbiz fairy tale that combines breathtaking tap dance routines, backstage intrigue, classic romance and delightful comedy to dazzling effect. It’s simply irresistible!
Fresh off the bus from small-town America, young and beautiful Peggy Sawyer arrives in New York City dreaming of her name in lights. She quickly catches the eye of a big-time director and lands a spot in the chorus line of Broadway’s newest show… and when the leading lady gets injured, Peggy gets her shot at stardom.
42nd Street is a larger-than-life, massively entertaining celebration of musicals and the irrepressible spirit of Broadway that’s guaranteed to lift anyone’s spirits. Don’t miss it!
Annie, The Lyric, 14 – 19 August (5+)
The smash-hit production of Annie comes to Theatre Royal Plymouth for one week only, direct from London’s West End. This ‘glorious revival’ (The Times) stars Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood as the tyrannical Miss Hannigan!
Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family…
With its Tony® award-winning book and score, including the unforgettable songs It’s The Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and Tomorrow, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll love it!
The SpongeBob Musical, The Lyric, 30 August – 2 September (5+)
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea and became the hottest star on Broadway?
Why, it’s SpongeBob SquarePants!
He’s ready to ride the wave to Theatre Royal Plymouth to entertain and delight audiences in this brilliant, bright, hilarious and brand-new musical production.
Plunge into this stunning all-singing, all-dancing, dynamic stage show! When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world! With lives hanging in the balance and all hope lost, a most unexpected hero rises up. The power of optimism really can save the world!
Based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg, The SpongeBob Musical, written by Kyle Jarrow and conceived by Tina Landau, features a tidal wave of original songs by the world’s most iconic rock and pop artists, including Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I., and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. Additional music by Tom Kitt.
An exciting new production featuring irresistible characters, magical choreography and dazzling costumes; this deep-sea pearl of a show is really set to make a splash with audiences young and old as the must-see musical of 2023.
Madagascar The Musical, The Lyric, 20 – 28 October
Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar – The Musical follows all of your favourite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar.
Alex the lion is the king of the urban jungle, the main attraction at New York’s Central Park Zoo. He and his best friends – Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo – have spent their whole lives in blissful captivity before an admiring public and with regular meals provided for them. Not content to leave well enough alone, Marty lets his curiosity get the better of him and makes his escape – with the help of some prodigious penguins – to explore the world.
This wacky adventure for the whole family is brought to life by Selladoor Worldwide, the producers behind Guess How Much I Love You, Mr Men and Little Miss, Footloose and Fame, and is a co-production with Theatre Royal Plymouth. Madagascar – The Musical is directed by award-winning Kirk Jameson with choreography from Fabian Aloise. Designed by Tom Rogers, with Lighting Design by Howard Hudson, Sound Design by Chris Whybrow, Musical Supervision from Mark Crossland, Puppet Design by Max Humphries and Puppet Direction from Emma Brunton.
Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime. Filled with outlandish characters, adventure galore and an upbeat score, you’ll have no choice but to “Move It, Move It!”
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Lyric, 15 December 2023 – 13 January 2024
Enter a world of wonder at Plymouth’s home of pantomime, as the magical Goldilocks and the Three Bears comes to Theatre Royal Plymouth next Christmas!
With sets and costumes from The London Palladium, this promises to be a spectacular pantomime you’ll not want to miss. For 5 weeks only the Theatre will be transformed into a sensational circus, where everything is possible, and anything could (and will) happen.
This festive extravaganza is packed with riotous comedy, extraordinary special effects, hair-raising stunts and international circus acts!
Goldilocks’ circus is under threat from an evil rival circus owner and, with the help of their madcap circus friends, they’re battling to rescue their Big Top from ruin. Will they succeed? All seems lost until three brilliant bears join the gang…
Roll up, roll up to see panto join the circus, and be swept away by a pantomime spectacular that’s just right!