Specialising in the production of new plays, and with a national reputation for presenting the best and most innovative new work and collaborations, The Drum offers a multitude of exceptional experiences and performances for theatre goers of all ages. Take a look below to see what’s coming up on The Drum stage!
The Snow Beast
In the snowy town of Seldomberg test tubes bubble, experiments explode and new inventions whirr for the Science Academy’s Final Exams. But Faina’s got a problem… her project has unexpectedly burst into flames! Desperate to pass her Final Exams, Faina sets off on a perilous expedition to find the legendary Snow Beast. This show is a captivating collision of storytelling, original music, puppetry and interactive science experiments, inspiring budding scientists of all ages.
Learning to Fly
Learning to Fly sees James tell the story of a remarkable friendship he made when he was a lonely, unhappy teenager with the scary old lady who lived in the spooky house on his street. It’s about connection, no matter what the obstacles; about love’s eternal struggle with time; about music and its ability to heal. It’s also about her last wish: to get high once before she dies. Uplifting, big hearted and hilarious, this brand new show is touring following a sell out run at the Edinburgh festival.
Fanboy
Fanboy is a love-hate letter to pop culture and nostalgia. Award-winning writer-performer Joe Sellman-Leava (Fringe First, Labels) explores our relationship to our past and future selves and asks why his generation is so obsessed with its childhood. Combining epic storytelling, razor-sharp impressions and a dose of theatrical magic, Fanboy comes to Theatre Royal Plymouth following a critically acclaimed run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Soho Theatre.
Help! I Think I’m A Nationalist
From Seamas Carey (creator of The Reason Why podcast), comes the controversial sell-out comedy show on identity, second homes, xenophobia and bagpipes. Who am I? Where do I belong? And who should I vote for? Cornwall is at a tipping point. House prices soar, the population shifts, tensions rise. Some people see it as a separate nation; others see it as a prime holiday destination and playground for the rich.
Birds and Bees
Leilah is wondering if her Instagram is more of a burden than ‘living her best life’. Billy’s queer and proud but ignored by the education system; they’re tired of feeling invisible. Aarron is learning how to be a man online and it’s starting to feel toxic. And Maisy, well Maisy’s not that into sex, thank you very much. Thrown together, these four confront their differences and realise their power to create change.
On Track
March 2020. Dynamic single mother Kit’s world suddenly shrinks. Staying at home to save lives means a retreat back to the role of mother and home-maker. With the walls closing in, the garage and 2 wheels become her sanctuary…
Yippee Ki Yay
Acclaimed retelling of classic film Die Hard from Richard Marsh – Fringe First-winner, London poetry slam champion, BBC Audio Drama Best Scripted Comedy Drama award-winner and New York cop (one of these is untrue). This joyfully funny show heads out on tour following rave reviews for its premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe, which also won it a London transfer.
Cake – The Marie Antoinette PLAYlist
Cake combines rap and RnB with 18th century France to retell a story that sparked a revolution. When Marie Antoinette married King Louis, her reputation was already tarnished by gossip. But when she is implicated in a crime to defraud the crown jewellers of a diamond necklace, it is not just her reputation at stake, but the monarchy and France itself. This brand-new musical, come gig, come ballet is from some of the most exciting figures in modern British Theatre.
Attenborough and His Animals
Catch this award-winning, five-star show for an epic display of clowning and physical theatre. A must-see for the whole family. The show returns to the UK following a sell-out Edinburgh Fringe season and world tour in 2019 and sell-out Adelaide Fringe seasons in 2020 and 2021.
Stop Trying To Be Fantastic
One day, a magpie comes into a little girl’s house by mistake. It decides it likes her. She spends the next twenty-five years trying to get away from it. Stop Trying to be Fantastic is a story about suffering, saviour-complex, self-acceptance, and a magpie who refuses to quit.
FAMILY TREE
FAMILY TREE is a beautifully poetic drama about race, health, the environment, and the incredible legacy of one of the most influential Black women of modern times. Fearlessly honest, hilarious, and ultimately transformative, this award-winning play is both a remembrance and a celebration. This brand-new nationwide touring production is brought to you by playwright Mojisola Adebayo (Alfred Fagon Award winner for FAMILY TREE) and director Matthew Xia (The Wiz, Shebeen).
We Were Promised Honey!
A lone performer tells the story of the future of the audience; what’s going to happen to them in the decades, centuries, millenia after the end of
this show. It’s the story of a baby born in a lighthouse, of someone on fire in the middle of the desert, of two lovers reunited in a flooded city, of a
spaceship on the edge of a black hole. Everything has already been decided. This is the story of the end.