We are thrilled to announce the majority of our season of productions 2027. We think it is an exciting and powerful lineup exploring family secrets, dynamic duos, obsession, resilience, and community, with a range of new and older plays, crossing genres and styles. With work being undertaken to add air conditioning and solar panels to the auditorium in the Spring, we will be having a studio play in the bar in Spring. There will also be later announcements of additional productions for the Autumn.
As a member of the audience, actors, backstage teams and front of house please do come along, get involved and be part of a wonderful year of theatre.
All details are below and please look out for Open Reading and Audition notices as well as announcements of tickets going on sale for all these productions coming very soon. Welcome to our upcoming theatre season:
January 30th to February 6th : Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
March 10th-13th : Studio in the Bar: The Road to Huntsville by Stephanie Ridings
May 8th to 15th : Springboard Festival 2027
June 26th to July 3rd : Things I Know to be True by Andrew Bovell
September 4th to 11th: Stones in His Pockets by Marie Jones
December 4th to 11th: The Full Monty (The Play Not the Musical!) by Simon Beaufoy
Main House: January 30th to February 4th 2027
Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Directed by Dean Sheridan
Written / Premiered: 2013; Cast: 8 (4 W, 3 M, 1 Youth)
When the Lafayette siblings return to their late father’s crumbling Arkansas estate to settle his debts, they uncover a hidden photo album containing horrific historical artifacts. As long-buried rivalries ignite and secrets leak out, the family is forced to confront their shared history and implicit complicity in a dark past.
"A razor-sharp, fiercely funny, and devastating interrogation of American history." — The New York Times
Studio in the Bar: March 10th to 13th 2027
The Road to Huntsville by Stephanie Ridings, Directed by Bill Butler
Written / Premiered: 2016; Cast: 1(W)
A playwright sets out to research women who fall in love with men on death row, only to find herself drawn into a dark, compelling rabbit hole. Travelling from Britain to Texas, this captivating and funny solo show explores love, crime, empathy, and our fascination with the monstrous.
"Fascinating, funny, and deeply unsettling... a compelling investigation into human connection." — The Stage
Main House: May 8th to 15th 2027
Springboard Festival 2027
Celebrating its 5th anniversary, Springboard provides a week of fabulous and varied entertainment in the form of short one act plays, poetry/spoken word, music, film, literary discussion and visual art. The festival brings together Coventry and Warwickshire amateur and professionals in one space, with in-house Criterion company performances and community/Criterion collaborations alongside external artists, musicians and poets.
Main House: June 26th to July 3rd 2027
Things I Know to be True by Andrew Bovell, Directed by Kelly Davidson and Connor Bailey
Written / Premiered: 2016; Cast: 6 (3W, 3M)
Set over the course of four seasons, this poignant drama follows Bob and Fran Price and their four adult children. As each child struggles to define their own identity, long-buried secrets surface, testing the resilience, unspoken tensions, and unconditional bounds of family love.
"A deeply moving, beautifully written portrait of modern family life that hits with real emotional power." — The Guardian
Main house: September 4th to 11th 2027
Stones in His Pockets by Marie Jones, Directed by Richard Warren
Written / Premiered: 1996; Cast: 2 (2M)
When a massive Hollywood movie production takes over a quiet Irish village, two local extras find themselves caught between Tinseltown glamour and local reality. Following a sudden tragedy, the duo morphs effortlessly into fifteen distinct characters in a hilarious, tragicomic clash of cultures.
"A brilliant, tragicomic triumph that leaps off the stage with boundless energy." — The Irish Times
Autumn Main House and Studio productions TBA
Main House: December 4th to 11th 2027
The Full Monty by Simon Beaufoy, Directed by Anne-marie Greene
Written / Premiered: 2013; Cast: 16 (4 W, 11 M, 1 Youth)
Based on the BAFTA award winning 1997 film. Down on their luck after the collapse of Sheffield's steel industry, six unemployed men make a radical plan to earn quick cash by creating a male striptease act. As opening night approaches, they battle self-doubt to reveal far more than just their clothes in an uplifting story of solidarity.
Critical Acclaim: "An irresistibly hilarious, heart-warming crowd-pleaser with genuine emotional punch." — Daily Telegraph