10 must-see theatre shows in 2026
There's still time if you haven't booked any of these yet
Made the mistake of thinking I could pop into the wonderful News From Nowhere bookshop on Bold Street in Liverpool for a browse without buying anything, and came away with The Feminist Art of Walking by Manchester-based writer Morag Rose and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.
I haven’t finished The Feminist Art of Walking yet so I’ll write about that in a future edition, but I have committed to one of the main tasks in The Artist’s Way, which is to make a weekly date with your Inner Artist - a trip to the cinema, a walk with no earphones, making something just for the sake of it...
I took my Inner Artist to FACT Liverpool, where Nina Davies’ Digital Twin caused me think about why hospitals are so disorientating even when you’re not (unlike her young collaborators) visiting for life-saving treatment, and Bassam Issa Al-Sabah’s THE MISSION IS THE END, THE END IS ALL I WANT! made me feel like I was wandering through the dilapidated monuments of a lost society.
I didn’t make it upstairs to Symone: Highway to Infinity because my Inner Artist demanded a macchiato and a pastel de nata in FACT’s cafe. That exhibitionis now closed, but you have until Sunday 22 February to catch the other two.
To the main event - I’ve picked out 10 theatre shows in 2026 that you’ll want to have a serious think about booking. There is an obvious one missing - hello Jodie Comer - but as that was fully booked within three and a half seconds of going on sale (no I didn’t get tickets either) there didn’t seem to be much point including it here. As always, it’s not intended to be a comprehensive list.
This is a free post for everyone but if you do decide to support my writing by becoming a paid subscriber then you will receive lots of extra content including a monthly guide to the best of what’s on in Liverpool, Manchester and across the North West, as well as Meet the Artist features, curators’ picks of 5 things to see in their venue and the Stored Honey podcast. Either way - thank you for reading.
10 must-see theatre shows in 2026
The Marian Hotel, Unity, Liverpool: It’s 1979, Kitty arrives in a mother and baby home where the young women hold each other up with sharp, dark humour against the backdrop of the war in the North of Ireland. Based on Caitriona Cunningham’s lived experience of being in Marianvale Mother and Baby Home, Newry, the play is a call to all impacted to come forward and raise their voices so that they may never again be silenced and shamed for being human. Friday 6 February to Saturday 7 February.
Nell Gwyn, The Theatre By the Lake, Keswick: Orange-seller, wit, trailblazer - Nell Gwynn is a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. From the chaotic pit of Drury Lane to the polished halls of Charles II’s court, this feminist comedy charts her rise to fame as one of Britain’s first actresses. Thursday 9 July to Saturday 1 August.
Mean Girls, Manchester Opera House: The smash-hit musical comedy based on the iconic Paramount Pictures film of the same name opens its UK tour in Manchester next month. If you go on a Wednesday, don’t forget to wear pink. Monday 23 February to Saturday 7 March. Also at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool from Monday 19 October to Saturday 31 October.
Letter to Brezhnev, Royal Court Liverpool: Frank Clarke’s stage adaptation of the 1985 film of the same name. Teresa and Elaine are young, beautiful and full of life, but they don’t think that will last long, because it’s 1985 and this is Kirkby. Sergei and Peter are fresh off the boat and revelling in being away from the Soviet Union. Friday 11 September to - Saturday 17 October.
I Do, Malmaison Piccadilly, Manchester: Set in a working hotel, I Do invites audiences to step inside six rooms where the final moments before a wedding unfold in parallel, each a jigsaw piece revealing a different view of the same tense moment in time. The best man’s speech is collapsing under pressure, the bride is torn between nerves and expectation, and family secrets ripple through the corridors. It’s presented by Dante or Die in partnership with Lowry. Wednesday 18 February to Sunday 22 February.
Dear England, Empire Theatre, Liverpool: The England men’s team has the worst track record for penalties in the world and manager Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land. Tuesday 3 March to Saturday 7 March.
Looking for me Friend, The Dukes, Lancaster: Paulus The Cabaret Geek (BBC’s All Together Now), with Michael Roulston (Fascinating Aida) on piano, presents a Victoria Wood tribute show. It features many of her songs alongside his own story of a 1970s childhood and what it really means to find your tribe. Thursday 30 April. Also at Lowry, Salford, Saturday 18 April, and at The Met, Bury, on Sunday 19 April.
Waiting For Godot, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool: It should be a treat to see Matthew Kelly and George Costigan return to the Everyman in a new staging of Samuel Beckett’s classic play. Waiting for Godot follows two men, Vladimir and Estragon, as they wait for someone who may never come, passing the time with scraps of conversation, moments of tenderness and flashes of dark humour. Tuesday 17 March to Saturday 4 April. Also at The Octagon, Bolton, Wednesday 15 April to Saturday 2 May.
King Lear, Royal Exchange, Manchester: David Threlfall (Shameless, Unforgivable) returns to the Theatre after 27 years to play the king unable to distinguish truth from lies in Shakespeare’s most elemental tragedy, adapted and directed by Matthew Dunster. Friday 2 October to Sunday 15 November
The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Storyhouse, Chester: Beekeeper Nuri and his artist wife Afra live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. Tuesday 21 April to Saturday 25 April.
See your work featured in Stored Honey
If you’re an artist, actor, theatre maker, curator, director or producer, I’d love to hear more about your work. You can submit details of an exhibition, performance or cultural event by sending details and an image to laura@lauracdavis.com. If you would like to take part in Stored Honey’s regular Meet the Artist feature, please answer the questions in this Q&A or if you don’t like filling in forms I can send you the questions via email.
In case you missed it
Opening this week
Instagram this past week may have been all about sharing your photos of 2016, but the Grundy in Blackpool is going much further back with one of two collection spotlight exhibitions opening this month. With 1926 as its theme, it will present paintings purchased by Grundy Art Gallery that year alongside items linked to civic celebration on loan from the Showtown collection.
Also opening on Saturday is the spotlight exhibition A Body of Work, co-curated by the gallery and artist Jayne Simpson, who has a concurrent solo show, Lion, exploring the medium of expanded painting. Finally, Open 2026 celebrates the Grundy’s 115th birthday with its annual showcase of work by anyone over 16 years of age from across Blackpool and the Fylde Coast - there is no selection process. Saturday 24 January to Saturday 7 March.
Last chance to see
Gladiators of Britain, the major touring exhibition from the British Museum currently at Grosvenor Museum, in Chester, closes next weekend. It brings together rare Roman artefacts that reveal the brutal spectacle of gladiatorial combat in ancient Britain – including extraordinary finds from Chester’s own amphitheatre, the largest in the country. Ends Sunday 25 January.
Thank you for reading the 161st edition of Stored Honey. If you enjoyed what you read then please hit the ❤️ button.
I’m off now to rummage through my big stack of art postcards because I’m moving into a new office tomorrow and like to have a few friendly images around me.
Have a great week,
Laura
Stored Honey is a member of the Independent Media Association, and adheres to its Code of Conduct.
