– a love letter to Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds United and their family of fans

Leeds Playhouse has unveiled a full medley of productions as part of its Spring/Summer 2025 season – the final season under award-winning Artistic Director and Joint CEO James Brining, as he prepares to step down in April 2025 after thirteen years.

The Playhouse begins 2025 with eight unmissable produced shows – including two world premieres, an exciting array of some of the best visiting productions and an abundance of thrilling studio work.

“As we enter our 55^th year , we continue to strive to be a welcoming space where all communities come together to experience and share powerful stories, at time where the world feels more polarised than ever.  For our Spring/Summer 2025 season we’re excited to offer audiences a packed programme of dynamic,  world-class theatre that puts human experience – the connections we forge and the relationships we nurture – centre stage,” said joint CEOs James Brining and Shawab Iqbal.

“On a personal note,” James continues, “I’d like to add that it’s been a huge privilege to serve this incredible theatre in this great city. A theatre is nothing without its audience and we’re lucky to have the warmest and most generous here at the Playhouse.”

As a city, Leeds forged an unlikely but enduring connection with Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa – a relationship that inspired Leeds playwright Chris O’Connor’s Through it All Together, which will enjoy its world premiere in the Playhouse’s Courtyard theatre in June. It focuses on an ordinary Yorkshire couple’s extraordinary passion for football, while exploring living with dementia and the bonds that unite both families and fans. The production has been closely developed with people living with dementia from Leeds Up & Go DEEP Group (Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project) who attend Leeds United Foundation’s Corner Flag Café, a fortnightly football themed session for people living with dementia. The production will be directed by Gitika Buttoo, the play has been supported through Furnace, Leeds Playhouse’s artist development programme.
Courtyard (23 June – 19 July)

Writer Chris O’Connor said: “Through It All Together is the culmination of two things I felt compelled to write about. It tells a story of dementia that isn’t just a narrative of loss, but one that balances the challenges with hope, showing how people can still live well despite it. It’s also my tribute to Marcelo Bielsa, who not only inspired a weary fanbase and brought my beloved Leeds United back to the Premier League but stood as a man of principle and integrity in the money-driven world of modern football. This play is a love letter to him, to Leeds United, and to the power of love in helping us overcome life’s challenges.”

Leeds Playhouse Youth Theatre will stage Brainstorm, a full-scale production directed by Youth Theatre Director Eleanor Manners and created in collaboration with the 14-16s and 17-21s youth theatre groups. Brainstorm was originally created by Company Three, Ned Glasier and Emily Lim in conjunction with neuroscientists Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and Dr Kate Mills.  The production explores how the 86 billion neurons firing in a teenager’s brain affect how they think, feel and develop on their journey to adulthood.
Bramall Rock Void (10 – 12 July)

OTHER UNMISSABLE PRODUCED PRODUCTIONS

The House Party is an adaptation of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie, directed by Headlong’s Artistic Director Holly Race Roughan, and written by Laura Lomas. Continuing the Playhouse’s long-term partnership with Headlong (Jitney, A Raisin in the Sun), this Chichester Festival Theatre and Headlong co-production in association with Frantic Assembly will launch its UK tour in Leeds. The production will feature members of Frantic Assembly’s Ignition programme, a free, nationwide talent development programme for young people aged 16-24
Courtyard (21 February – 1 March)

In the year George Orwell’s political fable marks its 80th anniversary, Director Amy Leach and Designer Hayley Grindle are bringing a fresh interpretation of Animal Farm to the stage. Adapted by Tatty Hennessy, this chilling and thought-provoking story of treachery and rebellion provides a timely reminder of the perils of unchecked power and is a co-production with Stratford East in association with Nottingham Playhouse.
Quarry (12 – 29 March)

Director Amy Leach said: “I can’t wait to explore Orwell’s timeless fable and to expand on his multi-layered text to delve deeper into themes that relate to the world we live in now, to the challenges we face when power goes unchecked and unity is mired in division. In the year that we will be celebrating the 80^th anniversary of this landmark allegorical story, Tatty Hennessy’s fresh interpretation will be very much of the moment. Designer Hayley Grindle and I are creating an industrial landscape for our cast to explore this chilling tale of treachery and rebellion – a recognisable, relatable world that will prompt us to question whether it’s possible for anyone to stay true to themselves and resist the allure and corruption of power.”

Coraline – A Musical is a fantastically spooky new musical that will enjoy its world premiere at Leeds Playhouse in spring 2025 ahead of a national tour. Directed by James Brining (Oliver!, My Fair Lady), it is a co-production with Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Birmingham Rep and HOME. It has been adapted by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Zinnie Harris, with music and lyrics by British musician and songwriter Louis Barabbas and reunites James with designer Colin Richmond.
Courtyard (11 April – 11 May)

Sisters 360 is a new play by acclaimed Bradford playwright Asif Khan inspired by real-life skateboarding sisters Layna, Maysa and Amaya, and their Olympian hero Sky Brown. This Polka Theatre, AIK Productions and Turtle Key Arts co-production in association with Leeds Playhouse will open in the Bramall Rock Void and will be the Playhouse’s Community Tour offering to communities across the Leeds City Region.
Bramall Rock Void (7 – 10 May)

Writer Asif Khan said: “As a young lad from Bradford I grew up watching shows at Leeds Playhouse, so I am thrilled that following its run at Polka Theatre (London), my new play Sisters 360 will visit this incredible theatre. I hope you can join Fatima and Salima, the coolest skateboarding step-sisters in all of Bradford, go on an adventure like no other!”

Olivier Award-winning director Matthew Xia’s critically acclaimed Tambo & Bones, one of the most talked about cultural events of 2023 and it’s European premiere at Stratford East in the same year, is coming to Leeds Playhouse as part of its UK premiere national tour. An Actors Touring Company, Stratford East and Royal & Derngate co-production in association with Leeds Playhouse, Belgrade Theatre and Liverpool Everyman, Tambo & Bones was written by spoken word poet and playwright Dave Harris and is a blistering exploration of the intersection between race, capitalism and performance.
Courtyard (14 – 24 May)

A Thousand Splendid Suns, an unflinching, life-affirming drama, in which love grows and sustains the human spirit even during the hardest of times, is being presented by Leeds Playhouse with Birmingham Rep and Nottingham Playhouse. Directed by former Birmingham Rep and Hampstead Theatre Artistic Director Roxana Silbert, the production is set in war-ravaged Afghanistan, where orphaned Laila is left alone in an increasingly threatening world.
Quarry (28 May – 14 June)

EXCITING TOURING PRODUCTIONS

Following critically acclaimed UK tours, two Edinburgh Festival Fringe seasons and two North American seasons, James Seabright presents Richard Marsh’s acclaimed joyfully funny retelling of classic (festive?) film Die Hard. Yippee Ki Yay was one of the Picks of the Fringe in The Stage and Recommended by The British Comedy Guide.
Courtyard Theatre (24 & 25 January)

Imitating the dog return to the Playhouse with All Blood Runs Red, telling the extraordinary true life story of Eugene Bullard. This intimate show fuses unique story-telling techniques and original songs, revealing an extraordinary life which traces many of the twentieth century’s most important moments.
Courtyard Theatre (14 & 15 February)

Following rave reviews, a triumphant West End run and a sold-out UK tour, Tracy-Ann Oberman (EastEnders, Doctor Who, Friday Night Dinner) is reprising her starring role as the first British actress to play Shylock in a new national tour of The Merchant of Venice 1936.
Quarry (18 – 22 February)

Back by popular demand, Buffy Revamped is a fast-paced gem that brings you the entire 144 episodes of the hit 90s TV show as told by fan-favourite character Spike. Funny, satirical and bursting with 90s pop-culture references, this is the perfect parody for Buffy aficionados.
Quarry (1 March)

Pheonix Dance Theatre return to Leeds Playhouse with Inside Giovanni’s Room. Based on James Baldwin’s iconic novel Giovanni’s Room, Artistic Director Marcus Jarrell Willis marks the 100^th birthday of the author with this narrative dance piece.

Quarry (6 – 8 March)

Everyone’s favourite corner shop hits the road as Kim’s Convenience goes on a UK tour, beginning at Leeds Playhouse. The award-winning play by Ins Choi, which inspired the CBC and Netflix hit TV comedy of the same name, debuted in 2011 at Toronto Fringe Festival, where it won Best New Play and the Patron’s Pick.
Courtyard (12 – 15 March)

Driftwood is an inspiring story of hope, love and belonging. The play perfectly balances a moving and at times funny story in a physical and visually striking production that focuses on two brothers on a beach. Their dad is dying, and their town is crumbling, while a figure made of driftwood stalks the shore at night.
Courtyard (18 & 19 March)

Vivid, rebellious and joyful, Mid Life is a frank, comedic exposé of menopausal midlife. Join us as we laugh, roar and disco dance our way to happiness.
Courtyard (21 & 22 March)

Coram Shakespeare Schools’ Festival is the world’s largest youth drama festival. Head to the Playhouse for an exhilarating evening of live theatre, featuring a series of unique abridged Shakespeare productions by local schools.
Courtyard (25 & 26 March)

Brace yourselves – Rude Science is back! BBC Gastronaut Stefan Gates’ hilarious, high-tech, highly-explosive new family show is packed with science stunts and spectacular experiments. Expect enormous bottoms, f*rt machines, pee-powered fireworks and vast whoopee cushions.
Quarry (10 April)

For the last decade, National Youth Dance Company (NYDC), run by Sadler’s Wells, has sought out the most talented young dancers in England to create, perform and tour a new work every year with a Guest Artistic Director. For 2025, Olivier Award-winning hip hop dance theatre company Boy Blue teams up with NYDC’s young people to create an exciting new show.
Quarry (19 April)

Grab your compass and join our intrepid explorers as they cross uncharted territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing (and remarkably life-like) dinosaurs in Dinosaur World Live.
Quarry (25 & 26 April)

Stewart Lee returns with his new show, Stewart Lee Vs The Man-Wulf. Join him as he shares the stage with a tough-talking werewolf comedian from the dark forests of the subconscious who hates humanity.
Quarry (8 – 10 May)

You wait for one terrific show and then two come along at once! Horrible Histories Live on Stage! Terrible Tudors & Awful Egyptians use actors and eye-popping 3D special effects to bring historical figures and events alive on stage.
Quarry (15 – 17 May)

Verve is a bold programme showcasing the future of dance, featuring 16 incredible performers in works by internationally acclaimed artists Luca Signoretti, Bosmat Nossan and Sattva Ninja.
Quarry (22 May)

Following its hugely successful sold-out tour in 2024, Ockham’s Razor, produced by Turtle Key Arts, return with Tess, a groundbreaking circus adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles.
Courtyard (28 – 31 May)

The Legends of Them is a unique theatrical experience by connoisseurs of experimental entertainment, Hackney Showroom. Darkness descends at the Pink House in Tiruvannamalai, India. As the storm cracks through the windows, Lorna’s memories pierce their way through the silence and the legends of her life come to guide her. With high octane musical numbers, this is a virtuoso solo performance created by award-winning, internationally acclaimed reggae artist Lorna Gee.
Courtyard (6 & 7 June)

Adapted by Christopher Gable CBE and Massimo Moricone, Romeo & Juliet is one of Northern Ballet’s most beloved and critically acclaimed productions. This raw and emotionally charged adaptation breathes new life into Shakespeare’s iconic tale.
Quarry (18 – 21 June)

Sunny Side is a raw portrayal of the modern young male experience, informed by the experiences of over 750 young people across the UK. Yorkshire-based performance company Northern Rascals combine contemporary dance, theatre and spoken word in this socially urgent work.
Courtyard (12 & 13 June)

You’re all invited to Bing’s Birthday! Join Bing and his friends Sula, Pando, Coco, Amma and, of course, Flop as they get ready to celebrate his special day in this fun new live stage show.
Quarry (22 & 23 July)

THRILLING STUDIO PRODUCTIONS

Following a hugely successful sold-out Edinburgh Fringe Festival run, Shellshocked is a powerful new play by Leeds-born playwright Philip Stokes, recognised by the British Library as a culturally important playwright of the 21st century.

Bramall Rock Void (5 – 8 February)

The Intrusion is a dynamic new collaboration from Bric à Brac Theatre and Told by an Idiot. Featuring original music, creative captioning, and clowning, this darkly comic production offers an anarchic look at extinction and questions who gets to survive.
Bramall Rock Void (1 – 8 March)

Frozen Light welcomes you to their latest fantasy realm with The Ancient Oak of Baldor, a folk tale of love, loss and the interconnectedness of all things. The production is a multi-sensory experience for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their companions.
Bramall Rock Void (11 & 12 March)

… blackbird hour is a visceral and moving exploration of a queer Black woman’s call to arms for loving oneself when love has made itself scarce.
Bramall Rock Void (13 – 15 March)

Persephone and her animal friends invite you and your babies to join them for a gentle sensory exploration of the changes in nature, collecting things along the way. Persephone: A Tale of the Seasons is for children aged 6 months to 3 years.
Bramall Rock Void (18 & 19 March)

The Story Forge: Make Your Own Myth combines the theatrical forces of Rubbish Shakespeare Company and Silly History Boys in an hilarious hour of fun, excitement and high-octane adventure. Featuring storytelling, clowning and live music.
Bramall Rock Void (9 – 12 April)

On Boxing Day 2015, the Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge experienced its worst floods in a century. But, as the valley submerged, a community emerged, working together to rebuild their sodden town. Performed by a cast of five actor-musicians and drawing on the musical and artistic traditions of the area, The Flood is a love letter to a town that refused to give in to the volatility of nature.
Bramall Rock Void (17 & 19 April)

The Noisy Dinosaur has lost its ROAR! Join Dino and a whole host of comfy creatures in Cuddly Jungle as they work together to make some noise. With puppetry, music, lights, projection and sound, it’ll be ROAR-some!
Bramall Rock Void (22 – 24 April)

Closure? is a one act comedy that follows Lydia De La Murrãy on her journey of self-discovery as she analyses all her past relationships… in detail.
Bramall Rock Void (22 – 24 May)

She’s written for the BBC, she’s performed at Shakespeare’s Globe, now she’s bringing a little bit of lighthearted silliness to Leeds. Pocket Rocket by Bradford’s Kat Rose-Martin is a whistle stop tour in the multi-verse of her mind with short comedy sketches featuring a collection of chaotic characters.
Bramall Rock Void (30 & 31 May)

Tiggy Bayley, a talented scriptwriter, director and performer, debuts her new one woman show Squidge. It follows Daisy, a reluctant teaching assistant, as she is assigned a young Irish traveller to help with his reading and finds hope in an unlikely friendship. Directed by Selwin Hulme-Teage, this is a brilliant but devastating show about those left behind by our education system.
Bramall Rock Void (6 & 7 June)

Tickets are on sale to Leeds Playhouse’s Priority Access, Playhouse Pass Members and Under 30 Scheme from 20 November, with tickets on general sale from 27 November.