Queen's Theatre Hornchurch Reveals 2026 Spring Programme

Queen's Theatre Hornchurch has announced its programme for Spring 2026 and beyond featuring in-house produced work and newly revitalised initiatives to nurture local emerging artists.

Part of the new East Anglian Touring Consortium, Caroline: A New Musical (6 - 16 May) by Vikki Stone is inspired by the story of pirate radio station Radio Caroline, the station that broadcast pop and rock music from a ship off the Essex coast during the 1960s. Directed by Queen's Theatre Hornchurch's Co-Creative Director Alex Thorpe and New Wolsey Theatre's Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul, the inaugural show will tour East Anglia as part of a new theatre partnership aiming to create original work that supports local talent and reaches audiences across the region. The musical will feature a cast of actor musicians and an iconic soundtrack of 60s rock and pop hits.

A revival of Joe Orton's scandalous dark farce, Loot (19 Feb - 7 March) will be directed by Bethany Pitts. A bank robbery, a family funeral, and a coffin with a shocking secret, the mischievous comedy follows a daring heist gone spectacularly wrong. When money ends up in the most unlikely hiding place, the lies begin to pile up fast and what follows is a whirlwind of cover-ups, confusion and sheer audacity as everyone scrambles to stay ahead. Marking a key milestone in artist development for the theatre, Loot marks the Pitts' first opportunity to lead work on a mid-scale stage, reflecting Queen's Theatre Hornchurch's continued investment in nurturing and sustaining creative talent.

A cornerstone of Queen's Theatre Hornchurch's youth and community programme, QYouth's production of The Wind in the Willows(30 July - 1 Aug) will be created and performed by over 180 youth theatre members. Based on the treasured tale by Kenneth Grahame and adapted for the stage by James Watson and Andrew Linham, this fast-paced family favourite sees Mr Toad, Ratty, Mole, Badger, and a host of other riverbank characters join this heart- warming story of fun and friendship with Weasels that have gone full punk! Produced at full scale for the theatre's main auditorium, the twist on a classic tale is a musical adventure of boating, motor cars, and daring escapes.

Alongside the programme of inhouse produced shows, the theatre will host visiting tours including Zoo Co Theatre and Improbable's Perfect Show For Rachel (5 - 7 Feb). The production follows Rachel, a theatre-loving, enigmatic learning-disabled 35-year-old, commanding each unique performance from her on-stage throne and custom tech desk, triggering live music, scenes, and choreography at the touch of a button. After a hit UK tour, Rifco Theatre's Frankie Goes To Bollywood (26 - 30 May) returns bigger, bolder, and bursting with Bollywood glamour. The musical comedy-drama dives deep into the glitzy, high-pressure world of Indian cinema, where dreams are mass- produced, identities are reshaped, and women are expected to smile and play by the script written for them.

For families, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's classic, feel-good story Zog: Live on Stage (31 March - 2 April) is brought to roaring, soaring life in this delightful musical for children. Tom Fletcher's There's A Monster In Your Show (9 - 10 April) is an interactive adventure for big imaginations, as the beloved 'Who's in Your Book?' series tours the UK in a brand-new musical show with new music composed by Tom Fletcher, Barry Bignold and Miranda Larson.

Finally, for the 2026 festive season, the theatre is delighted to announce their flagship pantomime Robin Hood (18 Nov - 3 Jan) which continues the tradition of telling locally resonant stories made for and about the young people and families of Havering. In the Forest of Havering, Robin Hood with his Merry Band beside him and the brilliant, brave Maid Marian leading the charge, is ready to outwit the greedy Sheriff.

As part of the theatre's continuing commitment to nurturing and sustaining local talent, Outer Limits is a revitalised artist development programme designed to support emerging and mid-career and local talent. Over the next six months, Queen's Theatre Hornchurch is inviting artists from across the UK to share their knowledge and skills with the actors, producers, writers and directors living and working in the local Havering creative community. The programme features sessions led by the theatre's creative team and visiting professionals including RSC New Works Manager Rebecca Latham, Casting Director Hannah Miller and Chichester Festival Theatre's Associate Director Hannah Joss.

Additionally, Queen's Theatre Hornchurch is delighted to announce it has been awarded the Peter Shaffer Commission to work with local writer Kelly Jones throughout 2026 to develop a new, mainstage piece inspired by Shaffer's legacy to be included in the 2027 programme. The Peter Shaffer 2025 Commission is supported by The Sir Peter Shaffer Charitable Foundation.

Acting Chief Executive James Watson said, "We're so proud to be announcing a new season that captures the spirit of everything Queen's Theatre Hornchurch is about: bold, entertaining and high-quality theatre made right here for our community. This programme brings together exciting new partnerships, acclaimed and emerging artists, and a vibrant mix of much-loved and brand-new stories. It reflects our ongoing commitment to nurturing talent and championing creativity across our region.

As a registered charity rooted in Havering, we're dedicated to making a real difference by offering opportunities for young people and community participants to get involved both on and off stage, and ensuring our audiences remain at the heart of everything we do. This season is a celebration of collaboration, creativity and community, and we can't wait to welcome everyone to be part of it."

Co-Creative Director Alex Thorpe said, "Our theatre has one of the longest and most celebrated relationships with actor-musicianship in the country, and it is thrilling to be growing that legacy with Vikki Stone's Caroline: A New Musical. This Essex story resonates across every corner of the UK, shining a light on those willing to imagine something new to change the course of music history. I cannot wait to bring this bold, daring and rebellious story to our stages".

Co-Creative Director Kate Lovell said, "We're so delighted to be partnering with Zoo Co Theatre and Improbable for the first time to bring our audiences a fantastically anarchic romp live directed by a learning disabled director, alongside a return visit from our friends at Rifco and their dazzling frolic through the world's biggest film industry. Partnership working is key to offering audiences the broadest range of top-quality entertainment and ensuring there is a great night out for everyone at Queen's Theatre Hornchurch".

Communities Co-Ordinator, Lizzie Keeble Watson said, "QTH has a long history of life changing work with young people and community participants. Building on the success of previous productions, The Wind in the Willows celebrates friendship and finding your place in the world, written for and alongside our youth theatre members and celebrating youth voice in one of the largest and most ambitious youth theatre productions in the country".

Playwright Kelly Jones said, "I am beyond delighted to have been awarded the Peter Shaffer commission to develop this new play with Queen's Theatre Hornchurch. QTH was the theatre that made me fall in love with theatre. My dad won tickets in the paper to take me to see the panto and I was hooked. QTH has been instrumental in my writing journey, and I have always wanted to create something for my home crowd. I can't wait to get started".

Director of Loot, Bethany Pitts said, "In an era where truth is a commodity, Loot's savage social commentary feels acutely relevant. A masterpiece of black farce, Orton takes us all to task on the hypocrisies we live with and let slide, bringing down authority, religion and conventional morality in one fell - and very funny - swoop. Deeply subversive in his day, Loot still has the power to shock, especially in its treatment of one of the last taboos in our society - death. Orton would say if you're 'absolutely practical' then a 'coffin is only a box' and this is the premise from which Loot begins. I'm delighted to be back at QTH directing on the main stage for the first time, where this freewheeling, frenetic play will be a great night out for the audience - with more than a sting in its tail."

Queen's Theatre Hornchurch is a vibrant producing theatre serving Outer East London and South Essex. With a catchment of over one million people, QTH is a vital cultural hub producing and presenting bold, engaging and entertaining work on stage and within local communities, alongside a year-round creative participation programme for people of all ages.