Opening Doors: Introducing Reading Rep’s 2026/27 Season
A Letter from Paul Stacey, Founding Artistic Director of Reading Rep Theatre.
A new season at Reading Rep is always an invitation: to gather, to imagine, to see familiar stories differently, and to experience theatre that feels bold, unexpected and alive.
This year’s programme brings together reimagined classics, striking new perspectives and stories that speak powerfully to contemporary audiences. It is a season designed to provoke conversation, spark curiosity and stay with audiences long after they leave the theatre.
At Reading Rep, we believe great theatre should be for everyone. But we also know that access to the arts has not always been equal: in who feels welcome, whose stories are told, and which artists are given the space to lead. Challenging those barriers is not an add-on to our work; it is the foundation of it. It is also the thread that runs through this season. The programme is rooted in reinvention. We are drawn to stories that feel familiar, and then asking what happens when they are seen from a new angle.
We open with Dracula, created in collaboration with Blackeyed Theatre. Bram Stoker’s gothic classic has haunted audiences for generations, but this bold retelling brings it thrillingly into the present. Dark, seductive and unsettling, it continues our passion for transforming literary classics into contemporary theatre that feels immediate and alive.
At Christmas, we return to one of the world’s most beloved stories with a brand-new production of A Christmas Carol. For Reading Rep, this production plays a special role. It is a festive tradition for the town, but it is also a gateway, often the first time someone steps into our theatre. Through a story audiences already know and love, we hope to create a warm, welcoming experience that opens the door to live theatre for people of all ages.
That spirit of rediscovery continues with The Importance of Being Oscar. Following sell-out performances, critical acclaim and a successful national tour, this dazzling production returns to Reading with wit, glamour and a fresh perspective on Oscar Wilde’s life and legacy. Even the most iconic voices can still surprise us, and this production is a reminder of Wilde’s enduring brilliance, complexity and humanity.
Championing artists is equally important to us. The Turn of the Screw brings together a haunting new adaptation by acclaimed playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm with direction from Reading-based artist Nicky Allpress. It is a thrilling psychological ghost story, but it also reflects our commitment to opening space for new creative partnerships, distinctive voices and ambitious work made here in Reading.
Alongside this season of productions, our ENGAGE programme continues to create pathways for more people to access and take part in theatre. This includes Super Me, a new early years production by Sam Amestoy, created in co-production with Reading Libraries and Reading Borough Council. It is a joyful celebration of local heroes, young imaginations and the importance of creativity from the earliest years.
This season also marks a step forward in scale and ambition. We will close the programme with our largest production to date – a major musical, still to be announced. It represents an exciting new chapter for Reading Rep and a further expansion of what we make and the stories we tell.
Across the programme, these productions are united by one idea: opening doors. Whether that means welcoming new audiences, reimagining classic stories, championing artists, creating work for young people, or expanding the scale of what we produce, each show offers a different way in.
We are proud of this programme, but more importantly, we are excited to share it with you. Whether you are returning to Reading Rep or discovering us for the first time, this season is an invitation to see familiar stories differently, to experience theatre in new ways and to be part of something shared.
We would love to welcome you next season.
Paul Stacey
Founding Artistic Director & CEO
Reading Rep Theatre