11 brilliant shows coming to Shakespeare North in 2026

Shakespeare North is one of our region’s most unique venues, especially its wood-framed Cockpit Theatre that feels like stepping back into history.

And it always has a brilliant programme of performances and events, including lots of new work and premieres.

Here are 11 shows to look forward to in 2026 …

The City of Curses – May 14

Theatre Company DBY Interactive specialises in murder mysteries that get audiences involved in the sleuthing. This one is set against the historical backdrop of the witch hunts, and invites everyone to the trial of a woman accused of being a witch. When a murder takes place, she’s a prime suspect, but who’s telling the truth and who’s really guilty? That’s for the audience to decide!

Find out more here.

Our Public House – May 28-30

This funny heartwarming new play by Barney Norris, the writer of the Sting musical The Last Ship, couldn’t be more well timed, because it’s set during local elections. MP Mary is in the pub to let the voters know they’re not being ignored and that sparks a night all about what happens when opinions differ, banter’s exchanged, and people actually start talking and listening to each other.

Find out more here.

Nell Gwynn – June 12-July 4

One of the most notorious women of the 17^th century gets her time in the spotlight in this uplifting night of song, satire and comedy. Orange seller, actress and feminist pioneer Nell Gwynn isn’t someone to do things by halves, so when women are finally allowed on stage she’s front and centre demonstrating a refusal to conform and an ability to deliver the sharpest one-liners.

Find out more here.

The Comedy of Errors – June 17-18

There’s always room for the Bard in any Shakespeare North season and one of his earliest plays, The Comedy of Errors, has all his trademark comedy, chaos and mistaken identities. This production by internationally renowned The Festival Players features an all-male cast and audiences have the bonus of being able to watch it in the theatre’s open air Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden. 

Find out more here.

Lambslaughter – June 18-19

Part of Heading North Festival 2026, this award-winning play heads back home after sold-out London performances. Lambslaughter is set in a Catholic girls’ school in Merseyside in 2013, when the social media era was just beginning. The play follows the complicated journey of sixth-formers Chloe and Jade, who find themselves in a changing relationship with their English teacher. 

Find out more here.

Romeo & Juliet – June 26-27

Shakespeare’s best known love story has had so many different retellings over the years and this one is a fresh look at the familiar story of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. Oddsocks Productions takes the tragic tale of a couple caught between their feuding families, turns the prejudice on its head and injects laughs alongside poignancy. In the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden.

Find out more here.

Ricky Tomlinson – July 10-11

Scouse TV legend Ricky Tomlinson’s had an amazing life on and off screen, and he’s got an absolute fund of stories from both. The title of this show gives you a hint of what to expect – it’s called Retirement My Ar*e Tour! – so expect no nonsense as Ricky settles in for an on-stage chat with the writer of successful theatre show Irish Annies, Asa Murphy.

Find out more here.

Twelfth Night – July 21-24

Critically-acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company are masters of Shakespearean mayhem, so audiences are in for quite a ride with their version of the classic Twelfth Night in the Cockpit Theatre. There’s cross-dressing, love, misunderstandings and deliberate pranking going on in a show that’s packed with family-friendly fun, live music and even some audience participation.

Find out more here.

Summer of Love – August 6-8

Why settle for one Shakespeare love story when you could have two of the best? Shakespeare North celebrates a Summer of Love with two classics performed in their own distinctive way by Shake-Scene, both outdoors in the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden. On Thursday evening and Saturday matinee it’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, and Friday and Saturday evening has Much Ado About Nothing.

Find out more here.

Macbeth – September 11-October 3

One of the most-read of all Shakespeare’s plays and one of the most bloody, Macbeth is a tale of one ambitious man’s determination, encouraged by his wife, to stop at nothing in his quest for the throne. This production, directed by Ben Crystal in the Cockpit Theatre, uses the original text, one musician and 10 storytellers to deliver 90 minutes of incredibly powerful theatre.

Find out more here.

A Christmas Carol – November 20-January 2

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a staging of Dickens’ classic and this year it’s Shakespeare North’s seasonal gift, running right through to the new year. This is no ordinary version of the famous story of Scrooge, instead it brings plenty of music and laughter into his resolutely miserable world in a musical that puts heart in place of humbug!

Find out more here.

Find more theatre shows across Liverpool on our calendar.

Find out what’s good up North on our new platform, The Northern Guide. 

From the best hotels, beauty spots, days out, food and more up North – visit thenorthernguide.com and follow The Northern Guide on Instagram HERE.