The New Vic in Newcastle-under-Lyme, the UK’s first purpose-built theatre in-the-round and one of the country’s most influential producing theatres, continues celebrations of its 40th anniversary in 2026 with the announcement of a major autumn season featuring a striking new take on a Shakespeare classic.
Comedian Russell Kane will star in a radical reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, the first collaboration between the New Vic and Not Too Tame. Directed by Not Too Tame Artistic Director Jimmy Fairhurst, the classic tragedy is reinterpreted to portray the star-crossed lovers in later life.
In a first-time collaboration, the New Vic and acclaimed theatre company Not Too Tame will produce Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet this September. With multi award-winning comedian Russell Kane as Romeo in his first stage role, and directed by Not Too Tame Artistic Director Jimmy Fairhurst (UK Theatre Award Best Director nominee, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), this retelling imagines the star-crossed lovers meeting later in life, repositioning the story from a perspective of age and experience, with the title characters aged in their 40s. The performance runs from Thu 17 September to Sat 10 October and promises an electrifying new take on the tragedy.
Later in the season, the New Vic will produce the stage premiere of Gladstone Girls in association with Slick Films. Written by Stoke-on-Trent born Academy Award winner Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child, All Creatures Great and Small) and originally produced as a podcast by Slick Films, the play is set in the Potteries and explores the lives of a group of female pottery workers determined to protect their cherished ‘Curl Friday’ factory tradition. A drama celebrating solidarity, resilience and the enduring community spirit of the ceramics industry, the play will run from Sat 6 to Sat 27 February 2027.
For its 40th Anniversary celebrations, the New Vic will revive its 2014 production of Mary Norton’s The Borrowers from Fri 13 November 2026 to Sat 23 January 2027.
New Vic Artistic Director Theresa Heskins said: “I’m delighted that in our 40th anniversary year, we’re announcing a programme that will showcase our core values - that everyone should have access to great theatre; that local talent should be prized and nurtured; that young people’s first experiences of theatre should inspire them with a lifetime’s love for it.
We’ll be collaborating with Not Too Tame for the first time as we stage Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Our philosophy that theatre should be for everyone perfectly aligns with Not Too Tame’s ethos and will deliver an unapologetically bold reinterpretation of this classic play.
Director of Romeo & Juliet and Artistic Director of Not Too Tame Jimmy Fairhurst said: “Romeo & Juliet is our third Shakespeare adaptation and it’ll be the one that packs the biggest punch. I’m incredibly excited to be making this show with the New Vic in their exquisite theatrical coliseum. I’m also thrilled to be working with a performer of Russell Kane’s calibre and dedication as we unleash him into the world of theatre as you’ve never seen him before. In early R&D we discovered that ageing the families up unlocks something powerful and painfully familiar for modern audiences. The audience will be heavily involved in this production. I guarantee it will be as funny as it is heartbreaking. Buckle up!”
The New Vic Theatre’s new season will go on general sale on Wednesday 25 March. For more details visit newvictheatre.org.uk.
Russell Kane picture by Patch Dolan.
