COME AND SEE ONE OF OUR SHOWS!
We stage up to 10 productions a year. Have a look below to see what's on and coming up at The Little. Click on each show to get more information and to book tickets.
BOOKING TICKETS
Booking tickets for one of our productions couldn't be easier! You can book tickets in two ways:
Online
By Telephone
TELEPHONE BOOKINGS
If you would rather book via telephone, you can do so by calling 0844 888 0432.
Please note that all tickets must be collected from Box Office no later than 15 minutes before the performance starts.
ONLINE BOOKINGS
To book online, use the link found on the individual production pages below.
Please note that you will be sent an email notification of your purchase(s), which you should bring with you as proof of purchase.
The Box of Delights
On the train Kay meets an old magician, Cole Hawlings, who charges Kay with safeguarding a wondrous device that has time-travelling powers. It’s an instrument that Cole’s nemesis, the wicked sorcerer Abner Brown, will stop at nothing to steal for himself. And so when the old man mysteriously disappears, Kay faces the fight of his life. He must protect both the Box of Delights and, with it, the people he loves.
The Box of Delights is a magical and festive adventure in which one boy must confront the secrets of the past to defeat the evil in his present. The future of Christmas itself depends upon him.
The Voyage of the Carcass / Bobby and Amy
The Voyage of the Carcass
1899, somewhere in the Arctic — the remaining survivors of the shipwrecked Carcass are on their last thread of sanity after years stranded in the ice. Starving, paranoid, and haunted by the ghosts of their cannibalised crew, they must decide whether to wait for rescue or venture out into the endless, deadly expanse… If they don't kill each another first. This absurdly dark comedy takes us to the very ends of the earth in a slapstick battle between humanity and hubris.
Bobby and Amy
A sleepy Cotswold town in the the late nineties. For 13-year-old outsiders Bobby and Amy, it’s a world of sunshine, Take That and Tamagotchis. But as their friendship blossoms, devastating foot-and-mouth disease looms. And when the cows begin to burn and families to fracture, the town’s very way-of-life is threatened. In the face of such catastrophe, the young pair emerge as unlikely champions. This dark and tender comedy explores friendship and coming-of-age, heartache, and the ultimate importance of shared community.
Perfect Arrangement
It’s 1950, and communists are not considered the only threat to American society. Two U.S. State Department employees, Bob and Norma, are tasked with identifying sexual deviants. There’s just one problem: they are gay, and married to each other’s partners as a carefully constructed cover. Inspired by the true story of the early American gay rights movement, madcap classic sitcom-style laughs give way to provocative drama as two “All-American” couples are forced to confront the closet door.
Jekyll and Hyde
A series of random nocturnal assaults in the back streets and alleyways of Victorian London are spreading fear and panic. Meanwhile, the friends of a highly respected doctor are beginning to wonder why he goes missing on exactly the same nights...
Neil Bartlett’s inventive and theatrical adaptation explores male violence, guilt and privilege at the dark heart of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Jekyll and Hyde.
I, Joan
Oh if we can just quiet the world for a moment. And listen within. There's a voice guiding you. I promise it's there. And until you can hear it, I'll be it for you.
The men are all fighting, again. An endless war. From nowhere, an unexpected leader emerges. Young, poor and about to spark a revolution. Rebelling against the world's expectations, questioning the gender binary, Joan finds their power within, and their belief spreads like fire. I, Joan is a powerful and joyous new play originally written for the Globe, which tells Joan of Arc's story anew. It's alive and queer and full of hope.
The Wild Washerwomen
Look out, the wild washerwomen are coming! Once upon a time there were seven unhappy washerwomen. They had far too much washing to do and the owner of the laundry, Mr Balthazar Tight, was simply dreadful! So they decide to go on strike. They are so happy with their newfound freedom that it seems nobody can control them. Until along come seven woodcutters, eager to teach them a lesson. But perhaps the washerwomen will teach the woodcutters a thing or two instead, and everyone might just live happily ever after...
A brand new musical adaptation of this popular children’s picture book.
The Crucible
Arthur Miller’s play written in the early 1950s, is set in Salem, Massachusetts, during the infamous 1692 Salem Witch Trials. This era was marked by paranoia, hysteria, and deceit, which tightly gripped the Puritan communities of New England. Miller's narrative not only meticulously captures the historical backdrop of the witch trials but also serves as a potent commentary on the perils of mass hysteria and the dire consequences of unquestioning conformity.
The themes explored in The Crucible resonate strongly today, offering a cautionary tale about the fragility of justice and how easily fear can be exploited for political or personal gains. This riveting and powerful play is now regarded as a modern classic, demonstrating the timeless relevance of its message.
Confusions
From high farce to poignant observation the laughs keep coming!
Confusions is a set of short plays: Mother Figure, Drinking Companion, Between Mouthfuls and Gosforth’s Fête. Each play deals riotously, but with sharply pointed undertones, with human eccentricities and the universal dilemma of loneliness; a mother unable to escape from baby talk, an unsuccessful seduction attempt, a fraught dinner encounter and a disastrous fête.
This is a classic Alan Ayckbourn comedy presented on the 50th anniversary of it's first production.
The Real Inspector Hound and Contractions
The Real Inspector Hound is a parody of murder mysteries onstage, featuring plays within plays and twists within twists. Critics Moon and Birdboot attend a whodunnit at the theatre. Moon is standing in for a more successful critic, whom they dream of usurping. Birdboot seems more interested in attracting female actors with promises of stardom. However, not all is as it seems, and the two critics are dragged into the action onstage. You’d be a madman to miss the madman!
Contractions is an ink-black comedy about the boundaries between work and play. Emma's been seeing Darren. She thinks she's in love. Her boss thinks she's in breach of contract. The situation needs to be resolved. Contractions is brutally entertaining and ferociously funny whilst also being grotesque and chilling to the bone. Please note the play makes reference to child death, pregnancy and verbal abuse.
The French Lieutenant's Woman
A timeless story of forbidden love, temptation and a fight for personal freedom.
The enigmatic Sarah Woodruff gazes out to sea, rumoured to be waiting for the return of the French Lieutenant she nursed back to health. Intrigued and in a quest to discover the truth, the aristocratic Charles Smithson throws himself into dangerous waters and risks everything he has for this mysterious woman.
Like Fowles’ ground-breaking novel and film before it, Mark Healy’s profoundly inventive adaptation of The French Lieutenant’s Woman, plays with convention to create something unexpected, evocative and exciting.
The Vicar of Dibley
Join us in the village of Dibley for the shock arrival of it’s first female Vicar Geraldine Granger. Watch on as she charms her way into the less than impressed parish council. As time passes the naive lovable Alice and the questionable trouser wearing Hugo get engaged. After what will seem just an interval away you are invited to come and celebrate the wedding of the century. What will Alice's dress look like, what will Letitia Cropley make the cake from and will the groom's father even let it happen? Find out in June 2024.
Little Women
Louisa May Alcott's 1868 classic and moving 'coming of age' story is accepted as ‘revolutionary' and for many years has been one of the most widely read novels. Cunningham's faithful and exciting adaptation follows the trials and triumphs of the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy and their mother, 'Marmee', living in somewhat impoverished circumstances in a small Massachusetts town while their father is away during the Civil War. Loosely based on the lives of the author and her publisher, this adaptation is underpinned by important conversations between Louisa May Alcott, and Thomas Niles Jr.
Kemble's Riot
We’re delighted to announce a brand new co-production Adrian Bunting’s (BOAT’s founder) seminal play Kemble’s Riot, in a co-production with Brighton Open Air Theatre. Kemble’s Riot uproariously dramatizes the 66-night riot in 1809 when, having rebuilt the Covent Garden Theatre after a fire, its manager John Kemble and his sister-star Sarah Siddons put the entry price up by sixpence to pay for it. Kemble’s Riot won the Best Play Award on its debut at Brighton Fringe in 2011 and rave reviews followed from its run at Edinburgh Fringe in 2012.
Queers
Queers celebrates a century of evolving social attitudes and political milestones in British gay history, as seen through the eyes of individuals. Poignant and personal, funny, tragic and riotous, these monologues for male and female performers cover major events such as the Wolfenden Report of 1957, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the debate over the age of consent through deeply affecting and personal rites of passage stories. A collaborative evening of performances to remind you how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go. This is a fundraising production to support the BrickByBrick campaign to renovate our theatre.
Youth@TheLittle24
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
In the heat of civil war a mother abandons her son, and the responsibility to rear the child falls upon Grusha, a servant girl. She sacrifices everything in order to respectfully raise the young boy as her own, but when the biological mother returns a debate arises as to who the rightful mother of the boy is. This is a fresh and powerful translation of Brecht's incendiary masterpiece by one of the most respected translators in modern literature.
The Little Tempest
Shakespeare’s classic tale of revenge, love, mischief and forgiveness is brought to life in a riot of colour, music and magic in an adaptation for all the family. When the sorcerer Prospero conjures up a storm to shipwreck his enemies, he sets the scene for an enchanting tale of spells, monsters, revenge and romance.
Bette and Joan
Once grande dames of Hollywood, by 1962 arch-rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were in danger of becoming has-beens. Then an opportunity came along; to appear together in a new movie called Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?. While Joan manages her anxiety by lacing her Pepsi with vodka and signing photographs for her beloved fans, Bette chain smokes and muses on her love life, and her ability to pick a decent script, never a decent man. Behind the bitching and the practical jokes we see each woman's insecurities and regrets, and their rivalry is revealed to be underpinned by grudging respect as they attempt to identify their new roles in life as well as in their careers.
Coming Clean
Tony and Greg seem to have love all figured out. They're in a committed relationship, but there has always been room in their relationship for other people to pass through - as long as that's all they're doing! Their only rule is they don't sleep with the same man more than once. But when Robert becomes a fixture in their lives, it will test their relationship as everything they thought they knew about each other is thrown into jeopardy.
Tom's Midnight Garden
Quarantined in his aunt's and uncle's stuffy flat, ten-year-old Tom is restless and bored. Intrigued by a grandfather clock, Tom is startled one night to hear it strike 13! Slipping out of bed he discovers a beautiful 1880s Victorian garden, which before was just a small back yard. In the garden he meets unhappy orphan, Hatty. A special friendship develops between Tom and Hatty as they share fun and adventures together in the magical garden. Philippa Pearce's 1950s classic is brilliantly adapted for the stage by David Wood.
Little Wars
A soirée in the French Alps in 1940 unites celebrated writers Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, and Agatha Christie with a mysterious guest. France is hours away from falling to Germany, antisemitism is sweeping across Europe, and a little war is brewing among these exceptional women as they battle each other, their own personal demons, and the question of what meaningful difference individual actions can make against the tide of war, prejudice, and genocide.
When the world is at war and the risks of speaking out couldn’t be higher - would you stay silent?
I Dream Before I Take The Stand and Black Mountain
I Dream Before I Take The Stand
In a courtroom, a woman takes the stand and is cross examined by a very clever and highly manipulative defence lawyer. In the world of western justice where an alleged criminal is innocent until proven guilty; the accuser is guilty until proven innocent… What we witness as a result is pithy, poignant, surprising, appalling, brutal, funny and altogether unbelievably believable. This is for any woman – or any person, taking an walk in the park.
Black Mountain
Rebecca and Paul are running away. Away from memories and mistakes. They're trying to save their relationship. They need time and space. An isolated house in the country is the perfect place to work things out. They set themselves rules: they have to be honest, they have to listen and they have to be fair. But you can't run forever. Especially when you're being followed. Black Mountain is a tense psychological thriller about betrayal and forgiveness.
Warning: This production contains themes of abuse (physical, mental, verbal, sexual) and stalking. It also contains some mid to moderate violence.
Shakespeare in Love
“I will have poetry in my life. And adventure. And love. Love above all.”
Penniless young playwright William Shakespeare is tormented by writer’s block and indebted to two ruthless producers who need a new play from him quick. Out of ideas and cash, Will’s luck changes when he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps, whose fiery passion for poetry and drama captures Will’s heart and ignites his imagination. Under the veil of secrecy, Will and Viola’s passionate love affair becomes the basis of the very play he is writing – Romeo and Juliet. Will it all work out in the end or are the two star-crossed lovers destined for tragedy?
Winning no less than seven Oscars, the film became an instant classic and is considered one of the most romantic movies of all time. Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, this epic Elizabethan extravaganza is an exuberant, witty and joyous homage to love, art and theatre itself.
“A joyous celebration of theatre” Daily Telegraph
“Makes you feel grateful to be alive” Independent
London Assurance
Sir Harcourt Courtly is lured away from the epicentre of fashionable London by the promise of a rich and beautiful bride, Grace, several decades his junior. Arriving at Oak Hall, Gloucestershire, he marvels at this rural Venus until her charms are eclipsed by her hearty cousin, the foxhunting Lady Gay Spanker. Meanwhile his disguised son turns up in flight from his creditors and falls head over heels for Grace. When Lady Spanker discovers the young couple, she needs little prompting from the visiting chancer Dazzle to lead Sir Harcourt astray. This comedy by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault was first produced in 1841, and was a bridge between Sheridan's comedies of manners from the late 18th Century to the late 19th Century comedies of Oscar Wilde.
Brontë
An exciting, extraordinary imagining of the turbulent lives of the Bronte sisters, their brother, Branwell and their father, Patrick. The play evokes the real and imagined world of the sisters as they write furiously, struggling to align their creations with real life whilst their fictional characters appear to haunt them. Weaving back and forth in time focusing on their creation of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights respectively, their journeys are a window into their state of mind at a time when their lives were dreary and uneventful.
Warning: This production contains mentions of alcoholism, Ill health and death. Also contains some brief violence.
The King's Speech
It’s 1936. As the world stands on the brink of war, King Edward VIII has abdicated for the love of Wallis Simpson. Bertie, his brother who has previously shied away from the public eye because of a terrible stammer, is to be crowned King George VI of England. With the support of his wife Elizabeth (the future much-loved Queen Mother), Bertie meets Maverick Australian speech therapist and failed actor, Lionel Logue, at an office in Harley Street. This is the true and heart-warming story of one man’s struggle to overcome his disability and, in his country’s darkest hour, deliver the now iconic speech broadcast across the globe to inspire his people.
Sondheim Revisited
Sondheim Revisited is a celebration of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, one of the foremost composers of the 20th century. Famous as a lyricist for his work with Jule Styne and Leonard Bernstein and also as the composer of Company, Sweeney Todd and Into The Woods, his innovative, evocative music and witty, insightful lyrics have become some of the most well-known and revered in Musical Theatre.
Join Gin Palace Productions in a revue of songs you know, songs you don’t know and songs performed in a way that you perhaps weren’t expecting!
Youth@TheLittle
Chaos, by Laura Lomas
Chaos is a symphony of dislocated and interconnected scenes. A girl is locked in a room. A boy brings another boy flowers. A girl has tied herself to a railing. A boy doesn't know who he is. A girl worries about impending catastrophe. A woman jumps in front of a train. A boy's heart falls out his chest. A butterfly has a broken wing. A series of characters search for meaning in a complicated and unstable world. Bouncing through physics, the cosmos, love and violence, they find order in the disorder of each other.
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, adapted by Alan Bennett
The inquisitive Mole abandons spring-cleaning his burrow and, to his delight, discovers the river. There he meets Ratty, a water vole with a passion for boats. Over at Toad Hall, the ebullient Toad persuades them to join an excursion in a horse-pulled caravan – only for disaster to strike when they are overturned into a ditch. But the accident ignites Toad’s passion for motorcars… And Mole can’t resist the temptation of another adventure, braving the snowy and threatening Wild Wood to find the elusive Badger, who welcomes Mole and Rat into his own cosy home. But can the three friends save Toad from the consequences of his terrible driving, and defeat their enemies, the hungry and wily weasels and ferrets? Alan Bennett's brilliant adaptation of The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, one of the all-time great animal stories and a true classic of children's literature.
When the Rain Stops Falling
Alice Springs. 2039. A fish falls from the sky – it still smells of the sea. It’s been raining for days and Gabriel York knows something is wrong. When the Rain Stops Falling unfolds like a puzzle to be solved. Told through the interconnected stories of two families over four generations; between a prediction in London 1959 and its outcome in Australia eighty years later. This intricate, multi-layered story explores betrayal, abandonment, destruction, forgiveness and love. Where damage to the planet serves as a metaphor for the damage inflicted from generation to generation. Until finally, as the desert is inundated with rain, one young man finds the courage to defy his legacy.
Warning: This production contains mentions of child abuse and references to childhood trauma.
Chatroom and Taken
Chatroom
A chilling, blackly comic tale of manipulation, cyberbullying and adolescent insecurity. In a quiet corner of the internet, a group of bored, restless teenagers who never meet each other, spend their time deconstructing children's literature and the messages in modern pop music and even suicide. But when a new member joins to share his depression and thoughts of suicide, the conversation takes a darker turn and some of the teenagers their utmost to persuade him to carry out his threat.
Warning: This production contains reference to suicide and depression and brief mentions to eating disorder.
Taken
A young woman (and her baby) seeks shelter in Della’s council flat, claiming to have been the victim of a robbery. Suspicion about the woman’s motives grow as she introduces herself as the owners long-lost daughter. Della and her elderly mother are preparing for their weekly treat - watching Strictly. As the narrative unravels and turns, it touches on questions of belonging, memory, family, truth love and addiction - ending with an unsettling twist.
Warning: This production contains mentions of drug/alcohol/substance abuse and a depiction of early-stage Alzheimers/Dementia.
James and the Giant Peach
Wizzpopping wonder and fruit-filled fun abound in this stage adaption of Roald Dahl's greatest adventure story. James is a lonely child who is forced to work like a slave for the most revolting aunts in England. One day a mystical figure gives James a bag of magic. When the magic is accidentally spilled near the old peach tree, the most incredible things happen! Come and see James and their new friends, Old-Green-Grasshopper, Miss Spider, Centipede, Earthworm, and Ladybird, on their epic journey across the Atlantic this Christmas with fun and spectacle for the whole family!
Lucy Ursula Griffiths and Support: An Evening of Song
The nights are drawing in, the wind is whistling and the cosy season is well and truly here. Why not take shelter at the Brighton Little Theatre for an evening of low-lit alt/folk originals and covers. Lucy Ursula Griffiths (Robin Hood, True Blood, Preacher) will be joined by Alfie Weedon and Julia Traser for an informal launch of Lucy’s debut EP, Los Angeles in G. Lucy is an actor from Brighton who returns this year to her first love; music. Alfie’s beautiful double bass playing and vocals have given him a busy career in the music business since his early teens and he will be showcasing new material at the event. Julia Traser is a Brighton-based singer/songwriter with a gorgeous voice and will be singing charming covers both in English and Italian. The evening promises to be a real treat.
Stones in His Pockets
Set in County Kerry, Stones In His Pockets tells the story of how a small town becomes wrapped up in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood as the big stars and a host of technical/support staff arrive. The idea behind the film is to create an authentic picture of rural Ireland and thus most of the locals are cast as extras. When tragedy takes hold within the small town, the impact of the production on the local community quickly becomes apparent with Tinseltown's romanticised idea of rural Ireland a long way from reality.
Warning: This production contains the themes of suicide, self-harm, and alcohol and substance abuse. It also contains language that may give offence, sex references, and discriminatory language.
The Little Tempest
Join us for this unique and magical production, celebrating 150 years at SEA LIFE Brighton. Shakespeare’s classic tale of revenge, love, mischief and forgiveness is brought to life by Brighton Little Theatre, in a riot of colour, music, puppetry and magic in a new site-specific adaptation for all the family. The Little Tempest will take the audience through SEA LIFE Brighton, following the inhabitants of the enchanted island.
Running time: 1hr Suitable for ages 5+
The Revlon Girl
Set in 1966, eight months after the Aberfan disaster, The Revlon Girl tells the story of a group of bereaved mothers who meet every week above a local hotel to talk, cry and even laugh without feeling guilty. One night they admit they feel they have let themselves go so afraid that other people would think them frivolous they secretly arrange for a Revlon representative to come and give them a talk on beauty tips.
A poignant, funny and heart-warming play about surviving grief.
The Railway Children
Meet Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis as they tell the story of how they became The Railway Children. Their lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away. Transported from London to rural Yorkshire, they befriend the local railway porter, Perks, and embark on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure. But the mystery remains – where is Father and is he ever coming back?
This, imaginative, widely acclaimed adaptation of a beloved classic, captures the anxieties and exhilarations of childhood with great tenderness and insight.
The Railway Children (BOAT)
Meet Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis as they tell the story of how they became The Railway Children. Their lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away. Transported from London to rural Yorkshire, they befriend the local railway porter, Perks, and embark on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure. But the mystery remains – where is Father and is he ever coming back?
This, imaginative, widely acclaimed adaptation of a beloved classic, captures the anxieties and exhilarations of childhood with great tenderness and insight.
Dad's Army (Royal Spa)
From the writers of Dad’s Army this wonderful homage allows for a chance to see these much-loved characters as you’ve never seen them before, brought to life by Brighton Little Theatre!
Join the troops of our very own blundering yet fearless home guard in Walmington-on-Sea for more fun than you can shake a Morris dancer’s stick at! Action packed antics for all of the family to enjoy.
Nazi rascals behind enemy lines, a glimpse of the Mums behind the army, and even Lady Godiva… but whatever you do, don’t tell Pike!
Dad's Army
From the writers of Dad’s Army this wonderful homage allows for a chance to see these much-loved characters as you’ve never seen them before, brought to life by Brighton Little Theatre!
Join the troops of our very own blundering yet fearless home guard in Walmington-on-Sea for more fun than you can shake a Morris dancer’s stick at! Action packed antics for all of the family to enjoy.
Nazi rascals behind enemy lines, a glimpse of the Mums behind the army, and even Lady Godiva… but whatever you do, don’t tell Pike!