Fame to have major revival in 2026

Theatre Royal Plymouth, in association with Jamie Wilson Productions, has announced a “bold, new” production of Fame the Musical.

Running from 28 July to 15 August 2026, the production will be directed and choreographed by Tom Jackson Greaves, with design by Soutra Gilmour.

The show marks the 30th anniversary of Fame’s European premiere at Theatre Royal Plymouth in 1995. That production went on to run for more than a decade in the West End, toured internationally and helped establish the stage version of the 1980 film as a global success. The new revival will feature songs from the original movie alongside Jose Fernandez’s book, Jacques Levy’s lyrics and Steve Margoshes’ score.

James Mackenzie-Blackman, Theatre Royal Plymouth’s chief executive and artistic director, said the revival was “another key milestone for TRP in making our mark as a leading producing theatre” and highlighted the venue’s ongoing collaboration with Jamie Wilson Productions following The Devil Wears Prada, which opened in Plymouth before transferring to the West End.

Producer Jamie Wilson described the musical as having “entertained and enthralled fans around the world with its incredible music, energy and choreography” and said the new staging would appeal both to existing fans and a new generation of audiences.

Tom Jackson Greaves, who is also an associate artistic director at TRP, said the film had been formative in his teenage years, adding that Fame was “a love-letter to the arts” and that revisiting the material three decades after its UK stage debut was “a full-circle gift”.

Set in Manhattan in 1980, Fame follows a group of students at New York’s High School of Performing Arts from enrolment to graduation, exploring their ambitions and challenges through music, drama and dance.

Casting and additional creative team will be announced at a later date, with tickets going on sale soon.