New musical Wedding Fayre to be toured by Graeae and Derby Theatre

Graeae and Derby Theatre have announced a UK tour of Wedding Fayre, a new folk-punk musical written by Paul Sirett, with music by Max Runham, directed by Graeae’s artistic director Jenny Sealey and musical direction by Joey Hickman.

Set in a near-future England, the musical follows a new law requiring adults who do not conform to newly established standards of “normal” to be married to somebody who does by midnight.

The production features a professional cast of Deaf, Disabled and neurodivergent performers. All performances integrate British Sign Language, captions and audio description.

Sirett’s previous work includes The Big Life, Rat Pack Confidential and Graeae’s Reasons to Be Cheerful, while Runham’s credits include Brixton Calling and All Creatures Great and Small.

Sealey said: “Wedding Fayre started out as a satirical romp, now we are actually about to debut the show, the reality of our ‘fayre set in the near future’ feels a little too close for comfort! This glorious folk-punk musical is of course political and disruptive, but it is full of heart, humour and provocations. More than anything, it’s a celebration of people coming together, and a reminder that hope and collective action still matter.”

Derby Theatre artistic director and CEO Sarah Brigham added: “I’m delighted that we will be co-producing this brand-new musical with Graeae and have the fantastic Jenny Sealey at the helm directing. We have a long relationship with Graeae and have worked hard to improve access to our stages over the last ten years. Audiences can expect a fun night out with some cracking tunes and great performances.”

The tour opens at Derby Theatre from 5 to 13 February 2027, with a press performance on 9 February at 7.30pm. It then visits Leeds Playhouse (16 and 17 February), Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (19 and 20 February), Warwick Arts Centre (25 to 27 February), New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (2 to 6 March), Watford Palace Theatre (16 to 20 March) and Perth Theatre (24 to 27 March).