Nottingham Playhouse unveils new season including Girls and Boys

Nottingham Playhouse has announced its spring 2025 season following a successful autumn – which included the record-breaking Dear Evan Hansen and four UK Theatre Award nominations.

The new season features three major productions. It begins with the regional premiere of Dennis Kelly’s Girls and Boys, a one-woman show about a seemingly ordinary relationship that unravels to reveal darker truths. It was first seen at the Royal Court, starring Carey Mulligan.

Directed by Anna Ledwich, the production runs for 90 minutes and showcases the playwright’s signature blend of humour and intensity. It runs from 8 February to 1 March and has design by Janet Bird, lighting by Matt Haskins, sound by Harry Blake and casting by Arthur Carrington.

Next is Tatty Hennessy’s adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, co-produced with Theatre Royal Stratford East and Leeds Playhouse. Directed by Amy Leach with design by Hayley Grindle, this production marks the 80th anniversary of Orwell’s political allegory. It runs from 2 to 12 April.

Closing the spring season is A Thousand Splendid Suns, an adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s novel. Co-produced with Birmingham Rep and Leeds Playhouse, Ursula Rani Sarma’s play is directed by Roxana Silbert and tells the story of two women in war-torn Afghanistan who form an unlikely bond amid personal and political turmoil. It runs from 13 to 24 May.

Nottingham Playhouse’s artistic director, Adam Penford, said today: “Nottingham Playhouse has had an incredible 2024. We’ve produced nine very different shows, including five world premieres, two regional premieres, one modern revival and one classic…. The first half of 2025 looks set to be just as exciting. To be presenting the regional premiere of Dennis Kelly’s Girls and Boys is a real honour. Dennis is one of the UK’s best writers and this play goes off like a rocket. We have some exciting casting news to follow.

“Our co-productions, Animal Farm and A Thousand Splendid Suns, both adaptations from best-selling books, offer the opportunity for audiences to travel to two very different worlds, both political and theatrical.”

Tickets for the spring 2025 season are now available for Playhouse Pass Members, with general sale starting 11 October.