Shakespeare’s Globe announces first half of winter season

Shakespeare’s Globe has announced the first shows in its new season for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and Globe Theatre, running from November 2025 to January 2026.

Romeo a Juliet runs from 5 to 8 November in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The bilingual production, translated by J T Jones, is presented by Theatr Cymru in association with Shakespeare’s Globe and directed by Steffan Donnelly.

Combining Welsh and English, it marks the first time Romeo and Juliet will be staged at the indoor venue. The creative team includes Elin Steele (design), Dyfan Jones (composer, music director and sound designer), and Ceri James (lighting design).

A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on 13 November and runs until 31 January 2026, before touring to Shakespeare North Playhouse, Leeds Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic, and Oxford Playhouse from February.

The production is co-directed by Holly Race Roughan and Naeem Hayat and is a collaboration between Shakespeare’s Globe, Headlong, Bristol Old Vic, and Leeds Playhouse. It marks the first time the play will be staged in the candlelit venue.

Race Roughan said today: “This new staging will explore some of the darker elements of Shakespeare’s well-known comedy, turning it on its head and asking us to reexamine its themes and subject matter.

“Following a highly successful collaboration on Henry V, it is a joy to be partnering once again with Shakespeare’s Globe and our committed national partners to allow audiences to meet this play in the moment we are in.”

From 29 November, the Globe Theatre will host Pinocchio, a new musical – which we’ve covered in detail here.

These productions will run alongside a series of events, talks and workshops, forming the conclusion of the Globe’s 2025 programme.