The Motherf**ker With the Hat and new Brad Birch play in Sherman Theatre's spring 2018 season

Sherman Theatre has announced its spring season, with highlights including the regional premiere of The Motherfu**ker with the Hat and a new play by Brad Birch.

The season kicks off in February with Conor McPherson's Dublin Carol (1 to 17 February). Directed by Matthew Xia, the play is about a middle-aged employee of a funeral home in Dublin. The piece received its UK premiere at the Royal Court in 2000 starring Andrew Scott.

In March, the theatre will host the regional premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Motherf**ker with the Hat (21 to 31 March). The comedy – described by Matt Trueman as 'all plosive apoplexy and somersaulting swearwords' – was most recently seen at the National Theatre in 2015.

Sherman's associate director David Mercatali (Insignificance, Arcola) will present a new play by associate artist Katherine Chandler, which forms part of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s New Writing Festival, New:2018 (20 to 22 March).

For the National Theatre’s Connections Festival, Sherman Youth Theatre will explore the impact of the criminal justice system in Alice Birch's new play, [Blank] from 1 to 3 March.

Touring productions visiting the venue include Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru's Y Tad – a Welsh language adaptation of The Father by Florian Zeller (8 and 9 March); Wardrobe Ensemble's Edinburgh hit Education, Education, Education (1 and 2 May); and Mark Thomas brings his new show Showtime from the Frontline on 21 February.