Nottingham Playhouse announces line-up for autumn season, including a world premiere staring Maxine Peake and the return of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

A world premiere, regional premiere, and return of a favourite literary adaptation are to star in a theatre’s autumn-winter season.

Nottingham Playhouse, joint Theatre of the Year in The Stage Awards 2025, has announced the shows which will feature in its next season.

Highlights include Maxine Peake in the world premiere of Caroline Bird’s wickedly funny The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse, the UK regional premiere of Jonathan Spector’s sharply observed comedy Eureka Day, and the return of the highly successful The Beekeeper of Aleppo.

The season opens with The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse.

Written by Caroline Bird, responsible for the highly successful 2022 play Red Ellen, the wickedly funny new play explores the enigma of Mary Whitehouse — pearl-clutching prude or ‘the most dangerous woman in Britain’?

It delves into Whitehouse’s most explosive battle, her infamous blasphemy trial against Gay News, which revealed the shocking power behind her sweet smile, challenging beliefs about freedom, censorship, and exploring one woman’s formidable resolve to push back the tide.

Known for her TV appearances in Dinnerladies, Shameless, Silk, The Village, Inside No. 9, See No Evil, and Black Mirror, stage and screen star Maxine Peake will bring the fascinating and outrageous character to life.

Maxine said: “I’m extremely excited to be taking on the role of Mary Whitehouse in Caroline Bird’s extraordinary new piece, The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse. I’m delighted to be working with Sarah Frankcom yet again, and to be invited by Adam and the team to the fabulous Nottingham Playhouse.”

It will be followed by razor-sharp comedy Eureka Day — which sees friendships challenged when an outbreak of mumps reveals that not everyone is on board with the school’s vaccine policy.

The executive committee of well-meaning parents and teachers at a progressive Californian elementary school fall apart, as their selfless paradise crumbles and meetings are derailed by parental hysteria.

First produced in 2017, the laugh-out-loud play shows how even the most enlightened communities are just one epidemic away from complete turmoil.

James Grieve will direct Eureka Day, and said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be invited to the beautiful, essential Nottingham Playhouse to direct the regional premiere of Eureka Day. It’s a gift of a play — sabre sharp, searingly prescient and uproariously funny. I can’t wait.”

Back by popular demand, The Beekeeper of Aleppo returns to the venue where it had its world premiere in 2023.

It tells the story of a beekeeper and his wife living in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo — until all they care for is destroyed by war and they must escape.

It is a story of connection between friends, families, and strangers.

Christy Lefteri’s best-selling and award-winning novel’s stage adaptation again be directed by Olivier Award winning Miranda Cromwell, and produced in association with UK Productions.

Miranda Cromwell said: “I am thrilled to be returning to Nottingham Playhouse to direct The Beekeeper of Aleppo in a refreshed production. This story of loss, hope and resilience is still so relevant today. We can’t wait to share this production with audiences in Nottingham and across the UK.”

Adam Penford, Artistic Director of Nottingham Playhouse, added: “Nottingham Playhouse has had an amazing year. From being named joint Theatre of the Year 2025 in The Stage Awards, to the five star reviewed Girls and Boys by Dennis Kelly starring local actor, Aisling Loftus, and the Olivier-nominated Animal Farm co-production with Leeds Playhouse and Stratford East. The news of Punch transferring simultaneously to the West End and Broadway in the autumn is a testament to the skill of the whole Nottingham Playhouse team.

“Maxine Peake is one of my favourite actors and I’m excited to see her tackle the complex Mary Whitehouse, with the wonderful Sarah Frankcom directing and Caroline’s superb script. Eureka Day is one of the funniest plays I’ve seen in recent years, a biting satire and we’re delighted to have secured its UK regional premiere with a cracking team, led by Director James Grieve.”

The autumn programme also includes Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, the legendary Playhouse panto — this year it’s the spellbinding Sleeping Beauty — with the much-loved John Elkington as Dame, and the Neville Studio production for younger children The Little Mermaid.

Tickets for the new season programme are on general sale from Friday, May 2.