Major new Calamity Jane production leads new Cornwall Playhouse season

Calamity Jane musical stars West-End sensation Carrie Hope Fletcher. Peter James drama Picture You Dead brings Detective Roy Grace to Cornwall stage for first time. Jasmin Vardimon's NOW head dance lineup which also includes Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Elvis, Taylor Swift and many more celebrated in new live music lineup.

Hall for Cornwall (HfC) has announced a new line-up of shows in the Cornwall Playhouse in 2025, led by a major new production of Calamity Jane which will star Carrie Hope Fletcher.

HfC Chief Executive and Creative Director Julien Boast said: “These new additions to our stage programme show our continued commitment to dance, live music and of course the best largescale theatre and musicals. Almost every night of the year, Truro comes to life with another performance on the Cornwall Playhouse stage, with something for almost everyone. And for nearly every show, in the face of rising costs, we continue to provide a proportion of tickets pegged at £15. We're proud to serve our community, as a charity and as Cornwall's only largescale theatre, welcoming nearly 300,000 people a year to experience the power of live performance at HfC."

Musical comedy classic

Joining already-announced West-End wonders Grease, & Juliet and Dear Evan Hansen…

• The whip crackin’ musical classic Calamity Jane is set to roll into Cornwall! Based on the much-loved Doris Day movie, this new production by Watermill Theatre stars West End powerhouse Carrie Hope Fletcher (Cinderella, Les Misérables) and includes songs The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away), The Black Hills of Dakota, Just Blew in from the Windy City, and the Oscar-winning Secret Love.

Bestselling police thriller

Hot on the heels of November's Murder On The Orient Express comes a modern day police procedural straight off the bestseller lists:

• Peter James’ gripping crime novel Picture You Dead promises a white-knuckle evening at the Cornwall Playhouse. DCI Roy Grace investigates a cold case that leads him to the rarified air of fine art – but under the surface lurks a dark underworld of greed, deception and murder.

For little ones – much-loved children’s stories Jack and the Beanstalk, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and The Very Hungry Caterpillar are joined by:

• Julia Donaldson’s magical picture book The Gruffalo makes a welcome stage return, taking families on a journey through the deep, dark wood with their favourite characters.

Dazzling dance

Following recent turns by Rambert and Motionhouse, and the continued popularity of Strictly shows and Irish dance (Lord of the Dance and Riverdance are both coming soon), the Cornwall Playhouse stage continues to play host to a diverse programme of dance:

• Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, performed by Mergaliyev Classical Ballet. These two enchanting stories are beautifully choreographed to Tchaikovsky’s splendid score, performed by a live orchestra.

• Choreographer Jasmin Vardimon MBE presents NOW – a reflection of the current moment, the present, and the continuous movement of time, performed by a remarkable international cast of performers.

Orchestral series continues

Following a successful classical series, which began in the new auditorium in 2022, Hall for Cornwall continues to provide a high calibre lineup of orchestral, brass and jazz concerts:

• Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra continue their Cornwall Residency in 2025 with a popular programme of Nordic music featuring Grieg's Piano Concerto and a Sibelius symphony, conducted by Gergely Madaras with Louis Schwizgebel on the piano.

• The Welsh National Opera Orchestra return with the now-traditional Viennese New Year Concert, rich with Straussian favourites to kick 2025 off in style.

• The Band of HM Royal Marines Plymouth return, having performed at the State funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of King Charles III.

Spoken word series celebrates song and sky at night

Following a sellout show from Professor Brian Cox, and joining HfC's expanding programme of spoken word, biographical and literary events...

• Astronomer and author Adrian West (also known as VirtualAstro) presents The Night Sky Show - promising an epic journey across the cosmos from our celestial back yard, with stunning visual effects.

• Gareth Malone presents Sing-a-long-a-Gareth: My Life Through Song – a captivating blend of biography and music, performed by Gareth and his house live band and singers.

Popular live music programme continues

HfC welcomes a diverse live music line-up, gathering the best in the business to celebrate the world’s greatest artists...

• Always-popular Lee Memphis King returns with One Night of Elvis

• Francis Rossi brings his brand-new show to the Cornwall Playhouse, promising a refreshing take on some of his most loved and enduring material, plus never-before heard stories from his lifelong career.

• Katy Ellis presents Taylormania – an award-winning tribute to Taylor Swift.

• The Johnny Cash Roadshow delivers an evening of back-to-back hits.

• The Chicago Blues Brothers make a welcome return with their Greatest Hits Tour.

• Radio Ga Ga – The Ultimate Tribute to Queen brings the music of Queen back to where it all began.

• 30 years on from the PULSE tour comes a brand-new show from the UK Pink Floyd Experience.

• That’ll Be the Day returns with a fusion of rock ‘n’ roll, pop, and comedy.

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Tickets go on sale to everyone from Mon 08 Jul, while Hall for Cornwall members enjoy priority access. 

Tickets can be purchased from: https://www.hallforcornwall.co.uk/whats-on/?category=new-shows