Weird – a brand new musical from West End producer Michael Harrison –
makes its worldwide premiere at Newcastle Theatre Royal.
More than 5,000 schoolchildren from across the North East will have the opportunity to be
the first in the world to see a brand new musical thanks to an exciting new collaboration
between Wallsend-born theatre producer Michael Harrison and Newcastle Theatre Royal.
Michael, widely considered as one of the industry’s leading theatre producers with credits
including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Starlight Express, has a long
association with the iconic Grey Street venue and has chosen his hometown theatre for the
world premiere of his newest venture, Weird (Wed 28 – Sat 31 Jan 2026), an electrifying
pop-powered musical reimagining Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Macbeth.
Telling the dramatic tale of the Scottish king through the eyes of the three witches, Weird –
written by Nick Butcher (The Little Big Things), and siblings Kerri Watt and Fraser Watt – will
combine witchcraft, mischief, mayhem with a soundtrack of newly created pop anthems,
when the production hits the stage at Newcastle Theatre Royal in January 2026.
As part of an initiative to provide more pathways for young people to be able to access live
theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal has joined forces with Michael Harrison to pledge that the
first five weekday performances will be earmarked for schoolchildren from across the region
with ticket prices waived to enable them to see the new musical free of charge. The initiative
will also provide the pupils – from Year 5 and above – with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
see a world premiere on their doorstep, inspiring them and instilling a love of theatre, culture
and live performance from an early age.
Michael Harrison said: “When I first read Weird and listened to the incredible soundtrack, I
knew I wanted the biggest audience possible to see it. I’m well aware there are thousands of school kids who study Macbeth, the source material of this brilliant new musical. It’s fair to
say some of us don’t understand Shakespeare – Weird will change that.
When we decided to try out Weird at Newcastle Theatre Royal, the theatre I grew up in, it felt
absolutely right to offer as many school kids as possible the opportunity to see it for free, to
support them with their school work and to inspire them, as I was, simply by attending the
magnificent Theatre Royal.”
Marianne Locatori, Chief Executive of Newcastle Theatre Royal said: “I’m thrilled to be
collaborating with Michael, one of the most successful and well-respected theatre producers in the UK, to premiere this brand new musical. Working with Michael, hot on the heels of his string of recent national theatre industry awards and hit productions in the West End and on tour, is a fantastic opportunity for our theatre and audiences in the city and region to see an amazing new musical. Not only will we have a never-seen-before production make its debut on our stage, but Michael’s vision will enable us to build on our existing programmes and relationships with schools in the region – particularly those in economically deprived areas – to provide creative pathways, deliver educational and enrichment workshops and support the industry’s future workforce that is right here on our doorstep.”
She continued: “For some audience members, this may be their first time in a theatre to see
a live performance; Michael fondly recounts stories of his early visits to this very theatre and
how they inspired him. Together, we hold a shared ambition that young people, especially
those living outside London, need as many opportunities as possible to engage with the arts;
by removing the potential barrier of cost for all the weekday performances, we hope to
enable more children to develop a love of theatre that lasts a lifetime.”
Michael Harrison added: “I am indebted to Marianne (Locatori) who saw the very first
workshop of Weird and immediately shared my vision of how 5,000 North East school kids
could see the show. Marianne believes in the audiences of tomorrow and Newcastle Theatre
Royal is putting its money where its mouth is. We hope this is just the beginning and that
many more will be able to see this thrilling new British musical.”
Michael Harrison is one of the country’s leading theatre producers with a string of smash-hit
West End musicals to his name including Titanique, Hello, Dolly!, The Little Big Things, The
Wizard of Oz, Starlight Express, Young Frankenstein and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, the
latter two both debuting at Newcastle Theatre Royal before embarking upon sell-out West
End runs and nationwide tours respectively.
As Chief Executive of Crossroads Pantomimes, he is responsible for many major annual
festive pantomimes across the UK; he has been at the helm of Newcastle Theatre Royal’s
legendary pantomime for the past two decades and recently announced an extended run of
Aladdin, his 20 th production at the venue starring father and son double act Clive Webb and
Danny Adams.
This October, Newcastle Theatre Royal will open Miss Saigon – Michael’s new production of
Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical in association with Cameron Mackintosh – with a
three week run before the epic production heads out on major UK tour.
Writers Nick Butcher, Kerri Watt and Fraser Watt are award-winning songwriters and chart-
topping artists at the heart of modern musical storytelling. Their work spans music, theatre,
and film, garnering 20+ million streams with their ability to write, record and produce their
work to create a unique theatrical pop sound, breathing new life into what theatrical
storytelling can be.
They said: “We can’t wait for audiences to experience the rollercoaster ride that is Weird!
Reimagining Macbeth through the lens of The Weird Sisters has given us the chance to
breathe new life into these iconic characters – remaining faithful to the original yet delivering
something totally fresh. Expect a thrilling twist on a classic tale, a banging soundtrack and a
lot of fun!”
Schools in the following postcode areas, NE, DH, DL, SR, TS and CA, will be able to register
their interest in being allocated free tickets by visiting theatreroyal.co.uk/weird from Monday
10 March (please note demand is expected to be high and registering interest does not
guarantee receipt of tickets).
Weird will open at Newcastle Theatre Royal on Wed 28 Jan 2026 and will play until Sat 31
Jan 2026 with the final two performances available for booking by the public enabling North
East audiences to be the first in the world to see its debut run.
Booking for the two performances on Sat 31 Jan 2026 opens on Mon 24 Mar at 10am for
Friends Plus members, followed by Friends of the Theatre Royal on Fri 28 Mar, Flexi Priority
Pass members on Tue 1 Apr and Public on-sale Fri 4 Apr. For more information please visit
theatreroyal.co.uk