WEIRD Will Make World Premiere at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Weird, an electrifying pop-powered musical reimagining Shakespeare's classic tragedy Macbeth, will make its World Premiere at Newcastle Theatre Royal next year. The show, a brand new British musical, will have a limited run from Wednesday 28 – Saturday 31 January 2026.

Written by Nick Butcher, Kerri Watt and Fraser Watt, Weird will combine witchcraft, mischief and mayhem, with a soundtrack of newly created pop anthems, telling the dramatic tale of the Scottish king through the eyes of three witches.

Further creative team and cast are to be announced.

Nick Butcher, and Scottish siblings Kerri Watt & 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.

Separately, Nick, Kerri & Fraser each enjoy success in their independent ventures. Nick is an Emmy and Olivier Award-nominated songwriter, best known for writing the West End smash hit musical, The Little Big Things.

Kerri Watt, a Top 10 artist and songwriter, has enjoyed commercial success with music placements across television and radio as well as live performances at Glastonbury, Hyde Park and The Royal Albert Hall. Fraser Watt, a Berklee College of Music graduate, is a sought-after writer and producer who has worked with Dolly Parton, dearALICE and media giants like ESPN, Samsung and Universal.

As part of the run in Newcastle, more than 5,000 schoolchildren from across the North East will have the opportunity to be the first in the world to see the brand new musical, thanks to a collaboration between producer Michael Harrison and Newcastle Theatre Royal.

As part of an initiative to provide more pathways for young people to be able to access live theatre, Michael and the theatre have joined forces to pledge that the first five weekday performances will completely waive ticket prices for schoolchildren from across the region to be able to attend free of charge. 

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.”

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 20th 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.

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.”

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

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