POLKA THEATRE ANNOUNCES NEW SHOWS FOR THEIR 26/27 AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON

WORLD PREMIERE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

TOTO - A STRONG-WILLED DONKEY FOLLOWS THIER DREAMS, IN A NEW MUSICAL FROM THE BOOK BY XIMO ABADIA

REBEL, REBEL - CELEBRATING FEMALE VOICES PAST & PRESENT & THE IMPORTANCE OF STANDING UP FOR YOUR BELIEFS

COLOURS, COLOURS EVERYWHERE – NEW STAGE ADAPTATION OF THE JULIA DONALDSON & SHARON KING-CHAI BOOK

PLUS, FURTHER SHOWS TO COMPLETE THE SEASON AND PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED FESTIVE PRODUCTIONS PETER PAN AND ANTARCTICA 

IMAGES AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD HERE.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT POLKATHEATRE.COM

Polka Theatre’s Artistic Director and Joint CEO Helen Matravers, Executive Director and Joint CEO Lynette Shanbury, and the whole team at the Wimbledon venue are pleased to announce details of their complete Autumn/Winter season and further shows coming to Polka in early 2027.

Toto will headline this Autumn on Polka’s main stage, the Y C Chan Theatre,in a co-production between Polka Theatre and Topper and Fred from Saturday 10 October - Sunday 1 November. Based on the Book by Ximo Abadia and adapted for stage with music and lyrics by Harry Blake and direction from Jennifer Tang. Toto is a new musical about a young donkey who wants to be an astronaut and is determined not to let anything stand in their way, for ages 3–8 years. 

In the Adventure Theatre, Polka Theatre presents another brand-new production, Rebel, Rebel, written by Nessah Muthy and directed by Polka Artistic Director Helen Matravers. Willow’s campaign to become class president has landed her in trouble with bullies at school. After a playground bump to the head, she wakes in 1913 on the eve of the Epsom Derby, face to face with Suffragette, Emily Davison. Rebel, Rebel celebrates female voices of the past and present, questions if women’s rights have come far enough, and the importance of standing up for your beliefs. Playing from Saturday 30 January - Sunday 7 March for young people 9-13 years old. 

Polka Theatre are once again teaming up with Little Angel Theatre and Can't Sit Still (the company behind ‘Oh No, George’ and ‘Well Done, Mummy Penguin’) to present Colours, Colours Everywhere – adapted from the book by Julia Donaldson with beautiful illustrations by Sharon King-Chai, from Saturday 6 February – Saturday 13 March. Let your imagination take flight as you follow a little girl’s adventure painting her own journey through vibrant worlds, sailing the skies in a bright red hot air balloon. Where will her paintbrush take her next? This show, recommended for 3–8-year-olds, is packed with playful puppetry, vibrant colour and integrated British Sign Language. 

Younger audiences are in for a treat with a host of shows across the season. 6–18-month-olds are invited to Blub, an underwater immersive sensory experience brought to life through light, music, movement and a coral reef, crocheted and knitted from 500,000 metres of wool - presented Thursday 13 - Sunday 23 August in the Adventure Theatre by award-winning Austrian company Theatre Nuu.  From closer to home, Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company’s The Three Little Pigs need the help of 3 – 7 year olds and their families to save their bacon, having tricked the big bad wolf and now on the run, in this joyful retelling of a classic, from Thursday 1 – Sunday 4 October in the Y C Chan Theatre.  After all that tiring work you might just need The Sleep Show, showing Wednesday 4 - Sunday 8 November in the Adventure Theatre. Peut-Être Theatre use dance, music and storytelling to create a world where a bedtime story jumps off the page and comes to life on stage.  Also in the Adventure Theatre, From Wednesday 11 - Sunday 22 November, Christmas Lights sees friends Alvie and Kit embark on a mission to light up their house, but what happens when your fairy lights seem to have a mind of their own? Join award-winning company, Filskit Theatre, for this highly visual festive show with very little dialogue and many words performed using British Sign Language.

For slightly older children, The Adventure Theatre offers 6-12 year-olds stunning projections and original music in At Sea - a Life and Limb Puppets production, co-produced with Alphabetti Theatre - where a fantastical puppet adventure takes the audience on a life-affirming quest through a coral reef, a sirens lair and to the very bottom of the ocean. Running Wednesday 28 October - Sunday 1 November. 

For ages 8-12 years, Tangled Feet premiere A Class of Your Own, running Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 October. Featuring exhilarating physical theatre and stunning video projection, this new production explores the feelings we have bubbling up inside us and reveals the wisdom from those excluded from school on how the labels we’re given don’t have to define us.

You'll See, a Branar production supported by Culture Ireland, brings ‘Ulysses’, James Joyce’s epic story, to life in this inventive show, bringing Ireland’s most notorious book to audiences aged 8-12 to excite both young and old from Friday 23 - Sunday 25 October.

As previously announced, Polka Theatre’s festive offering for 26/27 sees the Y C Chan Theatre transform into Neverland from Saturday 14 November 2026 – Sunday 24 January 2027 for Peter Pan, based on the original by J.M Barrie. This remixed musical version of the classic tale, recommended for ages 5-12 years, follows Peter and Wendy on their quest to never grow up. Adapted for stage with music by Conrad Murray (‘Pied Piper’ and Polka’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’) and directed by Ria Parry and Conrad Murray, comes a magical family musical adventure, packed with original songs performed live by a company of award-winning vocalists, beatboxers, and rappers.

Also from Friday 27 November 2026 - Sunday 17 January 2027, Polka’s Adventure Theatre will become a magical wind-whipped world of snow in Antarctica, a Little Bulb production (‘The Nutcracker’), originally produced with Bristol Old Vic. Recommended for ages 3-7, explore across Antarctica to discover some of the most wondrous creatures on Earth including slip-sliding penguins, cheeky albatrosses and mysterious creatures of the deep, in an unforgettable journey full of clowning, puppets and plenty of snowy surprises. 

Polka’s Artistic Director Helen Matravers said, “This season is joyful, bold and urgent. Having talked extensively to young people in curating this programme, it speaks directly to two pressing factors for young audiences right now: that they deserve to be utterly entertained with magical, often bonkers and adventurous escapism, but also that there are big, important issues facing young people in real life that we can explore, debate and embrace in a truly unique way through theatre. 

These shows taking centre stage at Polka celebrate voices, stories and lived experiences from all over the world. I am delighted to be working with such bold, talented and caring artists to bring Polka’s theatres to life. It’s a diverse, exciting colour palette of productions which offer something entertaining from baby to teenage years, showcasing the very best in new writing, sensory-led theatre, dance, puppetry and music. Every production is designed to spark imagination and conversation.

We are once again celebrating and cementing the importance of creating exceptional, accessible work for young audiences. At a time when rising costs are shutting too many children and schools out of arts and culture, accessibility is not an ambition — it is essential. Every child deserves the chance to experience transformative theatre without barriers, and this season offers just that.”

The season is presented alongside a wide range of Creative Learning classes, workshops and activities at the venue: Crafty kids can enjoy Sea Creature Puppetry or Day of the Dead Puppet-Making, Spooky Stage Set Design, Family Autumn Wreath and Christmas Card Makingworkshops. Those who are more into singing and dancing can join the MiniJam House Party, Diwali Dance Workshop, Festive Family Sing-along and Musical Theatre Remixed sessions. Inquisitive younger participants will love the Sensory Space Adventure and Winter Wonderland Adventure using movement and play. Children of all ages can enjoy weekly classes, one off workshops, drop-in and school holiday activities in a creative, fun and supportive space.

Polka Theatre is also bringing back their Early Years Theatre Festival, Big Dreams on Saturday 19 – Sunday 20 September 2026, with an exciting programme of engaging UK and international shows, interactive events and free activities for young audiences and their families, including MC Grammar and Nick Sharratt’s Once Upon a Drawalong. 

Polka opened its doors in 1979, the UK’s first theatre venue dedicated exclusively to children. Polka Theatre is one of just a handful of dedicated children’s venues in the UK, presenting a year-round programme of shows produced by Polka and from visiting companies. Polka also offers a full programme of Creative Learning activities for ages 0–12, with over 21,000 children taking part in the last year. Polka enjoys flexible rehearsal and workshop spaces along with two performance spaces: the Y C Chan Theatre has a 300-seat capacity, and the Adventure Theatre can seat up to 90 depending on the show format.

Over the past year, Polka has worked with 143 schools through Creative Learning projects and has distributed over 9,000 free tickets to schools through their Curtain Up! scheme.

Polka is a community hub and vital resource, open 6 days per week, 50 weeks per year at a challenging time to be a sustainable public venue with step-free access, free-to-access play spaces and a cosy and welcoming café and shop.