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NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL AND MICHAEL HARRISON TEAM UP TO OFFER FREE THEATRE TRIPS FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN
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.

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 completing the form below (please note demand is expected to be high and registering interest does not guarantee receipt of tickets).

Performance dates and times will be:

Wednesday 28 January, 6.30pm
Thursday 29 January, 10am & 1.30pm
Friday 30 January, 10am & 1.30pm

Approximate running time 70 minutes (no interval)

For further information, please take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions below or email schools@theatreroyal.co.uk

Register Your Interest

If you would like to bring pupils from your school to see Weird at Newcastle Theatre Royal, please complete the form below. Before allocating tickets, a member of our Schools team may need to get in touch to gather further information so please take care when entering your email address and contact telephone number.

Thank you for your interest.

  • About your School

  • About You

  • Your Students

  • Your Ticket Request

  • Why Your School?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for tickets to Weird?
In the first instance we ask that you register your interest by completing a short form. Before allocating tickets, a member of our Schools team may need to follow up your application to gather further information so please take care to include a contact email and telephone number.

What school years are eligible for tickets?
The initiative is aimed at pupils in Year 5 and above who attend schools in the following postcode areas: NE, DH, DL, SR, TS and CA.

What is the maximum number of tickets my school can apply for?
We have not set a maximum number of tickets that each school can request. However, we want to be able to provide this unique opportunity to as many young people from across the region as we can, so it may be that we will allocate less tickets to your school than you requested.

When will I find out if my request for tickets has been successful?
Owing to the anticipated demand for tickets to Weird, it may take us 4 weeks to get back to your request. If you have not heard from us 4 weeks after submitting your request, please contact our Schools Team: schools@theatreroyal.co.uk

What if some of the pupils we want to take have access requirements?
We ask for details in your application of interest whether any of your students have any access requirements so that we can allocate seating to suit the needs of your students. Whilst we want to welcome as many young people to participate in this opportunity as possible, we are an unapologetically historic building with a limited amount of seating to accommodate some access needs. For this reason, we strongly suggest you let us know about any access needs when you register your interest.

Can we request a particular performance date or time?
When you register your interest, you will be asked to select any performance dates or time that you feel would be unsuitable and we will do our best to accommodate. However, due to the likely demand we are anticipating, we are unable to guarantee that you will be allocated tickets for a particular performance date or time.