Newcastle Theatre Royal and Michael Harrison Team up to Offer Free Theatre Trips for Schoolchildren
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 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.
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.
