Chichester Festival Theatre’s 2025 Season
Chichester Festival Theatre’s Festival 2025 has today been announced by Artistic Director, Justin Audibert and Executive Director, Kathy Bourne.
Festival 2025 includes five world and two UK premieres, two musicals, and masterpieces from world drama. The company includes Mark Addy, Natalie Dormer, Beverley Knight, Tom Rosenthal, Jenna Russell and Giles Terera; directors making their Chichester debuts include Gregory Doran, Katy Rudd, Phillip Breen, Monique Touko, Kathleen Marshall, Hannah Joss, Anthony Lau and Roy Alexander Weise.
25 April – 24 May, Festival Theatre
THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR
By Nikolai Gogol, A new adaptation by Phil Porter directed by Gregory Doran, Starring Tom Rosenthal
Gogol’s brilliantly inventive 19th century satire of skulduggery, mistaken identity and human absurdity spirals into dizzying levels of comic hysteria in Phil Porter’s sparkling new version.
The bureaucrats in a remote provincial town are panicking. Word has gone round that a bigwig government inspector is heading their way. And things are far from ideal: for a start, the hospital’s hopeless, the post office has gone to pot, and the streets are filthy. The Mayor and the Judge are keen to brush their own indiscretions under the nearest carpet.
So when they discover the inspector is already staying at the inn, incognito, the whole town lavishes flattering attention on him. This suits ‘the inspector’ just fine, since in reality he’s a lowly and broke government pen-pusher, nursing extravagant fantasies of fame and fortune…
5 May – 14 June, Minerva Theatre
THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY – a new musical
Based on the novel by Rachel Joyce, book by Rachel Joyce, Music and Lyrics by Passenger, directed by Katy Rudd
Starring Mark Addy and Jenna Russell
Funny, profound, deeply moving and uplifting, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a joyous new musical adapted by Rachel Joyce from her own multi million-selling novel, featuring irresistible modern folk songs by the chart-topping indie musician, Passenger (Let Her Go).
Harold Fry – grey, tired and lonely – receives a letter from an old friend and heads out to post his reply. And keeps walking. From South Devon to Berwick upon Tweed. Leaving his bewildered wife Maureen behind.
Because Harold is trying to make up for lost time, confront the ghosts in his past, and – perhaps – keep someone alive.
As word spreads of his unlikely pilgrimage, a whole company of lost souls join him on his quest. And the horizons for both Harold and Maureen open wider than they could ever have imagined.
7 – 28 June, Festival Theatre
ANNA KARENINA
By Leo Tolstoy, A new adaptation by Phillip Breen and directed by Phillip Breen
Starring Natalie Dormer
Phillip Breen’s witty and sensual version of Tolstoy’s masterpiece Anna Karenina – blending period dress with a contemporary tone – takes us into the hearts and minds of its conflicted, very human characters. A surprisingly funny, romantic and unforgettable portrait of infidelity, passion and the search for fulfilment.
Across the vast panorama of 19th-century Russia – from the glittering salons of Moscow and St Petersburg to its remote country estates – everyone is searching for answers in a society on the brink of collapse.
Anna Karenina, the beautiful wife of a powerful government official, dares to step outside the bounds of society to risk a dangerous and destructive love affair with the magnetic Count Vronsky.
Meanwhile, country landowner Levin is in pursuit of a new way to live and wrestling with his thwarted devotion to Kitty, who’s been left broken-hearted by Vronsky. Her sister Dolly struggles to reconcile constant child-bearing with her husband’s constant philandering.
Their dreams and despairs are mirrored in the tensions between individual and society, modernity and tradition, city and countryside, faith and doubt.
25 June – 26 July, Minerva Theatre
MARIE AND ROSETTA
By George Brant and directed by Monique Touko
Starring Beverley Knight
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the roof-raising ‘godmother of rock ‘n’ roll’, influenced countless musicians from Elvis to Johnny Cash. This sparkling, intimate portrait of Rosetta and her beloved singing partner, Marie Knight, restores these forgotten musical heroines to the spotlight as one of the most remarkable and revolutionary duos in music history.
Mississippi, 1946. Sister Rosetta has changed the face of gospel music with her exuberant, electric guitar-playing style. Shunned by straitlaced church folk for performing in nightclubs and glorying in rhythm and blues, she’s persuaded the saintly young singer Marie to join her on a tour of the segregated southern States. But first she has to convert Marie’s pure Sunday sound into something that has just a little more swing…
Featuring a wealth of joyous rock and gospel hits including Didn’t It Rain and Peace in the Valley, the show will feature live musicians accompanying Olivier Award-winning West End star
14 July – 6 September, Festival Theatre
TOP HAT
Music & Lyrics by Irving Berlin, Adapted for the stage by Matthew White & Howard Jacques. Directed and Choreographed by Kathleen Marshall
There may be trouble ahead, but while there’s moonlight, and music, and love, and romance… Let’s face the music and dance.
You’re invited to the musical equivalent of a finest vintage champagne. Effervescent, elegant and exhilarating, Top Hat is a heady romantic cocktail laced with sparklingly witty dialogue, stunning choreography, lavish sets and gorgeous costumes. Irving Berlin’s irresistible score includes some of Hollywood’s greatest songs: the immortal Cheek to Cheek, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, Top Hat White Tie and Tails and Puttin’ on the Ritz.
When Broadway star Jerry Travers arrives in London to open a new show, he crosses paths with model Dale Tremont, whose beauty sleep is rudely interrupted by Jerry tap dancing in the hotel suite above hers. Instantly smitten, Jerry vows to abandon his bachelor life to win her – but the path of true love never does run smooth. Especially since Dale has mistaken Jerry for his hapless producer Horace, who’s trying to avoid the wrath of his formidable wife Madge, and Dale’s own fiery Italian admirer is planning a trip to Venice for her to showcase his couture gowns…
Based on the classic 1935 film which starred Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the stage adaptation’s West End premiere won the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and the Evening Standard Award for Best Night Out. Acclaimed American director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall, whose Tony and Olivier Award-winning production of Anything Goes recently wowed audiences and critics in London and on television, comes to Chichester to stage this brand-new production.
2 – 30 August, Minerva Theatre
CHOIR
By Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. Directed by Hannah Joss
Heartwarming, funny and packed with glorious arrangements of contemporary songs, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s new comedy with music promises a thoroughly entertaining night out.
Morgan runs a community choir who meet weekly in a room above the local pub to sing great pop songs, chat and drink. There’s Paul, a former West End performer who now does local radio voiceovers; Esther and Joy, best friends who can’t stand each other; Anna, whose seemingly perfect life hides a secret; Ken, good egg and perennial loser; and Sheila, dark horse and pathological liar.
The choir are busy rehearsing a concert to raise money for young Freddie to go to music college. And when a TV producer invites them to perform on national television, Morgan seizes her opportunity to hit the big time.
But – are her eccentric group up to it? And what is Morgan prepared to sacrifice to get the acclaim she so desires? Home truths are revealed and secrets laid bare in this feelgood comedy, which explores loneliness and connection while celebrating the joy and power of community art.
6 September – 4 October, Minerva Theatre
HAMLET
By William Shakespeare, directed by Justin Audibert
Starring Giles Terera
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
The death of his father, the king, turns Hamlet’s world upside down. Stunned by the horrifying secrets revealed, he loses all trust in the people closest to him.
Amidst a maelstrom of grief, suspicion and doubt, he embarks on a profound journey of self-discovery in which the betrayal of friends and family – and the decay at the heart of the state – are laid bare.
Justin Audibert, Artistic Director of CFT, directs Chichester’s first ever production of Shakespeare’s supreme tragedy.
19 September – 11 October, Festival Theatre
William Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES
Adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams. Directed by Anthony Lau
Which is better – law and rescue or hunting and breaking things up? To have rules and agree or to hunt and kill like a pack of savages?
William Golding’s compelling adventure takes us into the heart of darkness.
A plane crash on a desert island abandons a group of young survivors to fend for themselves. Quickly, tribal loyalties start to form. Despite attempts by Ralph and Piggy to keep order, school rules are shed along with their uniforms, and friendly alliances fast become ferocious divisions.
As the children threaten to turn feral, a deadly struggle ensues between Ralph and his leadership rival, Jack. Will chaos overcome humanity – or, with a world at war beyond the island, can rescue come in time to save them?
A modern classic, Lord of the Flies has lost none of its riveting power since its publication in 1954; frequently ranked high in lists of iconic novels, and a constant presence on the school syllabus. Nigel Williams’s much admired stage adaptation premiered at the RSC in 1995.
11 October – 8 November, Minerva Theatre
SAFE SPACE
By Jamie Bogyo, Directed by Roy Alexander Weise
What’s in a name?
The winds of change are blowing through the elite ivy-league halls of one of America’s most prestigious universities. For students Isaiah, Connor, Annabelle, Omar and Stacy, on the precipice of starting their adult lives, life is no longer about getting through a political science lecture with a hangover and auditioning for the school acapella group. Confronting the injustices of the past is top of the agenda – starting with the fact that the college is named after a notorious defender of slavery.
And in this pressure cooker environment, everyone has to pick a side.
Beneath the passionate speeches, do old prejudices die hard? What happens to friendship and love amidst frank debate?
6 – 28 December, Minerva Theatre
Stiles and Drewe’s THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
Music by George Stiles, Book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe, A co-production with Unicorn Theatre
From the award-winning Stiles and Drewe (The Billy Goats Gruff, Honk!, Half a Sixpence) comes The Three Little Pigs – a “very curly musical tail” that is perfect for the whole family.
This charming and witty adventure is full of catchy songs and clever rhymes which will have you squealing with glee as three superstar piglets set about defeating the Big Bad Wolf.
Devoted Mother Pig is raising her three little pigs – sporty Bar, nature-loving Bee and bookworm Q – after Father Pig was gobbled by the Big Bad Wolf. But when their home starts looking like a really messy pigsty, Mother encourages her fast-growing youngsters to make their own way in the big wide world.
Bar, Bee and Q set about building their own houses from straw, sticks and bricks. But can they get the better of the huffing, puffing, always hungry (and a bit misunderstood) Big Bad Wolf?
A co-production with the Unicorn Theatre, this hugely entertaining adaptation of the classic tale is a perfect musical Christmas treat for young families.
15 – 31 December, Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Youth Theatre
A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS
By Matt Haig, Adapted for the stage by Philip Wilson. Music by Tom Brady. Lyrics by Philip Wilson and Tom Brady
Directed by Dale Rooks
An enthralling, charming and magical tale that tells the true story of Father Christmas.
For 11-year-old Nikolas, whose nickname is Christmas because he was born on 25 December, life isn’t easy. With only a doll made out of a turnip to keep him company, he believes in happiness but isn’t happy very often. Until the day he sets out – with his pet mouse Miika and a reindeer called Blitzen – on an extraordinary quest to follow his father and to find Elfhelm, the fabled village of the elves.
Join Nikolas on this life-changing adventure, full of fantastic characters and beautiful moments, and watch how one little boy comes to be the very symbol of Christmas itself. Full to bursting with festive wonder, this story from the award-winning writer Matt Haig – adapted for the stage by Philip Wilson (Cinderella, Grimm Tales), with original live music and songs by Tom Brady (Pinocchio, The Butterfly Lion) – will warm the hearts of audiences young and old.
In their 40th anniversary year, Chichester Festival Youth Theatre bring their magical gifts for storytelling to another captivating Christmas production, directed by Dale Rooks (The Wind in the Willows, Hey! Christmas Tree).
Monday 16 March – Sunday 12 April 2026
Roald Dahl’s
THE BFG
Adapted by Tom Wells, Directed by Daniel Evans
A Chichester Festival Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, and Roald Dahl Story Company production
Roald Dahl’s unforgettable story comes to life for Festival 2026 in a magical new adaptation by Tom Wells (The Kitchen Sink, Jumpers For Goalposts), directed by RSC Co-Artistic Director (and former CFT Artistic Director) Daniel Evans, whose previous productions include Quiz, South Pacific and Our Generation.
Festival 2025 BOOKING INFORMATION
Priority booking for Friends & Champions of Chichester Festival Theatre opens:
Saturday 22 February (online and booking forms only)
Tuesday 25 February (phone and in person)
Booking for Groups and Schools opens: Thursday 27 February
General booking opens: Saturday 1 March (online only) & Tuesday 4 March (phone and in person)
Tickets from £10
cft.org.uk Box Office 01243 781312
Prologue: £5 tickets for 16 – 30s
9,000 £5 tickets are available for 16 to 30 year-olds across all Festival 2025 productions; sign up for free at cft.org.uk/prologue.