Barn Theatre Announces First Details Of Its 2026 Built By Barn Season
Barn Theatre Announces First Details Of Its 2026 Built By Barn Season
The Barn Theatre in Cirencester has announced the first shows in its 2026 Built By Barn season, featuring a world premiere stage adaptation of Men Behaving Badly and a bold new festive revival of Olivier Award-winning musical Honk!. Both productions continue the theatre’s commitment to developing high-quality new work in Gloucestershire before sharing it with audiences across the UK and beyond.
The season will open with Men Behaving Badly: The Play, written by the TV show’s original creator Simon Nye and directed by Joseph O’Malley. Later in the year, families can look forward to a vibrant new production of Honk! over Christmas 2026, reimagining the much-loved musical for a new generation of theatregoers.
World Premiere Stage Adaptation Of Men Behaving Badly
Friday 30 January – Saturday 7 March 2026
CEO and Artistic Director Iwan Lewis, Executive Director Liam McMullan, and the whole team at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester are delighted to confirm that the 2026 Built By Barn season will kick off with the world premiere stage adaptation of “one of the most successful British comedies of all time” (Telegraph) Men Behaving Badly.
Written by Simon Nye, the show’s original writer, and directed by Joseph O’Malley, Men Behaving Badly: The Play will run at the Barn from Friday 30 January until Saturday 7 March 2026, with a national press night on Tuesday 3 February. Priority tickets for Men Behaving Badly: The Play are available now, with general sale from Saturday 22 November at 1pm.
Four old friends and a wedding in the morning – what could possibly go wrong?
London, 31 December 1999. Gary’s clinging to his youth, Dorothy’s had enough, Deborah’s got a plan, and Tony’s… still Tony. The world is bracing for Y2K as the much-loved foursome prepare for their own Big Day, but when resolutions clash with revelations, the gang might just prove that the real millennium bug… is them.
Audiences can expect pints, fireworks and a complete lack of adult supervision, as the play picks up the characters where the TV series left off.
Director Joseph O’Malley said he is “delighted to be joining Simon Nye in bringing one of Britain’s best loved comedies to the stage for the first time… to me this show is a celebration of friendship, of the 90s and of the healing power of sitting on a sofa with people you love and talking absolute rubbish. Less doomscrolling and social media anxiety, more real human interaction and, of course, bad behaviour!”
The creative team for Men Behaving Badly: The Play includes set and costume designer Alfie Heywood, associate costume designer Denise Cleal, sound designer Amanda Priestley and casting director Marc Frankum. Men Behaving Badly is performed by arrangement with Knight Hall Agency Ltd.
Bold New Revival Of Stiles And Drewe’s Olivier Award-Winning Musical Honk!
Saturday 21 November 2026 – Sunday 3 January 2027
Later in the year, the Barn will present a vibrant new festive production of Honk!, playing from Saturday 21 November 2026 until Sunday 3 January 2027, with a press night on Wednesday 25 November.
Ugly has a face only a mother can love. Down at the duckpond his siblings and friends tease him for his looks, but there is more to this plucky ‘duckling’ than meets the eye. Lost and in peril of being eaten, Ugly embarks on an adventure of wild goose chases and mistaken identities to discover who he really is.
Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, this Olivier Award-winning musical – with book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe and music by George Stiles – has been performed over 8,000 times worldwide. The Barn’s 2026 staging introduces a refreshed visual world and updated musical sensibility, while keeping the heart of the classic story intact. Honk! reimagines Ugly’s journey of belonging, self-discovery and hope for a new generation of family audiences. Further details of the creative team and casting will be announced in 2026.
Honk! is performed by arrangement with Music Theatre International.
Iwan Lewis said, “This is just a taste of what’s to come in 2026. With the Barn’s production of I’m Sorry, Prime Minister opening in the West End early in the year, our mission is clearer than ever – to build work on our small stage in Cirencester and share it on the biggest stages around the world. To open the season with Simon Nye’s brand-new Men Behaving Badly: The Play and then welcome families back at Christmas for a big musical treat with Stiles and Drewe’s Honk! feels like the perfect statement of intent. I can’t wait to show you the rest of the year.”
The 2026 season announcement follows the Barn’s recent launch of its new Barn Visiting Productions and Barn Supported Partnerships initiative, opening the theatre’s doors to a broader range of companies while continuing to develop and premiere its own in-house work.
Further 2026 season announcements, including co-productions, partnerships and additional Built By Barn titles, will be released over the coming months.
The Barn Theatre is also proud to announce that global insurance group HOWDEN will be renewing as the Main Sponsor for another year, continuing a valued partnership that champions creativity, community and the performing arts.
Explore Gloucestershire
19 November 2025
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