What's on at the theatre in Wolverhampton in 2026

The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has played host to icons of stage and screen in its 130-year history.

In 1909, future Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed a male-only audience as president of the Board of Trade at the theatre, before being interrupted by a group of Suffragettes who threw smoke bombs. Charlie Chaplin and Sir Ian McKellen are among stars who have trod the boards.

During 2026, the theatre is continuing to bring an array of genres, from musicals to plays to opera, to the city.

Here are 10 of the shows due to take place in Wolverhampton during 2026.

Divorced, beheaded ... live.

Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow's musical about the six wives of Henry VIII has taken audiences by storm.

It started life at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and since then has amassed legion of fans and played to audiences in London, New York, and Australia.

Six The Musical is at the Grand from 20-31 January.

Stage adaptations of iconic sitcoms have become a popular trend, from the likes of Only Fools and Horses to Mrs Brown's Boys and Men Behaving Badly.

And 50 years since first gracing TV screens, Fawlty Towers is now coming to the stage, adapted by the TV show's co-writer and star, John Cleese.

Starring Danny Bayne as Basil, Paul Nicholas as Major and Joanne Clifton as Polly, Fawlty Towers - The Play is at the Grand from 10-21 February.

Another West End and Broadway smash which started out life as a fringe musical is Operation Mincemeat.

The musical comedy concerns Britain's World War One outlandish deception operation, which disguised the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily.

Described as Singin' in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Operation Mincemeat picked up the 2024 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and picked up a Tony Award in 2025. Operation Mincemeat is at the Grand from 17-21 March.

Seen by over 35 million theatregoers worldwide, The Rocky Horror Show is famous for a reason. Richard O'Brien's legendary rock 'n' roll musical comes to Wolverhampton as part of a new world tour, directed by Christopher Luscombe.

It features the songs Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet, and the pelvic-thrusting Time Warp - as well as lot of audience participation

Rocky Horror is at the Grand from 13-18 April.

Patricia Highsmith's 1955 psychological thriller, which later became a film and a Netflix series, is adapted for the stage.

The Talented Mr Ripley stars Ed McVey as the eponymous Tom Ripley - previously played on screen by Matt Damon and Andrew Scott - a conman tasked with bringing home a wealthy stranger's son from Italy.

Seduced by the life that Dickie Greenleaf leads, fascination morphs into obsession, with consequences for Tom, Dickie, and Dickie's girlfriend, Marge, played by EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing Star, Maisie Smith.

The Talented Mr Ripley is at the Grand from 20-25 April.

Award-winning opera producer and director Ellen Kent tours three shows as part of her farewell tour, featuring Opera International Kyiv from Ukraine.

On 11 May, audiences can see La Traviata, Verdi's tale about the life of the courtesan, Violetta. Carmen, Bizet's story of passion, sexual jealousy, and death comes to Wolverhampton on 12 May.

Madama Butterfly, Puccini's tragic story of a young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant, rounds out the trilogy on 13 May.

2:22 A Ghost Story became a phenomenon on the West End, with Lily Allen, Cheryl Cole and Stacey Dooley some of the stars who have trod the boards in the main role.

The supernatural thriller revolves around Jenny, who believes her new home is haunted, to the frustration of husband Sam.

2:22 A Ghost Story is at the Grand from 18-23 May.

Now on its 10th anniversary tour, Waitress stars Carrie Hope Fletcher as Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker.

It features a score by Grammy award-winning Sara Bareilles, a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson and direction by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus.

Waitress is at the Grand from 1-6 June.

Winner of Best New Musical at the WhatsOnStage Awards and direct from the West End, this musical was adapted from the iconic film by a creative team including Tina Fey.

TV personality, actor and Steps star Faye Tozer takes on three roles, the mothers of Cady Heron and queen bee Regina George, as well as maths teacher Ms Norbury.

Mean Girls is at the Grand from 23-27 June.

Another adaptation of a smash hit film, Legally Blonde stars Strictly Come Dancing finalist and Love Island winner Amber Davies as Elle Woods.

What, like it's hard?

Legally Blonde is at the Grand from 13-17 October.

Bringing idyllic Greek settings and Swedish pop perfection to Wolverhampton, everyone knows the plot to Mamma Mia.

The smash hit is at the Grand from 27 October until 7 November.

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