Dance at Theatre Royal Plymouth in 2026

30th January 2026

This year promises to be an exciting one for dance lovers, with a rich and varied programme coming to Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP). The main Lyric stage welcomes back English National Ballet for the first time in 36 years with Body & Soul, alongside The Dance Consortium’s UK debut tour of MÁM, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s spectacular Don Quixote, and Matthew Bourne’s exhilarating The Car Man. Meanwhile, the Drum Theatre will shine a spotlight on local talent, showcasing the work of artists in BLOOM alongside INTO THE LIGHT.

INTO THE LIGHT, 12 – 13 Feb 2026

World-class dance, live music by Sean Pett, and sculptural LED design collide in PCK Dance’s INTO THE LIGHT — a groundbreaking cross-art experience from one of the UK’s most acclaimed contemporary dance companies.

Recently nominated for Best Independent Company and Emerging Choreographers at the National Dance Awards, co-founders James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight have created a performance that fuses the emotional power of movement, the immediacy of live sound, and the visual impact of light into one seamless, cinematic event.

Throughout the evening, composer Sean Pett performs live on piano, synthesiser and digital controllers — mixing sound in real time on stage to create an immersive world of rhythm, energy and emotion that constantly shifts and evolves with the dancers.

The evening features two contrasting works, united by their bold physicality and striking design; Vessel and In The Absence.

With its fusion of world-class dance, live music, and cutting-edge visual design, INTO THE LIGHT is a powerful, multi-sensory experience that redefines the boundaries of contemporary performance. 

MÁM, The Lyric, 03 – 04 Mar 2026 (10+)

MÁM is international dance-theatre at its finest. Described as ‘80 minutes of ritualised ecstasy’ by The Irish Times, this visionary piece playfully and provocatively takes you on an otherworldly journey steeped in the landscape and culture of West Kerry in Ireland.

12 fearless dancers summon a whirlwind of myth and magic, moved by the collaborative music making of virtuoso Irish traditional concertina player Cormac Begley and European classical contemporary collective s t a r g a z e, performed live on stage.

Nominated for an Olivier Award, MÁM has enjoyed sellout performances at Sadler’s Wells, London and across Festivals world-wide. This rapturous production now embarks on its debut UK tour for Dance Consortium.

BLOOM, 10 Mar 2026 (12+)

Experience the energy and creativity of the South West’s vibrant dance scene as Richard Chappell Dance returns to TRP with BLOOM, a powerful evening of dance by Devon and Plymouth based artists.

At the heart of the evening is Challacombe Chronicled, celebrating Dartmoor’s natural beauty and rich history through captivating movement by Richard Chappell Dance, powerful original poetry by Saili Katebe, and live folk music by Ben Moss, collaborator with renowned musician Grace Petrie.

As part of the company’s Supporting Acts Initiative, Divija Melally presents The Skeleton is White. Drawing on her background in contemporary and South Asian classical dance, Melally explores how the present modern world affects our relationships to each other and our environment. Completing the programme is Plymouth’s Rhythm City Dance with a new work by artistic director and choreographer Kadus Smith.

BRB Don Quixote, The Lyric, 18 – 21 Mar 2026 (5+)

Carlos Acosta’s explosion of spectacular dance and vivacious comedy.

Birmingham Royal Ballet returns to the TRP in March 2026 with the first revival of Director Carlos Acosta’s joyful production of Don Quixote, inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel.

Meet the famous knight himself, lovers Kitri and Basilio, and a host of supporting characters, all paired with spectacular dance and vivacious comedy.

If you like Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty, you shouldn’t miss this stunning 19th-century masterpiece, full of thrilling pas de deux and so much more!

Treat yourself and all your family to some Spanish sunshine.

ENB Body & Soul, The Lyric, 30 – 02 May 2026

Get ready to be immersed in two resonant premieres from Crystal Pite and Kameron N. Saunders.

How do we interpret the world around us? How do we respond and react, in our bodies and in our minds? Crystal Pite and Kameron N. Saunders create two powerful works which go to the very core of the human experience.

This bold new programme features the UK premiere of Body and Soul (Part 1) from acclaimed choreographer Crystal Pite, who originally created the piece for Paris Opera Ballet and has worked with companies across the world.

This hypnotic work explores our response to bereavement and the resulting conflicting impulses. It opens with two dancers in black suits and white shirts, bathed in a stark light. They move to a voice, speaking in French, describing their actions. As the words repeat, with loops and echoes, the duet swells to a crowd, seamlessly blending precision and fluidity and morphing to create mesmerising waves of movement across the stage.

Kameron N. Saunders has built a huge following as a commercial dancer for some of the world’s biggest artists, including Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan. He is also a prize-winning choreographer who has created pieces for Joffrey Ballet and Dallas Black Dance Theatre.

For this world premiere, Saunders brings his fresh choreographic voice to a new work in three parts, inspired by his personal experience. Saunders invites us to explore the battle to find our authentic self under crushing societal scrutiny – how we deal with judgements projected upon us, the decisions we make, and their impact on us and those around us. Harold Walker III and Brandon Finklea compose a new score, performed by English National Ballet Philharmonic.

Mathew Bourne’s The Car Man, The Lyric, 14 – 18 Jul 2026 (12+)

Matthew Bourne’s award-winning The Car Man is back! Loosely based on Bizet’s ever-popular opera, The Car Man has one of the most thrilling and instantly recognisable scores in New Adventures’ repertoire.

The familiar 19^th Century Spanish cigarette factory becomes a greasy 1950’s garage-diner in the American Mid-West where the dreams and passions of a small-town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.

Matthew Bourne’s vivid storytelling combines with one of the most passionately dramatic scores ever written, with music by Terry Davies featuring Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen), to create a dance thriller like no other.

The Car Man will ignite your senses and leave you breathless.