Grace always perks up when regional theatre gets the spotlight. There’s something deeply joyful about seeing ambitious, high-quality work travel far beyond major metropolitan centres. The house southeast touring network, an initiative powered by Farnham Maltings and supported by Arts Council England, has announced a spring 2026 season that promises daring storytelling, electrifying tricks and dreamily gentle theatre for very young audiences.
Across 34 theatres in Southeast England, house puts independent artists on small and mid-scale stages, where local communities can get up close to bold, diverse and intimate performance. If you’ve ever lived outside the major theatrical hotspots, you’ll know how valuable that is: quality touring work can feel like a gift dropped straight into your local arts centre, without needing a three-hour train journey and a sandwich that costs more than the ticket.
Peter Glanville, Chief Executive of Farnham Maltings, says the spring season has been lovingly curated to bring renowned theatre to regional audiences of all ages. Programming support from house doesn’t just help venues fill their calendars — it builds audiences, awareness and appetite for theatre as an artform worth experiencing regularly, not just on birthdays or rainy outings.
This season begins with BLUBBER, the Edinburgh Fringe hit from award-winning artist Katie Greenall. It’s a deeply personal and disarmingly funny look at body confidence, sparked from Katie’s unlikely but life-changing hobby: synchronised swimming. Grace is intrigued by any show involving splashing storytelling, soggy emotions and the realisation that the water sometimes holds answers we didn’t know we needed. BLUBBER is heartfelt, powerful, and full of generous humour — the kind that makes audiences feel seen and gently uplifted rather than lectured.
Next up, the littlest audience members are being treated like royalty. Counting Sheeps, created by Hull-based company The Herd, is a soothing and sensory musical adventure for babies and toddlers. It follows two sheep on a delightfully emotional journey filled with small frustrations and sleepy joys. Expect music, softness, immersive textures and a room that radiates calm rather than overstimulated chaos. Counting Sheeps will visit 20 venues across the southeast, and Grace applauds anyone who builds theatre that welcomes prams, snacks, tired eyes and occasional mid-show naps without judgment.
Finally, Rollercoster brings the wow-factor courtesy of Gandini Juggling and Wes Peden. Picture ultra-modern pop-punk juggling performed inside giant inflatable structures, under lighting that pulses to electronic beats composed from distorted rollercoaster sounds. The tricks are cutting-edge, utterly mesmerising and delivered with such athletic confidence that Grace may need a small lie-down afterwards. If someone describes a show as “electrifying” and “high impact,” the satchel is already packed and ready for front row seats.
Senior Producer for house, Harriet Bolwell, sums up the season perfectly: there truly is something for everyone. BLUBBER offers honesty, compassion and body-positive storytelling with humour at its core. Counting Sheeps gives babies, carers and families a gentle sensory theatre world to enjoy together. And Rollercoaster brings a surge of visual fireworks that turns juggling into pop-art spectacle.
But the real value of house lies in the infrastructure beneath the performances. Financial support, programming advice, audience development, network days, and staff training all help small and mid-scale venues survive and thrive. The network also co-ordinates initiatives around internships, access and sustainability, expanding opportunities for creatives and communities far beyond a single touring show. It’s theatre ecology at its best — nurturing talent, strengthening venues, and making regional performance feel essential rather than optional.
Grace’s final word from the satchel: regional theatre deserves stages filled with artists who aren’t diluted by geography. The house network continues to prove that small-scale venues can punch above their weight when supported with funding, logistics, training and a shared belief that audiences deserve brilliant theatre close to home.
Spring 2026 promises splashes, sheep and spectacular juggling. If that doesn’t sound like a very good time, Grace would like to check your pulse.
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