Credit: David Freeman
Right then, love — Grace here, scarf wrapped twice round, vowels stretched proper wide, and stood outside the Lyceum thinking, “Aye, this’ll sort us right out.” If January’s got you slumped on sofa wondering why it’s dark at four o’clock, the programme coming up at the Lyceum Theatre has other plans altogether. This is not a limp start to year. This is colour, noise, drama, daftness and a few sharp intakes of breath — just how we like it.
We start with a Nutcracker, but don’t be picturing snowflakes and polite tutus. Nutcracker in Havana arrives from Wednesday 7 to Saturday 10 January, and it’s got more warmth in it than a radiator that actually works. Choreographed by Carlos Acosta CBE and performed by his company Acosta Danza, this is classical ballet stirred through with Cuban rhythm and sunshine. You still get Tchaikovsky — don’t panic — but it’s danced with hips, heart and a bit of swagger. It sold out on tour for a reason, and I can see why. January needs this sort of joy.
Then, just as you’re feeling cultured and calm, in stomps The Rocky Horror Show from Monday 12 to Saturday 17 January. And honestly, Sheffield knows how to do Rocky. This is not a sit-quietly-and-clap affair. This is corsets, call-backs, glitter in places you didn’t expect and a theatre full of people pretending they don’t know every word to Time Warp. Brad, Janet, Frank’n’Furter — they’re all here, and if you leave without a grin (or a slight ringing in your ears), you’ve done it wrong.
After all that nonsense — and I mean that affectionately — we glide into something smoother. Top Hat arrives from Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 January, bringing old-school glamour and a bit of romance to shake the cold off. Based on the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film, this one’s all elegance, sharp choreography and tunes that make you feel like life’s got a bit of sparkle in it again. Cheek to Cheek, Puttin’ on the Ritz — you’ll be humming before you’ve hit Tudor Square.
Then comes a proper shift in mood. To Kill A Mockingbird takes over from Tuesday 27 January to Saturday 7 February, and this one asks you to sit up and pay attention. Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation brings the courtroom drama and moral weight of the novel to the Lyceum, with Sheffield’s own Richard Coyle as Atticus Finch. It’s thoughtful, powerful and quietly devastating in places. Not an easy watch, but an important one — the sort of night where the audience leaves quieter than it arrived.
February kicks off with big voices and big feelings as The Bodyguard returns from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 February. Starring Sidonie Smith and Adam Garcia, it’s romance, danger and Whitney Houston classics rolled into one. You know the songs, you know the moment everyone’s waiting for — and aye, it still works.
If you’re after a proper laugh, Tuesday 17 February is your night. Chris McCausland brings Yonks! to Sheffield for one night only. You’ll have seen him on telly, but live is where this lands best — warm, sharp, self-aware comedy that feels like a chat with someone who knows exactly what life’s like and isn’t pretending otherwise.
On Wednesday 18 February, things get a bit creepier with Uncanny: Fear of the Dark. Danny Robins and his team return with real-life stories that sit somewhere between sceptic and believer. It’s clever, unsettling and very good at making you question that noise you hear later when house is quiet. You’ve been warned.
Families aren’t forgotten either. The Tiger Who Came to Tea returns from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 February, bringing Judith Kerr’s much-loved story to life with songs, silliness and one extremely greedy tiger. It’s short, joyful and perfect for little ones — and let’s be honest, more than a few grown-ups too.
And to round things off, February finishes with its claws out. Single White Female arrives from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 February, starring Kym Marsh and Lisa Faulkner. What starts as a sensible flatshare turns dark very quickly, with secrets, identity and tension tightening scene by scene. It’s sharp, unsettling and exactly the kind of thriller that has you leaning forward without realising.
So there you go. Ballet with backbone. Musicals with swagger. Laughs, gasps, goosebumps and a tiger who eats everything. If that doesn’t tempt you out into Sheffield winter, I don’t know what will.
All Lyceum productions are on sale now. Tickets can be booked in person at the Box Office, by phone on 0114 249 6000, or via sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
If this is how Sheffield’s starting 2026, I’d say we’re in good hands.
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