WHAT'S ON at THEATRE AT THE TABARD
40th Anniversary Year
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2 Bath Road
London
W4 1LW
A minute’s walk from Turnham Green tube station (district line). Just leave the station and turn right. The Theatre has its own entrance in the Tabard pub’s beer garden.
The 94 Bus from the West End, Notting Hill and Shepherd’s Bush stops outside our front door. Other buses stopping nearby are the 27, 267, 237, 391, E3 and H91.
There is free parking on The Avenue after 6.30pm.
NEW SEASON: CLICK ON LINKS FOR BOX OFFICE
READ INTERVIEW WITH IN-HOUSE PRODUCERS SARAH AND SIMON REILLY CHATTING ABOUT THE TABARD'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY
24 Sep - 18 Oct 2025
Comedy
Shakespeare's most famous comedy is rooted in tragedy. Within the first quarter of an hour we meet a young woman confronting the horrific possibility that her twin brother is drowned, a young man in an agony of rejected love, and a household servant who believes fate has made him a slave when he should be a lord. The genius of the play lies in how the author weaves these stories together in the music of comedy while the principle characters experience life though the grating noise of tragically unfulfilled desires, self deceit, and constant humiliation. This emotional juggling act could only have been pulled off by a great writer at the height of his power.
The Chronicle Theatre Company is proud to offer its audience one of the world's greatest plays in a simple, lean and accessible production suitable for all ages and dedicated to clarity, honesty, and laughter.
22 Oct - 8 Nov 2025
Drama
Based on a true story.
In this hauntingly poetic one-woman play, Züleyha takes the stage to reclaim her story — not in straight lines, but in fragments. Through vivid, nonlinear memories, she leads us through nostalgia, trauma, defiance, and survival. Some stories are brighter. Others are unbearable. Together, they form a portrait of a woman who was abused, ignored, and forced into silence — by her family, her community, even the authorities meant to protect her.
Züleyha has lived a full life. But silence is no longer an option.
Züleyha is not just a confession- it's a confrontation. An invitation to listen, and to heal.
5 Oct 2025
Drama
Watson. An old soldier with a few bruises and a cracking story to tell.
1894. Watson is alone. His beloved wife Mary and the great Sherlock Holmes are both gone. But London seethes with false reports and rumours. It is time to set the record straight.
So Watson tells his tale… a tale of long buried secrets, betrayal, and death. For there is a shadow in the gutters of London. A spider’s web of poisonous intrigue lies across the city. Someone is playing a long game and Holmes and Watson face their greatest ever challenge. But as Watson unravels the story, is the game really over?
Watson: The Final Problem is created in collaboration with and directed by Bert Coules, the BBC’s head writer on adaptations of the Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Starring Tim Marriott whose previous shows at the Tabard include Appraisal, Jack’s Ashes and A Special Relationship.
Watson: The Final Problemis a gripping, atmospheric journey through one man’s memories, regrets, and revelations. Book now – the game is far from over!
★★★★★ “Marriott’s performance is impeccable. Captivating acting, excellent sound design, perfect execution” – Stage Whispers
★★★★★ “A thrilling ride, dense and absorbing” – InDaily
★★★★★ “A fresh, deeper look at Watson in an absorbing example of great theatre. Don’t miss it.” – BroadwayWorld
“The kind of acting magic that can only be seen live onstage” – Baker Street Journal
“You will be entertained and mystified”“Directed with surgical precision by Bert Coules and portrayed with equal precision and sensitivity by Tim Marriott” – NewsNotesDance
“A brilliant take on what motivated both the master criminal and the master of detection” – Woman Around Town
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12 Oct 2025
Cabaret
Following their sellout performances at the V&A, Celebrate Voice at Salisbury and Crazy Coqs, Olivier award-winner Janie Dee and King of Cabaret, Stefan Bednarczyk celebrate Noel Coward – both the story behind his artistry and their relationship to him through his wonderfully witty and deeply touching songs.
Join Janie and Stefan for one night only at the Tabard.
19 Oct 2025
Cabaret
The songs of one of the greatest American songwriters, performed by Stefan Bednarczyk
Whether you’re poisoning pigeons in the park, doing the Vatican rag, or remembering your periodic table, there’s no situation in life that can’t be made better, or, at least, clearer, by the great American songwriter Tom Lehrer. Catchy tunes and pin-sharp lyrics combine in this perennially popular show.
From the space race to mathematics, from politics to pigeons, from chemistry to Catholicism: no subject is too big or small for Tom Lehrer’s razor-sharp wit. Sometimes satirical and sometimes absurd, Lehrer’s songs capture the spirit of an age.
30 - 31 Oct 2025
Family
Production by:
Faceplant Theatre
"It's a cold rainy night and a storm is outside,
Rain beats on the window by Lily's bedside.
She's scared of the dark so she shuts her eyes tight,
She hates nothing more than the dead of the night.
Tap tap tap
Comes the noise from the hallway..."
Will Lily conquer her fears?Will she conquer her fright? Will she conquer the ghouls in dead of the night?
Arthur McBain's witty, spooky, and heartfelt debut childrens' book has sold both internationally in Australia, Korea and Turkey, and in the UK as one of Waterstones core Children's Book Range. Faceplant Theatre are incredibly excited to be adapting McBain's story for its first ever outing as a theatrical production. McBain's second book Night of the Living Pasta has just been released, with McBain destined to become a household name as a children's author.
Older and Wider Live: Work in Progress
2 - 23 Nov 2025
Spoken Word
From the writers of the internationally successful Grumpy Old Women, award winning comedian Jenny Eclair and producer and writer Judith Holder deliver Older and Wider: Live, a live edition of their popular podcast.
Join them on a Sunday afternoon as they work out what a new live edition of the podcast entails.
9 Nov 2025
Spoken Word
The definitive insight into the real life of Britain’s most notorious gangsters, from their trusted official biographer. For decades they were feared as the ultimate criminal gang lords of the London underworld, but their reign of terror came crashing to an end when in 1969 both Ronnie and Reggie Kray were given life sentences by a judge at the Old Bailey. Reggie went on to serve decades in some of the toughest prisons in the country, while Ronnie became a patient at Broadmoor with an insanity that was only kept under control by massive doses of drugs.
TV legend Fred Dinenage was chosen by the twins to tell their official story, and he became one of the very few people allowed into their inner circle. Fred gained an unparalleled insight into the real lives of the legendary kings of crime, and in this show he reveals stories and situations for the first time that have never been told publicly before.
12 - 29 Nov 2025
Comedy Drama
Possum Trot by Kathy Rucker - The Birth of a Ghost Town
American playwright Kathy Rucker brings small-town America to life in the world premiere of Possum Trot.
Maxine, the spirited owner of the only diner in Possum Trot, Nebraska, is on a mission to save her town from disappearing off the map. Facing down relentless agricultural giants, battling climate disasters like droughts, floods, and tornadoes (and yes, even a flying cow!), and navigating the chaos of her own family’s dramas, Maxine fights tooth and nail to keep the soul of her town alive.
But with young people fleeing for the big city and corporate powers knocking at the door, can Maxine hold Possum Trot together? Or will it fade into memory like so many small towns before it?
Kathy Rucker is an award-winning American playwright whose work has been produced across the U.S. and the U.K. Her play Crystal Springs premiered at London’s Park Theatre, earning the London Independent Story Prize for Best Stage Play and praise from The Independent, which called it “an acutely intelligent play about cyberbullying… highly recommended.” Her play Darling, produced at the Hope Theatre in London and directed by Scott Le Crass, was nominated for the Standing Ovation Award.
Kathy’s work has also been seen on stages in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Omaha, and Alaska, captivating audiences with her sharp wit, emotional depth, and timely explorations of contemporary issues.
Starring Sarah Berger (An Inspector Calls, Doctor Who) as Maxine; directed by Scott Le Crass (The Jab, Park Theatre; Rose, Ambassadors Theatre); and produced by Kevin Nolan, Possum Trot paints a vivid, quirky, and touching portrait of a way of life that is slowly disappearing — the rural small-town farm community.
Don’t miss this celebration of resilience, community, and the fierce heart of rural America.
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Al Murray : All You Need is Guv (Work in Progress)
17 Nov - 8 Dec 2025
Stand Up Comedy
The chance to catch Britain’s favourite publican as he tries out material for his new tour All You Need is Guv.
This is a rare opportunity to catch one of Britain’s finest comedians in an intimate setting as he polishes his legendary bar-room banter.
‘A supremely polished performer’ ★★★★★ Mail on Sunday
5 Dec 2025 - 3 Jan 2026
Family
From the creative team behind the Tabard’s Christmas hits, Five Children and It, The Secret Garden and The Snow Queen comes a heartwarming new adaptation of the much-loved classic story from E.Nesbit.
When their father is unexpectedly called away, three children -Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis - are uprooted from their London home and find themselves in the countryside. Through a world of steam trains, station porters, and unexpected adventures, they discover the power of kindness, courage, and hope.
Adapted by Louise Haddington and directed by the Tabard’s Artistic Director Simon Reilly, The Railway Children is a joyful and moving tale that celebrates the importance of family and community.
Book today for the perfect festive treat and a magical journey for all ages.
7 Dec 2025
Comedy
In a special Christmas event for the Tabard Theatre’s 40th anniversary, Kevin McNally reprises the role of Tony Hancock in The Missing Hancocks, a loving recreation of the missing episodes of Hancock’s Half Hour radio show.
Between 1954 and 1959, BBC Radio recorded 102 episodes of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson’s comedy classic, Hancock’s Half Hour. The first modern sitcom, it made stars of Tony Hancock, Sid James and Kenneth Williams, and launched Galton & Simpson as one of the most successful comedy-writing partnerships in history. Actor Neil Pearson discovered the scripts of recordings lost from the BBC’s archives and the show was first performed at the Assembly Rooms for the Edinburgh Festival in 2015 and then was recorded for BBC Radio 4.
A Jazz Noël: The Christmas Sessions
15 Dec 2025
Music
Celebrate the festive season in style with A Jazz Noël: The Christmas Sessions — an evening of classic Christmas jazz delivered with charm, flair, and a fresh twist. Set in the intimate surroundings of the Tabard, this special concert brings together some of the UK’s finest jazz musicians for a night of timeless music and holiday cheer.
The show features a vibrant live band made up of a four-piece horn section, a dynamic rhythm section, and a charismatic vocalist — delivering a rich, full-bodied sound that captures the warmth and spirit of the season. Audiences can expect to hear festive favourites made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, and Harry Connick Jr, alongside inventive new arrangements that bring a fresh perspective to the Christmas songbook.
20 - 24 Dec 2025
Returning after a sell-out run, actor Clive Francis returns to the Tabard this Christmas with his acclaimed adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic.
Francis plays the misanthropic Ebenezer Scrooge in this delightful one-man show for family audiences.
Inspired by Dickens’ first reading and performance of A Christmas Carol in December 1853, Clive Francis re-enacts this festive masterpiece with words penned by Dickens, while playing every notable character from the original, haunting story.
★★★★ “Performance of his career” Daily Telegraph
★★★★ “Touches the heart” Independent
★★★★ “Wondrous old skinflint” Daily Mail
★★★★ “Spell-binding” The Sunday Times
★★★★ “Clive Francis’ storytelling is enthralling a if it had only this minute sprung to life” The Irish Times
★★★★ “Clive Francis’s Scrooge is the best!” Birmingham Mail
