Opposite Day
As Sat 25 January 2025 marks Opposite Day (yes, it’s a real thing!) we thought we’d take a look at our upcoming shows at Leeds Grand Theatre. Sure, the iconic lineup of plays and musicals are each hits in their own right, but why not spruce things up a bit by turning them on their head?
Written by Aaron Cawood
What will you come to next?
ZERO
This is a retelling of history like you’ve never seen it done before. We’ve all heard the stories of the main characters of the days of yore; William Shakespeare, Bonnie and Clyde, Eva Peron. We’ve even heard the stories of the side characters; Alexander Hamilton, the scrappy newsboys of 1899, the French revolutionaries of 1832. The script has been flipped over and over and, finally, it’s time to throw the script out. No interval; no story; no cast. ZERO. A show about history so unknown, it’s not even been written.
At the time of writing, I’m struggling to drum up funding to tour my ingenious ‘ninety minutes of unaccompanied silence’ magnum opus. While I try to iron out the kinks, if you are a history buff, musical fan, or you just love shows that push the envelope, don’t miss SIX as it returns to Leeds Tue 8 – Sat 12 July 2025 to tell the story of Henry VIII’s six wives in a whole new light.
The Boy On The Bus
Ricky Holmes is very content with his day-to-day life. The nights at home, the days in the office, the bus journeys that connect the two. It’s rhythmic. It’s standard. It’s completely unremarkable. And, sure, maybe if Ricky looked up from the Wordle on his morning commute, he might notice the mystery unfolding just beyond the bus windows each day. But he won’t be doing that. Ricky is just The Boy On The Bus, and he’s a big fan of the status quo.
It’s quite lucky that Rachel Watson is a bit more observant during her trips on the train. Though Ricky keeps missing the mystery, Rachel sees the signs. Rachel notices the moment someone goes missing… If that particular commute sounds more thrilling, The Girl On The Train, starring Laura Whitmore, is taking the stage in Leeds Tue 1 July – Sat 5 July, though we can’t promise the story is as uneventful as Ricky’s trip to work.
Sensible Flats
Following the disastrous twist of an ankle during a construction job, Liam takes matters into his own hands and sparks up a collaboration with a local shoe shop. The cause of the accident? The tiniest lift in his sole, fractional but enough to throw him off his balance. The risk is indeed in the heel and so, we are whisked into the land of Liam as he dedicates his life to producing the flattest, safest shoes the world has ever seen…
But we’re not getting Sensible Flats, because it doesn’t exist, and because there probably aren’t many people who’d want to sit and watch a musical about flat shoes. If you’d rather hear the story of a drag queen dead-set on revolutionising the stiletto starring Johannes Radebe and Dan Partridge, don’t miss Kinky Boots Tue 20 – Sat 24 May 2025.
Only Geniuses and Giraffes
Lucy ‘Led Girl’ Galloper and her sister Rhonda are destined for life in the big city. They need to get rich, and quickly. But how? By completely legitimate, secure and respectable means, of course. As they climb the ranks of the British elite, expect to see Lucy and Rhonda dance their way through declaring their taxes and abiding by corporate HR policies. For inexplicable reasons relating to branding, humour and puns, Led Girl is played by a giraffe.
The high life is plenty of fun, but there’s always a flipside. Across the tracks from Only Geniuses and Giraffes, don’t miss the chance to meet Del Boy and Rodney in Only Fools and Horses: The Musical – the iconic television series brought to the stage starring Paul Whitehouse. It’s at The Grand Mon 24 February – Sat 1 March 2025, so you’ve still got time to stick a pony in your pocket.
Giant Men
If Jack and the Beanstalk: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto got you thinking that more shows should feature giants, you’re not alone. Giant Men bravely asks the questions; what defines the relationship between a band of brothers and, perhaps more importantly, what changes when one of those brothers happens to be seventeen feet tall? What makes us human, what makes us giant and, really, can true brotherhood be the friends we make along the way?
This might bring to mind the historic Little Women which features no fantastically sized characters and instead focuses on just telling a deeply heartfelt, insightful and genre-defining story of sisterhood. If you can overlook the lack of fantasy creatures, Little Women is at The Grand Tue 10 – Sat 14 June 2025 to bring Louisa May Alcott‘s timeless story of the unbreakable bonds of love and family to the stage
Pigeon Into Heaven
You might not realise it, but Tofu Slice has produced quite the catalogue of toe-tapping hits. From I Won’t Do Anything For Love (But I Might Do That) to the iconic Three Out of Three Is, In Fact, Bad, their impact on the industry cannot be overstated. Based on the eponymous song, Pigeon Into Heaven is a rock ‘n’ roll jukebox musical that will take you to paradise and back.
Okay, you’ve rumbled me. Tofu Slice came to me in a dream, and I’ve been trying to convince the world of their existence since. At the time of writing, I am realising the stark similarities to the very real band Meat Loaf. If music that exists and is iconic is more your thing, Bat Out Of Hell is rocking its way onto our stage Mon 21 – Sat 26 April 2025 and it’s something truly legendary.
