With the buzz of Freshers 2025 slowly dying down, what better time than ever for a cosy night out at the theatre? I have rounded up the shows taking to the stage this October, so you can make use of the student discounts and go to see some fantastic theatre with your friends this autumn…
Bedlam Theatre
The Improverts (Fridays, 8 September – 24 April)
At the heart of our university, The Improverts provide a great laugh after a tough week of lectures. As Fringe’s longest-running sketch-comedy-improv show, the cast promises a fun time as they take in audience suggestions to form something chaotically beautiful.
BED-lam: Where Dreams Come True (25-27 September)
Join a cast of this year’s Freshers as a variety of characters (placed into ten families) drift into dreamland, with entirely original pieces based on a given prompt.
Endgame (01-03 October)
This tragicomedy by Samuel Beckett showcases themes of existentialism, parentage, and complex storytelling. In this Bedlam adaptation, we see exactly that in the co-dependent relationship between characters Hamm and Clov.
Festival Theatre
War Horse (2-11 October)
War Horse mixes acting and life-sized horse puppeteering (by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company) to bring to life Michael Morpurgo’s iconic story of Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, amidst the outbreak of World War I.
To Kill a Mockingbird (21-25 Oct)
An adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel, audiences are transported into a world of 1930s Alabama, where we follow the story of Atticus Finch as he defends Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.
Black Sabbath – The Ballet (30 Oct-1 Nov)
Birmingham Royal Ballet brings up the volume like no other, accompanied by thrilling dance and full orchestrations of famous Black Sabbath tracks – including songs like ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Iron Man’.
Edinburgh Playhouse
Six (21 – 25 Oct)
Divorced. Beheaded. Live! The renowned group of Henry VIII’s six wives, transformed into pop princesses, makes its royal return to Edinburgh. With their bright-coloured costumes and strong, belting voices, Six is an unmissable experience for all theatre-lovers.
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
The Seagull (9 Oct – 1 Nov)
Following Chekhov’s world-renowned play, this reimagining by Mike Poulton depicts the cost of artistic ambition, disillusionment, and existentialism – as we follow the unrequited love and complex relationships between Trigorin, Nina, and Konstantin.
“Bedlam Theatre – geograph.org.uk – 3529565 (cropped)” is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.