Newcastle Theatre Royal promises a diverse and dynamic line up to engage, thrill, and delight audiences over the next three months.

Musicals taking centre stage are the feel-good Mama Mia (Wednesday 11- Saturday 28 February) and West End mega-hit TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, (Tuesday 3- Saturday 14 March).

Opera buffs are in for a treat with Opera North’s Mozart’s comic masterpiece, The Marriage of Figuro, (Thursday 19 and Saturday 21 March) and Peter Grimes, a violent sea-swept classic of conflict (March 20), also by Opera North. The esteemed Royal Shakespeare Company will perform Hamlet (Tuesday March 31- Saturday 4 April).

The feast of theatre starts on Tuesday, February 3, with Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts, the first-ever stage adaptation of the legendary detective from ITV’s long-running Inspector Morse.

A gripping investigation - sparked by the sudden, suspicious death of a young actress while on stage - takes a darker turn when the legendary inspector and his partner, DS Lewis, uncover a connection to sinister events in his own past in Oxford, twenty-five years earlier.

Tom Chambers takes on the iconic role of Inspector Morse. With theatre credits including musicals Top Hat and Crazy for You, and thrillers Murder in the Dark and Dial M for Murder, the actor admits to being daunted at the prospect of following in John Thaw’s footsteps.

The thrill for me is in the dialogue and the writing, the camaraderie between Morse and Lewis and their relationship - where you have that classic thing of him putting Lewis down but with a sense of irony or jest and sometimes despair.

There's a different kind of energy to the setting too because we're back in 1987 where there are no mobile phones and it's all analogue.

Admitting to being a fan of John Thaw who played the role between 1987-2000, the actor also gives his take on why murder mysteries continue to be so well received by audiences.

We are curious creatures, aren't we? We like a puzzle; we like a challenge and the stimulation that goes with it. And in the theatre, of course, everyone is in the same space, in the dark, watching the mystery unfold on stage.

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts is directed by Anthony Banks whose productions include Footballers’ Wives, Dial M for Murder and Steel Magnolias.

The murder mystery plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 3 - Saturday 7 February 2026.
Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.
For details of the UK tour which includes The Lowry, Salford, visit here.

The Green Room, the theatre’s new dining and drinks venue - a great environment to relax before shows, during the interval and after performances - offers a pre-theatre set menu.