The Corn Exchange Newbury, Berkshire’s award-winning venue for culture and community, is gearing up for an extraordinary Autumn 2025 season. Their new programme brings together an exhilarating blend of world-class music tributes, laugh-out-loud comedy, family favourites, fantastic theatre and inspiring talks, all set to entertain and delight audiences of all ages.
The theatre season begins with a bang as Shamilton: The Improvised Hip-Hop Musical (28th August) takes to the stage. After a triumphant Edinburgh Fringe run, this fast-paced, unscripted musical allows audiences to choose the historical figure, while the cast improvises everything — from plot to songs. Set at the BBC Broadcasting House, Drum (14th October) vibrantly combines music, dance and archival material to explore identity and ambition as two Ghanaian creatives meet for the first time in 1960s London. Later that month, Stories From an Invisible Town (21st October) offers an imaginative, darkly comic solo show, from BBC award-winning writer Shôn Dale-Jones, performs a collection of dark comic stories, based on the imaginary town he lived in as a boy, that unearths the childhood myths of a made-up town and the power of growing up. Following multiple sell-out shows and a Fringe First win, Revenge: After The Levoyah (4th November) follows Malcolm Spivak who plans to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn with the help of his cousins – be sure to catch this chaotic Jewish comedy!
Blending tradition with contemporary expression, dance audiences can look forward to exciting new choreography in Story of One, Story of Many (24th September), a dynamic Kathak dance performance that explores migration, identity and time, performed by a cast of exceptional South Asian artists. October also welcomes Richard Chappell Dance with Hot House (16th October), a high-energy physical piece that combines multicultural music influences — from Indian classical to garage beats.
The music programme will thrill fans of all genres and generations, as September kicks off with the UK Pink Floyd Experience (13th September), celebrating 50 years of Wish You Were Here. Continuing the toe-tapping tunes will be the soulful spectacle of Northern Live: Do I Love You (18th September), which brings over 30 classic Northern Soul hits performed by an 11-piece band and powerhouse vocalists. The timeless songs of The Eagles are celebrated by Bootleg Eagles (19th September) and fans of the King of Rock can dance away to Emilio Santoro as Elvis (20th September), as he returns to Newbury. Dolly Parton fanatics can revel in The Dolly Show (25th September), led by the globally renowned tribute artist Kelly O’Brien. October continues the music run with Some Guys Have All the Luck: The Rod Stewart Story (18th October). As we move into the colder months, Step Into Christmas (15th November) promises a heartwarming and glittering concert of festive classics, perfect for kicking off the holiday season.
Comedy takes centre stage this autumn, led by the return of The Comedy Network (5th September, 17th October, 7th November), showcasing top-tier talent from the UK circuit. Jenny Eclair: Jokes, Jokes, Jokes Live(26th September) shares hilarious stories from her wild and wonderful life, while Matt Richardson: Brash (9th October) dishes out cheeky insights from small-town living to chaotic fame. Milton Jones: Ha!milton (5th November) promises a night of joyful nonsense from one of Britain’s most surreal comedy minds. Suzi Ruffell: The Juggle (8th November) delivers sharp, honest stand-up about life’s many pressures and hilarious contradictions.
Families will find a rich programme of theatre and creative events throughout the season. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (10th – 12th October) brings to life 4 of Eric Carle’s much-loved stories with over 75 puppets in a colourful stage adaptation. Stick Man (28th – 30th October) follows the journey of a stick trying to get back to his family in a charming musical full of puppetry, live music and gentle humour. Horrible Histories: Gorgeous Georgians & Vile Victorians (31st October) plunges young audiences into Britain’s most gruesome past with fun, facts and hilarious storytelling. Over half term, families can get together to party to the biggest songs of the moment from Sabrina Carpenter to Miley Cyrus in Flowers and Friendship Bracelets (1st November). The whole family can roar with excitement during Dinosaurs Live! (9th November), a visually spectacular stage experience developed with the Natural History Museum, featuring lifelike dinosaurs and fascinating science.
BAFTA-winning writer Adam Kay is back at the Corn Exchange with A Particularly Nasty Case: A Murderously Funny Evening with Adam Kay (6th September), where he’ll share his horrifying and hilarious anecdotes from his time as a doctor, taking you behind the scenes of life in a hospital. An Evening with Adam Frost (22nd October) will appeal to gardeners and creatives alike as the BBC presenter reflects on a life shaped by nature, music and landscape design – a true highlight of talks this season.
This season also supports local causes and creative development, as Newbury Sounds: A Fundraising Concert for the Old Library Campaign (30th August) returns, featuring local acts Lizzie Cullen, Solar Season, The Liaisons, Number of the Beef and A Dirty Soul in an evening of indie, rock, folk and more. All proceeds will go toward reopening the Old Library as a new arts and community hub. Another Old Library fundraiser event is An Audience with Clare Balding (16th September), where the celebrated broadcaster shares stories from her debut novel Pastures New and reflects on her roots in and around Newbury.
Outdoor arts continue to play a vital role in Corn Exchange’s offering. Creative Commons (13th – 14th September), held on Greenham Common, is a two-day celebration of the site’s remarkable transformation from military base to public space. The event features circus, dance, storytelling and interactive installations, including appearances by Gossamer Thread Circus and Yara + Davina. In December, the ever-popular Festival of Light (14th December) transforms Newbury town centre into a luminous wonderland. With lantern-making workshops taking place in the run-up to the event, the community-led procession lights up the streets with music, colour and warmth.
At the heart of the season is the return of the venue’s much-anticipated pantomime Robin Hood and Maid Marian (28th November – 3rd January), produced in-house by the Corn Exchange and written and directed by the acclaimed team Plested Brown and Wilsher. Bursting with nostalgic songs through the decades, non-stop laughs and dazzling costumes, this year’s pantomime promises to be a perfect treat for the whole family. A variety of accessible performances including audio described, BSL, relaxed, captioned and dementia friendly are also available.
Corn Exchange Director, Jessica Jhundoo-Evans comments, This season is incredibly exciting! I’m very proud that the Corn Exchange continues to offer a hugely varied and diverse programme of events, supporting all genres of arts, indoors and outdoors and with so much to tempt all interests. After a bumper year of over 250 live performances, we can’t wait to end 2025 with our fantastic pantomime,Robin Hood and Maid Marian. We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors from near and far.
Main Image: Courtesy of The Corn Exchange Newbury