2026 marks a major milestone for the award-winning Guildford Shakespeare Company as they celebrate 20 years of bold, ambitious theatre in Guildford and across the UK. The 20th anniversary programme puts access at its heart, championing those who face the greatest barriers to the arts, an approach recognised with major honours, including the Institute of Directors’ Inclusivity, Diversity and Equality Award in 2023. As GSC enters its third decade, the 2026 programme shows why they are known as one of the region’s most distinctive and prolific theatre pioneers, creating exceptional work in extraordinary places.
Founded and led by Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches, GSC’s 20th programme is powerful and purposeful to reflect both their artistic ambition and roots. Alongside its main productions, the company will continue its nationally recognised creative learning and social engagement work, offering thousands of free opportunities each year and reaching creating around 24,000 engagement opportunities annually through its Outreach and Education programme, a level of accessibility rarely matched in the UK, especially one that receives no core funding.
Their critically acclaimed David Copperfield arrives in Guildford from 6th – 28th February 2026 fresh from its London premier before touring to Ipswich and Windsor. Building on the international success of Pride & Prejudice, this playful and inventive production opens Dickens’ vast world with GSC’s unmistakable blend of warmth and theatrical imagination, turning a classic into something intimate and full of surprise.
On 10th – 11th April, GSC’s Young Company will return to the stage, to perform their annual devised production based on 3 of the professional company’s work from 2025. The Young Company shows highlight the extraordinary talent and creativity of young people working at a professional level, supported by GSC’s creative learning team; this remains a vital part of the company’s mission.
On 19th April, the company will be staging its annual Shakespeare Walks. Over the past decade, these popular events have explored towns and villages across Surrey, uncovering hidden gems as actors appear in the most unexpected places, from roof gardens to secluded courtyards. This year’s Walks location will be revealed later in the spring.
From 1st – 25th July, GSC bring their open-air mastery back to Guildford at Braboeuf Manor with a Shakespearean double bill of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing. Much Ado About Nothing was the first play GSC performed 20 years ago and this revival is both a celebration of the past and a confident statement of how far the company has come. A co-production with Richmond based Orange Tree Theatre, and directed by OT’s Artistic Director Tom Littler, these much-loved comedies will be presented as a love-saga set either side of World War II.
The year concludes with a brand-new interactive Murder Mystery staged at Hogs Back Brewery from 24th October – 15th November 2026, continuing GSC’s tradition of transforming unexpected venues into richly detailed theatrical worlds. This latest site-responsive whodunnit promises playfulness and intrigue for audiences.
Co-founder, Matt Pinches comments, In 2006 neither of us imagined the journey GSC would go on; the list of landmark moments is truly humbling. Our stage programme this year combines everything that GSC is about: exceptional theatre in extraordinary places. From celebrating new work and partnerships, to returning old favourites, we’re really looking forward to celebrating them and the people who make it all happen as we move through 2026.
Inventive, entrepreneurial. Bravo. – ★★★★ The Daily Telegraph on Romeo and Juliet
Delightful dollops of mischief and invention comic eccentricity – ★★★★ The Guardian on David Copperfield
Main Image: Love's Labour's Lost 2018 (Mark Dean)This post was last modified on January 16, 2026 8:54 am