Graeae, the UK’s leading disabled-led theatre company, today announces the 2027 UK tour of its major new production Wedding Fayre, a bold, provocative new folk-punk musical exploring identity, belonging and the price of conformity, which comes to Derby Theatre Friday 5 to Saturday 13 February 2027.
In this darkly humoured vision of a near future, the authorities have declared that any adult who does not conform to the newly minted English standards of ‘normal’ must be married to somebody who does, by midnight tonight. Or else.
Part razor-sharp political satire and part joyous celebration of resistance, Wedding Fayre is a brand-new anarchic folk-punk musical with a book by Olivier Award-nominated playwright Paul Sirett, (The Big Life, Rat Pack Confidential and Graeae’s Reasons to Be Cheerful), and a rousing original score by Max Runham, whose recent credits include (Brixton Calling and All Creatures Great and Small).
Directed by Jenny Sealey, with musical direction by Joey Hickman, (The Comedy About a Bank Robbery in the West End and the UK tour of Beautiful), Wedding Fayre is a co-production between Graeae and Derby Theatre and features a diverse professional cast of Deaf, Disabled and neurodivergent performers.
Jenny Sealey (Artistic Director, Graeae) says:
“The Wedding Fayre started out as a satirical romp, now we are actually about to debut the show, the reality of our ‘fayre set in the near future’ feels a little too close for comfort! This glorious folk-punk musical is of course political and disruptive, but it is full of heart, humour and provocations. More than anything, it’s a celebration of people coming together, and a reminder that hope and collective action still matter”
Sarah Brigham (Artistic Director and CEO, Derby Theatre) says:
“I’m delighted that we will be co-producing this brand-new musical with Graeae and have the fantastic Jenny Sealey at the helm directing. We have a long relationship with Graeae and have worked hard to improve access to our stages over the last ten years. Audiences can expect a fun night out with some cracking tunes and great performances.”
All performances will be Relaxed, and creatively integrate British Sign Language, captions and audio description.
Graeae Language Guide https://graeae.org/resource/language-guide/
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For more information and Wedding Fayre updates, visit the Derby Theatre website here: Wedding Fayre – Derby Theatre or follow us on social media (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – @derbytheatre).
More information
Tour Dates
Derby Theatre Friday 5 – Saturday 13 February 2027
Leeds Playhouse Tuesday 16 – Wednesday 17 February 2027
Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Friday 19 – Saturday 20 February 2027
Warwick Arts Centre Thursday 25 – Saturday 27 February 2027
New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 March 2027
Watford Palace Theatre Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 March 2027
Perth Theatre Wednesday 24 – Saturday 27 March 2027
About Graeae
For over 45 years, Graeae has cultivated and championed the best in Deaf, Disabled and neurodivergent talent, locally, nationally and internationally.
Graeae is passionate about igniting artistic curiosity, championing accessibility and providing a platform for new generations of artists through the creation of trail-blazing theatre. It is also a human rights company, founded on the need to tackle social injustice, discrimination and exclusion.
Graeae’s work has been seen in stadiums, theatres, schools, at festivals and streamed online. Recent productions include, Bad Lads, Romeo and Juliet, award winning Self-Raising, High Times and Dirty Monsters, UK Theatre Award winner The Paradis Files, Kerbs, Olivier Award nominated 10 Nights and two seasons of the digital new work programme Crips without Constraints. Other work includes the hit Ian Dury musical Reasons to be Cheerful and outdoor spectacles The Iron Man and This Is Not For You. In addition to productions, Graeae also runs an extensive programme of training, learning, and creative professional development programmes. Since 1997, Graeae has been run by Jenny Sealey OBE, who also co-directed the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony.
Artistic Director and Joint CEO: Jenny Sealey OBE. Executive Director and Joint CEO: Kevin Walsh.
‘The national theatre of disability’ Jack Thorne. www.graeae.org
About Derby Theatre
Bold and brilliant performances. Shows that represent our community. A platform for groundbreaking artists. A pathway for learners of all ages. A guaranteed great night out. We’re a theatre like no other.
We’re known for artistic excellence. We’re committed to education. And we believe that theatre can change your life.
Previously Derby Playhouse, we have a long and important theatrical history. As Derby Theatre, we work in partnership with the University of Derby. We produce new plays and projects, collaborate with artists and local people, and welcome higher education students and anyone who wants to learn.
It’s really important to us that we make everyone feel welcome. So we set out to treat everybody with respect and care. That includes audiences, artists and learners who are new to theatre or who don’t usually feel like it’s for them.
“Funny, nostalgic, visually stunning … But for me, its greatest achievement was showing how you can transform access from a practical necessity into an artistic asset. I left the theatre understanding the story, knowing the songs and feeling fully included”. Limping Chicken Deaf Blog
“Few theatres are as sure of their civic purpose as Derby Theatre… it has signposted the way for others in creating a theatre that is genuinely connected, local and networked” The Stage
“Tight direction and intimate staging…there are no weak links” The Times
Don’t just take our word for it – come and find out for yourself. www.derbytheatre.co.uk/