This November on the Festival stage

News 12 Oct 2026

News Story

The Festival Theatre stage is full to the brim this Winter season including laugh-out-loud comedy with The Last Laugh and Present Laughter, an exhilarating musical with Heathers and intriguing drama with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Read on for all the must-see productions heading to the stage in November.

The Last Laugh | 3 – 7 Nov

Fresh from its run at the Noël Coward Theatre, The Last Laugh is the ‘irresistible’ (Sunday Express) play imagining Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse in a dressing room. Expect sharp wit, legendary laughs and surprisingly candid conversations about life, death, comedy and what it means to be funny… really funny.

Three comedy legends and absolutely no shortage of laughs, book now.

Three men stand in a theatre dressing room, the arms stretched out in front of them. They all wear formal suits, the man in the middle wears a red fez. They all have their mouths open and smiling, as if singing. The back of the stage is washed in a pink-red hue.
A man with glasses, a striped cardigan, beige trousers and bright orange socks sits in a chair at a dressing table. He holds a pipe in the corner of his mouth and leans one arm on the back of the chair. One leg is crossed over the other.
Three men sit in a theatre dressing room. Gold frames with male comedians hang on the wall. The men are dressed in suits. The man in the middle wears a red fez.
A man in a white shirt and black braces with a red fez on holds a wooden duck in his hand. His mouth is open, talking. He is stood in a theatre dressing room.
A man in a black suit and polka dot waist coat stands in front of a wall with portraits of men in black and white. He points with one hand, his eyebrows raised and mouth in a closed smile.

Heathers | 10 – 14 Nov

Following smash hit runs in London, New York and three record-breaking UK & Ireland tours, Heathers the Musical is coming to Chichester. At Westerberg High, popularity is a matter of life and death, as Veronica Sawyer discovers that it might kill to be a nobody, but it’s murder being a somebody. Based on the iconic movie starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, this 'outrageous, irrepressible musical' (New York Times) is wickedly funny, deliciously dark and full of big fun!

Watcha waiting for, book now.

A group of performers are pictured in the school hall of Westerberg High. On an upper balcony in front of the window is a blonde girl in a red mini dress, with two young men in briefs and a tie. Below them, girls, women and men stand singing in a semi-circle. In the centre, a girl using a mobility scooter has three girls in blazers, tartan mini skirts and knee-high socks - respectively red, purple and yellow - either side of her.
Three girls stand facing the camera, all dressed in close-fitting blazers, short tartan skirts and knee-high socks in their signature colours. The one on the left is in green, the middle in red and on the right, in yellow. Multiple spotlights illuminate them from behind.
A large group of performers surround a woman with dark curly hair who stands singing in the centre, holding a microphone. All the ensemble are smiling broadly and wear sparkly jackets and hold open books whose pages resemble pompoms.
Four girls stand facing the camera. In the centre a girl in a long printed dress, shapeless jacket, scarf and rolled down ankle socks, holds a blue notebook. She's surrounded by three girls in brightly coloured close-fitting blazers, tartan mini skirts and matching knee high socks who stare as though comparing their reflections in a mirror.
A group of performers stand in various attitudes; at the centre, two men hold a girl aloft high over their heads. They are all illuminated by spotlights and red lighting which floods through the windows of the room. They are watched by several girls in the background, one of whom has her head in her hands.
A teenage boy dressed in black wax jacket, dark checked shirt and black tee shirt, stands holding a colourful sports disposable cup. He has short curly brown hair and is smiling. On the left, slightly out of focus, a girl with brown hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a close fitting purple blazer and short tartan skirt, stands next to a shop counter on which is displayed confectionary; behind it are 7-Eleven shop signs.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | 17 – 21 Nov

This century’s most popular murder mystery comes to Chichester in a brand-new staging more thrilling than ever. When a neighbour’s dog is discovered killed, Chris Boone becomes both detective and suspect, uncovering a mystery that reveals secrets closer to home. Starring Joe McFadden (The Shawshank Redemption, Strictly Come Dancing) and Charlie Brooks (EastEnders), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time combines the intrigue of a whodunnit with a powerful coming-of-age story in an unforgettable theatrical event.

Book now.

The stage is split in half lengthways by a huge projections of a girl in police custody. She is in a line-up and has a neutral expression on her face. In the lower half, the same girl is in a spotlight with the rest of the stage washed in dark blue, wearing a blue jumpsuit. Surrounding her are three men dressed in police uniforms. A man on the right hand side stands next to a filing cabinet with a kettle on top. He is eating a pot noodle.
A woman in a blue short-sleeve jumpsuit and a red cap and clear rucksack holds a notepad in one hand and a pencil in the other. She looks off, worried or shocked, her mouth slightly open.
Behind a green net, a man is jumping mid-air. He holds a yellow ball above his head, moving as if he were to throw it at the woman in front of him. Other yellow balls litter the pink stage. The woman is wearing a blue short-sleeve jumpsuit and is wearing a large rucksack and holds an animal cage under one arm. She is ducking to avoid being hit.
A woman in a blue short-sleeved jumpsuit and red boots sits on the floor, her knees up by her chest. She has one hand on the floor and the other hand is held up in a high-five towards the man opposite her who is crouched down on one knee. She has a tentative look on her face. The man is wearing jeans, trainers, a t-shirt and gilet. He also has his hand up in a high-five but their hands are not touching.
A woman with blonde curly hair tied into a high pony tail, a white t-shirt and jeans looks up. She has one hand on her hip, the other by her side. She has a black handbag hanging off one shoulder.
A woman in a short-sleeved jumpsuit and boots is mid-jump. She is jumping over other members of the company as they roll underneath her. They are all wearing matching tracksuits. Her arms are outstretched and has a look of concentration on her face. A bright pink washes covers the stage.
Behind a green net, a man in green shorts and a striped blue and orange polo attempts to put his hand on top of a huge yellow ball, taller than him. Upside-down in capital letters reads 'Caution Wet Floor'. Other smaller yellow balls little the floor of the light pink stage. A woman in a short sleeve blue jumpsuit wears a rucksack and holds an animal cage under one arm. She looks concerned and confused by the ball.
A woman with blonde curly hair tied into a high pony tail, a white t-shirt and jeans smiles widely. She clasps her hands together in front of her.

Present Laughter | 24 – 28 Nov

Tracy-Ann Oberman stars as Geri Essendine in Noël Coward’s celebrated and hilarious portrayal of theatrical celebrity. A hugely successful actress, Geri finds herself besieged by would-be lovers, a long-suffering secretary, an estranged husband and an obsessed young playwright. As demands mount, will she ever escape their clutches – and does she really want to? Joined by James Dreyfus and Adrian Lukis, and directed by Lindsay Posner, this sparkling comedy is an 'illuminating take on celebrity' (Telegraph) that explores the temptations and pitfalls of fame.

Book now.

A staged living room with actors seated apart beneath large pop-art portraits, dark windows, and a bold striped rug, creating a tense, theatrical mood.
A woman with long blonde hair wears a shimmering brown jumpsuit as she leans against a doorway in front of a window.
A man in a pale shirt stands beside a seated blonde woman holding a glass, against a bold red pop-art portrait; the scene feels glamorous and theatrical.
A man with a mustache and glasses, wearing a brown three-piece suit and patterned tie, steps through a doorway.
A blonde woman stands before a brick-and-window stage set in a black satin dress and open pink floral robe, one leg exposed, looking startled.
A gray-haired man in a black suit and yellow tie sits cross-legged, holding a cigarette and gazing thoughtfully in a red-framed interview setting.
A blonde woman in a bright floral robe stands behind a shirtless young man, holding his face; pink feathers frame the theatrical scene, which feels dramatic and comedic.

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