What's on at Cygnet Theatre
June
Blue vanguard jazz
25th June 2026
7:30pm
Kevin Figes is a saxophonist and composer who studied with Elton Dean and Tim Garland, and has performed and recorded with Keith Tippett. Since 2007 he has led his own quartet, releasing a series of acclaimed recordings including Changing Times (2020), which received a 4* review from The Guardian, and Wallpaper Music (2021), described as “a kaleidoscopic blizzard” in Jazzwise. He has performed at Ronnie Scott’s with artists including Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley, and is a member of Denny Ilett’s Electric Lady Big Band. His quartet has performed nationally and broadcast live from Glastonbury Festival on BBC Radio 3.
Many Ghosts of bishops philpotts
26th - 28th June 2026
7:30pm and 1pm matinees
World Premiere of a new play by Ashmeed Sohoye dir. by Krish Madray & Brandon Benoit-Joyce.
Exeter Drama Company present The Many Ghosts of Bishop Phillpotts, a new play based on real events, from the life of Bishop Henry Phillpotts. Old foes and long buried controversies resurface, as Phillpotts confronts past battles, with the people; the press; and truth. Whose interests was he really serving? God’s; the peoples; or his own? Most of his accusers are familiar adversaries, but why is he being visited by Eric Williams, a man who would go on to be the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago? The play asks questions about the British Establishments relation to power; and control, its past and its present, secrets and lies.
June/july
Romeo and Juliet
30th June - 5th July 2026
7:30pm and 2:30pm matinees
Shake on the Exe return this summer for the fourth chapter of their story. Step into Verona’s streets like you’ve never seen them before—where rival gangs clash under neon lights and the pulse of grime beats drives the drama. This bold retelling fuses Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy with raw urban energy, exploring forbidden love in a world of loyalty, violence, and rhythm. Expect explosive choreography, lyrical grit, and a soundtrack that shakes the stage. Modern, visceral, unforgettable—this is Romeo and Juliet for a new generation, where passion burns brighter than the city’s chaos.
Antigone Rising
9th - 11th July 2026
7:30pm
This devised exploration of the Antigone myth, highlights the conflict between: family & state, youth & experience, defiance & compromise.
Set in the aftermath of war this all female ensemble emphasises the bravery and sacrifice of this young woman who dares to confront the power of the state.
This layered and visual production returns to the ongoing question about our own individual
responsibility in the face of oppression, crisis and injustice; and asks can we stand up to and speak truth to power in todays world.
‘when you are powerless, wild gestures and heroic refusals are reserved for madmen’
The Wheel return to Cygnet after past productions: ‘Medea', ‘Love & War’, ‘The Mother’ and ‘The Planet & Us’
Katy's singers Concert
12th July 2026
5pm
Join Katy's singers for an evening of musical delight. From pop, rock, jazz and musicals, these performers will entertain you whilst raising money for our charity.
Peter Pan Returns
24th - 25th July 2026
7:30pm
Four of Swords proudly present PETER PAN RETURNS, from a story idea by Louis Windsor, developed by the Ambitious Performers, Exeter's very own badass, neurospicy acting group.
An irreverent and darkly comic reimagining of the world of Peter and Wendy, this bold new piece asks a simple but unsettling question: what if Peter Pan grew up?
Captain Hook, thought long dead, has returned. He is searching for the secret of a mysterious Pixie Orb that could grant him absolute power over Neverland.
Meanwhile, in the “real” world, Peter and Wendy Darling are living an ordinary adult life, or trying to. But when Tinkerbell reappears with news of devastation in Neverland, Peter is forced to confront his past: the Lost Boys, the war he cannot forget, and the question of whether he can ever truly leave Neverland behind.
This show features eccentric new characters, warring Lost Boys, and a formidable Queen of the Mermaids. It’s Neverland as you’ve never seen it.
Ages 12+
Run time: Approx. 75 mins
Content warnings: War references, trauma/PTSD, mild violence, and swearing.
Blue Vanguard Jazz
30th July 2026
7:30pm
Pete's Concert
16th August 2026
5pm
Join Pete's singers for an evening of musical delight. From pop, rock, jazz and musicals, these performers will entertain you whilst raising money for our charity.
coming soon!
SEPTEMBER
Here Comes The Sun
19th September 2026
7:30pm
Kevin’s UK tour ‘Here Comes The Sun’, performing his fingerstyle guitar arrangements of popular Beatles songs plus some of his own compositions together with tunes from a new album he is currently recording (The Balladeer) and other popular fingerstyle guitar pieces comes to Cygnet Theatre this Autumn!
Kevin's music can be heard across prime-time TV and around the UK.
With support from Pres Hotlas : Pres is a talented young fingerstyle guitarist from Cornwall who will play both classical and percussive fingerstyle guitar pieces in a 30 minute set before Kevin performs. They’ll also perform some Beatles together at the end of the evening
Blue Vanguard Jazz
24th September 2026
7:30pm
Lilith - The other side of the story
25th September 2026
7:30pm
Before Eve, there was Lilith...
A dramatic, uplifting one-woman storytelling show.
An exploration and celebration of female power through the mythological figure of Lilith. Shocking, seductive and entertaining.
Lilith, the first wife of Adam, was not prepared to lie down and accept what was given to her. Thrown out of Eden, she slithered back in to take her revenge and wake Eve up to what her body could do.
Viewed as a demon, worshipped as a goddess, adored as the Queen of Sheba, Lilith slips out of the Bible, reclaims the narrative and is dancing with us still, forever free.
Katy Cawkwell, a performance storyteller at the top of her game, mixes myth from Arabia, Ethiopia, Mesopotamia and Jewish tradition, with a dash of feminist flavouring and a large dollop of her own wild dreaming.
"Totally captivating" "Staggeringly good!" "I was spellbound"
“Brave, fun and brilliantly told”
“Great interweaving of stories from different cultures and perspectives”
"Wow! What a rich, wonderful evening of entertainment"
Ocean is a bridge
30th Sept & 2nd October 2026
7:30pm
Our original play exploring the story of Frederick Douglass and the Exeter Abolitionists was performed six times to sold-out audiences in September and October. Performances formed part of Exeter Heritage Open Days at the Devon and Exeter Institution in September and Black History Month at Exeter Central Library in October.
Due to overwhelming demand, an additional performance was staged at Cygnet Theatre in November which again sold-out. So we return to Cygnet Theatre for 2 more performances this September/October.