Plymouth Performance Festival returns for 2026
Plymouth Performance Festival returns on the 23rd of May with four exciting shows created and performed by local artists. The festival exists to showcase theatre, dance, comedy, music, spoken word and other performance being made in the region every summer in different venues. This year the shows take place over one day in the Barbican Theatre who are supporting as part of their artist development Pathways programme.
The festival feature two double bills across the evening. The first pairing spoken word poetry in ‘A Way With Words’ by Beneath The Tracksuit with dance piece ‘On Girlhood’ by Millie Parker. The second featuring comedy across one person theatre show ‘Murder She Tried To Write’ by Chelsea Vincent and ‘Marina and The Diamantes by Marina O’Shea.
“We always want to celebrate the incredible talent there is here in Devon and Cornwall” says one of the organisers Kate Ellis, “and these four artists capture the variety of the poets, dancers, theatre makers and comedians who are making unique shows for audiences. There will be something for everyone and we hope the day will encourage people to see at least two different kinds of performance together.”
A Way With Words by spoken word artists and MS advocate Beneath The Tracksuit is a spoken word show that blends poetry, storytelling and lived experience, delivered with warmth, humour and honesty. The performance moves between light, relatable moments and deeper reflections on mental health, disability and everyday struggles. Described by audiences as ‘whimsical’, ‘chaotic’ and ‘relatable’ On Girlhood by Millie Parker is a contemporary dance and physical theatre work which aims to answer the question – how does your idea of what it means to be a woman change as you grow up?
‘What is it like to discover that you could be neurodivergent as a fully grown adult, and what has Angela Lansbury’s iconic character Jessica Fletcher got to do with it?’, Murder She Tried To Write by Chelsea Vincent is an ambitious and funny show that examines the tiny revelations that add up to one culprit-neurodivergence! Marina and The Diamantes by Marina O’Shea wraps the evening up with sparkle, silliness, and just a touch of chaos. Marina and her trusty accomplices, Lizi and Juliet, serve up a whirlwind of stand-up alongside character comedy, sketches, and musical numbers that are equal parts clever and ridiculous.
Helen Thomas another organiser of the festival reflects “Plymouth Performance works to create opportunities for local writers from the early stages of making a show through to performances that are ready for audiences and we’re thrilled to have a mix of artists whose work in progress we have supported before in the line up alongside people we are showcasing with for the first time”
Tickets are now on sale with special offers for those who want to see all four shows.
Plymouth Performance Festival 2026 - 23rd May Barbican Theatre, Plymouth
6pm ‘A Way With Words’ and ‘On Girlhood’
8:15pm ‘Murder She Tried To Write’ and ‘Marina and The Diamantes’
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/plymouth-performance-weekender-tickets-1987684651299
