Dear Friends and Supporters,

For almost a decade, Rugby School’s Macready Theatre has been a vibrant part of Rugby’s cultural life. Thanks to your loyalty, enthusiasm, and continued support, our auditorium has echoed with laughter, music, storytelling, and applause season after season. Today, we’re writing to share important news about the next chapter in our theatre’s story.

From July 2026 through February 2027, the theatre will temporarily close to allow for significant renovation and improvement works. These upgrades are essential to ensure the theatre remains a comfortable, inspiring, and future-ready venue for many years to come.

This investment will focus on enhancing the audience experience and improving facilities throughout the building. When we reopen in February 2027, you can look forward to a refreshed space that continues to serve as a cultural home for Rugby.

Of course, we know that Macready Theatre is far more than a building. It is a community. It is shared experiences, post-show conversations, familiar faces in the foyer, and evenings that brighten the town’s cultural calendar. With that in mind, the Macready team will not be disappearing during these months. Instead, we will be bringing selected favourite events to alternative venues across the beautiful campus of Rugby School.

We’re pleased to confirm that popular events such as Manford’s Comedy Nights will continue in a new setting, keeping high-quality live comedy firmly on Rugby’s social calendar. Our much-loved Pizza and Jazz Evenings will also return in adapted formats, bringing together great food, live music and the welcoming atmosphere you know so well.

Our programme during this period will be lighter and less frequent than usual, and we appreciate your understanding. Full details, including dates for upcoming shows and booking information, will be announced in the coming months via our website and social media channels. Keep in touch with us @macreadytheatre. We encourage you to book early, as we expect strong interest in these more intimate events.

We are incredibly grateful for your continued loyalty and support. It is thanks to you that we are able to invest in the theatre’s future with confidence. We look forward to welcoming you to our pop-up events over the coming months and to celebrating together when we reopen our doors in February 2027.

Tim Coker – Artistic Director
Amie Johnson – Theatre Manager