Olivier nominated musical SYLVIA to return in Autumn 2026 with limited tour
Photo credit: Craig Sugden
It has been announced that renowned singer/songwriter and performer Beverley Knight MBE will reprise her Olivier Award-winning role as Emmeline Pankhurst, alongside Sharon Rose as Sylvia in a UK tour culminating in a run at the Royal Albert Hall this Autumn.
Beverley Knight said: “I could not be more chuffed to reprise my role as Emmeline Pankhurst one more time! The spirit, courage and determination of the suffragettes and in particular Sylvia Pankhurst is so brilliantly celebrated in this show. The Soul, R&B, HipHop and Blues reflects the joy, passion and the fight of the women and their allies. It seemed to me like the perfect place to perform Sylvia was the very stage on which the suffragettes were roundly expelled and rejected, the Royal Albert Hall. Over 100 years later, Sylvia and the Suffragettes are returning to triumph.”
Sylvia Pankhurst - fearless, flawed, and unforgettable. The untold story of the rebellious middle child of Emmeline Pankhurst takes centre stage in this irresistible hip hop, funk and soul musical that moves your feet and fires your spirit. Whilst her mother and sister battled for women's suffrage, Sylvia ignited a revolution for the forgotten: working women, the impoverished, the silenced. Caught between her family and her beliefs, Sylvia risked it all to bring change to millions.
Following its sellout world premiere production at The Old Vic in 2023, Sylvia will visit Leicester Curve (24 Sep – 3 Oct), followed by Birmingham Hippodrome (6 – 10 Oct), Edinburgh Festival Theatre (12 – 17 Oct), Salford Lowry (19 – 24 Oct), Norwich Theatre (28 – 31 Oct), Canterbury Marlowe (2 – 7 Nov) before heading into the Royal Albert Hall on 13, 14 & 15 November 2026.
The Olivier Award-winning electrifying musical is fuelled by an irresistible soundtrack by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde that joyously unites hip hop, funk, and soul, and is brought to life by world-renowned choreographer and storyteller Kate Prince.
Kate Prince said: "I’m so thrilled that we now have the opportunity to share Sylvia with even more audiences. It’s such an essential part of our history and to bring the voices of those who came before us back to life feels so right. From the very beginning, I wanted to create something fresh and relevant, that honoured the past while being uplifting and joyful. Taking Sylvia to the mighty Royal Albert Hall feels like a full circle moment, knowing that many women’s rights trailblazers, including Sylvia Pankhurst herself, once spoke there and inspired audiences. This is incredibly exciting for me and I’m so thankful and proud of everyone who has supported the production from the very beginning, it’s been a real evolution, of a revolution!"
The full creative team includes book writer, lyricist, director and choreographer Kate Prince, book writer Priya Parmar, composers Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, set and costume designer Ben Stones, lighting designer Natasha Chivers, sound designer Tony Gayle, video and animation designer Andrzej Goulding, wigs, hair and make-up designer Cynthia De La Rosa, dramaturg Lolita Chakrabarti, and music supervisor Sean Green.