Showbait 2026

Crowbait UK are back with their annual showcase, Showbait 2026, running at The Lens Studio inside Portsmouth Guildhall on Saturday 27 June and Sunday 28 June. It's ten new short plays in one go, all written by local writers and performed by a mix of local and professional actors. The bill runs from comedies to dark dramas and moving tragedies, so it's a fair bit of ground to cover in a single sitting.

The ten plays are Break a Leg by Elliot Sergejew, Delivery Driver by Iain Banachowicz, Father by Dylan Glover, Looking Out by Jacquie Penrose, New Beginnings by Dylan Glover, Season Finale by Bradley Barlow, Super Fan by Sophie Nickerson, This Room, Again by Rhys Chant, Washed Up by Joan Horton, and Was Left on Read by Raj Khan. Glover gets two on the bill, and the whole set is new material.

There's a bit of a story to how these plays end up here. Crowbait UK meets on the first Tuesday of every month to write plays of up to eight minutes, often working from an optional writing prompt. The people there vote for their favourite of the month, and that's the one that makes the cut for Showbait. So what you see on stage is the result of a year's worth of monthly sessions, with each play having won its way in.

It's open to all ages, though anyone under 14 needs to be accompanied by an adult over 18. A few house rules to keep in mind: no cameras or tablets, and no outside food or drink unless it's for medical reasons. There are discounted parking vouchers available online or at the box office if you're driving in. Tickets are £14.85, which includes a 13% booking fee. The Saturday show starts at 19:30 and the Sunday matinee is at 13:30.