The Borrowers is back at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme this Christmas, as the theatre-in-the-round revives its own 2014 adaptation of Mary Norton’s story for its 40th anniversary year. Theresa Heskins adapts and directs again, from 13 November 2026 to 23 January 2027.
The New Vic first staged The Borrowers in 2014, in a version written for an auditorium where the audience sits on every side of the action, and it has since become one of the most popular Christmas shows in the theatre’s four decades. The revival is part of the New Vic’s 40th anniversary programme, and it brings back James Atherton’s original music.
Theresa Heskins, the New Vic’s artistic director, returns to her own adaptation. Her credits include the Olivier Award-winning The Worst Witch in the West End; Marvellous, the New Vic production with which @sohoplace opened as a new West End venue; and the UK Theatre Award-winning The Snow Queen. The theatre’s other recent festive adaptations of classic children’s books include The Little Mermaid, The Three Musketeers and The Nutcracker.
Norton’s story is set in the 1930s and follows the Clock family, people a few inches tall who live out of sight beneath the floorboards of an ordinary English house, and who get by on whatever they can quietly “borrow” from the full-sized household upstairs. Young Arrietty is restless for a look at the world beyond, and once she is spotted by The Boy, the family’s closely kept secret is in danger.
Rehearsals began this week. Kiara Nicole Pillai plays Arrietty, with Gareth Cassidy as Pod and Lucy Keirl as Homily. Lucinda Freeburn is Aunt Lupy, Erica Flint is Eggletina, and Dan Willis plays Uncle Hendreary while also serving as the on-stage musical director. Ewan Ling is Boy and Perry Moore is Spiller, with Howard Chadwick as Crampfurl, Meg Matthews as Mrs Driver and Ben Simon as Rich William. Robbie Kewell, Beth O’Donnell and Ed Thorpe complete the ensemble.
The company mixes newcomers with familiar New Vic faces: Cassidy and Moore were both in Marvellous, at the New Vic and at @sohoplace, and Chadwick and Freeburn have each appeared in several earlier New Vic productions.
Atherton is composer and musical director. The creative team also includes Vicki Dela Amedume MBE (aerial choreographer), Laura Willstead (set), Lis Evans (costume), Daniella Beattie (lighting), Alex Day (sound), Beverley Norris-Edmunds (movement), Graeme Clint (aerial consultant and rigger) and Caroline Hethertington (vocal coach).
Heskins said: “When I came to the New Vic I thought that The Borrowers was one of a handful of stories that would be impossible to stage in-the-round. But I quickly learned that the New Vic, and the imaginations of New Vic audiences, know no bounds; and I saw audiences young and old take our version of this story to their hearts.” Heskins added: “So it feels particularly special to bring The Borrowers back in our 40th anniversary year.”
The Borrowers runs at the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, from Friday 13 November 2026 to Saturday 23 January 2027, with its press performance on Friday 20 November 2026 at 7.30pm. Tickets start at £25.50, and under-16s and under-26s go free. There are captioned performances on Saturday 9 January 2027 at 2.15pm and Saturday 16 January 2027 at 7.30pm, audio-described performances on Saturday 19 December 2026 at 1.30pm and Saturday 16 January 2027 at 2.15pm, and a relaxed performance on Saturday 9 January 2027 at 2.15pm.
