Leeds Playhouse (formerly the West Yorkshire Playhouse) has announced plans for its upcoming Autumn / Winter season, reopening the theatre following its £15.8 million redevelopment.

The theatre officially re-opens on 11th October with an Open Weekend, allowing visitors to explore and rediscover the newly transformed arts venue.

Reopening the totally refurbished Quarry Theatre will be Yorkshire-based company LUNG Theatre, who from 3rd to 5th October, will launch a national tour of their award winning piece TROJAN HORSE from the Leeds Playhouse.

The first show in the theatre’s brand new studio space, the Bramall Rock Void, will be local writer Charley Miles’ THERE ARE NO BEGINNINGS. The piece follows four women living in Leeds at the time of the Peter Sutcliffe murders in the 1970s. THERE ARE NO BEGINNINGS runs from 11th October to 2nd November.

From 31st October to 2nd November, Leeds Playhouse Youth Theatre will present INFLUENCE a national co-commissioned play from Leeds Playhouse, Derby Theatre, Dundee Rep, Northern Stage, Royal & Derngate and Theatre Royal Plymouth. Written by Andy McGregor and directed by Gemma Woffinden, the production will open Leeds City College’s School of Creative Arts Theatre, marking the beginning of an artistic partnership between Leeds’ two institution.

Poet and broadcaster Lemn Sissay returns to the Leeds Playhouse on 7th November following his stage adaptation of REFUGEE BOY in 2014 to reflect on his new book, Lemn Sissay: My Name Is Why.

Leeds Playhouse will also welcome its first ever live cinema broadcast from the venue when Northern Ballet’s acclaimed DRACULA screens to cinemas nationwide on 31st October.

Over Christmas, the Playhouse’s artistic director James Brining will direct a new stage production of the classic MGM movie THE WIZARD OF OZ in the Quarry Theatre from 20th November to 25th January. In the venue’s Courtyard Theatre, Robert Alan Evans’ THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS returns to Leeds from 30th November to 28th December following a sell out run in 2015. For 0-3 year olds, the Bramall Rock Void will host The Egg and Travelling Light’s production SNOW MOUSE from 10th to 21st December.

Touring to the Leeds Playhouse will be Rifco Theatre Company and Watford Palace Theatre’s MUSHY LYRICALLY SPEAKING (8th to 12th October), Graeae and Theatre Royal Plymouth’s ONE UNDER (5th to 9th November), Hanif Kureishi’s MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (15th to 26th October), Inua Ellams’ BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES (20th to 23rd November), Breach Theatre’s IT’S TRUE, IT’S TRUE, IT’S TRUE (21st to 23rd November) and Ben Weatherill’s JELLYFISH (28th to 30th November).

Artistic director James Brining said: ‘The transformed Leeds Playhouse marks the most exciting new chapter in our history for decades and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to enjoy and explore. The new building will allow us to offer the magic of theatre to everyone, all under one roof. I’m so excited for all three of our venues to function together and it’s our hope that the Autumn / Winter programme will give a taste of what we’re about: a theatre that is rooted in its local community, producing work of national and international significance and supporting and developing artists at all stages of their career.’

Tickets for the new season are on sale now.