About the Venue
The Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse is Sheffield’s most intimate and flexible theatre space, designed for bold, imaginative and up-close performances. Located within the Crucible Theatre building on Norfolk Street, this studio theatre is part of the Sheffield Theatres complex and is known for championing new writing, experimental work and Sheffield-made productions. Formerly known as the Studio Theatre, the Playhouse can be reconfigured for each show, creating a unique experience every time you visit.
With seating that flexes from around 100 to 400, the Playhouse offers an immersive atmosphere where audiences are close to the performers and the action. Renamed in 2022 in honour of pioneering theatre designer Tanya Moiseiwitsch, the venue continues her legacy of innovative, audience-focused theatre design. From fringe favourites and local talent to exciting new discoveries, the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse is a vital space for creative risk-taking at the heart of Sheffield’s theatre scene.
Key details
Opened: 1971 (rebuilt 1994)
Capacity: Up to 400 (flexible layouts)
Type: Studio theatre
Owner/Operator: Sheffield Theatres
Website: sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Compact but endlessly adaptable, the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse is a must-list venue for innovative live performance in Sheffield.
Upcoming Events
Set in Sheffield and spanning six turbulent decades, Living is a powerful new state-of-the-nation drama from award-winning local playwright Leo Butler (Redundant), produced by Sheffield Theatres.
It’s 1969.
Kathy and Brian are just twenty years old when they move into a big old house on Burngreave Road. They’ve got babies on the way, big hopes for the future, and a sense that life is just beginning.
But living is a funny business.
Sixty years. One home. A lifetime of change.
As the years roll on, the couple face the realities of:
Raising children
Juggling money and work
Holding relationships together
Watching politics and society shift around them
From Thatcherism to Blairism, and into the age of Trump, the world keeps turning. The question is whether Kathy and Brian can keep their family — and their home — together through it all.
As one line puts it:
“Grow up wantin’ to change the world. Spend yer twenties n’thirties in a daze. Fifty turns to sixty n’yer suddenly fightin’ the urge not to kill everyone.”
Why this production matters
Rooted firmly in Sheffield life, Living is:
A deeply human portrait of love, compromise and endurance
A reflection on how personal lives intersect with political change
A celebration of ordinary people navigating extraordinary times
This is a play about all the years of our lives — tender, funny, angry, and painfully recognisable.
Audience & access information
Accessible performances available
On sale: 8 March at 10:00am
Recommended for: audiences interested in Sheffield stories, family drama, and contemporary British theatre
🎟 Tickets & full details:
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/living