The Silence of the Lambs will make its world stage play premiere in 2026.
Acclaimed television writer and playwright Gina Gionfriddo (Law & Order (NBC), Rapture, Blister, Burn) brings Thomas Harris’ gripping literary masterpiece to the stage in a new modern adaptation directed by Nikolai Foster.
This electrifying new production will open at Leicester’s Curve theatre, where it plays from Saturday 01 August – Saturday 15 August 2026, ahead of a major UK and Ireland tour.
When FBI trainee Clarice Starling is sent to interview the psychiatrist and infamous murderer Hannibal Lecter, it’s hoped his brilliant mind will help catch sadistic new serial killer, Buffalo Bill. Another girl is missing, and time is running out. But Dr Lecter has questions of his own, and now Clarice must decide: keep a safe distance, or let Hannibal ‘The Cannibal’ into her head?
Gina Gionfriddo’s theatrical adaptation delves into the psychological tension of Thomas Harris landmark novel, drawing the audience deep into Clarice and Lecter’s intelligent, intricate, and bone-chilling game of cat-and-mouse, as the FBI scramble to catch Buffalo Bill, a serial killer still at large. Gionfriddo’s screenwriting credits include Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC), Cold Case (CBS), House of Cards (Netflix) and The Alienist (Netflix). Her plays Becky Shaw and Rapture, Blister, Burn were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2009 and 2013, respectively.
Thomas Harris’ quartet of Lecter novels, Red Dragon (1981), The Silence of the Lambs (1988), Hannibal (1999) and Hannibal Rising (2006) have sold over 50 million copies worldwide and have influenced countless modern thrillers.
Famed for his scalpel-sharp prose, Harris created in Hannibal Lecter an erudite and urbane serial killer who continues to fascinate the cultural imagination.
Clarice Starling remains one of our most compelling fictional heroines — a woman who steps into the darkness to see justice served, armed with intellect, empathy, and unshakable resolve.
Nikolai Foster is Artistic Director at Curve, Leicester, one of the UK’s leading regional theatres, described as “world class” by The Daily Telegraph and a “powerhouse” by The Times. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Nikolai grew up in North Yorkshire and trained at Drama Centre London and at the Crucible, Sheffield.
Full creative team and cast to be announced.
Take a look at all the theatre shows touring the UK & Ireland
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS 2026 / 2027 UK TOUR DATES
Leicester, Curve
Sat 01 Aug – Sat 15 Aug 2026
Newcastle, Theatre Royal
Tue 18 Aug – Sat 22 Aug 2026
Glasgow, Theatre Royal
Mon 24 Aug – Sat 29 Aug 2026
Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre
Tue 01 Sep – Sat 05 Sep 2026
Edinburgh, Festival Theatre
Tue 08 Sep – Sat 12 Sep 2026
Nottingham, Theatre Royal
Tue 15 – Sat 19 Sep 2026
Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre
Mon 28 Sep – Sat 03 Oct 2026
Salford, Lowry – Quays Theatre
Tue 06 Oct – Sat 10 Oct 2026
Bradford, Alhambra Theatre
Mon 12 Oct – Sat 17 Oct 2026
Oxford, New Theatre
Mon 19 Oct – Sat 24 Oct 2026
Peterborough, New Theatre
Tue 27 Oct – Sat 31 Oct 2026
Hull, New Theatre
Tue 03 Nov – Sat 07 Nov 2026
Belfast, Grand Opera House
Tue 10 Nov – Sat 14 Nov 2026
Dublin, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Tue 24 Nov – Sat 28 Nov 2026
Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre
Mon 04 Jan – Sat 09 Jan 2027
Blackpool, The Grand Theatre
Mon 11 Jan – Sat 16 Jan 2027
Eastbourne, The Congress Theatre
Mon 18 Jan – Sat 23 Jan 2027
Malvern, Malvern Theatre
Tue 26 Jan – Sat 30 Jan 2027
Swansea, Grand Theatre
Tue 16 Feb – Sat 20 Feb 2027
Chester, Storyhouse Theatre
Mon 22 Feb – Sat 27 Feb 2027
Brighton, Theatre Royal
Tue 02 Mar – Sat 06 Mar 2027
Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre
Mon 08 Mar – Sat 13 Mar 2027
York, Theatre Royal
Mon 15 Mar – Sat 20 Mar 2027
Coventry, Belgrade Theatre
Tue 30 Mar – Sat 3 Apr 2027
Richmond, Richmond Theatre
Tue 06 Apr – Sat 10 Apr 2027
Cheltenham, Everyman Theatre
Mon 12 Apr – Sat 17 Apr 2027
Bournemouth, Pavilion Theatre
Tue 20 April – Sat 24 Apr 2027
Wolverhampton, Grand Theatre
Mon 26 Apr – Sat 01 May 2027
Cardiff, New Theatre
Mon 10 May – Sat 15 May 2027
Buxton, Opera House
Mon 17 May – Sat 22 May 2027
Woking, New Victoria Theatre
Mon 31 May – Sat 05 Jun 2027
Liverpool, Empire Theatre
Mon 14 Jun – Sat 19 Jun 2027
Sunderland, Empire Theatre
Mon 21 Jun – Sat 26 Jun 2027
